Solo travel are great moments to take time for yourself, relax, and enjoy. it however has its perks. If you’re active on social media, you must have seen the videos on TikTok about Yuval tracking down Ayame on her solo travel. Things like this may seem fun until it’s a real life situation that threatens your safety. 

We tend to underestimate how little things like the information we share in the media, certain habits while traveling affects our safety when we travel solo. 

As a solo traveler who wants to have ultimate fun, and is visiting a new terrain. You have to put serious measures in place to protect yourself from assault, harassment, theft, and cultural misappropriation. You have to prioritize your safety when traveling solo as this tends to come with its own risk and you have to be careful with how you move, especially when it’s a new place that you’ve never been to, and a new culture you’ve never experienced. 

While you should enjoy your vacation, and not spend your whole trip being on edge, you should be alert, and aware of your surroundings. 

Here are some hacks that enforces your safety on your Solo travel: 

• Don’t post real time locations on your social media:  The information we share on our media, maybe the name of the airport, restaurant, or hotel that shows in a picture reveals a lot of information about one’s location. When you go out, do not post things from the place that you’re in. If you do want to post, try to do it after you’ve left the place, and if possible, live more in the moment, and post about your vacation when it’s over, and you’re back in your home country.

 

• Read extensively on the culture of the place you’re visiting: When you’re visiting a place like Saudi Arabia, you know that the culture is conservative, so you try to act accordingly. Conduct adequate research during your travel  planning phase to understand the peculiarities of your destination will ease your communication and reception in that terrain. It helps to avoid a misappropriation of their culture, and aid their acceptance of you.

 

• Find a local to guide you: Having access to someone that knows the area well can help you navigate better, especially areas that may  ot be adequately covered by google maps. A good way to go about this is using a different person on the days you will be there, this reduces the level of familiarity, and curbs any possible danger. 

• Avoid sharing personal information: While having fun and experiencing this culture you may feel the need to share your experiences from your home countries with locals, avoid sharing personal information like your hotel address, room number, and your solo status. 

• Embrace white lies: Be comfortable with saying “Yes, I’m married” if asked even if you’re a single person. and yes, my group members are around. Some people wear a wedding ring to ward off strangers, and questions in some cultures. Things like this protect you in some places where they may want to prey on you if you’re a young woman. Also, against people who want to exploit your vulnerability when they know you’re alone.

 

• Share your itinerary with trusted people: Let someone whom you trust have access to all of the activities you engage in, and where you are in every moment so they keep track of your location. 

• Leverage technology: Download apps like: google map; that can help you navigate places better, Live Calendar; to  share your calendar and live location in case of emergency, and adequate online research on various media platforms on safe places in that city or town. 

 

Conclusion

Wanting to go on a solo trip is great! It gives you time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy your own company. However, there are lots of risks such as fear of assault, cultural misappropriation, and theft. These can pose a threat to one’s safety when making such trips. Put measures like leveraging technology, not sharing real time location on social media, and researching about the culture in place. Also, keep personal information private to ensure your safety whenever you travel.