Comments on: How to Stay Safe When You Travel as a Female

By: Marcea

Marcea — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 15:37:05 +0000

A whistle! I have a door stop alarm, a neck wallet and other things but never considered a whistle. Will be stopping at the local sporting goods store before my trip to Mexico in a few weeks. Thanks for the great tips and inspiring women to get out to see the world.

By: beth

beth — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:46:26 +0000

I always carry a doorstop. It’s surprising effect at keeping a door closed and is easy to set up, carry and is cheap.
The other thing I will say is to recognize your limitations. I was in Turkey and was touring a mosque where a group of men approached me and asked to take me to dinner to practice their English. They seemed very nice, but I declined. My gut wasn’t rebelling, but I knew that I would spend the entire time worrying and on edge, assuming something bad was going to happen.
When I returned I had a (male) friend berate me and tell me that I lost out on a great experience. I said, “what if they had hurt me or raped me, would that have been a good experience?” He was stunned and said it was unlikely that would have happened. I agreed and said that I believed most people were good and had had wonderful experiences across the world, but I wasn’t going to do something that had the potential to harm me when I was in country by myself and did not speak the language.
He honestly had never thought about the possibility and I had to explain to him that when I traveled by myself I had to turn down and not do things that I may have enjoyed because I am extra cautious. I now understand that is my limitation and it has not stopped me from enjoying the world.

By: Stella

Stella — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 03:37:16 +0000

In reply to Wendi Maroon.

Hi Wendy, Reply to the old post..but never is to late, isn’t? Well..depends of your preferences, but make a statement, that “criminals go for the privacy” is based on WHAT evidence from Your part? I’m NOT a criminal, but ALWAYS ask for the room at the end of corridor and NOT close to the elevator. Why? Because of the noise. I do prefer a quiet room, without disruption from the people talking loud, when walking from and in elevator.
Regards
Stella

By: Juan Ovalle

Juan Ovalle — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 20:07:41 +0000

I’ve never thought about the dummy wallet and whistle but that sounds very practical!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 19:57:24 +0000

I know this is an old article but I am really glad to see that this is the first article that pops up when I Google ‘safety in South Africa’ as it is an accurate depiction of the situation for tourists and is full of great advice.

South Africa’s violent crime rates are very high – there is no denying that. And for that reason we all have alarms, electric fences, high walls etc. which is certainly a shock for many first time visitors. But I have lived in three different South African cities and have always felt comfortable walking and running on my own as a woman.

As the post explains, as a tourist you simply need to be aware of your surroundings and avoid showing off anything flashy which might make you an obvious target. And in general it’s best not to walk around at night unless you are in a group.

Most importantly, don’t let any horror stories you might hear put you off. South Africa is a beautiful, vibrant, diverse country that has so much to offer visitors!

By: Safia Miletus

Safia Miletus — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 14:54:13 +0000

Sometimes, I found that traveling alone as a female was shocking enough, that most people (usually elderly couples, lol) would go out of their way to make sure I was safe. I felt that I had more people out there concerned about my well-being than people who wanted to take advantage. Traveling really helped restore my faith in humanity.

I also think that a woman is not necessarily less safe traveling, than she is living in her own country! It really depends 🙂

By: Liz

Liz — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 05:33:19 +0000

Great post! I have tried solo travel many times in the past and I’m still looking forward to doing more of it. I’ve been doing many of the tips here (mostly the ones that say “don’t be afraid”) but I certainly picked up lots of helpful tips to be safer! Thank you for this post!

By: Victoria

Victoria — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 15:40:42 +0000

All very good advice. Well done! After university, I did a GAP year around Asia solo. I had the best time. One of the the things that I did was to always wear trousers as I used to wear a money belt that I wore inside them. I was backpacking in those days so my passport, credit card and my emergency cash (different major currencies just in case), were always stuffed there, wrapped around plastic, and pinned in (this was over 15 years ago. Yikes!!!) and small amounts of cash readily available elsewhere.

I also had copies of my documents in different bags and with different people in different countries, and on my Email account again, just in case. If I landed in an unfamiliar place I would pally up with the local ladies or ask the local men to come with me. It all went very well and there were no mishaps.

Last advice. Never ever do anything that you wouldn’t do in your own country. It’s surprising how both men and women forget this. Common sense is important. There’s always another day.

By: Jasmine

Jasmine — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 10:24:03 +0000

This is a great post, i especially find the dressing like the locals and not wearing anything too flash really helps me to go unnoticed as much as possible when i feel the need. I once arrived in India for my first time, and had packed a full length sleeve top and scarf to wear once i arrived although realised that i was one of only two female passengers on the plane that day and had unfortunately gained a lot of uncomfortable attention (and one strange proposal) so i ended up getting changed in the plane toilets from my sun dress to full length pants, top and scarf.. After that, my time in India was great, wearing a local style outfit, headscarf and sunglasses i basically walked around un-noticed or without creating any unwanted attention. I can’t wait to get back to India – such a great place, where, after i relaxed a bit, met so many kind and friendly locals 🙂

By: Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 09:37:21 +0000

In reply to Ariana. I hear you. I got STARED at hard by some of the men in KL even dressed in pants and a short-sleeved shirt so I didn't feel comfortable wearing a crop top and shorts, but I did see other girls doing it.