From Amelia Earhart to my own Chinese great-grand-mother who crossed the Pacific Ocean in the 1920s to come to Canada-the Golden Mountain, solo women travelers have done amazing things and have been doing so for a long time.
Before deciding to travel solo for six months (or rather 5, since January was spent with travel buddies), I had done my research and had some prior experience of the risks and rewards of "paddling my own canoe" in other countries. Many articles, books, blog posts have been written about the experience. Nevertheless, the most frequent two questions I have gotten about my travel have been a) Do you get tired/scared/lonely when travelling solo, and b) How much does it cost to travel for six months. I will leave question B for another time but thought I should offer my own take on A.
Travelling solo and female: The rewards
First off, the good news: What is so great about solo female traveling? While I can't give you the male perspective, I can say that travelling alone has been for me an incredibly positive experience. The reality is that finding a travel buddy for six months would have been difficult for me. so the decision to do it alone was born of necessity. But it is definitely something I recommend trying at least once, as in my experience it is easier and more fun to interact with all kinds of people when you are one person. Traveling alone and traveling as a woman does make one appear more "vulnerable" for lack of a better word, but it also makes one more approachable. I have received many kindnesses from strangers, people are as a general rule willing to help you (of course there are exceptions) and even let you be a part of their lives for a short while. I've had people offer to pay for my meal, people offering to drive me places and people offering to share their meals with me (all with kind intentions- dont worry, I only accept free rides from other young women!!)
The other great advantage of solo travel is flexibility and the ability to go where I want, when I want. I do enjoy travel with friends but after a while it can get a bit tiring to compromise on things like budget, speed, level of comfort, things to see vs not see, and so on.
So my ideal formula is 3-5 days with friends or other travelers Ive met, followed by 2-4 days of doing my own thing. It is surprisingly easy to meet nice fellow travelers so I rarely worry about this- and leave it up to fate most of the time whether I find travel buddies or not.
Travelling alone and female: The challenges
There are also challenges related to travelling by yourself, and as a woman. There are times where I do wish for a travel buddy who I havent just met. The main thing is probably that traveling with one other person allows you to share the best and worst experiences. Simply put, amazing sunsets and beautiful and unusual sights are more fun to experience when shared with someone. Also, being sick doesnt seem quite so bad when you have someone to get you water, cancel or make reservations or just make sure you are ok. (I ve been lucky and only got sick once, but that was enough to cause me to have a "I wish I were home" moment!)
As for safety, well, I am a naturally cautious person who is probably more alert and aware of her surroundings when alone. The one time I got robbed- in Colombia last year- was when I was walking with a Colombian female friend back to our hotel. I have met both solo travelers and couples who have been pick-pocketed so traveling with another person doesnt guarantee you that things wont happen. I follow basic safety precautions- dont walk down a dark street at night, use recommended taxis where available, keep an eye out for suspicious activity, let guesthouses know generally where I will be and what time I plan to leave/return. I have felt safe 99.9% of the time while traveling, exceptions being Medellin Colombia at the end of the day, and aggressive touts in India which in the end were more annoying than dangerous.
Overall, as I said, solo female travelling has been a super positive experience for me. I have made many good friends and had fun experiences that might not have taken place in other circumstances. I enjoy a range of types of travel, including volunteer and study/work abroad, which also offer routine and ready-made friends, something that is not as easy to come by when backpacking. In the end it is about knowing yourself and your travel style. But definitely dont "knock it (solo travel) til you've tried it!"
Thanks for reading, All the best,
Mia
p.s. I had a 20 hour layover at Changi airport-happy I at least had a blog to keep me busy! On to Manila!
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