With Women’s Day just behind us, it’s the perfect hour to enable an environment that welcomes solo travellers without a fear of safety.
My latest travel fiction novel 3…2…1…JUMP has become a favourite with travel influencers for its various shades of travel: the yearning for a scenic destination, the apprehensions, making new friends, impulse excursions, and yes, the loneliness of it too! It’s a treat to experience all of it, as a part of it. Practically however, the moment you think to vocalise this desire to friends and family, the safety concerns are hardest to dodge! These are of course genuine concerns, and well founded. However, with some intentional planning, your next solo trip can be a breeze and a half!
Plan in advance
While living spontaneously is one of the perks of solo travel, have a few basics in place.
What’s the usual mode of transport? How crowded are roads by night?
How far your accommodation is from the places or adventures you wish to have. These help your account for your money, time.
Carry ones:
A pepper spray for creeps, peesafe for public restrooms and hand sanitisers for everywhere! Must must must. Always have cash handy, you’d be surprised by how many places en route can leave you with terrible network and no signal.
Adventure:
When choosing adventure operators, always do your due diligence in terms of their expertise. This should not be taken lightly. Look at testimonials, the years of operations and their safety standards.
Accommodation:
When looking at cheaper accommodation alternatives, look at customer reviews and make sensible decisions. If the location is isolated and dingy, chances are it isn’t frequented by solo women travellers and you’d rather choose differently. Hostels are great for meeting new people and there are tons of cool options now as the hostel culture seems to be here to stay!
Buy your own drinks.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, should be trusted with your drinks when you’re by yourself. Get bottled water and get your own drinks made. Spiking drinks is more common than you think and winging it is a recipe for disaster.
Try local experiences. Chances are, there’s a reason they’re popular. Rishikesh has gained popularity for adventures like Bungy and rafting. Goa is expanding beyond beaches and nightlife too!
Have fun with the world around you, and let it take you in. As long as you’re well and safe!
Wrapping up
Planning and strategizing your trip in advance will help you be prepared for the troubles you might face. There are many women friendly zostels and hostels available in various places these days. You can research and check reviews about the same. Also, services like homestay are also good to go. Ensure that your loved ones are aware of the place you stay and try to be in touch with them atleast once a day. A solo trip will help you meet the miraculous person you are. People often find the answer to their questions this way. You never know, it might heal you to be a better person and even strengthen your mind to face anything. Hope you have a great experience!
The author is the Director, Business Development Jumpin Heights.