Traveling solo as a woman can be a challenging task. Staying safe and alert is the key to your well-being. A user asked on an online forum, “Are there any countries you would recommend avoiding as a solo female traveler in her mid-20s?”
Here are some of the most helpful responses.
UAE
“Went to the UAE with a group of girls to visit a friend’s family over new year’s. We went to the Berj to watch fireworks- had to keep physically moving away from a couple of men trying to touch us inappropriately. On the walk back to the hotel, two men tried to follow us. We stayed in crowded areas as we called our friend’s dad to wake up & get us.
This was the first time I realized that law enforcement was not on my side, & I’d be in trouble if I had to defend myself.”
TURKEY
“I haven’t felt unsafe once on my trip to Turkey, Istanbul is a beautiful city, and it’d be a shame to miss out on all it has to offer.”
EGYPT
“Generally, people recommend everyone, male and female, avoid Egypt, particularly without a tour. Honestly, I would love to go to India, but I’m waiting to go with my boyfriend, whose folks are from there— I wouldn’t go alone.”
JAMAICA
“I’m always surprised by how casually some North Americans go to Jamaica and think it’s some chill Bob Marley reggae tropical paradise. Not only are women’s rights terrible there, but it’s also highly homophobic. Being gay is illegal, and faces ten years in prison. Not gay marriage; simply being gay is illegal!
There are even reports of straight women with short hair (being mistaken as lesbians) facing “corrective rape” by locals. It’s horrific.”
PHILIPPINES
“Certain areas of the Philippines! I had a homie with me, and I still looked over my shoulder like I would get robbed.”
MOROCCO
“I did Morocco (Marrakech) on my own as a woman. It’s a lot. Exhausting fending financial scams and sexual harassment off all day long. Some of the best shopping, food, and architecture I’ve ever seen. You can do it if you are a savvy traveler with lots of foreign country experience. But I would not try it if you lack experience and stamina. It was not a relaxing travel experience for me.”
CASABLANCA
“Casablanca has a lot of harassment, including sexual harassment. I grew up there. Too many fragile males are ruining the beautiful country.”
INDIA
“There are too many chaotic variables in India to have a good trip alone. Multiple languages to navigate, scams, constantly changing and sometimes unreliable transportation options and danger to solitary women make safe solo travel impossible. I went with G Adventures and let the guide stress out constantly while I made new friends. (I gave him a big tip at the end.)”
NEPAL
As a female solo traveler, you should be extra cautious in Nepal! Kathmandu can be sketchy at night. Spending two weeks or more alone with a male trekking guide can lead to a bad situation; just be aware and research guides.
ITALY
“Italy and certain parts of Europe if you are a black woman. One of the scariest times of my life, honestly. Leering, jeering, and, quite shockingly, had servers ignore me when I sat down to eat. A salon flipped its sign to closed when I came in for service while serving other incoming clients. This was in the Napoli area. I assume the hate is due to the influx of African migrants, but it was one of the first times I felt my skin color spoke for me. I then researched and found many black bloggers cautioning about traveling to Italy for black people. Disappointing.”
BELIZE
“Our cruise ship docked there; it must have been Belize City (this is almost 20 years ago). I was a single Mom traveling with my 11-and 13-year-old daughters, very pretty, blonde girls with bright blue eyes. I kid you not; I had THREE staff members – 2 on the tender, one on the dock – stop me and earnestly tell me not to take my girls out of the market there unless we were on a planned and escorted tour. I swear I was so shaken up we didn’t get farther than 15 feet from the boat: Yep, this is good; seen enough! Let’s go back!”
BRUNEI
“Incessant catcalls and harassment. Unwanted touching. Despite being covered- in line with what their society deems appropriate for women. This was over 15 years ago, so maybe things are different now?”
SOUTH AFRICA
“I (American female) moved to Joburg for work for six months a few years ago. I was told never to walk outside alone, even in daylight. My company had a whole kidnapping protocol, and everyone I talked to that lived there had a story (mugging, break-in, carjacking, etc). When my boyfriend at the time came to visit, he insisted we walk to the restaurant three blocks away, but I told him we needed to Uber. He finally relented, and during our Uber ride, we saw a man hiding near bushes around a corner, just waiting to attack someone walking by. He stopped wanting to walk everywhere.”
THE BAHAMAS
“Nassau Bahamas. I had a beautiful time with my fiancé as he was working there. I spent the last night in the Bahamas alone as he had to return to work early. The difference was night and day.
I was treated so respectfully while with my fiancé, but walking alone, I was harassed NON-STOP. I decided to grab a sandwich and eat it in my room to be safe instead of hunting for food.”
BRAZIL
“AVOID Brasil, please. So many people go missing here, get mugged, raped, or end up dead. I can’t even visit my small hometown as many criminals fled from Rio down to us, and it’s been terrifying nowadays.”
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Anika Jindal
Anika is a CPA and founder of What Anika Says. She shares simple and actionable frugal living, money management and money-saving tips to live a debt-free financially independent life. She has been featured on popular websites like Bankrate, Forbes, Mint ,and Authority Magazine. Byline: MSN