13 Tips for First Time Solo Female Travelers

Let's kick off the first blog post, with the most essential information. These tips should help you prepare for your first solo trip away.

1. Start Easy - Chose somewhere close to home or even a weekend away.

Solo travel, whilst exciting, doesn't have to be complicated; it can be as simple as a weekend away or even a trip within your own country. Just enough for you to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but still feel the reassurance of home turf.

2. If that's not enough, then chose somewhere that speaks the same language as you for your first trip away.

My first solo trip was to Malaysia. I needed something that was different from Europe, but I also wanted to make sure I could get around. I did some research on good countries for first-time solo travelers, and Malaysia was on the list. Malaysia was perfect; it was my first taste of Asia but also fairly westernized, and they spoke excellent English in most places, which made it a breeze to get around.

3. Stay in Hostels to meet people!

I know everyone says it but Hostels are seriously the best places to stay as a solo traveler, you can meet people and make friends so easily, most of my closest friends today I have met in a hostel! I remember my first morning when I was sat nervously having breakfast in Kuala Lumpur when I was approached by a guy called Steven, he asked if he could join me for the day, and just like that I made a new friend! I actually went onto travel to Singapore later on the trip, where Steven lives and we were able to catch up again. Talk to people! You never know who you might meet!

You can get really nice Hostels too (trust me) and even female only dorms (which I would recommend at the start and also in certain countries) and private rooms too, whatever makes you feel comfortable, but being in a hostel with similar likeminded people will not only allow you to make friends, but also share experiences, tips whatever it may be. There's also safety in numbers and hostels often organise events and tours.

4. Share your location and general movements with someone and make sure everyone knows who that person in.

I get it, you wanna travel not worry about updating everyone and everything, but having one person who knows where you should be and your travel arrangements makes things super easy. For me it's my cousin, once I know where i'm going next i'll send her a copy of my flights, tickets, booking to my hostel, whatever it may be and that way if anyone can't reach me they know to check in with her and she has all the information. It saves me time on updating everyone and she's also pretty good at it, once I told her where I was going next and she googled it and told me there was a cyclone in that area at that time, I hadn't even checked! I also keep my live location on with a couple of people.

5. Connectivity is key! Get yourself a local sim card or even an e-sim before you go and carry a charged up portable charger.

Having access to data can help you book ubers, check that your taxi is going in the right direction, make whatsapp calls and message. Its so easy to stay connected nowadays, local simcards are available at most airports and in the cities and you can always get an e-sim too before you leave. My preference is usually a local card as you get far more for your money, but if you want to make sure you have a card before you get there, or if you need access to your number from back home then an e-sim is a good option too. I've used both, but honestly I find e-sims unreliable and they are far too expensive, especially if you are travelling in Asia, but they are convenient!

6. Take Ubers where possible and keep your belongings on you

I still chose to take ubers mostly when travelling, its easy, you can share your ride with someone back home and you can make sure you aren't being scammed (especially in countries where you have to negotiate your ride). I do find that in some places and cities in Asia, uber doesn't work, maybe there is another app (grab, bolt or ola to name a few) or it just doesn't exist, like in Goa. In this case you'll have to use the taxis and auto rickshaws available. Make sure you negotiate your price, trust your gut and pick your driver, don't just go to the first person who approaches you. Try not to take these at night when alone, I always try uber first. Make sure you also keep your belongings (at least the valuable ones) next to you and not in the boot of the car. If you get into a sticky situation or the cab driver suddenly asks for more money you can easily take your things and go. This tip came in handy for me in Malaysia as 2 men came up to me as my taxi pulled into the bus stand and opened both doors either side of me, luckily I had my things on me so I paid the taxi driver, grabbed my bag and run out of one of the doors past the guy who was holding it open. On reflection I think they just wanted to sell me something, but you can never be too careful. I'll also never understand why they thought it was ok to do that! It was quite intimidating!

7. Following on from above, pack light!

I know, I know, we want to pack our prettiest clothes and we want to make sure we have everything we need (a blog post to come on packing essentials) but we need to make sure as solo women that we can carry our own things and don't have to rely on others to help. Be it as a safety precaution but also its easier to carry all your things up some stairs at a train station if you only have 2 backpacks. I also noticed in India a lot of people selling their services to carry your things. If you don't have a lot you can just carry everything yourself!

8. Look up local scams.

Look up local scams to make sure you don't fall for them. I learnt this the hard way unfortunatly in Paris but honestly it happens once and once you learn the hard way it won't happen again! Make sure you don't stop for anyone. Most people who call you on the streets usually want to sell you something or want something from you, if you aren't looking for something don't engage. My rule is that when I want something from them, I will let them know.

Now this isn't to say don't speak to the locals, you absolutely should, when its safe and when it's on your terms.

9. Confidence is key! Embrace your resting ***** face!

People want an easy target, not a confident one! If you give off a don't mess with me vibe, people probably won't want to. Often times when I am walking alone somewhere I will have a stern look on my face (just my resting face to be honest). I walk with confidence and only get out my phone to check maps when I think it is safe.

If you look like you know where you are going, people will believe you! If I ever need help I will go into a shop or ask a family or another woman.

10. Mind the alcohol.

I understand we want to enjoy ourselves and let our hair down when on holiday, but there is a time and a place. In some countries, consumption of alcohol is frowned upon, and in others, they organize pub crawls. A reminder that when you travel alone, you are responsible for yourself, no one else. I had one near miss with alcohol at a hostel pub crawl that ended up with someone walking me home. I was lucky that that person didn't have ill intentions. Save the booze for the girls' trip. It's best to always be in control of your own actions. Don't go out alone at night, girlies!

11. Dress accordingly to where you are.

Do some research on your destination of choice and dress accordingly. Some countries are very conservative, and it might not be appropriate to wear what you might back home. The less attention you draw as a solo female, the better.

12. Take it slow.

Take each day as it comes and do what you feel up for. Traveling, especially solo, can be a bit intimidating, so don’t overwhelm yourself. Going at a slower pace can actually be great; instead of trying to pack everything into a week or two, relax and soak in the vibe of where you are and really enjoy the experience. You can always change location if the place you are in doesn't feel right. I've done this many times before.

13. Trust your gut and intuition.

This one is the most important one of all. When something in your gut doesn't feel right, don't do it. I remember watching a video years back saying 'the tuk tuk driver doesn't choose you, you choose him.' When lots of people are shouting at you, wanting your attention and your service, it can quickly get overwhelming. Take time to choose the person you feel comfortable with. The same goes for walking around in a city; if something doesn't feel right, turn around. There is nowhere you need to be and nothing more important than your safety, so whilst it might have all been fine, it's always best to trust your intuition when it comes to these things. The more you practice this, the better you get at it.

I hope the information contained in this list was helpful to you. If you have any questions feel free to reach out!