Travel

Travel Guide : First Time Solo Trip For Female Travellers

February 2, 2020February 16, 2020By
Solo Traveller

So you’ve caught the ‘travel bug’ and you’re itching to get on that plane, but none of your friends or family are up for it.

  ” I’m saving up my vacation days “

  ” I’ve got no extra budget for a trip this year “

  ” My exam is coming up, I’ve got to study “

  ” Nobody is around to bathe my fish if I go on a holiday “

What do you do then? Do you just sit at home, silently pray so the stars and the moon would align and that one day someone’s schedule clears up for you?

Nu-uh, you’re thinking it’s time you take that solo trip (duh, that’s why you’re here). However, I understand travelling to a foreign land all by yourself can be exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. Not to mention you’ll also risk ruin the whole trip if you’re not mentally, physically and emotionally ready. It’s completely normal to feel anxious BUT with proper research and planning, this could end up being THE BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE! I mean, we’re talking about a trip that is purely curated for YOU! I’m here to help you get prepared with some of the useful tips I’ve gathered when I first travelled solo.

PLANNING

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part to ensure a smooth sailing and safe trip. This goes beyond scrolling through Airbnb and Agoda so, buckle up.

  • CHECK YOUR HEALTH CONDITION

Ask yourself, are you fit enough to be travelling alone? Do you have any medical conditions that would require extra care? I would highly recommend to get yourself checked before making any travel plans — as an extra precautious step.   If you do have any medical condition but Doctors are giving you the OK Go to travel, make sure you are fully informed on the medications you take. We’ll cover this more in the next section.

Note : IF you are from a country or city where a certain virus outbreak is present OR you have contracted something contagious, please be mindful of other people and it’s best to wait out until you are healthy again. Do consider delaying or changing your travel plans.
  • SET YOUR BUDGET
Check your bank account and decide how much you are willing to spend for this trip. Make sure to take into account the cost of transportation, accommodation, daily meals, other daily expenses (if you’re planning to do some shopping, join short tours, etc) AND at least additional 10% of those summed up, for emergency purposes. If you are planning on visiting multiple cities, keep in mind that expenses may vary from one city to another. Also, don’t forget to include the cost of transportation between those cities.
  • CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION

Now that you have a budget put aside, you can start looking for your travel destination. As a first timer, I would recommend going to a country where you are able to communicate in their local language OR where English is widely spoken (this makes it easier for you to communicate with the locals if you need to ask for help or directions). Next, consider your interests — what is your main purpose of this specific trip? Do you want to explore a city or chill by the beach? Are you into archeological sites? Do you want to spend more on shopping or food? This would help you narrow down destinations that would fit your bill.

As mentioned earlier, it’s important to know your average daily expenses of the place you intend to go so that you are spending well within your budget. Do a quick research on the local transportation — do they offer a certain pass for the public transportation? Is the public transportation safe/recommended by other travellers or would it be more economical to stay within the place of interest and walk about? Also, I would suggest having a quick look at the average prices of the accommodations at your chosen destination as well. Tripadvisor is a good place to have a look at for this type of queries. While you’re there, check too if that city is safe for solo travellers.
  • BOOKING YOUR FLIGHT

If you are travelling next week and you are only booking your flight today — well, you are going to dread that credit card bill, my friend. I’ve done a couple impromptu trips and flight ticket prices were almost doubled. Not to mention, I didn’t exactly get great seats — and this were long haul flights! Intercity train tickets were killing my wallet too. So, to avoid making this common mistake, have a look at third party websites or apps like Skyscanner or Kiwi. This way you get to compare which airlines offer the lowest fair with decent travelling/layover time. Alternatively, you can wait for promos or fairs where ticket prices would be significantly reduced. Hence, it would be wise to look for flights at least a couple months before the intended trip.

I personally would join my favourite airlines membership (ie Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways –to name a few) and look out for their promo emails. More often than not, those limited time promotions can be cheaper than what the third parties offer. And of course, if you choose to be loyal to one airline, you get to accumulate miles which can be used to upgrade your seats in the future.
  • BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Do a quick research on the city you’re heading to — usually past travellers would break down on which areas are generally safe and which areas to avoid. After that, decide on which would be most important to you — either a location that’s close to the attractions or public transportation or convenient stores & eateries.

Next, choosing the type of place to stay for your trip depends entirely on your social personality. Hostels are typically great if you are into meeting new people especially solo travellers alike. Not to mention, they’re super cheap too! However, you’d have to consider the issue of your personal belongings as it would be your responsibility to make sure they are fully secured. If you are planning on doing a lot of shopping, this may not be the best option for you.

On the other hand, if you prefer to wind down quietly in your own space after a long day of exploring, hotels/rentals would definitely be the better option. I know a lot of people would jump into scrolling through Airbnb or Agoda to look for accommodations — while there’s nothing wrong with that, I would highly recommend starting with Tripadvisor. Most owners list their properties at different rates on different platforms and webs like Tripadvisor and Trivago can help you choose the cheapest option for a specific listing.
  • GET TRAVEL INSURANCE
If you are not yet insured for travelling, I would highly recommend you to get a travel insurance. Depending on where you are from, certain countries offer by trip coverage or if you are certain you will be travelling a lot in a year, they usually also have an annual package.
  • DAILY ITINERARY

Now this, is THE BEST PART! Since you are travelling solo, you have full control of WHAT you want to do and WHEN you want to do it. Everything is catered to you, remember?

