The Future of Solo Female Travel
Female travel is extremely popular nowadays. Many women from around the world go traveling today: they travel on foot, on horseback, by boat, by bike, or by plane.
They inspire others with their determination; prove that not only men can travel alone. After all, with a strong will and a small amount of hand cream, you can fulfill any dream!
How This Whole Thing Started?
According to the most popular version, the catalyst for female solo tourism was the film “Eat, pray, love” with Julia Roberts based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert. The plot is built around a heroine who realizes that she doesn’t live the life she would like to live, and after a divorce, she goes on a trip. The happy-end story led to a 53% increase in the number of women traveling alone in the US, UK, Australia, and Hong Kong a year after the film was released. According to another version, the popularity of female-only travel is associated with the trend for whale watching San Diego, yoga tours, mindfulness practices, and other retreats. It is pointless to involve a husband or a boyfriend in such activities.
What Are the Advantages?
At first, glance, going on a trip alone is terribly dull. In practice, the possibility of acting according to your own schedule and choosing your solo female travel destinations has many advantages.
- Depression fighting. The experts say that even planning a vacation can improve your mood.
- Improving communication skills. Even if you are an introvert, you will have to communicate with people during your female-only travel tours. Meeting new people can help you overcome the barrier that prevents you from interacting with other people freely.
- A chance to get to know yourself better. Female travel can help you to understand what you really like and want from life.
- The opportunity to make acquaintances and to try yourself in new circumstances. In casual life, we get used to playing some social roles and showing the expected qualities. You can try to become a different person when traveling alone.
Tips on How to Go on Trip Alone
Using these simple female travel tips, you will be able to travel safely and comfortably.
- Arrive at a new location before dark. A person who looks around fearfully in the middle of a dark street is good bait for a fraudster.
- Dress as it is customary in the country you are willing to go to.
- Think of a plan B. Many female travel blogs and forums recommend thinking about what you will do in case of a robbery, loss of documents, credit card blocking, and similar problems.
- The next female travel hack is to use licensed taxis only. Hitchhiking is not really safe.
- Don’t tell strangers where you are staying.
- Don’t take food or drinks from strangers.
- Don’t wear expensive accessories. Jewelry, fancy bags, wallets, and watches inevitably attract thieves.
Recently, Forbes published a female travel list of the most dangerous countries. The list includes Egypt, Morocco, Jamaica, Peru, the Bahamas, Ecuador, and Turkey. But many women who go on a trip alone think that there are no places where a woman should definitely not go — there are actions that should not be performed. For example, don’t go into dangerous urban areas (no matter where you are – in New York, Buenos Aires, or Paris), don’t go out late, and don’t wear expensive jewelry.
Best ideas for a solo vacation according to female travelers:
- Barcelona and surroundings. Barcelona is a city that has everything: ancient monuments, cozy cafes, the sea and beaches, mountains and stunning viewing platforms, and excellent brand stores.
- Tokyo and other cities in Japan. Tokyo is considered to be one of the safest cities for tourists in the world. The main danger that a tourist can face in Tokyo is the possibility of getting lost.
- Island of Crete, Greece. A picturesque and romantic place, very quiet and safe. Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands, which appears in many myths.
Stereotypes That Prevent Women From Going on Trip Alone
The following stereotypes prevent women from going on a trip alone:
- Women mustn’t travel only because they’ve been dumped. After break up, traveling is a great idea. Therefore, this is definitely not the best excuse for not traveling the world.
- A woman can’t afford to travel alone. Many people think that women travelers are being funded by a third party (family, husband, or boyfriend). Today, many women earn a living and pay for themselves.
- It is more dangerous for a woman to go on a trip alone than for a man. Safety is the main psychological aspect that prevents women from traveling. The best thing you can do is ask for advice from the women who have already traveled alone. There are lots of female travel websites where you can read the articles about travel experience of other women, get useful tips on female travel essentials, and get psychological support.
Conclusion
Fear of traveling alone is present even if you are an avid traveler because no one knows what new and incomprehensible things you will have to face. And this is normal. However, you can’t cultivate this feeling. Yes, bad things happen, it is absolutely impossible to protect yourself fully, but it is quite possible to foresee unpleasant situations. More awareness and responsibility and your female travel alone will be successful and very interesting. So, if your dream is to go on a trip, don’t be afraid to travel alone. Follow some simple safety rules and enjoy your solo female travel.
Have you ever traveled alone? What advice can you give to women who plan solo female travel? Please, share your experience.
Author’s Bio:
Sherry is a consultant and been involved in many successful projects with a range of companies throughout the country. Sherry loves cooking, doing sports, and otherwise spends far much time at the computer writing articles on https://datingmentor.org/. She enjoys researching, discussing, and writing on the topics of relationships, weddings, and dating.