The invisible price of travelling safely as a woman

[lcakethereforeIam]

BBC article!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20260807-the-controversial-economics-of-women-only-travel

I suspect local laws mean that much of the 'woman only' accommodation, etc. is nothing of the sort.

As the article says it includes but goes beyond the pink tax.

In the 1990s and early 2000s I travelled extensively around the middle east as a solo woman. Most hotels I stayed in are cleaned by young males who obviously have passkeys. You take a few simple precautions by buying one of those door lock gadgets from Amazon which will secure the door against even a pass key. You don't get too friendly and are cool, distant and efficient with hotel staff. You follow local laws and customs - like always covering hair in Iran - and don't give anyone the opportunity to get the impression that you are up for it. I never felt unsafe in any Islamic country. The one I had most problems in was Italy.

I've backpacked solo to over 60 countries all over the world as a woman and almost always use hostels. I've done mixed and large rooms (sharing with 10+ people) but as I've gotten older I've become fussier. If I have to do a hostel, I will only share a room with a maximum of 6 people now and it must have beds with curtains. I choose women only rooms now too, not because of safety/fear, but because I think men are usually more smelly/dirty (although I have shared with some outrageously dirty and inconsiderate women in my travels too). I will pay more for a cleaner rooms and less of a likelihood of ending up with a roommate that will disrupt my sleep.