Adding Safety to the Travel Checklist: Female Solo Traveler Guide
The blood moon is on the rise
The fire burning in my eyes
No, nobody but me can keep me safe
And I’m on my way
Heard this song by Alan Walker. Yes, fellow female solo travelers; no one would keep you safe outside your cocoon. So make sure to add precautions, courage, and safety to your travel checklist.
Let me clear something. Traveling solo is the best I’d say. I am traveling solo for more than five years and so far, I have not faced anything serious on the way. Nevertheless, precaution is (always) better than cure.
So here are some hints and tips I’ve been following during my travels:
#1: Plan properly
Some would say no plan is the best plan. That’s just a crap story. You need to frame everything from your departure to your return back to home. The dates of travel, climatic conditions of the location, place of stay, if you are contacting someone there then their details and everything else should be on a pinpoint.
#2: Do desk research
I know this sounds crazy (or weird) but check out the news on and off about the place you are going to travel for at least a week. This gives you structure about the place in terms of theft, robbery, and other major crimes.
In addition, know about the particular place food, culture, lifestyle and related stuff. You’ll thank me later ;)
#3: Inform your folks about the travel
Not about the Facebook check-ins. But give the chief information to at least one of your peers so that IF something happens there would be someone to track your location. Minimum someone to know about your whereabouts.
#4: Trust your guts
If you have a feeling of uneasiness about a particular person or particular thing, just leave the scene. It is your travel and your safety is primary. Nothing else should matter or needed to be pleased.
#5: Simple safety gadgets
There a lot in the stores and marts. Have them in your travel kit all the time. No one will question you for any possession related to your safety. I usually travel with a nail clipper that has a mini knife inside, a bag of sand, and a blow whistle. (For real). Make yourself comfortable with any simple gadgets to protect you from calamities; at any rate to draw others' attention.
#6: Befriend the locals
You can talk to them and ask for help if you closely mingle with the women especially. Rural people are (mostly) friendly and helping to travelers. So feel free to get together with them, whenever possible.
#7: Booze? Nay!
If you can drink properly then keep it low. But my advice is to completely say NO to alcohol on your way to adventure travel, alone. It’s impossible to take control of yourself when something blunder happens. So sober up during the solo traveling.
#8: Maintain conservativeness
From a feminist point of view, this would be overcompensating. But make sure you dress and act properly in the places of travel so you don’t fall into shitty traps and lure trouble into your way.
#9: Trying something new? Watch out!
Especially food. You don’t want to get nauseated or allergic to something new and spend the rest of the day in the room. The whole point of your travel is to have fun and experience the outdoors. The same goes with snorkeling, bungee jumping, paragliding even roller coasters.
So be cautious on stuff that could make you nauseous ;)
#10: That day of the Month
If you are up to exciting swimming or hiking, I’d suggest omitting traveling on your period days. It could seem fine for a moment but you don’t want to be traveling on with these cramps and mood swings and miss all the exuberant moments of the trip.
To make my point clear again, solo travel for females is not risky, tragic, or scary at all. It just needs a bit of wise, brainy awareness. In other words, ‘Travel Solo: Travel Smart” If you do travel so, you’ll get incredibly rewarding and worthy experiences for the whole lifetime.
Thank you for reading! Travel Safe!
