There is clearly no plausible reason why you can’t enjoy the freedom to explore just because you are a woman traveling alone, however, there are some risk and vulnerabilities attached to being a solo traveler that are always best addressed.
Here are some tips on safety and travel strategies that should help the journey go without a hitch, including a suggestion to use some of the natural gifts you have to stay out of trouble, pointers on where to stay, sharing your movements with someone back home, plus a bit of deception that can help avoid unwanted attention.
Trust your instincts
Somewhere near the top of the list of safety rules is a suggestion to trust your natural instincts when you are in a situation that doesn’t feel right.
If your senses are sounding alarm bells that something is not quite right with the situation you find yourself in it is always wise to listen to what your gut instincts are telling you, if when there is no evidence in front of you at that point to suggest something is wrong.
Trusting your instincts can often help you avoid an awkward or even dangerous scenario, so use them as a guide when you are traveling alone.
Pick your accommodation with care
There is something fun and free-spirited about finding a local host who is happy to rent a room for a night or two in their home, but unless the host has a whole stack of genuine reviews, you could be putting yourself in a potentially vulnerable situation.
If you stay in a hotel like the JW Marriott Scottsdale, for example, you are going to find yourself in a security-conscious environment that is populated with other guests, plus you will often be staying in a well-regarded part of town that is not in the suburbs.
Check out the hotel reviews to confirm that it is situated in a good neighborhood where you are more likely to be safer walking around and visiting places.
Share your itinerary
It is always a wise move to create an itinerary of your intended movements and share those details with at least one trusted person back home.
Letting someone have a general idea of where you are going and when you expect to be back will help if they need to get in touch. You might also want to check in with them at some point to confirm everything is going to plan, which is a good opportunity to talk about your adventures so far anyway.
Fake status
A simple but effective trip shared by many lone female travelers is to consider the idea of wearing a fake wedding ring so that you don’t get unwanted attention and someone assumes that your husband will be meeting up with you shortly.
If you think that is a bit unnecessary, consider the fact that the U.S State Department actually recommends this tactic when visiting certain parts of the world.
Other tips
There are plenty of simple but effective strategies to consider when traveling alone, such as taking a picture of the taxi cab’s license plate before you get in and tracking your route with Google Maps to see if you are going in the right direction to your destination.Also, ensure that you get a new PAN card for identification in regards to financial matters.
Taking your bag with you to the bathroom every time is a no-brainer, as is keeping your alcohol consumption to a manageable level so that you don’t find yourself in a tricky situation late at night.
