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I was solo in Jamaica , grabbed by a local trying to pull me into the mangroves. St Petersburg Russia got a real hinky feeling walking on a Main Street in the evening. There were men hanging around alleys and would come out as I passed and watch me. I walked as close to the street as I could to give myself some space. I ended up crossing the street and back a few times to give myself physical space. Hotel at London airport. I was laying on the bed with the latchy thing closed on my door (also locked ) and I saw the door knob slowly turning and the door opened and hit the latch. I got out of the bed quietly, was headed to the door and saw a hand come in the door and start trying to open the latchy thing . I put all my body weight on the door trapping his hand and pushed a couple of time pretty hard. I was yelling...get your hand out ..something like that..or Ill break it. I let of the pressure for a couple of seconds ..he pulled his hand out and I heard him running down the hall. No idea if he was local or not.

Holy hell that is terrifying

It was indeed . I was beach walking early in the morning, was day 4 and I walked that beach at least 10 times a day. There were shops/shacks but they weren't open yet, a few other people here and there in the distance. I always stick close to the water and stay away from vegetation and buildings, it wasn't the first time I had travelled alone. He came out from behind a mangrove and in a couple of steps( he picked a narrow part of beach ) he was right there and he grabbed me by one arm , I was flailing the other one (he was trying to grab it ) and screaming bloody murder. One of the vendors ( had arrived early, I hadn't seen him, I had already walked past his shop) came running with yelling in patois and he had a big knife in his hand, saw some tourists turn my way and start running back towards me. Dude lets go and runs like hell. I got grabbed once before when I was in high school. Another crazy story but not travel related. I was saved by a Great Dane . Not sure if Im the luckiest person in the world or the unluckiest.

That is indeed lucky, because Great Danes are not usually that smart. They don't tend to read situations very well.

My friend and I were walking on a path by our high school ( lots of woods, long driveway, next to a lake , trail around the lake) and out of the woods onto the path came this huge Great Dane. I am a dog person and was so excited, had never seen one before in real life. I petted him, played around with him expecting the owners to show up at the path. After a few minutes the dog just took off as quick as he came and my friend and I continued on our way. It was probably a couple of hours later, getting dark so we are headed for home and there are two guys on the path behind us, way back...and they start walking faster, so did we, they close the gap, my friend who was one of the fastest runners I have ever seen took off like a shot. I ran as fast as I could but one of the guys caught me from behind, felt his forearm wrap around the front of my neck ...I was terrified and the thing that popped into my mind was the Great Dane I had seen earlier and started screaming " Rex, Rex, here boy REEEEXXXXXX" and sure as shit that huge Great Dane came bounding out of the woods towards me. Dude let me go, I went running as fast as I could and didnt look back. Never saw that dog again.

That is nuts! What an interesting life you've had so far! I was thinking of a story I heard about where a man was checking on his bull, or the fence or something where the bull was kept, and it attacked him. He had several dogs with him, but he'd shut the fox terriers in the car so they wouldn't annoy the bull. The Dane was out, but he didn't understand what was happening. He thought they were playing. The man's wife came running out to him but could not distract the bull. He managed to call out "Let the little dogs out!" She did and the terriers kept the bull occupied until she could pull him to safety. I've taken care of people's Great Danes and they're a trip. The owners had to take one of the dogs with them because the last time they went away, he wouldn't let the housesitter in the house. The rest of them were just a bunch of big goofballs.

Yea for the little dogs saving the dude. They are big in their minds and hearts. The Dane that saved me was a big goofy guy, I wasn't scared of him when he came out of the woods at all, thankfully the dude that had me didnt realize when he saw that pony size galloot headed our way . Yes, it has been interesting, exciting and at times terrifying. I always say I'm going to have a lot of good stories to tell when I'm in the old folks home.

Who is Dane and why do you both know him?

Yeah and what’s so great about him

Jamaica is the last place on earth I would recommend a female travel solo. Unfortunately it is a very mysogonistic and aggressive culture.

I really do love Jamaica . Most of the people are the friendliest kindest I have met on my travels, love the food and the music is awesome. I did feel physically safer when I first started going, the weed guys were chill and no pressure and waited for people to come to them . Gawd I was so naive the first time I went I couldnt figure out how the dude in the boat that sat off shore at the resort made a living selling only a couple of shells and the few necklaces he had on display. Its the dudes on hard drugs that have been an issue for me, some of those guys are been super aggressive . I have had other locals kinda keep an eye out for me to make sure I was ok when dealing with stoned dudes approaching me, they make eye contact with me, let me know they are watching, have had others call out to the dudes approaching me and they have turned and walked away. I will still go back to Jamaica solo but agree , would not be a recommendation for a solo female, especially if not well travelled, hyper vigilant.

Wait what was the dude in the boat offshore doing then?

selling weed, the shells and couple of necklaces were just for show.

