Traveling alone as a woman is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Solo travel can make you feel more capable, stronger, and freer than ever. It helps improve one's self-confidence and makes one feel empowered.
But let us deal with it, being a solo female traveler is not always easy at times it can be a bit stressful as well. Dealing with unknown places, people, different culture, food etc.
It is most advisable to pre-book your hotel, flight, train, cabs and transportation for all legs of the journey. If you love backpacking, you can always pre-book your stay at a hostel. These are the common things you will hear from everyone, let's look at some other things you need to check before your next solo trip.
Here are 5 important things that you ought to know while hitting the road alone.
Pack light
As a girl, it's difficult to part with your night cream, hair straightener, LBD from last week, lovely pink blush, and, of course, those sexy leather boots. Also, you might want to use a backpack instead of suitcases to be able to come and go easily. While packing, make sure to pack only those things that are absolutely needed. As you will have to carry all of your stuff by yourself, make sure to have a lighter bag, and you’re less likely to lose something if there are fewer things for you to keep up with.
Be aware
Be aware of your surroundings and beware of your fellow travelers. If you feel someone is following you, cross the road and head towards a bunch of people. Beware of overly friendly people, as not everyone who appears nice, is actually nice. Look after your belongings all the time, and don't leave them behind even if you need to use the restroom.
Research about the City
It’s important to know the basics of a city, its culture, and history before you visit. We should all respect the local cultures of the places we go, and in order to do that, you first need to understand the local culture, at least to some degree.
Photocopy your documents
It is important to carry at least one photocopy of each of the documents that you are carrying. If you were to lose any of the important documents, this could be useful, while reporting to the police.
Don’t overshare
While on vacation, talk to locals and make new friends, but when traveling alone as a woman, you do need to be safe. Don’t tell strangers where you’re staying. And always listen to your instincts when deciding how much to share with the people you meet.
If someone’s asking a lot of questions and making you uncomfortable, remember that you do not owe them information about yourself.
You also shouldn’t post your every move on social media. When you get home or have moved on from a location, there will be time to share all of those Instagram-worthy photos.
