10 Tips for women traveling solo from NOT DEAD YET TRAVEL

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Women Traveling Solo – Ten Tips

May 15 2011

I do a lot of solo traveling here are some things I do to keep myself safe.

1. Try and arrive at your destination during daylight hours.
2. When you arrive in the arrivals hall look like you know where you are going – even if you don’t. Don’t dither and don’t look lost.
3. Organise your transport from the airport/train station before you arrive. I often arrange, through the hotel I am staying at, for a driver to pick me up. Sometimes the driver is on the hotel staff or the hotel has a number of known taxi drivers who provide this service. I always ask that they have a sign with my name on and that they meet me in the arrivals hall. I organise this with the hotel by email and/or phone before I arrive.
4. I never accept anything from touts in the arrival halls.
5. If I don’t have a driver I use the airport shuttle so as soon as I arrive I make my way to the shuttle desk.
6. I travel light 1 suitcase under 20kg and 1 back pack. A lot of luggage can be a drawback if you need to move purposefully to your destination.
7. I spend some time choosing my hotel I look up where it is on google maps and I also do some research on the area its in to make sure I am staying in a reasonable area.
8. I like to choose hotels that have restaurants/cafes so I initially can eat there until I can find my way around the local area.
9. In Tanzania I was advised to hire a guide to accompany me on the streets. If I am advised to do something like this I usually do it. It can be useful to have someone local with you to fend off the touts.
10. It can be useful to have a couple of door stoppers with you (a wedge you place under the door to prevent people opening the door unexpectedly). I have used them when I have been in a room with a connecting door to the next room with a dubious lock. I have also used them when I have been in a hotel where staff come into the room before you have actually said come in – they knock and enter. They are a very simple light weight tool to make your room a little more secure.