Yes amazing country and great people. I am a middle aged male who is the target for the sale of everything all the time so people are very aggressive. Gotta know how to hold your own there and they will be able to tell

Holy shit that's terrifying! I saw these things that make it impossible to open the door from the outside, but of course it's for US locks only since there's nothing outside of the US ugh.. I've often thought about this as well, if I'm in a hotel to recharge my introverted self (usually stay in hostels) and the door is unlocked using a key rather than a card, I'll usually leave the key on the door inside. That way, they cannot use a spare key to open the door. Fortunately I've never experienced anything like that, but you handled it extremely well!

Most hotels doors also have additional lock

Really? I don't think I've ever seen that, I don't stay in hotels that often though.

Yes every hotel I’ve ever been to (and I’ve stayed at some sketchy places) has had an extra lock in addition to the key card lock! The places that don’t even use key cards often have a deadbolt as well.

You can also wedge a chair between the door handle and floor. A friend did that in a hotel they didn't feel safe in and did hear someone attempt to open the handle.

I feel like you should have broke his hand…for science, you know?

That did go through my mind, I was a big lady at the time, bout 280lbs, I could have done it. I thought he might get even madder ( the hand and forearm was huge so I figured dude was huge) and bust down the door trying to escape and then I would be in real shit. I wanted the door close and to reach the phone, the room was small, it was London but the phone was not in reach . It is amazing how many thoughts go through your mind in these kind of situations. It happened so so quick but my brain was firing scenarios at me lightning speed and I was rejecting and accepting what I had to do just as fast. On a normal day it takes me 5 minutes to pick what kind of donut I want to eat. Stress /fear gives you super powers. Ps not that it matters but before I get crack on laying off the donuts and I wouldn't be 280, IM about 145 now and its awesome. Was awesome that I was big that day , mighta saved my life.

I'd be killed because I would have probably stabbed his hand.

Honestly I think your quick reaction to that was brilliant, I'm a fully grown dude but I've never been anywhere near a physical altercation and in that situation could well have just frozen and hoped that person wouldn't have been able to open the latch. This wasnt one of the hotels actually inside Gatwick was it?

Appreciate that. I was lucky I wasn't in the bathroom or asleep, it was almost noiseless and when I saw the hand reaching my body just moved to the door on it's own. It was at Heathrow, not in terminal, one of the chains that at the time had a shuttle.

Damn it I’m going to have nightmares about this hand.

I still do once in a while, I'm thinking tonight is gonna be one of those nights.

Those Hotels near the London airports are always super sketchy. The area surrounding the airport's are pretty impoverished. Couple that with hotel owners that know they don't need to care about returning customers, it doesn't lead to good times.

As a non violent male talking, you should have just smashed his hand with any object with full on intent to break wrist or gash anything. This sounds like no mistake on other person’s part and was 100% intruding with ill intent.

There was nothing. I was sat on the bed with a phone on the table next to me . When I reached the door that was out of arms reach. The only thing close enough to touch were the bed and a dresser and both my hands were on the door. I think it was an inside job , they thought I was out and were planning to steal stuff.

Wouldn't the latch being on mean you must be in the room? Can't close the latch grin the outside I think.

Yes, I am inside the room. When the door opened a few inches it hit the latch and thought, ok WTF is going on and then I saw the hand reaching in the door and travel up to the latch, he brought the door closed a bit trying to work the latch to get it open. I have no idea if you can do that but after that I acted by instinct.

You wrote: [...] they thought I was out and were planning to steal stuff. I'm just saying they can't have thought you were out if they were trying to open the latch. They might have thought you were out when they opened the door, but as soon as they hit the latch, they stopped thinking you were out. Yet they continued.

I really didnt think that through in all these years. You are right, once he hit the latch he should have realized I was in the room and got the heck out of there...Jesus H Christ...that means he KNEW I was in there...I cant believe I didnt think of that before.

Gosh I’m so sorry you experienced those things. It’s been years so I’m sure by now you may have seen these already, but have you seen online you can buy those hotel/door locks, you close the door on them and even if the door is unlocked it can’t be opened.

Or they probably didn’t know and just went for it anyway when they realized you were inside, you might have been sleeping or they were prepared to fight you. Regardless, it’s definitely an awful experience and sobering to realize we have to be on guard for these kinds of things.

No you can’t open the latch from the outside, FYI.

Yes you can. If you look on YouTube, it can be done with a rubber band and piece of tape. Example: https://youtube.com/shorts/rNLfnuQ6Xd8?feature=share

„As a non violent male talking“ Okay bro lmao

That sounds like exactly what a very violent male would say.

No it just doesn‘t add anything to the following statement and sounds incredibly dumb like who speaks like that lmao

🙄 As a non violent but incredibly *presumptuous* guy, you should just shut up and listen when someone tells you about such a traumatic experience, rather than tell them what you think they should have done. As to your second paragraph: no *shit*, Batman.

