Traveling solo can be exciting and fills us in with a sense of freedom. However, solo travel is scary and it needs extreme care for safety. You tend to put a lot of aspects in risk. Let alone the fact that you’re a female solo traveler. Below are few points to keep in mind before your next solo trip.

1. Always choose destinations that are relatively safer. Some places are controversial in terms of their homicidal rates and safety measures. It is best to void such places. However, if you must, go in groups. Solo travel to such destinations should be avoided by both genders at all costs.
2. Research and learn about the place. Read well and get opinions about your destinations from other people or on the internet. Study their culture and behaviors that are forbidden to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble.
3. Carry emergency money. Losing money is extremely troublesome and causes panic. So always carry some emergency cash hidden somewhere safe. Stuff rolled up cash inside empty pens, empty lipstick cases, empty medicine bottles, etc. Use those only when you have no other choice.
4. Check in frequently. Social media is a great boon these days when it comes to keeping track of people you are concerned about. Check in on Facebook and other social media frequently to let your family and friends have an idea of your whereabouts. However, make sure to check in the name of a city, or a larger area. Avoid sharing information about your accommodation on social media. This could especially prove to be dangerous if someone’s stalking or following you.
5. Clothing is a sensitive thing and one has to be very careful. Though you can choose to wear as per your wish in some parts of the world, the same can be forbidden in others. For example, if you travel to India, choose loose clothing and wear clothes with sleeves and bottoms below the knee.

Also, make sure to check the weather conditions of the place you are traveling to and pack accordingly.

6. Avoid getting intoxicated. You may indulge in a serving or two of alcohol, but avoid getting intoxicated. Also, avoid drinking in pubs and bars due to their internal environment. They usually have dim lighting and high volume, which gets you high quickly. Prefer drinking in your room and sleep on it.
7. Do not trust people easily. It is alright to be friendly and polite, but do not trust people instantly. Do not share contact details or any other personal information. However, do not be alarmed if people are nice to you because most people are hospitable towards their guest. Keep your senses alert.
8. Avoid staying out late at night. Get back to your room early enough depending on the destination. Some locations have a night life and are well lit up and crowded at night. However, it is best to avoid doing so.

Also, avoid traveling late at night.

9. Have backup lodging options in case you find something creepy about the place you’ve booked. It is best to spend a little extra money and go for popular places. Avoid sharing rooms with other occupants.
10. Carry a backup phone in case of an emergency. This will especially be helpful if you lose your phone or if it gets stolen.
11. Always use Uber for moving around. This will keep a record of your travel and you can share those details with your family. They can track your whereabouts easily.
12. Carry pepper spray for emergencies we never want to face. If you are traveling to certain countries where pepper spray is considered a weapon, a regular body spray will do a similar job.
13. Always keep cash with bigger denominations separately inside your luggage. The point is to not flash it outside and keep it safe. Also, do not flash out your phone, jewelry, watch and other expensive items in public. Pick pocketers are everywhere and expensive items can afford their expenses for quite some time. Keep a watch, roam around in public areas and avoid being isolated.
14. Carry a flashlight and make sure it is easily reachable. Say you get stuck somewhere, or simply if there’s a power outage, flashlights will come handy. Also carry extra batteries.
15. Give a photo copy of your itinerary to your family back home. Let them know what all places you’re sightseeing. Also mention the name and address of your place of accommodation.
16. Make a plan before your travel and stick to it. This will enable you to stay safe if you stick to timings and your pre-made itinerary. Also, you can keep track and get back to your hotel safely before it gets late.
17. Make a travel insurance. This will come handy during medical emergencies, loss of documents, loss of baggage, or even last-minute trip cancellations. This will be helpful with anything that will be cause a financial burden during your travel.
18. Do not share where you stay with anyone. This applies to every stranger you meet on the trip. Be friendly and polite but avoid sharing the location of your accommodation.
19. Try to stay in public as much as possible and avoid isolated areas. You never know what you could face in an isolated area. And if you must, visit during day time. It is not just crimes that you should be careful about but also getting attacked poisonous creatures or medical emergencies.
20. Keep your original documents safely in your hotel and carry photocopies while sightseeing. People get into serious trouble when their passports or other identity proofs get pickpocketed. And, keep a separate file to keep all your documents in a single place.
21. Memorize local emergency numbers. This includes numbers of ambulance services, police and fire station.

Emergencies do not come with an alarm or terms and conditions. The statement ‘prevention is better than cure’ makes true sense in this case. We should always take care of our safety before we think of anything else. Especially if we are traveling alone to a far-off place, and people cannot reach out to our rescue instantaneously. This keeps our loved ones assured and gives us confidence to travel anywhere.

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