Traveling Solo as a Female

“OMG, you’re traveling alone?! Are you crazy?! You’re so brave!” – One of the questions and comments that I get from my family and friends. Thank you!!

I want to give a huge thanks to my parents for letting me travel alone on my first solo trip to Puerto Rico. You can read about that here.

What made me want to travel alone? 
1. My family, friends, and my schedule does not work out to travel together…and life is too short to wait, so I have to go for it!

2. I wanted to try it to see what it felt like to travel alone. I wanted to branch out of my comfort zone and I did! 

What’s the hardest part about traveling alone (as a female)?
The first thing that comes to mind is being an easy target that can lead dangerous situations: rape, kidnapping, etc. When I do travel alone, I don’t go out to nightlife alone. Although I may be missing out, I rather not miss out on life if I was gone from it all. I go back to my stay before it gets dark. We as female solo travelers have to take precautions.

The other hard parts, or I would say Cons about traveling solo are:

• Not having someone to take your photos
• Not having someone to share the experience with / it can get lonely sometimes
• Not having someone to watch your stuff

You get the picture.

What are the best parts/pros about traveling alone (as a female)?

• You get to go on your own schedule. Do whatever you want, whenever you want. You have all of that freedom!
• It will push you to socialize/ you’ll make more friends.
• It will get you out of your comfort zone.
• You’ll feel empowered.

Are you afraid of traveling solo?
Ofcourse, for my first trip I was afraid. I feel like there will always be a feeling of being worried for my safety when I travel solo…which leads me to my next story and tips on how I travel.

General Travel Tips

“You travel so much! It’s awesome! How?” – Another comment and question from a friend.

These are just MY own personal tips that has worked for me and I hope it works for you. 

• Money
  -SAVE YOUR MONEY! When I receive a check from my job, I put some money aside in my savings. When traveling – yes, ofcourse you should spend and treat yourself, because it’s a vacation; but also, if you’re on a budget like me, then try to save some money, but also travel comfortably.
  -Know the different currencies of the country.
  -Contact your bank to see what types of transaction fees might happen to your card. Also let them know that you are traveling, so that they are aware and will look out for your card.
• Travel on the “off” season.
  –They know that we travel during our vacation times.
• I don’t really care for food when I travel.
  -I can eat the cheapest thing, because I want and like to spend my money on adventures (sightseeing, views, etc.) Ofcourse, when I have a little bit more money in the future, I don’t mind dining a bit fancier, but as of right now, I’m content.
•  Location
  -I always like to pick a location stay that is close to all of the attractions. I like to be able to walk or call a quick uber/lyft to the attractions. That’s another way of saving money.
  -I usually stay in hostels or airbnb. Of course in the future, when I have more money, I would like to splurge on a fancy hotel.
  -If I’m traveling solo and am staying in a hostel, I pick “All-Female Room”.
  I usually book my hostels through: http://www.hostelworld.com
  -This is random, but I usually take a photo of my surroundings of my area, just so I know the way to get back to the location. I also use Google Maps before I come to the location, just to get a sense of where everything is at.
• Wake up early.
  -I like to wait up early to get a full use of my day! Make sure you are fully rested though. You don’t want to exhaust yourself.
• Flights
  -When searching for flights online, I always clear my history, because the site is smart and will rack up the price flights. I heard that Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the cheaper days to buy flight tickets and to fly to and from home too.
  -I mainly use http://www.google.com/flights & sometimes http://www.skyscanner.com
• Do your RESEARCH!
  -Research on the place that you will be traveling to
  -I love reading travel blogs – that’s also another reason how and why I was motivated to start a travel blog.
• Be aware for your safety!
  -Every time I travel with family and/or friends, or solo, always be aware of your surroundings.
  -Don’t carry so much cash
  -Put your bags in front of you / don’t leave items unattended
  -Write down emergency info – have it at your stay and one with you
  -Know the scams that may happen
  -Buy travel insurance
  -Bring a lock for your items
  -Read signs
  -Follow the country’s rules and culture
  -Don’t act like tourists…blend in with the people so you don’t stick out so much as a target.

• More to come…

That is how I have been able to travel so much and am grateful that I am alive for the next adventure.