In recent years, staggering 32 million American women travelled
independently and as this trend of single-woman travel grows, both online and
traditional travel industries are rushing to meet demand.
Though women still need to take the necessary precautions
and be aware of cultural norms when traveling abroad, there are great perks to
hitting the road alone.
Choosing a hotel:
·
Aim for a well-trafficked street. Affluent
residential areas tend to have more efficient transportation and fewer
threatening street people.
·
There should be privacy for guests checking in:
no one should be able to overhear a name, room number, or other personal
information.
·
The hotel should have sufficient staff to walk
you to your room late at night. Inquire when you book and you'll get an idea of
how woman-friendly the hotel is.
Transportation:
·
Lock all suitcases. If you make a lot of
purchases on your trip, secure the bag with strong tape.
·
In public rest rooms, use the corner stall.
·
Talk to female passengers and flight attendants
on the plane about the safety of your destination.
·
Rent a mobile phone or bring your own. And put
the police on speed dial.
·
In a busy area, if you deposit your belongings
on your car's passenger seat, lock the door before walking around to the
driver's side.
·
If suspicious about "phony" police,
don't open the window. Instead, hold your license against the glass.
Respect the local
culture and law:
·
Familiarize yourself with traditions like this
before you leave and if you aren’t sure, check with a local or someone who has
more experience with the place.
Don’t Trust People
Too Quickly:
·
When you’re traveling in a new destination, and
especially when you’re traveling on your own, it can be tempting to join up and
find a tribe. Sometimes these tribes turn into lifelong friendships.
·
Sometimes, we want to be part of a group so
badly that we start trusting people before we should. Instead, err on the side
of caution. If you’re just getting to know someone, don’t trust him or her to guard
your expensive electronics while you’re in the bathroom.
Watch Your Drinking:
·
It’s applicable whether you’re at home or on the
road. When you drink alcohol, you dull your senses and slow your reaction time,
which in turn makes you vulnerable to others.
Staying Safe:
·
It means that if your flight is scheduled to
land in a rough city late at night, you should spend more money on a guesthouse
that will pick you up right from the airport instead of taking a bus into town
and trying to find a guesthouse on foot.
·
It means you should pay extra money to take a
taxi home at night if you don’t feel comfortable walking through the neighbourhood
on your own.
·
Build an extra financial cushion into your trip
and use it for situations like these: ones where you could be a little bit
safer if you spent a little more.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, as a woman traveller out in the
world, no matter where you land or how you arrive, keep in mind some basic
truths: your wits are your friends, intuition is your guide and adventure is
yours for the taking.
Author Bio:
My name is Thomson River,
exploring the travel, and online
hotel booking system ideas.