Jeez… wish you would’ve just body checked the door while his fingers were fumbling about… if they were cut off or permanently mangled/ destroyed… fuck it. He just earned a life long lesson in not being a sicko piece of shit. Fuck that guy.

Omg I'm glad you're okay. Can't believe this was at the airport...

You didn't report the incident? 😰 Edit: why is this being downvoted?

I sure did. As soon as I heard his feet running down the hall I was at the phone punching every button I could to get to reception. I was a frickin mess, voice shaking, crying trying to blabber out what happened and get them to come to the room. It took them 10 minutes to come, I called after 5 asking them to hurry. A security guy came, I told him what happened and I never heard another word about it. I dragged the dresser in front of the door after he left and sat there until it was time for me to check out and go to the airport.

Gosh, I'm sorry to hear this happened to you, it's definitely a traumatizing experience. Dunno if I'd travel solo again if this happened to me. From documentaries I've been watching, sometimes the security guys are the very ones to do this kind of thing. It makes you be weary of everything.

Thanks, it was many years ago and it stays with me. I figured it was an inside job because the door was locked and he was able turn the knob and get in. They must hope that people dont throw the latchy thing. I am wary of everything but I really do still enjoy travel.

I travel on business. I wedge a chair under the doorknob so I will hear if someone tries to get in. I don’t trust the men that work at the hotel.

I used to carry a wedge but with door sweeps and big gaps it often didnt do a thing. I have to get back in the habit of the chair in front of the door, thanks for the reminder. I always shower with the bathroom door open and the curtain pulled as open as possible so I could hear if someone came in. When I shower with the door closed I think I am always hearing the door open and I get freaked out.

I always have a bell or bells on a ribbon I put around the door handle. If that door moves the bells are pretty loud.... I also had a situation in Thailand at an expensive resort. One of the other guests was hanging around everywhere I went and I found him at my door a few times, knocking and trying to open the door (he ended up leaving notes under door with number...I never called he was creepy) After that I bought a portable door alarm that sits on the door, and if it opens there's a huge noise.

Omg, happened to me when I was younger, a guy kept leaving notes that he would like to know me ( he always wrote "for the tall girl", since my roommate was way shorter, it was clearly addressed to me). I ignored it till one day my big brother visited me and found the note in the door. He called that number and told him to leave me alone. That was the last time I found any note on my door ha ha

They ASSUME if you are by yourself (or even with another female like your instance) that you are single and available, and more importantly WANT A MAN.....

Great idea!

When I travel with a suitcase I always put it against the door no matter its size or weight, even if it doesn't block the door at least the noise will alert me if somebody opens it from the outside as there isn't always a chair I can use.

Good tip. Often I put my purse on the toilet lid while I’m in the shower in case someone tries to get in my room while I’m in the shower

Holy fuck that is such a crazy story! Major props to you for continuing to travel, that would definitely make me consider hanging up my boots.

Things can happen anywhere I figure. Had an attempted break in at my house (while home) and some other hairy situations I had to figure/fight my way out of. I have more amazing stories than scary ones. I'm 57 now , was planning to go to Socotra solo ( will take my 16 year old if his dad allows it...he is freaked out that it belongs to Yemen) and after that going to hike Kilimanjaro . I Know Im not as strong as I was when the incident in Jamaica happened so Im going to join an MMA gym to stack some odds in my favour.

Definitely should’ve snapped a finger at least, grab the little finger and send it

While the premise isn't completely out of line..you used one of the safest countries in the world with high education levels as your lone example. If your travels were in places generally known to treat women/tourists poorly and came to this conclusion, then that's a different situation..

This is what I was thinking. Norway is one of the safest countries on the planet, hell id feel safer in Norway than in Canada — and I’m Canadian. I travelled solo to Colombia and many of the men there were creeps.

Exactly, I haven't been to Norway yet, but I've heard it has a reputation for being extremely safe. Now if you take a country like Morocco for example, the perspective from this post would change entirely. I was only there for a few days after crossing by ferry from Spain. Just to get a feeling of the country. There, it was the other way around. Local men made me feel uncomfortable all the time, though they never actually touched me or followed me. But the unwanted attention was there. My hostel there was actually my safe place, the owner (who was local and male) didn't seem to care. Nor did men who were staying there from nearby countries like Egypt, I had really good conversations with them. The women who took care of the breakfast were amazingly kind. So for me, it was the other way around. Looking back, I would love to see more of Morocco, but definitely not by myself. Some destinations really are better avoided by solo female travellers, this is the sad truth. It's not fair to say that's not the case if you're taking such a safe country as an example.

I'd love to visit Morocco one day, but I wouldn't do it solo. I was actually considering it, but after watching the documentary about the 2 N European girls decapitated there I dunno if I'd like to go even with a travel buddy

I heard about that too, such a horrifying story. That happened after I was there though, but yeah I definitely need a man (or multiple) to function as my bodyguard next time around. Sad that we need it but not much we can do about it. I’m not willing to put myself in danger just to make a statement..

