I Spent New Year’s and My Birthday Alone - Here’s Why I’d Solo Travel Again

Spending New Year’s Eve on a beach in Penang sounded like heaven to me. So that’s exactly what I did alone. I took myself for a Michelin Guide dinner at one of Penang’s finest restaurants, then headed to the beach beside my hotel for a chilled evening before watching the fireworks light up over the island. It was mesmerising and a New Year’s I will not forget.

Many people assume being alone for celebrations like this is sad. It wasn’t. I loved it. In fact, it was the best New Year’s I’ve ever had, and this isn’t the first time I’ve been alone on a special occasion that is designed to be spent with loved ones.

The morning of New Year's I explored the streets of George Town.

The Assumption VS Reality of Solo Travel

Often, when I travel alone, people assume I must be lonely, especially during moments like New Year’s, which society insists should be spent together. I’ve had strangers kindly ask if I want to join them, and while the invitation is always generous, I’m usually alone by choice. I enjoy being with people I love, and I enjoy it deeply, but if I’m travelling solo, it’s because that’s how I wanted that particular journey to unfold. This New Year, I had just spent Christmas in Langkawi with friends, laughing and exploring, before flying to Penang on my own. Both experiences were fun and fulfilling, just in very different ways.

New Years Eve was a chilled solo date at Batu Ferringhi beach.

If I’m being honest, I prefer solo travel most of the time. There is something liberating about waking up and YOU deciding how the day will look. No negotiations, no compromises, no quiet calculations about what will keep everyone happy. Over time, I’ve learned what I enjoy when I travel, and just as importantly, what I don’t. In a group, those preferences often soften or disappear altogether. Travelling with others means constant proximity, shared schedules, and compromises — especially when tastes differ, whether it’s food, pace, or how a day should be spent. I like moving on my own timeline. I’m a planner, not a go-with-the-flow type, and that difference becomes more prominent when travelling with others.

I’ve tried travelling in large groups, including organised trips with companies like Intro Travel and TruTravels, and they served their purpose. For anyone new to travelling alone, eager to make friends, or would rather have every detail arranged, those trips are perfect. But for me, they confirmed something I already suspected - I am happiest when I travel alone.

I took part in organised group trips but discovered solo travel was for me.

Milestones Spent Alone

Celebrations like New Year’s are often framed as moments that must be spent with family or friends, but why? Because we’ve been taught that togetherness is the only way these milestones count. I spent that night alone on a beach in Malaysia, and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I FaceTimed my family from across the world, showed them the fireworks as they burst over the island, and sent my love across time zones. I was alone, but I didn’t feel lonely. I felt empowered. It was my first New Year away from home and my first spent alone, and it remains the best New Year I’ve ever had.

My setting for New Year's Eve.

It wasn’t the first milestone I’d chosen to celebrate on my own. Two years earlier, I spent my birthday in Singapore, a city I’d long dreamed of visiting, so I decided to make it happen. That day became one of my most memorable birthdays. I wandered through Gardens by the Bay, taking in the beauty of it all, and spent hours exploring the city entirely at my own pace. I fell in love, not just with Singapore, but with life as it felt in that moment. The colour and energy, the ease of moving through the city, the sense of safety I felt as a woman on her own.

That evening, I met up with a friend I’d first met while travelling solo in Vietnam. We had cocktails at a rooftop bar overlooking Marina Bay Sands, then found ourselves dancing at ladies’ night, laughing over free drinks. Later, I walked back to my hotel alone, something I felt comfortable doing only because Singapore made me feel so safe.

Spending a birthday alone made it feel more intentional, more liberating. It reminded me that celebration doesn’t require an audience. I loved it so much that I’ve already decided this year I’ll be spending it in Tokyo over cherry blossom season. I can’t wait.

Enjoying my birthday spent in Singapore.

What Solo Travel Taught Me

I believe if you can travel alone, eat alone, or move countries alone, you literally have the power to achieve anything you want in life. This convinced me that I can handle far more than I once thought. Doing these things gave me confidence I hadn’t found at home, both mentally and physically. I speak to strangers more easily now. Boarding a flight alone no longer feels daunting. And eating out alone? That has become second nature. During my New Year’s Eve celebrations in Penang I treated myself to a meal at a Michelin Guide restaurant, I ate alone and took pictures, while couples sat next to me. Did I care? Not at all. Did they? Probably not. No one was watching me, no one was judging me. Most of the time, the fear of being seen alone exists only in our own heads.

Michelin Guide New Year's Eve meal at Sood By Chef Ton

I’ve learned to trust my instincts. There are moments when I go back and forth over a decision, weighing every option, but in the end, the responsibility is mine. Making choices on my own has taught me to stand by them. Over time, that self-trust has settled in fully.

Solo travel demands a heightened awareness of your surroundings, and listening to your intuition, especially when something feels off, particularly as a woman. When you’re alone, people are more likely to approach you. Most interactions are harmless, even kind; others carry different intentions. Knowing the difference, and acting on it, matters.

I’ve had moments where men have disrupted my peace while I was alone. Usually, it’s enough to say I’m not interested and move on. Occasionally, that boundary isn’t immediately respected. Those experiences have reinforced why trusting my gut is necessary.

Feeling happy and blessed with a trip of a lifetime.

Solo travel has taught me to enjoy my own company without needing to justify it. In Penang, I loved wandering the colourful streets, stumbling upon hidden cafés, treating myself, and exploring the historical city at my own pace. Being alone there showed me how genuinely content I am with myself, not just in moments, but as a person. There is something deeply powerful about being at peace in your own company. The little girl who once dressed up as a mermaid would be proud of the woman I’ve become.

If you’re considering solo travel, but feeling apprehensive, please let this be your sign to step out of your comfort zone and just do it. It will benefit your future, how you feel about yourself, and it will bring you confidence. It will be hard and scary, but there are so many liberating moments that come with this. Read more solo travel inspiration here.