{"id":27174,"date":"2014-10-15T11:12:17","date_gmt":"2014-10-15T15:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=27174"},"modified":"2024-08-12T06:57:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T10:57:08","slug":"solo-female-travel-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/solo-female-travel-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Solo Female Travel is Different"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Kristin
\nPosted<\/strong>: 10\/14\/2014<\/p>\n

On the second Wednesday of the month, Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse<\/a><\/em> writes a guest column featuring tips and advice on solo female travel. It’s not a topic I can cover and since there\u00a0are\u00a0a lot of solo female travelers out there, I felt it was important to bring in an expert. In this month’s column, Kristin uses her own personal experiences to shed light on why it’s different traveling as a solo female rather than with a group or as a solo male. <\/em><\/p>\n

My male friends who travel have been invited into the homes of locals for meals just as often as I have. They\u2019ve enjoyed the same far-fetched and heart-warming experiences that I have. We come home with many of the same engaging stories. We both have the same-sized backpacks. We both have family members and friends at home who worry about us. We face the same daily challenges as travelers.<\/p>\n

In many ways, we aren\u2019t so different.<\/p>\n

So why do people make such a big deal out of solo female travel?<\/p>\n

Because, like it or not, women and men do have different concerns when it comes to traveling, especially when alone.<\/p>\n

As a solo woman I often lack the freedom to travel without locals. In many cultures, females don\u2019t have the kind of autonomy we have in the West, and it can be both worrying and confusing to see me by myself. At 28, I\u2019m already quite ancient for a single woman in many of the countries I\u2019ve traveled to.<\/p>\n

In Borneo, a woman came up to me while her husband fixed my flat motorbike tire. \u201cSister,\u201d she said, \u201cyou\u2019re alone? You have no brother, no husband?\u201d While her concern was genuine and appreciated, I get asked this a lot. Surely I have a husband somewhere. Don\u2019t I at least have a boyfriend? Where are my children? What in the heck do I think I am doing?!<\/p>\n

I found that answering, \u201cI actually find being single to be quite liberating!\u201d or \u201cWell, I don\u2019t really want any children\u201d just results in more horrified looks, so I usually just told them that my husband or boyfriend is \u201cat home\u201d or \u201con his way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"shaking<\/p>\n

While men and women both have to worry about personal safety while traveling, there are a few things that can happen that tend to exclusively target females. For example, I was groped in the dark while walking along a dirt road in an area that was known as \u201csafe\u201d in Nepal just after sunset. Even if I had been holding pepper spray it wouldn\u2019t have mattered, since he was so swift I never even saw his face or had a moment to react. When I told a police officer, his first question was to ask me what I was doing alone.<\/p>\n

Even after a year and a half of traveling solo, it made me angry at first, but it reminded me that yes, I am different from a male traveler. I can\u2019t just walk around at night alone without considering the sobering possibility of sexual assault. While this is a concern even at home, female travelers have to be even more vigilant in foreign countries.<\/p>\n

Moreover, it\u2019s also essential to dress differently. Although this seems like a no-brainer, it\u2019s a common mistake. I once stepped out of a hotel room in Sumatra, Indonesia, without enough covering on my arms. It seemed like every male in the street stopped what he was doing to yell or make gestures at me. It was so chilling, I retreated back to my hotel and didn\u2019t leave for the next three days. You have to always be conscious of how you dress when you’re a female traveler. That can be mentally taxing.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, women have to consider these things when we travel alone. In some countries, we can\u2019t dress how we want, be seen alone, or venture out at night without a posse. It can be socially unacceptable at best and downright dangerous at worst.<\/p>\n

Does this mean that women shouldn\u2019t travel alone? Of course not! It simply means that there are a few extra precautions that we have to take in order to ensure our safety.<\/p>\n

Modern psychologists argue that women have powerful intuition and a heightened ability to read nonverbal communication cues. Our gut instinct and intuition are almost always right. Listen to them.<\/p>\n

(It\u2019s also important to remember that the world outside can often be much safer than back home. I\u2019m from Los Angeles, where gun crime, robberies, and violence are common. I wouldn\u2019t walk around alone at night there even though it\u2019s where I grew up. I don’t want to come off as stereotyping the world as a scary place.)<\/p>\n

Men who travel alone do also have concerns, but we women have to worry about safety a bit more, have to defend our alternative life choices slightly more vigorously, and must be assertive and dominant in cultures where that may be uncommon. This is why we make such a big deal out of solo female travel and this is why I write this column \u2014\u00a0to give you advice on how to make your trips better and safer.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

By taking the right precautions, doing some research into customs and safety before visiting foreign countries, and going with your gut instincts, solo traveling can be safe, enjoyable, and incredibly rewarding In future blogs, I\u2019ll talk more about the positive character building, cultivation of fearlessness, and personal growth that solo travelers experience.<\/p>\n

Solo traveling doesn\u2019t have to be dangerous or scary, it just requires the right amount of preparation and alertness.<\/p>\n

Kristin Addis is a solo female travel expert who inspires women to travel the world in an authentic and adventurous way. A former investment banker who sold all of her belongings and left California in 2012, Kristin has solo traveled the world for over four years, covering every continent (except for Antarctica, but it’s on her list). There\u2019s almost nothing she won\u2019t try and almost nowhere she won\u2019t explore. You can find more of her musings at Be My Travel Muse<\/a> or on Instagram<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/em>
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Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a>. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. <\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong>
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n