Actress Kangana Ranaut's magnum opus "Queen" can be, an inspiration and guide for the female solo travellers, than just being an awesome film. The 2014 movie is about Rani who is shattered after her fiance breaks their marriage. She then boldly and dauntlessly ṣets out to Paris to celebrate her honeymoon all alone.
Today, the trend of travelling solo and that especially among females is getting popular. According to overseas adventure travel ( O.A.T), more than 60,000 women travelled solo between 2018 and 2019. This has so far largely been a result of growing awareness and increasing independence - socially and economically. Females of females are "setting out of their homes alone, breaking traditional old age norms and challenging patriarchy". It is a great and welcoming change.
The English proverb " better alone than band company'' can be applied to travelling too. By travelling alone you can refresh, grow and discover yourself. You can gain a tremendous amount of confidence. Everything will be on your shoulder and you will be the one who has to solve the problems. So, you will become more "responsible''. So, girls, ladies and women if you are also planning to travel alone, then congratulations, kudos to you! But, keep in mind certain tips, tricks, hacks, that I will be sharing to make your travel safer, stress-free, fun and not a "nightmare'' after all. So. let's get into this.
Best Tips For Single Woman Travelling Alone
Pre-requisites before the trip
- The first step is to decide where you want to go. know whereabouts of the place. Research well about the place you are going to. The weather conditions, natural disasters, customs, traditions, language, food habits, dresses etc. Be a wise traveller.
- Then get your documents intact. eg. passport, VISA etc. (if you are going to a foreign country)
- Organise everything like flight, tickets, accommodation etc. For accommodation, you can go to hotels, hostels or home-stays as per your choice. You can choose a travel agency too, who will organise things for you.
- Get your currency converted beforehand, before landing your destination.
- Keep hardcopy or e-version of your ticket, driving license, pan card etc.
Travel intensively, but with insurance
- Now, this is highly underrated and ignored. Always get travel insurance as "precaution is better than cure". Insurance can help you with sickness or accidents or even with stolen or robbed stuff. But, read the terms and conditions carefully.
Your all-time buddy mobile tips
- Buy local SIM if you want to contact your near and dear ones.
- Also, save google maps on your phone.
- Translation apps, taxi apps etc should be downloaded well in advance.
- Save emergency numbers in your contact list. This is very important
- Have your guide's, hotel manager's etc numbers.
Medical guide
- Vaccinations are a must. In some countries like Africa, you should be properly vaccinated before entering the country.
- Keep a small medical kit of pads, tampons, toiletries, medicines etc. Also, pack ORS (Electrol) for fight sickness, illness or dehydration.
- With medicines note the quantity and compositions of the medicines allowed.
General hacks
- Carry light and portable stuff.
- Don't bear the burden of hairdryers, curlers, straighteners etc as they will occupy a lot of space in your bag and now they are available in most of the hotels and even if not, you can borrow one.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothes when you are on the go. Avoid too- tight or skinny clothes.
- Fetch fewer makeup items.
- It is advisable to keep a torch with yourself. It can be helpful during trekking, climbing etc or even during the night.
- Pay attention to what the guide is saying, don't ignore him.
Safety comes first
- Ifyou are feeling unsafe, uncomfortable reach out for help.
- Do not disclose your intimate, personal details to others.
- Fake it; If any stranger asks you if you are alone, then you can lie or fake it by saying that my friends, relatives are coming or they are at the hotel. It can make the other person hesitant or be less reluctant to take a wrong step. The funda is that you don't have to show that you are alone and that will save you from being a potential target.
- It will be better if you travel using public transport. It would be more secure and will cost less on your pocket too.
- Keep money and credit cards in small bags or pouches or different compartments of the bag. So, that even in the worst case of getting robbed or pickpocketed you will not suffer a huge loss.
- Also, leave valuables in the hotel or place of staying and carry money only as much as required.
Be a rabbit; By saying this I mean to be vigilant, prompt, quick like the sweet-cute rabbit. You should be aware of your surroundings and not just immersed in your cell phone or gadget. Also, be swift in case of any dangerous situation. A great tip is to look around, walk with upright- posture, straight shoulders, smiling, making eye contact with people. This will not only make you feel happy but also others too.
Go out enjoy, engage yourself in activities, interact with people. Live your heart out.
Bonus tip
See you can make the most of your trip by using this mad tip. It's that eat local, shop local. At the same time, be nice to locals, because being nice costs nothing. If you are polite, kind to them you are opening your gates to a vast amount of knowledge and information. This applies not only to locals but also to waiters, conductors, drivers or any other service provider. You can greet them, ask them how they are or smile at them, thank them. Surely, they will help you and some can even go out of the way to help you. Also, they can help you with language or can tell you about their history, culture and traditions. You can even get information regarding the places that are a must to visit or even about some less known or latent hot places.
Travelling alone can be a little scary or apprehensive at first, but this should not be a reason for your backstepping. Go out, have fun, live your life on your terms. You know, you are a hero, because there is a "her" in-hero.