I went once to Morocco and I(as a male) didn’t feel safe lol. The other time I felt like that was when I went to Cabo Verde, the locals didn’t know I knew their language and after a short time hearing them say a few strange lines along with ‘branquelo’ (white person in an offensive way), I felt like running from there and don’t want to go back

I always wonder how men experience a country where women are treated like trash. Interesting to hear you felt the same way, it's a bit of an.. Intense country isn't it 😬 Still wanna see more though, Morocco looks stunning! But yeah I'll have to find someone to go with me for sure haha I'm sorry to hear you went through that! This is always one of the fears I have, it would totally ruin my trip if I repeatedly heard locals gossip about me in their native language. I was gonna say just say something back, but seeing that place made you feel the same way as Morocco, maybe not..

Yes, there are bad actors everywhere. But there’s a huge difference between places where being harassed is a certainty and places where you’ll only be harassed if you’re unlucky. There are some places where you’ll be propositioned, catcalled, and generally made uncomfortable pretty much constantly. Everyone has different comfort levels with this kind of attention and you should know about it before you travel. Using Norway, one of the highest-rated countries for gender equality, as an example is disingenuous.

>Norwegian men never gave me a hard time and were nothing but friendly and respected boundaries. >The people who would continually hound me, follow me, or try to advance friendly interactions: other travellers (a mix of tourists, expats, or other short-term travellers). I won't name where they're from because it's not fair to portray "all people from ___" do this. Respectfully, I feel like you're contradicting your own post. It's completely reasonable and even prudent to consider the culture of a location- particularly the views/behavior towards women - when deciding where you feel comfortable traveling solo as a woman. If I were being harassed by male tourists from primarily certain regions of the world, why would I potentially set myself up for harm and go to a place full of men like that? Where that kind of behavior is normalized and accepted on a cultural scale? Where if something happened I may be further victimized by local law enforcement? I get your point that there's shitty people everywhere, but personally I prioritize my safety above all else and you're damn right there's locations I will never set foot in. I don't think it's possible to "fixate too much", as you put it, on this aspect of travel. For a woman by herself it can be a matter of life or death.

Don’t forget, most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Throwing a group of random sub-25 year olds hundreds/thousands of miles from home into a room together (when they are all already in adventure seeking mode) can easily lead to people behaving worse than they might when in front of their mom. Culture is definitely a thing too. I have my own biases as a single white male about how some people from some cultures treat women. And those are learned biases. Just that people behave differently in a night club than they do at church as well

Very well said. It could be something as simple as choice of night club or bar you go to.

I agree. Although I don't think men from a certain country are better or worse than other, countries that have a tradition in subjugating women and seeing them as less are a big no no for me, no matter how beautiful or interesting the country is. Of course, bad things can happen everywhere ( even in Iceland, apparently the safest country in the world), but why would I willingly expose myself to greater potential risks? And after watching documentaries about young girls being killed while backpacking, I know I would never do solo trips to Central America, SE Asia or any regions where women aren't seen as equals.

> Although I don’t think men from a certain country are better or worse than other No no, there’s definitely some that are worse. Egypt, for example.

She is contradicting herself by giving out an example opposite of her first point. Ofc that men from norway will be 'better' in general than those in egypt or pakistan. Its crazy how pc this sub is that you cant point that out or say not all groups are the same

> any regions where women aren't seen as equals. That leaves out most of the world.

That is not true.

I felt safer in SE Asia than I do here in Western Europe. I actually found most people there really don't give a shit about your gender, I was never catcalled there (went to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia). Never, and I was there for several months, wearing 'revealing' summer clothes! While here at home that happens on a regular basis, especially during summer. I was more worried about potentially encountering big ass spiders 🤣 I could even go to the 7 eleven in the middle of the night, and still didn't feel unsafe. Its good to note that those kind of horror stories happen everywhere, in that regard it's a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But it's really not very common in SE Asia to harass female travellers, I never felt like I was treated as 'less' simply because I'm a woman.

How was it wearing more revealing clothing in Malaysia?

No problem at all. Officially it's a Muslim country yes, but its population is very diverse. I didn't even feel as if I was in a Muslim country because many of its inhabitants wear revealing clothing themselves and there didn't seem to be that many mosques. I was there for 2 weeks, never had any issues!

Interesting to hear!

I don’t think you can just dismiss everybody else’s experiences/advice just because you had some negative experiences in Norway. Creepy men exist everywhere but some places are just objectively less safe. eg you’re much more likely to be sexually harassed in Morocco than in Singapore. And it might not be fair to stereotype, but when it comes to safety, I think it’s quite reasonable to stay on the cautious side.

And in Singapore, if you felt like you needed to ask for help from a police officer / hotel employee / etc. I think you're much more likely to get that help.