HOWEVER,

That would also mean you’ll have to do some EXTRA research on your chosen destination by yourself. Look up on what significant attractions or activities are available and just allocate them to the days you’ll be spending there. But let’s be real, there’s no way you can see ten museums in one day so, be realistic! Do take into consideration how far one location is to another. Alternatively, you can look up ‘Experiences’ provided by locals via Airbnb.

Most of the time, travelling solo means you’ll have to put on a shameless face by asking strangers to help you take photos for you. But nowadays, many local photographers offer vacation photography services where you can hire them for an hour or even for the whole day and you’ll come home with beautifully captured memories! This is useful especially for content creators.

I do have a list of my favourite photographers from different cities so if you need recommendations, do get in touch and I’d be happy to help.

NEXT, PACKING!

On to the next step — packing! I know some people enjoy this part of travelling but I personally dread it. I am the worst when it comes to packing and unpacking. So, that’s why I know the importance of CREATING A CHECKLIST! It truly is a game changer.

  • CHOOSING YOUR LUGGAGE
So this would depend on the duration of your trip, the destination, the climate and most importantly, your preference.
If you are able to travel light, maybe you’d be contented with a backpack or a hand carry. But realistically, if you are travelling during peak of winter or you are someone who needs multiple outfit change for photoshoots, suitcase (with trolleys) would be the better option. Keep in mind, certain roads can be rough on your suitcase so invest in a good one!
Some people swear by packing cubes, it can help you organise your packing and make your things more accessible.
If you are checking in your suitcase, always remember to pack one set of your clothing in your hand carry bag. This is for emergency purposes.
  • CHOOSING YOUR OUTFITS
This depends on your style, really. But, skip the heavy coats if you’re going to the beach and flip flops are NOT your best friend for winter holidays. As a general rule, you may want to plan your outfit around neutral colours. This way, it would make it much easier for you to mix and match. Bring an accent piece like a jacket to layer your clothing.
Frequent travellers also tend to roll their clothes before packing them into their luggage(s). This hack does not only save a lot of space, it will also save you a lot of time — it prevents the wrinkling you’d get from folding your clothes. No iron, no problem!
  • TOILETRIES

Standard regulations and rules apply. I mean, always check your airlines policy but typically, no liquid above 100ml is allowed in the cabin. So, either check in those giant bottle of shampoo OR you can choose to transfer them into smaller travel-sized bottles. I would recommend bringing whatever you think you are going to use ONLY. Trust me, you are not going to have enough time to use that 7-step hair treatment! Also, most accommodations provide the basic necessities, including a hair dryer — so you’ll be looking faaaabulous at all time.

  • MEDICATIONS
If you have a medical condition, PLEASE DON’T EVER TRAVEL WITHOUT YOUR MEDICATIONS! I learned the hard way — it’s an absolute disaster to obtain prescription meds in certain cities, especially when your prescription note is in a language they don’t comprehend. I would advise you to also bring along a basic travel medical kit (you can get this checklist at your local pharmacy).

So, if you have a certain medical condition, but your Doctor says you’re fit to travel (yay!), remember to also get 1) a written note from your Doctor and 2) try to incorporate a medical id tag into your outfit.

Myself, I wear a chain with engraved details of my medical condition — which you can find in my travel photos on my Instagram.
  • MISCELLANEOUS
This comprises of the random things you might need for your travel, all of which would depend solely on your trip. Think of things like, a lightweight raincoat or a compact umbrella (looking at you, London), a universal plug adapter, your phone charger, glasses/contact lenses/sunglasses, a straw hat, a compass if you’re going hiking —  again, things that you are going to use ONLY.

Most importantly, don’t forget your travel documents!

I understand these days we can go paperless with our smartphone, iPad and all but for certain things, it would be recommended to still carry a hardcopy with you. For example, a copy of your passport’s front page, etc.

SAFETY TIPS

  • Before stepping out of your accommodation, always ‘study’ the map of the city. If you know where you’re heading to, at the very least check out the routes first — see if you’re heading north west or south east, etc. Don’t be staring at your maps 24/7 on the streets looking like a lost lamb, okay?
  • Always inform your loved ones back home on your whereabouts. Keep at least one person up to date.
  • When exploring a new city, be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like someone is following you, trust your instincts — get yourself somewhere safe (like the closest shops/restaurants).
  • Some solo travellers carry safety devices like a pepper spray, a rape alarm device — this depends on your personal preference.
  • Keep it low-key and dress accordingly. For example, if you’re heading to temples, make sure you are wearing something that’s covering your shoulders and bottoms that go below the knees. If you are visiting a mosque or other holy Islamic sites, do cover up (that includes your hair). It’s all about embracing and respecting other cultures — try not to offend the locals.
  • If you are wearing designer brands from head to toe (inside to outside), flashing jewelleries and your gadgets, you’re literally a walking $$$ in the eyes of the pickpocketers. So, you know in this case, less is more?
  • When it comes to handbags, I find that the smaller, the easier to look after. Across body WOCs have always been my best friend. However I understand, sometimes we have more things to carry like a camera or a sweater so try using bags that are fully secured with zipper or buckles. Avoid open top totes alike please. And if you prefer carrying a back pack, there are plenty of those anti-theft option available in the market.

LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE ALL SET TO GO!

There’s no need to sweat about travelling solo. As long as you plan and prepare yourself, you WILL have a great time.

Always be vigilant but most importantly, ENJOY YOURSELF!

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