It’s 2018; women have made strides in politics, business, technology and culture. But even those friends we considered forward-thinking questioned her decision to travel by herself.
We take a lot of time adjusting to the idea about being a women and travelling alone, we are always in a dilemma that how messy, so much hassle and problematic it’s going to be because of the pre-determined mindset of the society.
According to a poll more and more women are travelling unaccompanied compared to ten years ago.
When, my friend started telling people she was going to Singapore for a week, everybody’s first question was the same: Who are you going with? When she said she was going on her own, their reactions were all very similar. “Wow that is very brave of you!” “Aren’t you scared?” “Will it be safe?” “Alone? I could never do that.”
The reason alone travelling is a must at least once in a life is because when you travel alone, you can do whatever you want, and, maybe most importantly, you can choose what ‘not’ to do. Not into museums? Skip them, Want to eat two breakfasts? Do it. Yearning for more shopping? It’s Fine
Sometimes, there’s nothing better for the soul than a few hours alone. If you want to ponder who you actually are? Take a 12-hour bus ride without a phone, book or iPad – then you’ll really get it.
Being a woman I can say that once you travel alone you actually feel liberated and more confident, get to about more places as you are more cautious, vigilant, active and more alive, you meet new people when not in group, make friends faster.
Some of the safest places in the world where women can easily travel by themselves are: Norway, Japan, Costa-Rica, The Netherlands, Bali, New Zealand, Singapore, and Ireland.
Travelling is fun and exhilarating at one point yet at the same time there are certain do’s and don’ts that need to be kept in mind to keep intact the spirit of holiday and exploration, we need to be a little careful and plan properly when it comes to travelling abroad.
Some of the reasons for solo travel include:
- Being Single
- Wanting to follow your own schedule
- More time in hands to travel than other friends and family members
- Travelling to pursue specific interest
- You learn\observe more about each place
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The do’s are to travel hassle and tension free, the first and foremost is, if travelling abroad get yourself insured, buying an travel insurance it makes you secure from the known and unknown risk one might face, as when I was travelling to Turkey, I got into an accident,travelling down the I-5 freeway in a SUV, it side-swiped before it flipped over.
I was taken to a hospital to be treated for trauma although the accident wasn’t a major one yet; it was a pure nightmare and jolted my senses to core.
God!! The feeling of panic that gripped me, my first thought was about the ruined vacation I am going to have and my vacation being jinxed…
when I calmed my nerves a little and thought to sort the chaotic situation after all, I checked my passport and tickets and kept them more securely (like if I lose them at any instance, I might die) I realized that I had gotten travel insurance (which insured my lost luggage, and took a deep breath) which was a requirement for the visa…at that time it seemed like an imposed condition but at the moment it was my knight in shining armor.
Well…I remember pretty well. How confused was I as I had to get travel insurance and dint actually know where to get one from as in my life I had heard about insurance was health and life..yeah so as I do about every new thing, I very seriously consulted my very own Google Uncle and typed about travel insurance, few seconds wait and clicked on the very first option popped on my screen.
I came across, www.smartchoice.pk well it looked good went further and trust me there was whole list of insurance providers all on one platform providing travel insurance and each of could be fairly compared against one another, example which policy offers what and I could choose literally like I would choose anything at a big Super market before buying, any XYZ Product, so for now it felt like a big insurance super market and I went from one provider to another looking at all of them, and I selected the policy fulfilling my need.
After selecting the one, when I wanted me, I paid online, it was as quick as ordering pizza from Food panda and getting delivered within 60 minutes and Tadaa, got my policy.
So yeah ladies, before you start to travel do buy travel insurance but compare and buy as it saved my money and time both.
Next thing always keep a dummy wallet with you that has some cash and a bigger bill at the front, as if when the situation arises remember, nothing is more valuable than your own wellbeing.
If going to a new place alone, check-In often with the people and set time frames within which you will be getting back to your loved ones, so that back home there is someone who is informed about your whereabouts and can take the required action when need be.
The don’ts when travelling alone are: Never explore places out-of-sight, do proper research before embarking on journey to your desired location, Under no circumstances loose contact at home, keep your valuables on you while at transit, Don’t trust people too quickly and last but not the least spend extra money on staying safe.
The bottom line — It’s not about being paranoid – it’s about being prepared and aware.
Travel is an amazing thing, and I’d hate for anyone to shy away from it out of fear. If anything, learning about the risks and how to handle them DECREASES your chance of bad things happening abroad, since you’ll know how to make yourself less of a target.
From one solo female traveler to another: Go out there and see the world, live your life without fear, see amazing things, be confident, trust your instincts, stay aware of your surroundings, and remember that your safety is in your hands, value it above all else!