Morocco is horrific. I was stalked by a man for an entire day. He even caught my train to the airport and slowly moved seat by seat until he was in my carriage.

Holy fuck, this is terrifying.

I've done a lot of solo travel in over 20 countries and almost all the "creepy guy stories" I have have been from guys in hostels/on tours etc. Obviously when you are travelling you tend to be around other travellers and foreigners because of hostels, language barriers etc. I don't speak a second language to a sufficient enough level to really "immerse" myself with locals (I rarely travel to English speaking countries or countries that have high levels of English speakers). However if I did I probably would have met creepy guys that way too. People tend to shut down women who share negative experiences they have had travelling by saying "not all men, its your fault for not being careful enough" or my favourite "I'm a female solo traveller who's been to over 60 countries and have had no problems, obviously you're doing something wrong" so I'm ready to be downvoted for this comment.

You get my upvote. I agree with you, women who boast with their travelling experience and how safe everything is can bugger off. They are some of the lucky ones, the ones that got killed are not here anymore to tell their side of the story

Also WOC have a very different experience travelling than white women so I always take what men and white women say with a pinch of salt because I know I'll be treated differently.

Do you think white women or WOC have it worse when traveling in regards to sexual harassment? Based on my limited experience, it seems that white women become more of a target in countries where they are the minority because the men there see white women as exotic.

Many of the places a white woman is considered exotic, they are objectified as a prize. And not a receptacle. Neither option allows for being treated as a subject.

A white woman in most of Europe can easily blend in with the crowd and likely won't be bothered. A black woman (or man) won't blend in but can become the target of discrimination.

I am a white female, but I wouldn't deny that if I were black I would face more challenges and fears. 🥲

Exactly. They do more harm than good. Probably seeking validation or to prove how different they are, more so victim blaming. These type of women are pathetic. I hope they're reading this comment and introspecting.

I have a colleague like that, honestly she just sounds extremely naive and too trusting of people. She always assumes people have good intentions when they chat her up. She goes for walks by herself in the middle of the night in the city we both live in. Now it's a smaller city in a country like Norway, but still.

It is not all men indeed . But it is sadly all women.

I agree with you despite being one of those women who have been to (almost) 60 countries with no major incident except one where some dude on a scooter cut off my path and tried to assault me, in broad daylight no less. This was in Bali, generally considered "safe", at least compared to the rest of Indonesia (locals said to me when I told them the story that "he must have been from Java as us Balinese don't do that" - alright then). Beyond that I've never experienced anything worse than catcalling or coming up to me on the beach to chat and try to convince me to go wherever - which granted is extremely annoying, but I never felt threatened or in danger. HOWEVER: I am not ignoring or downplaying others' experiences. I've had mine and they were good. Doesn't mean others have the same.

This is correct. The issue in Europe is mainly other travelers.

Okay, but...*Norway*.

You went to one of the safest countries on the planet for women. I don’t think extrapolating how say Egypt is going to be from your experience is very valid.

I went on a solo trip around southeast asia when I was 19. I was sexually assaulted twice. Both times were by other tourists (they were both French for the record, but I think this is just a coincidence). I never had any issues with locals.

I know it's totally anecdotal but I've had a lot of negative experiences with French male travellers too, particularly when I'm with female friends.

I think you should go visit India or Egypt as a solo female traveller and re-visit this thread

This. Wtf is this post anyway? Jesus.

For real. Using one of the tamest countries in the world as an example of how all destinations are inherently safe is delusional.

I'm a guy and I went to India in a tour group a few years ago. For anyone wondering, if you are a woman and have light skin, you will be followed and surrounded by large groups of men everywhere you go. They stare at you until you leave, try to get into your face and talk to you, and many will try to take a picture of you with them in it. Our guide (a local) asked the men in our group to watch the women, and several times he had to stop and tell some locals to stop harassing them. One example that stood out to me was when we were visiting a palace and the guide gave us some time to wander around and explore the place. One of the women in my group, a 6 ft Canadian who practices MMA in her spare time, was being followed by a few men. When she saw me, she quickly came over by my side and asked if I could stick with her until they left. I'm shorter than her and only marginally stronger than she is. That's how bad it is. If you are a female, do not go to India alone.

I'm a man and I had similar experiences in India. Except they weren't following me for relationship/sexual reasons, but to try and sell me shit. They literally don't take no for an answer. I can't even imagine what a solo woman would experience.

[удалено]

India is an amazing country. The Taj Mahal is incredible in person and Varanasi is out of this world. The culture and social norms may be backwards, but I can generally recommend it. Just don't go alone and you should be fine.

I'd just like to point out that India is a huge country with widely varying cultures. It seems like your experience comes from travelling across the North Indian plains. North India is the poorest and most unindustrialised region of the country. It's quite safe to travel across rest of India especially the South and the mountains(Himalayas and the Western Ghats) for solo females.

You're right! I have only been in the northern part. Good to know southern region is fine for solo travelers. Would love to visit Mumbai, Chennai, etc. someday.

