Safe for a solo female?

[YourBrickTiger]

Hi - I'm hoping that I might soon be able to take a break from everything and am not afraid to travel alone. There are a lot of holiday destinations now that are more available than even 10 years ago.

Apart from really obvious places like warzones, where would you recommend and where would you consider is definitely NOT safe for a female travelling alone? Can be anywhere in the world.

Thank you!

Egypt is an absolute shit hole no woman should go there. Mt friend and I had so much street harassment we were confined to the hotel pool. But then the waiters stood there leering at us. We ended up reading in our room until we could get out of that hellhole. Avoid.

My petite young Dd and a female friend travelled extensively independently around Central America recently with no issue and not much leering which was heartening.

Just shows how much depends on race, hair etc etc. Long time ago but Egypt was one of my favourite trips, because the archaeological sites are amazing.

The only hassle I got was from the street vendors.

I (30F) went to Morocco alone a couple months back and had absolutely zero issues. I was concerned as I’m blonde and thought that might make me a target but honestly never felt unsafe at all.

I was mid twenties with a female friend. We dressed modestly but that didn’t make any difference if you are trying insinuate we “asked for it” as we were relentlessly harassed and you were not.

I am not trying to insinuate that at all. I am saying- as I did upthread- that I am not white, and can therefore pass for Egyptian and possibly a few other nationalities.

Nobody asks for harassment no matter how they are dressed.

The worst harrassment I experienced was in Tunisia. I was with a female friend 20 years older who had already been several times and knew many of the local men, and her younger daughter. She almost actively encouraged it too and would huff if I complained. I remember everywhere we went one of these men would just pop up and I was forced to go on dates and babysit her daughter while she drank red wine with ice in the dark with some Tunisian man. One of the men took it upon himself to start massaging me on the beach. I was so turned by the whole experience that it showed and she fell out with me, never spoke to me again. I hated Tunisia. There was nothing to do - or at least nothing I was allowed to do!

Of your list my direct experience is

1. Chile - loved it. One of my favorite ever trips. Was mostly in an organized group but some time on my own. Didn't have any issues.

1. India - same, mostly in the group. Some solo travel, mostly in Delhi. Was okay for me (29 at the time). Just usual traveler's precautions. Wouldn't have wandered about at night though.

1. Barbados - was older and with boyfriend. Seemed fine. I've been back since and again, no issues

1. Mexico - if set on this I'd stick to areas around Cancun and Tulum. Oaxaca was okay ish. But as someone who has traveled a lot (including some of the alleged most dangerous places) I had real hassle in Mexico City, right from the moment I got out the airport!

I haven't been alone but Japan is very safe - trains even have a women's only carriage during certain hours. I got looks because I'm ginger and blonde but it was nowhere near as bad as China. I'd go back to Japan in a heartbeat even if I was alone, dreaming of the day I get to go back.

Hong Kong also felt incredibly safe. We somehow wandered into a homeless area in an underground tunnel and I didn't feel unsafe or scared. It was actually so clean and tidy and quiet! I wouldn't purposely go to those areas again though 😅 (especially if alone because you can never truly know if it's safe).

My MIL went to Portugal and Morocco alone and my own mum is going to Morocco in a couple of months. MIL didn't mention not feeling safe but I'm not sure how much she wandered and experienced.

Definitely not India - I escaped gang rape by a whisker. I can now attest that “gibbering in fear” is a real thing.

Would need to check current travel advice because of location but one of the most amazing (and harassment-free) places I traveled to was Jordan. Did Petra, diving in the Red Sea, wadi rum camping. All fantastic, no real issues. Watch out for speed bumps on the motorway though, nearly broke the bloody hire car!!

given the location and tensions in the Middle East, you might not want to/ be able to go there at the moment though - which would be a huge shame as the people were some of the warmest and kindest I have ever met, and I don’t recall any issues with behaviour, leering or scamming.

