A Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Yourself Safe When Travelling Solo
The term ‘wanderlust’ is a fairly new way to describe the feeling of being stuck in one place and wanting to get ‘out there’ and travel, experience new cultures, try new foods, meet new people, and generally indulge in self-exploration worldwide. Now, travelling alone is certainly not for everyone, but if you feel the call to traverse foreign climes and are looking to discover new cultures and places (as well as new things about yourself), continue reading. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to keep yourself safe when travelling solo.
Let a Loved One Know Your Travel Plans
Obviously, whether you travel alone or not, you still need to exercise caution when traveling abroad, especially if you are somewhere you have never been before. As a solo traveler, you must keep your wits about you at all times.
Make sure that at least two of your closest loved ones know when you are flying, where you are staying, and how long you will be there. It would also be a good idea to send them the contact number for your hotel and briefly check in with them at regular intervals.
In addition, should you have any day trips planned from the hotel, make sure you tell the staff where you are going so they have a record should a mishap occur.
Should you be embarking upon a more off-the-cuff, exploratory journey, for example, between Cambodia and Vietnam, and intend to book your accommodation as you go, then it becomes even more important to let people know where you are at all times.
Ensure Your Valuables Are Secure at All Times
Always make sure that any hotel room you are staying in has its own safe, and as soon as you enter, try the code to ensure it is fully functioning, as this is where your passport and additional funds should be kept.
When you arrive inside the room, you should also check that the telephone is connected and that the door can be securely locked with a chain or a deadbolt. Always lock the door when returning to your room for the night.
When heading out on a daytime adventure, only bring with you what you think you will need for the day, and ideally, try to look as less like a tourist as you possibly can. This means doing away with the standard backpack (however practical they may be) and instead wearing a simple shoulder bag with zipped compartments across your body.
Additionally, always ensure you have photocopied your passport at least twice, leaving one copy with a loved one at home and the other in a different location inside your hotel room.
Be Safe on the Beach!
Attractive and easy-to-wear modest bikinis for women are the perfect choice should you be a solo female traveler in a strange land who wants to enjoy a day at the beach without feeling exposed or uncomfortable.
Additionally, as you do not have a friend or family member to let you know when your skin is looking red or when you need to drink some water, you need to stay alert and listen to your body in the sunshine.
Practicing common sense is not only necessary on beach days and you should also:
- Never inform anyone you have just met that you are travelling solo
- Avoid going anywhere with someone you have just met
- Always make sure there are plenty of people around (even if you don’t talk to them)
- Keep both soft and alcoholic drinks in sight at all times, and don’t drink too much
- Be wary of over-talkative strangers who want to take you to another venue
Remember, the more isolated the location, the more risk you are putting yourself in and the higher the potential danger.
Learn Basic Sayings in the Local Language
No matter who you are traveling with, it is both a good idea in terms of your own safety and also sensible in the context of being polite to learn at least a couple of basic phrases in the local language.
As you will already know, the vast majority of countries can at least speak some level of English, but in some destinations, this will only be the people working in tourist areas and the hotels and bars in the most popular areas.
Basics including ‘hello,’ ‘goodbye,’ ‘please,’ and ‘thank you’ are always handy in almost any situation, but as you are travelling solo, you should also learn emergency phrases such as how to ask for the bathroom, accommodation information and words for the hospital or doctor, which will help you keep yourself safe
Prepare an Emergency Plan
Even though this next piece of advice seems somewhat dramatic, in the same way as when you remember to take your umbrella to work, it never rains; as long as you have an emergency plan in place, the worst is less likely to occur.
Not only will you save yourself a considerable amount of time and trouble, but having such a plan may even serve to save your life, so make sure you always:
- Check the government website for up-to-date travel advice for your destination
- Ensure you have the right vaccinations in plenty of time before you travel
- Find out the details of your embassy
- Save the local hospital number to your contact list
Be Careful When Choosing Transport
When you want a taxi at any point during the holiday, make sure that you only ever use a reputable, official, and licensed firm, ideally one that has been recommended or even booked with the hotel staff.
On public transport, keep your valuables inside your bag and in front of you, in sight at all times, and do not let an enthusiastic stranger talk you out of your possessions right in front of your eyes.
Hope these tips will help you keep yourself safe when you are travelling solo