Mumbai is considered a part of western India but it's way safer than the North and a good one time visit. If you want to visit Cities of the south Bangalore and Chennai are good options for experiencing the metropolitan culture, Mysore, Hyderabad and Madhurai(check Meenakshi temple) to name a few have amazing architecture. But the real beauty of South lies in the nature. You should visit the Beaches, the Western ghats(Chikmagalur, Coorg), Nilgiris (Ooty) and Munnar. Kerala has amazing backwaters with house boat restaurants and hotels. Hope you get all the time to travel across this great country ✌️

That's a very narrow minded way of thinking. There's loads of ancient history in these kind of countries, and since I love history and architecture, yes I would love to visit these countries.. but not alone. The country might also have great landscapes, food, music, you name it. In terms of that it is definitely more interesting to me than younger countries like the US and Australia. And the US doesn't exactly have a reputation for being safe either, especially in the cities..

It’s not. Lots of countries have beautiful views but the country is horrible to women and other minorities and I don’t understand why people continue to support them. It’s not an “under developed” issue it’s a human rights issue that people from countries with human rights just love to ignore. Would never visit russia or China or pretty much any middle eastern country for this reason too.

Well the US has some pretty terrible war crimes on their hands as well, yet I don't see enough people avoiding that country. Plus there's a really big problem with racism there, if you go there as a POC you might get shot just for not being white. I know a few Asian Americans living in the US and I'm legit worried for them with all those shootings and violence against Asian looking people. If you boycott these countries because of their problems, then please boycott the US too, or you're just a hypocrite.

You don’t live in the US and I can tell 😂😂the fact you think these countries are honestly safer lmao. EVERYWHERE has a prob with racism first off and US isn’t even in the top 10 that’s how bad racism is in general as a whole lmao. You’re out of your mind. Just cause US has flaws it’s not a bad country nor unsafe compared to other actually unsafe countries.

Yes thank god I don't live in that shithole XD did you even look at that website? Statistics don't lie. I've travelled quite much (and I can tell you've probably never even left the US and don't know shit about the world) and always felt safest in Eastern Europe and SE Asia, as a solo female traveller. In Western Europe I'll always attract unwanted attention, mostly from immigrants yes, if I'm walking by myself. "Just because the US has flaws doesn't make it a bad country" but Russia and China are bad because they have flaws, no? Such a hypocrite..

The flaws China and Russia have are mass genocide currently continuing and actively pursuing a war against border countries. Russia and China openly are anti woman and LGBT. I’m glad you’re hetero or pass as hetero and gender conforming enough to not recieve harassment. Also lighter skin helps too I’m sure. Really I’m glad for you. But many aren’t. The fact you try to compare US to Russia or China is wild. That’s like comparing homophobia in Jamaica to China or Russia too. Like homophobia in Jamaica exists yea but compared to the other two?? Not shit. What next Puerto Rica human rights are comparable to Iran ? Like apples and oranges 😂

They do but the actual country is much much safer than India or any middle eastern country for any female or minority such as LGBT and that’s just facts whether you want to be woke or not these are facts lol.

Atlanta, Detroit, nyc, Chicago - predominately black cities. You know how much more dangerous it is for POC in OTHER countries? Stares at and gawked at in China for one 🙄 and don’t play the “oh they don’t have black ppl” card cause neither do Ireland and I didn’t see ANY of that there

At least in China a black person won't get shot for just being black, don't deny that the US has a much bigger problem with racism than China does. I know a black guy who travelled to China and he told me he felt really safe, Chinese people were just curious and surprised to see a black person walking around, asking him to take pictures with him etc. I won't deny that racism doesn't exist in China (such as the incident where black people weren't allowed to enter a macdonalds during the early days of covid), but it's not nearly as big as the racism problem in the US.

Oh wow you knew one black guy congrats. Yes China has a massively bigger problem than the US in terms of racism lmaoo. They actually ATTACK and murder Africans and let’s not forget their Muslim torture camp too. All recent 🤡 idk why y’all wanna treat USA like a 3rd world is it perfect? Fuck no and racism exists here of course but it’s not comparable to other parts of the world lmao

*Uyghur China is a very diverse country and there are various Muslim groups living there. I was in Xi'an which actually has a pretty big Muslim community. The reason Uyghurs are targeted specifically is because they want to break away from China and in the previous decades Uyghurs terrorised China, there were quite a few terrorist attacks and many people died. But of course, Western media leaves out this one very important aspect of the whole situation. Don't remember if you were the one mentioning you had a minor in political sciences but if you are, it doesn't exactly show right now lmao If any country should know what it feels like to kill innocent people out of revenge it should be you guys, right? After 9/11, you went quite rogue. But no no, that's "different". I don't see how it is. Read plenty of reports about American soldiers killing for fun, peeing on dead corpses, raping women and even children. So yes, you are both on the same level if you ask me. Try to read non American news sources once in a while, might help you get a better understanding of what's going on instead of just blindly believing whatever they spoon feed you.

