Hi all,
Dont know why I am nervous as I have travelled to Africa lots with work alone but that was with the safety net of a phone call if I got myself into trouble of any sorts and staying in good hotels or compounds.
Just wondering is it common for girls to travel alone, I plan on leaving Ireland heading to south america, onto east coast oz, then cambodia/vietnam, nepal, delhi and home again. I'm not so much worried about spending time alone, thats what I'm looking for, its being a 23 yr old girl that looks about 18.
Any advice is grately appreciated!!!
Reply to this Hello Deirdre 😊
I often travel alone and I have met other women travelling alone and there are quite a few on this site too who have travelled alone.
Of course there will be panicky friends and family who will point out every bad thing that could possibly happen to you and possibly give you doubts about travelling alone....
Mel
Reply to this I traveled on my own to Ecuador for a month, and I would not hesitate to do it again. I met so many people and other women on their own so ended up with lots of new friends to do things with together but still had plenty time on my own.
I felt a little vulnerable using taxis on my own at night - I never had any problems, but I always made sure I was using registered taxis that were pre-booked from a taxi company - then they would tell you what colour the car would be etc... so that you knew when it was definately your driver.
A lot of the men in Ecuador that I came across wolf whistle when your walking past on your own or with another women, staring and making comments - I just kept walking and it never did me any harm! I would advise you just to ignore it - this strategy worked for me.
I hope you have a great time!
Reply to this I think that actual real physical danger such as rape and murder is rare in most countries. Most of the problems I have had as a woman traveler have been more annoyances than danger. Things such as sexual harassment and discrimination have been the most common. Although highly annoying it was not physically threatening. There were some more serious incidents of groping but those too were more annoying(disgusting) than life threatening.
There is one thing that happened to me that I would consider life threatening. Somebody drugged me. I dont even know what the drug was. It was certainly not something I was aware that I was being given. Luckily nobody tried to take advantage of my out of it state. Be very very wary of people who are heavily involved with using illegal substances in any country. Some people do not seem to understand that some of us do not enjoy illegal drugs and do not want to use them.
And be careful not to drink so much alcohol that you no longer can look after yourself. Other travellers should look after you if you get in that state, but not all of them have the common sense to realise it is necessary.
Reply to this Hey Deirdre, I'm in the same position as you- I'm planning on heading to South America at the end of next year and even though my friend reckons she's coming with me for some of it, I'll still be on my own for a couple of months. I'll be 23 when I leave too. I don't really have any advice for you, but wanted you to know that there are others out there who are in your exact same position!
Reply to this Hey Deirdre and Terysa,
I am also in the same position. I am 22 and graduating college this coming spring. My next plans were to travel south america and all that but have no one to travel with (so I will be traveling alone, I suppose). In order to make myself busy and comfortable, I am going to Wwoof and get a TEFL certification to teach english... just some ideas to have free places to stay and a more home environment. We all should discuss our plans and maybe coordinate some things so that for some legs of the journey we know we'll have a companion?
Reply to this Hey girls - I've just finished a year of traveling alone - did SE Asia, India for a month odd with friends (have traveled there alone previously), then in January started in Mexico, then went all the way south to Chile on my own. Didn't get robbed, threatened or attacked ... actually, I had a blast!! Saying this, you do need to be a little cautious at all times - watch your valuables, be careful of drink spiking (though the only place this has happened to me was at home...) and trust your gut - if you have a bad feeling about a place or situation, get out!
You'll find there are stacks of people traveling alone - both guys and girls - in fact, you'll barely have any time to yourself - there's always other great travelers to hang out with, catch the bus with, share a room with. There's a great network of hostels throughout South America - so this will certainly help you meet people, Oz you'll be fine - then by the time you get to Asia and India - you won't even give it a second thought!
Deirdre and Terysa, let me know if you want any more tips or help off line. Cheers, E
Reply to this Hi there Girls,
I'm going to South America (Peru,Bolivia,Chile,Argentina) in spring 2009.Intended to go with a friend but she can't get time off at work so i think i'll end up on my own.
Anyone looking for a company, let me know. Who knows, we might work out something together..
Dorota
Reply to this Hi there, i'm in Argentina and if you want some help here just let me know...i could give you some tips and maybe some companion...see you.
Reply to this Hi, I'm travelling on my own too, so as you can see there is lots of us. My only experience travelling on my own was going to Peru for two weeks back in 2006. I did not have any problems and had a great time. I even met some really cool pepole with whom I am still in touch. But going for many months is a different story and I too am a bit scared.
Have you heard of couchsurfing? It's a great site that allows you to connect with people all around the world. I haven't tried it yet but it sounds promising.
www.couchsurfing.com
Have a great trip!
Pamela
Reply to this Thank you Mell. I am registered with CS and I have already found a couple of people willing to host me in South America. It will be my first experience with this but based on the feedback from people who have used CS I am quite optimistic. Maybe I will post my own feedback in this forum once I have tried it.
Reply to this Yes, come back and tell us all about it Pamela. A lot of people seem to be interested in Couchsurfing. I have not yet got brave enough to try it. Maybe it wouldnt suit me because I like my freedom and space.
Reply to this Hi guys thanks for all the info and support feeling way more comfortable with it now... time to get the plan into action now, night see some of you all during my travels. thanks again
Reply to this hi deidre, being a 20 year old woman living in argentina, i must say that if u r planning on coming to south america u better leave sensitivities behind. Man will shout thing at you, stare, and laugh, but it's just a cultural thing and most women here don't get offended by it. don't talk back if u don't wanna get caught among a group of man talking 2 inches away from yur face and trying to get your attention. Just keep walking (unless is some creepy old guy, in wich case u r totally entitled to shout back :P), specially if u look foreing (meaning, if u are blond, light skin and walk around with a back pack and a digital camera....i've never had any bad experiences in my 20 years in south america, but i think precautions should be the same ones that u would take anywhere in the world (don't accept drinks from strangers, don't walk alone at night....). there are nuts everywhere
so, good luck with your trip...!
Reply to this actually i think its pretty common, you should be fine! Just dont be stupid and walk at night or carry valuables! Good luck!
Reply to this Hi there! Thought I'd tack onto this post....
I have some questions about travelling in S. America. Any destinations or cities you would not recommend a young female to travel alone to? What types of crime are common? Btw, I am American, but ethnically Chinese.
I'm thinking about roaming S. America and I'd like to pick a few destinations that I'd be comfortable being alone in, and then meet other travelers and go forward with my plans from there.
Thanks
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