Pros and cons are inevitable in this universe. Solo travelling is no exception. Travelling alone all around the world can give you the feeling of reward and satisfaction, but it can also provide you with goosebumps and thus make you feel a bit nervous about what is going to happen next. But you can easily overcome this fear by paying attention to some of the necessary things while being all alone in some unknown land. You can take a look at this comprehensive guide that will help you stay safe and boost your confidence with some simple tips.
How To Stay Safe while Travelling Solo?
It is rightly said that prevention is better than cure, which means it is always good to ensure that nothing will harm you rather than being cured after getting hurt. You have to take care of many things while travelling solo that you won't have to consider in a group, including:
- Research your Destination- The first step for staying safe in some mysterious destination is to make yourself aware of that place. You have to research your preferred region before visiting it and know it completely like a local so that no one can mark you as a tourist and thus won't take advantage of yours. You can also learn about their customs, rituals, and laws to avoid any kind of controversies with them. Apart from that, knowing the weather could help you to prepare yourself for extreme temperatures like rain, storm, cold, or heat.
- Try to arrive during the daytime—Unfamiliar destinations can be seen like a puzzle at night, as you cannot navigate the way to your accommodation properly. So, it would be great if you could arrive at your destination during the daytime, when you can easily see the options for the available transport and when the locals can navigate your way without any problems.
- Get your travel insurance—Travel insurance is essential while travelling abroad, as things can go wrong even if you have planned everything right. Thus, travel insurance will help you cover some unexpected incidents, including medical costs, missing the flight, accommodation issues, and many more.
- Share your travel journey with someone—One important step for safe travel is to share your journey with someone back home. Update your family members about the place you are visiting, accommodation details, contact information for your hotel or lodge, your changed number if you take another SIM, your Wi-Fi plan, and any changes in your plan (if any) to make yourself feel confident that they will find you if anything goes wrong.
- Make a copy of your important documents—Ensure you keep both the original and a photocopy of your important documents, including flight tickets, accommodation confirmation, insurance documents, passport, and visa (if required). And remember not to hand over your passport as a deposit to anyone, including some vehicle rental companies. They can stop you from leaving the country or making a duplicate of your passport.
- Don't announce to everyone that you are travelling solo—You don't need to tell every person that you are travelling alone. If you feel it is necessary or unsafe around the other person, then you can even make an excuse that your friend or family is going to join you soon or they are in the room. But you can talk to others about being solo on your road trip or in your hotel if you feel safe and want to make friends with them.
- Don't bring valuables with you—You can keep your important stuff, such as your passport, cash, and other valuables, in a safe place. Additionally, you can avoid carrying excessive cash and highly valuable items with you on your trip and keep them at home only.
- Don't share every detail of your journey on social media—Social media is trendy nowadays. Everyone just posts their daily updates without considering someone might have a hawk's eye on their accounts. So you are not required to make the same mistake and either stop updating every detail or make it a personal account where only your family and friends can see it.
- Avoid being at deserted places at night- You don't need to act like a hero, and don't try to explore dangerous locations alone, especially at night. It is better to stick to a safe route where you can get help from locals if needed.
- Use registered vehicles—It is better to ride in a licensed taxi or shared vehicle at night, as you have a greater chance of a safe return to your accommodation.
- Find friends in an alien land- It's good to have some friends there, as a time can arrive when it is great to have someone beside you. This includes activities such as rock climbing or hiking, where you can use some hands in case of an emergency.
- Learn some local words—You can learn some basic words from their language, like the terms related to directions, help, thank you, sorry, food, etc., to make your journey a bit simpler in a place where the people don't know English.
- Be sure to carry some essential travel kit—Packing wisely is also one of the safety tips for solo travellers. You must keep some essential items handy, like a first-aid kit, power bank, lock, and hidden wallet, to ensure your safety.
- Stay confident in front of others—Sometimes, you have to pretend to be confident in front of others, even if you don't feel the same way in real life, which will help you to be saved from the followers.
- Trust your instincts—Lastly, you have to follow your gut. Your instinct is more powerful than you think, thus, it mostly helps to abstain from every problem.
Conclusion
So, during your solo trip, you would have felt the freedom of not being asked where you were going or why at this time, but here, your safety remains in your hands. It's your duty to stay safe and keep your family informed about your whereabouts because maybe you would be alone in this unknown land, but there is someone out there eagerly waiting for your safe return.
