Master Solo-Traveling: female edition
I think solo-travelling is gaining momentum for women in the past few years. More and more places in the world are becoming more female friendly either through cultural acceptance or through public safety. Especially with internet and technology, more and more people have access to information for travelling and if you don’t have someone to travel with but still have the travel bug, travelling solo is great.
Why did I specify female edition? Well first I am a woman, so I never had the experience as a male solo traveller. Also through my experience of reading solo travel blogs from men or just witnessing my male friends travel adventurers, I realize they have and probably will never face the same dilemmas as I have, so here are some travel tips for my fellow female solo travellers.
Do your homework - Especially if this is your first solo trip, I used to do a lot of homework and research for my trips. In fact, when I dig up some of itinerary I couldn’t believe how detail and thorough I was - but since I’ve solo travelled 80% of my trip for the past few years I’ve gradually just became lazy. Sometimes I still kick myself for it, however I am an expert on contingency plans (especially based off of experience) I am good with it. Don’t only trust your wifi or data, sometimes it fails, having done the homework will make your life a whole lot easier.
Be flexible - Things change especially in developing country, be incredibly flexible with your plans. Even if you are in a developed country, still keep yourself in the know - I have had just missed major floods and unexpected closures by staying in tune. I am writing this during the pandemic where most of the countries are under lock down, while I am lucky enough to be in Taiwan (one of the few places that have not been locked-down) at the time when all the borders closed - my daily routine waking up is to check the news for 10 mins (and sometimes go back to bed and revive that snooze button once I realize nothing changes) to keep up to date with latest world wide changes.
Carry cash - I’ve been to many places that doesn’t accept foreign credit cards (it has to be a local VISA or MasterCard), therefore carrying local cash will help you tremendously. But I will say if all things fail, always have $100 USD with you, the world loves Benjamin Franklin and will gladly accept it (with a terrible exchange rate).
Shoot for the stars and land on the moon - I always have a pack schedule for my solo trips because I get bored really easily. Whenever I am travelling by myself I can easily do 20K to 30K steps in a day, therefore one of my tips is pack your schedule but always prioritize events so if you have to forego an event you know what you do.
Research neighbourhoods - especially when you are planning to book a hotel or go to a restaurant - read the reviews. Most of my male friends just book the place that looks nice and has a decent price, but I would recommend female solo travellers to look for accommodations like you would rent a home, location location location. Unfortunately, female solo travellers are very popular for unwanted attention, therefore choose your neighbourhoods carefully. I like to google the neighbourhood and see what kind of business is around the area. If there are a lot of convenience store or fast food around, that means it could be a great temporary refuge if you get unwanted followers. Convenience store and fast food stores generally open for longer hours, therefore if you are coming back later in the night it could be very useful for you to slip into when something happens.
Eat by yourself confidently - I love eating out by myself - I can order as I like and no pressure from others. I have also ate at many Michelin starred restaurants by myself. If you don’t treat yourself, who will do it for you? Sitting next to a large party or a couple can be intimidating and could make you feel a bit awkward. However, men have been doing that since the dawn of time therefore as a woman, nothing to be ashamed of. If you feel bored, bring a book or listen to podcast while you enjoy the tasting menu.
Bring a medicine kit - I have a large ziplock bag of “medical” stuff in case of emergency or even something minor as a headache. It’s typically the usual pain medication, different size bandaids, gel to protect cuts, feminine products, cold medication, Imodium, and whatever other things you may need.