Female traveller hiking for sunrise — Solo trip - Mt Batur, Indonesia

Considering solo travel as a female? It has the potential to redirect the course of your life, but as a woman there are steps you can take to make yourself more comfortable and safe along the way.

Coming home after 7 weeks of backpacking! View over Barcelona, Spain.

I first left Canada when I was eighteen. I bought myself a one way ticket to Australia with the audacious plan of exploring the country for a year. I had never been on a public bus or train before, let alone a flight half way across the world. But I am happy to say I survived and thrived during my adventure and since then have been navigating my life as an expat, away from my family… still in Australia! So my experiences acting as my very ‘official’ credentials, lets get into some things I wish I knew and learned along the way.

I want to go on a solo trip. Where do I start?

When you have an idea of where you might like to go, it’s time to get logistical. I will say, don’t absolutely fall in love and start booking things until you have done thorough research on where you plan on going. Keep in mind, your safety is the most important thing here, always. Here are a list of a few things to look into before locking it in:

Does your home country have a consulate where you would like to visit? If so, what city? Consider its location when booking, ensuring you are able to reach the consulate if ever required
How does this country treat women? What are their rights there? What is expected of a woman’s behaviour? Although some of these may have frustrating answers depending on the place, it is important to consider as you may be in danger if you fail to conform with other countries societal norms
What type of accomodation do I feel most comfortable with? Hostels, airbnb or hotels? Depending on your gauge of safety, you may budget to stay in hotels instead of hostels
What is transportation like? Do I feel comfortable taking public transit here, can I hire a driver or take taxis/ubers? If I go on a night out, will I have safe transportation options to get home?
What is the crime rate against woman in this country? What is the crime rate against tourists? What is the crime rate against your particular race/religion/gender identification etc? It is important to understand the risks to your individual circumstances

I’ve done my research and chosen a country/countries. What next?

Once you have assessed the risks, it’s on to the fun part!! Start making your game plan. I haven’t included the mundane travel suggestions relevant to all genders ie. travel insurance, foreign drivers license but don’t forget those either!

Now, remember that your risk assessment should influence your choices as you go through your booking process. To simplify things I will break my suggestions down into three categories depending on risk; low, medium and high risk areas.

Low:

Hostels area a cheap accomodation option, look for hostels that provide female only rooms if that is something that would make you feel more comfortable
Booking your big tours through an agency can be helpful and a great way to meet fellow minded travellers and new friends
Don’t be afraid to organise your own adventure! Hire a car for the day and go on an adventure, your take public transit to all the major sites and attractions
Look for pub crawls to meet new people and check in with your hostel to see what events they have on through the week
Make sure to check in with family and friends back home; consider sharing your location with someone you trust and/or update someone on your whereabouts and any overnight trips/excursion

Medium:

Hostels may still be a realistic option here, be on the look out for female only rooms and 24hr receptions, this may provide further comfort. Locations where you feel more at risk, consider booking an airbnb or a hotel. Be sure to check reviews and location.
Plan your route from the airport/train to your accomodation. Travelling with luggage can put you at higher risk. Opt for pickup directly from the airport/train. After, you may feel safe taking public transport during the daytime, but familiarise yourself with the trusted private local transport for the evenings.
Consider booking your tours through an agency who will organise pickup, transport, meals, guides etc.
Plan your route if you venture out for the day to check out the sites. Make sure you let someone know who you can check in with when you are back at your accomodation safely.
Consider joining a class, activity or excursion with other travellers that doesn't involve alcohol for a nice way to meet new people. You may even meet people you would like to go out to a pub with, but I would recommend making friends sober before you go out for drinks.
Personal safety precautions may include; sharing your phone location with a trusted individual, updating someone on your full itinerary, not drinking alone, not walking alone at night, consider a safety whistle

High:

Hotels and airbnbs may be your best option here. Be sure to check the reviews and location of each spot you stay. Other things to look for when making a booking; is the area considered ‘safer’? Is the airbnb host verified with many good reviews? Could you request a high floor in your hotel accomodation? Look for locations on a well lit street with moderate foot traffic.
See if your hotel can organise pickup from the airport/train station, if not seek their suggestion on a private driver or the trusted local metered cabs in the area.
Consider pre booking all your tours, site seeing/walking groups, planned overnight excursions etc through a trusted booking agency.
You may meet new friends on some of your tours. If you plan to go out, do your research. Where are you going? Read the reviews! If you would like to drink, make a limit for yourself and stick to it, never leave your drink unattended and even give yourself a curfew. Furthermore, plan your journey home and do not take public transit at night.
Personal safety precautions may include; sharing your phone location with a trusted individual, updating someone on your full itinerary and checking in daily, not drinking or using substances, not walking alone at night, get a safety whistle, save your hotel/airbnb hosts number, use trusted transportation, only walking during the day on a planned route with other foot traffic

Summary:

Unfortunately as women, we must have our wits about us wherever we go, but travelling to somewhere new can be especially daunting. These are just a few precautions and suggestions to think about as you prepare for your big adventure! I urge you to speak to the amazing women in your life, gather their stories and experiences, ask them for their tips (tips sounds wrong, its really survival techniques), maybe they’ve thought of something you never even realised. Keep other woman around your close and watch out for each other. We got this!

Safety as Solo Female Traveller