Tips for Solo Female Travelers

Hey there! Traveling might forever be one of my greatest passions and there is literally nothing that could stop me from doing it (except the recent crisis, but we are not talking about it right now, ok?). And sometimes it happens that you are lacking in a travel companion but in my opinion, that’s no reason not to travel at all! These tips for solo female travelers should help you to plan your first solo trip.

These following few tips come from trial, error and experience, mixed up with one or two funny things that happened to me or friends. Of course these tips are not applicable on women only, but I consider them extremely helpful especially for us.

1. Travel Agile

Pack Light

I don’t know about you but I am one of those persons who likes to be able to carry their stuff on their own. That’s why I like to travel as lightly as I can to avoid not being able to lift my bags anymore .

For Further Reading:

• Check out my back pack for light traveling, the Wandrd PRVKE 31!
• The best travel bag on the market? The Wandrd Hexad Duffel!

Pack Multi Purpose Items

The key to packing lightly in my opinion is to pack as many Multi Purpose Items as you can! It just means that you can use the items for more than one thing. For example, I alway bring a Sarong that I can use as a beach towel, a curtain for my hostel bed, a skirt, a dress, a head scarf.. Another great thing to always carry with you is coconut oil. You can use it as a hand creme, body lotion, conditioner, shaving oil, etc etc etc. Packing these items will drastically lighten your bag and will make traveling easier and more convenient!

Recommended: Why You Should Travel Solo

2. Carry an Emergency Kit

Whenever I leave my hostel or hotel, I carry a backpack with my wallet, my photography gear, etc etc. What I also always carry is my small “Emergency Kit”, which always has some ibuprofen, lip balm and hand cream. Trust me, it can be a life saver. Some other items that I like to bring are:

• Sanitary Wipes
• Hand Sanitizer
• Tampons
• Sun Cream
• Emergency Cash

It can be so useful to carry wipes and tampons. Even if you don’t use tampons it is always amazing to be someone else’s savior, if they don’t have one. However it can also get you into some uncomfortable situations. When I stood in front of the security check at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, the security advisor got all curious about the little pink bullet-shaped item in my bag. He didn’t speak a lot of English, so I didn’t understood what “sanitary purposes” meant. However he let us pass, but only after his colleagues explained to him, what that cotton thingy was for.

3. Take Good Care of Yourself

We live in a beautiful world and I encourage everyone to go explore it as often as you can. Nevertheless, there can’t be dangerous situations for female travellers especially. Of course, you can never be 100% sure that nothing will happen to you, but there are a few things you can do to feel safer and feel more comfortable.

Book a Bed in a All Female Dorm

When you decide to stay in a hostel, you can choose to stay in all female bed room. This made me feel better when I first stayed in hostels and by now I am confident enough to not care about the room anymore.

Don’t go Out Alone in The Dark

That’s kind of self explanatory or? Depending on where your hostel is located, make sure not to go out alone in the dark. I am a chicken, but my rule of thumb in general is that I go back to the hostel once the sun has set. This sounds ridiculous to some but I get up extremely early (5:30 am for travel days) and most of the times I am quite tired when the sun has set.

Wear a Wedding Ring

Sadly in some parts of the world a simple ‘no’ is not enough. However the sign that you are given to another man will stop harassment (not a guaranty on this, but it certainly helps!). Sad story but well that’s just how our world works at the moment.

Tell Someone Where You Are and What You Spend Your Day With

A number 1. rule. Wherever and whenever I travel alone I always tell my mother and my friends what and when I plan to do something. If something would happen to me, they would know where and with whom I am. Another great thing is to know how to set off the alarm function of your iPhone. If you activate it, your emergency contact will be alarmed and the iPhone will share your location.

Take a Self Defense Class

It will make you super confident to learn how defense yourself against any attacks. This might not help in any situation but teaching your body how to react when being under attack will only make you feel more secure.

Recommended: Safety Tips for Female Travellers!

4. Be Prepared

Get All The Needed Vaccinations

Before you board the plane, make sure to contact your doctor and ask if you need any special vaccinations or medicine. For example before I was living abroad in Asia I got vaccinated against rabies, hepatitis and some other diseases. On top of that I carried Malaria prophylaxes in every country. Of course that is not a necessity for every country. You have to do your own research and consulate your doctor!

Know Your Itinerary And Research How Long Your Route Will be

When you put together your itinerary, make sure to research how far the places you want to visit are away from each other. When I was in Cambodia, I totally underestimated how far Siem Reap was form Sihanoukville. I lost a whole day of my journey because I had to take the bus for 12 hours. A little bit of research would have saved me from this mistake and I don’t think this will happen to me again.

5. Practice it!

No one becomes good at something over night. When I boarded the plane on my first time traveling solo I was so nervous and my hands were shaking. But once I arrived in Krabi, I saw that I had nothing to worry about! Each time I go on a solo trip now, I still get nervous and a bit anxious but each time I come home I am absolutely happy that I did it!

So my tip is to take it slow and practise solo travel! It could be something you grow comfortable over time. If you are travelling solo for the first time, make sure to go to a country where you feel safe. Some of my favourite destinations for female solo travellers are:

• Bali
• Belgium
• Cambodia
• Denmark
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Singapore
• Sweden
• Japan
• Vietnam

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