Travel now not tomorrow

 Travel solo - While you're there Watch the locals to find out how they interact. Watch how they greet each other - whether they make eye contact, bow, smile. Look at how they're dressed. If the women don't wear shorts in the street, then you probably shouldn't.  A smile can take you a long way. I don't mean a dippy smile that makes you look like you're on happy pills, or a desperate smile that will make you look, well, desperately lonely. I mean a strong smile that says I am happy to be here, I am confident. This is the smile you use when you enter a restaurant alone and you refuse to look apologetic because you want a table for one. If it helps, use the old-fashioned African greeting, "Hello, and how are you?" It carries warmth, shows confidence and requires an answer, for who can avoid replying, "I am well, thank you." Other lone travellers may be cold. They may genuinely not want to make friends with anyone. Don't take it personally i...