I travelled around Spanish speaking South America alone with basic tourist Spanish. Felt very safe and I am very pale with red hair so stand out a mile. I did not drink and didn't do much at night other than eat and go back to place I was staying or go to the cinema but that was fine by me. When I felt I needed people a bit more I chose to stay in very touristy hostels and would meet English speakers from all over the world

I'd avoid the middle east. It's relatively safe, but they hate women.

The US is very patriarchal too.

Whereas I holidayed alone in Italy and got a lot of attention but didn't mind, as they love women.

I'd stick to Europe.

Generally speaking - Northern europe if you want to be left alone. Southern Europe if you don't mind a bit of attention.

Omg that is awful!!!! That does fill me with dread - there have been women murdered (western women travelling) in India. I know it happens everywhere but going there alone is a huge risk I guess.

What about Singapore? I wouldn't set foot in China. So much about the country that quite literally gives me the heaves. If I had to pick anywhere in Asia, it would be Sri Lanka. I love being independent enough to travel but at the same time I feel limited without a partner.

Singapore is very safe, would have no worries there as solo woman.

Singapore is very safe but phenomenally boring. I would do Malaysia instead. Also safe.

Is it really boring?? Wow didn't know that.

Only in my humble opinion. Other people may find it interesting! Lots of good food but not much history, scenery, natural beauty etc. Too modern for me to spend much time.
However Hong Kong has lots of beautiful treks and scenery, plus super safe.

India
Sri Lanka as well though not to the same extent as India

I went to Egypt with a female friend and it wasn’t great so I’d also say there and probably other Northern Africa countries.

I love Singapore, so much to do! Been many times and still not bored. I mean I would not maybe spend weeks and weeks there, but perfect for a few days stopover.

Do not go to Egypt. Although I was travelling with a male colleague (it was sort of a business trip with vacation tacked on), one day I decided to venture out without him. It was awful. At one point, I thought I was going to be assaulted or raped by two men who cornered me in a shop and wouldn't leave me alone. I started screaming bloody murder at them, and they finally left. I had blond hair at the time and was constantly stared at, despite wearing very modest clothing. Actually, I think it was just hair on display that was unusual. I will never go back there.

I've solo travelled a lot, including to quite a few countries that pp aren't recommending like Morocco and India.

I personally think that alcohol plays a huge part in safety - you might get cat called on a street in Morocco but I think that you are much much more likely to get attacked by a man in a nightclub in new york.

Many people commenting on the US - I agree you need to be careful and pay attention, but generally it is safe for tourists. Unless you grew up there, I think it can be challenging to spot dangerous situations or no-go zones. In many cities, for example, there are absolutely dreadful neighborhoods and streets right next to posh neighborhoods. One wrong turn and suddenly you're in a dodgy area.

In my 20s I travelled a lot on my own in Peru, Bolivia and Chile and felt really safe. It’s actually really hard to be on your own in Chile as everyone feels sorry for a lone traveller and I was ‘adopted’ by different families on various mini trips . I do speak Spanish to a reasonable level but it was useless in Chile as I couldn’t understand the accent at all!

Singapore is very safe but not particularly exciting. It’s known as “beginner’s Asia” for a reason.

Malaysia isn’t safe everywhere so you need to take much more care there than you would in Singapore (or Hong Kong). I used to work in Malaysia (as well as HK and Singapore) and there are some dubious bits. We had quite a few people being robbed at knife point in the evenings near our Kuala Lumpur office. Somewhere like Langkawi or Penang is generally fine but safety isn’t anything like Singapore levels.

When I lived in Hong Kong, you could literally leave your purse / bag on the table in a bar / restaurant and wander off to the Ladies and it would still be sitting there untouched when you came back. I know quite a few people who (usually drunkenly) left wallets in taxis and they were returned to them the next day with contacts intact. It took a bit of adjusting when I moved back to London that I had to be switched on about my possessions / safety again. 😂