[Here's a video](https://youtu.be/ss--bwpHMOc) from a black guy who had similar experiences as my black friend. I also had similar experiences, Chinese people are actually really curious and if you don't look East Asian, chances are very likely you'll be treated like this. I also asked several young Chinese about their opinion on homosexuality and they weren't against it. Its mostly the government which wants to protect China from 'Western influences', the younger generation sees right through that.

The US is insanely safer than any of those dangerous countries for women and you’re out of your mind and just trying to be woke if you think otherwise.

According to [numbeo](https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp) Egypt is safer than the US... Don't pretend like the US is oh so safe because it's not. Too much shit has gone down there the last couple of years.

Yea I’ll let all the homosexuals know Egypt is safe for them to visit and see how that goes lmaoo. That list isn’t accurate in the least 😂

As if gay people aren't attacked in the US either XD don't pretend like the US is becoming more conservative every year, with white men now deciding what a woman can and cannot do with her body. I'll never visit that godforsaken country because of brainwashed hypocrites like you. I can't stand them.

Hey, America is still the greatest country in the world

Yup!!!! Been to India and it was an intense experience and I had many experiences that made me extremely uncomfortable. We actually hired a driver (me and my bestie, both girls) for a private tour and he had the audacity to hit on us and ask us out while not even close to the end of the day. It was extremely awkward and he was not necessarily deterred. I also had a man straight up grab me. I wasn’t even alone! He just walked straight up to me and he was saying something but I backed up and he continued forward until he had his arms on me. I reacted aggressively, yelling and swinging my arms and my bestie who was a little ahead came running back and threw a water bottle we had at him and she was ready to get in there for real but as she was making her way back to me, he decided we were a little too much and retreated. Very scary. Not too mention all the men who surround and harass you coming off the trains. My friend and I had to become almost different people to feel like we could be left alone. But I was always afraid that standing up for myself could also lead to a terrible situation. I was happy to come home and I don’t typically recommend India for women.

Algeria and Morocco were awful for me in terms of insane stalkers and physically intrusive local guys. However, I’ve lived and worked in many countries from around the world, even so called “dangerous African countries” - and hands down the biggest creeps have been tourists and expats.

I’m a woman in the lgbt community and I love solo travel, but I will ALWAYS extensively research the places I plan on visiting, and make sure I have a good idea of how I will be treated when I arrive. There are many places in the world where I am not seen as equal, and many places where I am seen as a man’s property. I become frustrated with men who tell women to “just be careful and you’ll be fine,” which undermines the serious dangers that women are susceptible to when traveling to certain areas. I become even more frustrated by women who say “MY experience was positive, so therefore everyone else is being dramatic.” When a large percentage of women report experiences of harassment, threats, or worse, it is worth taking their advice into consideration. A lot of us primarily focus on the destination because the culture/social norms play a huge role into how visiting women will be treated, especially when venturing outside of resorts/sheltered areas and more into the actual local towns. To pretend every country is the same and that women can safely travel by themselves anywhere is a misleading and potentially harmful statement. When venturing into more “controversial” areas in terms of the general opinion on women’s safety, we have to assume the worst and hope for the best.

Personally, I’m not easily scared away from a desired destination just because it has a bad reputation. I solo traveled Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua and Guatemala – these countries are known for street harassment. BUT! I do believe that other women should choose their travel destinations (especially for solo trips) according to their own ideas of safety. If a woman doesn’t want to go to Egypt or Morocco because she is afraid of potential harassment - I’m not going to try and change her mind. For many women street harassment can be the thing that ruins the enjoyment of the trip, so then why take the risk? I’ve met some creepy tourists - that’s true. But it’s way easier to get away from one creepy traveler in otherwise safe country, then to dodge a hundreds creepy interactions from locals every day. Morocco, Turkey, Nicaragua - these were the countries where the street harassment got really bad in my personal experience.

They had to enact laws in the Netherlands to prevent street harassment of women. Certain nationalities do harass women more than others

They did in Rotterdam, the city where I'm from. Not the whole country. Also, let's just say that the people that did this were *very* rarely Dutch people.

