Essential Safety Tips for Girls
Submitted by Sounak Sarkar
(Departmrnt of BCA, Batch : 2017-2020)
University Roll No. : 15201217019
Essential Safety Tips for Girls
Now more than ever, are more courageous women who embark on their first solo travel.
10 Essential Safety Tips for Girls Who Travel Solo
Now more than ever, are more courageous women who embark on their first solo travel. Women are usually the target of scams, mugging and other related crimes. Unfortunately, chances of being a victim to these negative elements is higher for women who travel solo.
Here are 10 essential safety tips you need to remember when planning for your upcoming adventure and avoid being a part of the statistics while travelling.
Safe travels!
Research. And More Research.
Research about your destination. Read about the places that you plan to go to. Keep yourself informed of the current political situation or any political unrest going on. Avoid choosing a travel destination where there’s a log of women being kidnapped and raped on the news.
You can ask on solo travel groups or forums too about your travel plans and destination. The internet is a great source of information. Nothing beats being informed. Nothing.
Weigh Your Transportation Options Carefully
Part of your research about your travel destination should also include transportation options. Is it safer to take public commute? Is it safe to take a taxi? Is it safe to walk part of the route? Rome2rio.com website is great root for searching on the way to get to point A to point B.
Also, there’s a hundred of forums on the internet where you can ask questions about your travel destination. You cannot be more obsessive together with your research when it involves your safety.
Join Day Tours
Aside from being fun and gaining new friends, joining day tours keep you safe while touring those out of the way places or exotic places that takes much effort to reach. Do not opt to go island hopping around Thailand on your own or go on a walking tour alone in India.
Best to tackle these sorts of destinations with another travel group. Plus, you can get your photo taken by your new friends!
Wear Less Bling’s
Leave those sparkling shiny diamonds at home. I know they’re your ally, but when travelling solo, it’d be the one which will cause you harm. No got to boast those jewelleries because nobody knows you here. Wear less of it because you are doing not want to seem sort of a walking Christmas tree full or ornaments.
You do not want to attract those robbers and scammers to approach you, right?
Never Announce That You Travel Solo
Never. Take care also that you do not post this information on social media. You do not want to attract scammers looking for solo travellers to prey on. And those selfies, yes you can still post them, but post also photos taken from your day tour or taken by other travellers in your group. Mix it up.
Let your photo be taken by other tourist too and post this. It’s perfectly fine to ask other tourist to require your photos but observe around first, which traveller to approach to require your photo. And no, you do not have to announce that you’re travelling solo to every person that you meet.
Drink Moderately and Responsively
Made new friends and that they invite you out for a drink? Yes, why not. But be very careful about the amount of alcohol you drink. A glass of beer should be fine. Hold the hard liquor please. Trust your gut. Remember, if you are feeling that something isn’t right or a situation is getting out of hand for you, simply get out. Just go.
Also watch your drink, never let it out of your sight. Bring it with you even inside the toilet if you have to. Rape drugs are rampant especially in bars and clubs and the usual victims? Women who travel solo who got too much to drink.
Check in With Your Family
Check in with your family and let them know you arrived safely. Even if you’re travelling long term, do not lose ties with your family. In fact, this is the first thing I do when I check in to my accommodation. Connect to a Wi-Fi and email them or chat with them that I’m already in Paris and that the host I’m staying with is a lovely family of musicians. In this way they are also aware of your current situation and who you are staying with at your current location.
Of course, before I left, I shared with them a copy of my itinerary and contact details of my hosts. This way they are at ease and worry less about your safety while you travel. Remember, family is the best Est (the best of the best in my dictionary) support system there is.