Travel Solo Never Means Travel Alone

Mrs. Michelle Balan was so happy when she was accompanied by her beloved husband to discover this beautiful world. While after her husband left this world, will she plunge into sadness and stop discovering thereafter?

The answer was uncertain at first. As a 59-year-old woman, she was reluctant to travel solo. But as a song sings, "there is no cure like travel". She finally decided to try her first solo adventure.

There's no cure like travel
To help you unravel
The worries of living today.
When the poor brain is cracking
There's nothing like packing
A suitcase and sailing away.

-- There's No Cure Like Travel by Anything Goes

She took Southeast Asia as the first stop because it was one of the common dreams of herself and her husband. Considering that the previous trip with Odynovo was so wonderful and memorable, she chose to travel with Odynovo again, trustingly. Odynovo never let her down by taking care of all the challenges and details.

Mrs. Michelle Balan encountered a group of lovely students in Vietnam

"Planning my trip to Southeast Asia has been a wonderful experience. Cherry Weizhouhong, my travel agent at Odynovo Tours, has modified my personal itinerary numerous times to accommodate every request I've made. I'm confident we have all the details ironed out. Cherry even emailed me weather forecasts for the regions I'm visiting. Now I'm counting down the days until I leave. Thanks Cherry for putting my mind at ease."

-- Michelle Balan reviewed on the Facebook page of My Odyssey Tours before the trip

Feeding Elephants in Ban Noon's Elephant Camp in Laos

She thoroughly enjoyed her solo adventure. She admired the calming "Khmer Smile" in the magnificent ruins of Angkor in Cambodia, explored the gigantic underground network of Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam, rode a sightseeing sampan along the picturesque canals of the Mekong River, took an exhilarating elephant adventure in the impressive Ban Noon's Elephant Camp in Laos, and also met many people along the way, some of whom she will continue to be in touch with for years to come. All of these are exactly what she expected, but also far more than she expected.

Cruising along the canals of Mekong River by sampan in Vietnam

According to her, she was well looked after throughout the trip, just like Odynovo's slogan says, "You are not alone with Odynovo!" Odynovo gave her a long-stemmed rose for Valentine's Day and a beautiful, personalized birthday cake for her birthday. Her travel consultant kept in touch with her throughout her tour via email and/or text messages to make sure she was enjoying her trip and that everything was as expected.

Birthday cake prepared by Odyssey Tours

It was the attention to detail and real service that impressed her. Every time she returned to the car after spending hours in the heat visiting temples in Cambodia, the driver would magically give her an ice-cold rolled facecloth that smelt of eucalyptus to wash her face and neck to cool down. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and caring, with excellent English skills, and took care of every request without the need to ask a second time. They always have a smile.

The majestic Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Odynovo did a great job of making her trip special and stress-free. According to In her review on TripAdvisor, this was the most amazing tour, and everything went off without a hitch, and she had never taken a vacation that was as perfect as this one.

The fairytale Khouang Si Waterfall in Laos

Now, if you ask the question "Will she stop discovering?", the answer is definitely no! She will keep traveling the world and enjoy every minute of it.

"Solo travel is a wonderful adventure. It's an opportunity to not only learn about the places you visit, but more importantly, it's an opportunity to learn about yourself. I can't wait to take another solo trip with Odynovo! "