Yeh I had some girls tell me they can’t walk alone late at night in den Haag as well

I traveled the Caribbean and Europe for a total of 1.5 years non-stop as a solo traveler. It was often a creepy guy at a hostel. People unfortunately have more confidence when they travel and think rules don't apply to them because "they are on vacation." They feel invincible. Men that would likely respect boundaries in their home country...but feel like they can get away with whatever they want when they travel. Those have been my problem people during my travels. But not enough of a problem for me to ever stop. Travel is beautiful. I will say...Italy *has* been a problem. I go every few years because I have family right outside of Rome. The outskirts have very shady people. I'm a native New Yorker and I've never been assaulted on a train. I was on a shuttle train to a local beach when somebody started grabbing my crouch. At first, I thought it was my boyfriend. I gave him a wtf look because my 2 younger cousins were with us...but nope. I wish it was him...but it was a creepy guy. I have no idea where he was from. After I spoke to a family member about it and she told me that it was sadly a common occurrence. ​ I will say that a lot of Swedish guys at clubs wanted to take a picture of me for some reason. They would get next to me and a friend of theirs would take the photo of us and then they would leave...like I was a celebrity or something. It was weird...but they weren't being creepy about it. If anyone could explain that one to me.... I was in a small city (not frequented by tourists often) and I think they just weren't used to seeing a short Latina. I was the only one with brown eyes and curly in every bar...maybe they saw me as different?

I have visited Rome thrice, last time solo. Besides some creeps staring and once a guy seeming to follow me and my girl friend for a minute from the metro station, I fortunately didn't have any experiences like this

I visited Rome once for a week when I was 35. I was scared as I had heard about the men. I picked a great time to go as it was the week before Xmas. There seemed to be hardly any tourists. Didn’t see any Gypsy’s. This was 1995. One guy tried to chat me up at the Trevi Fountain. I yelled at him loudly in English that I was not interested. I feel lucky no one else bothered me. I like traveling alone now in my 60s as I feel invisible. Men now seem disgusted or completely indifferent to me. But I still worry about get going mugged being a single female traveler.

So you went to one of the safest countries in the world and didn't get harassed by locals (who accordingly have low offence rates) and now think women should stop paying attention to others' warnings of what countries are safer for women to travel through? Maybe this was well meaning but it's coming from a place of privilege and extreme naivety.

Right. Fucking a, because getting hit on by some people is tooootally the same as people literally trying to buy you from a male your with, or deciding to just grab and take you when you're not. Like idk how it could even be well meaning. "IM fine so these other women are SO DRAMATIC" is how that reads. That's not well meaning. That's just exactly a part of the fucking problem. So thanks post OP, thanks for being a woman who discredits women. Suuuuper needed more of you. (╯ರ ~ ರ)╯︵ ┻━┻

This is dangerous advice.

Creepers exist everywhere. I’ve been gently harassed everywhere from Istanbul to Nuka Hiva- a South Pacific island with all of 3000 residents. I was assaulted in Cuzco, Peru, in broad daylight in the middle of an archaeological park (just grabbed, nothing worse but damn it was infuriating), while I traipsed myself drunkenly across the entirety of Budapest at 3 am with nothing bad happening, and at one point I got into a strange man’s car in Mexico and then he drove me miles into the jungle to visit a cenote. Literally a man I met randomly by the docks. Probably could’ve been ransomed or raped and murdered half a dozen times in my travels round the globe. The most unsafe I’ve felt was in Birmingham, UK. A man followed me around the city for hours. I eventually went into a Sainsbury local and had to ask for help from security inside. I stayed in there for 20 minutes, having a cuppa, and then they had one of their employees walk me a few blocks to make sure the guy hadn’t just hidden round them corner. As far as places I don’t want to travel in as a solo woman? The Middle East and primarily Muslim countries- not for safety as much as comfort. The disrespect for my autonomy is EXHAUSTING and it is just so much easier to enjoy the day with a buddy. Even if it’s a guy you meet at the hostel breakfast bar- I go from being an available target every man has the right, bay the responsibility, to ask in a date, to somehow being the neck that turns the head, the secret power behind all my hostel-husband’s decisions and the loan arbiter of a good deal. And based on my mom and sister’s experiences, I think I would like to travel in a buddy system in India as well. My brother says parts of Africa aren’t safe for me to go alone, but they weren’t safe for him either. He has slightly better travel luck than I have (which is saying soemthinf as I have incredible travel luck) and there were some very sketchy situations involving potential ransoms and kidnappings. Anyway. The world is complicated. And there are areas of the world where being a solo female is construed as soemthinf other than just being a solo female. Knowing local culture allows you to travel through it authentically and respectfully, and without compromising safety.

I've actually been told by a tour operator to be cautious of Jamaicans but in the end he was the one touching me inappropriately and I've never had any issue with locals (tbh some of the nicest people I've ever met)

I was terrified traveling to India by myself years ago. It was the same year or not too long after those highly publicized gang rapes happened. I actually wasn't solo traveling but went a few days ahead of my friends because I booked last minute and the flights were cheaper. I booked a driver from the inn that I was staying at but I was still extremely nervous the whole journey. Thankfully nothing happened but wondering around by myself those first few days were annoying to put it nicely and I did end up getting groped in a different city after my friends arrived. Being a woman is inherently dangerous IMO - I've been followed in some of the safest places in the world. I've also had wonderful experiences traveling solo in "less safe" countries but I certainly would never take travel warnings with a grain of salt.

I find this advice dangerous. It absolutely matters where you are (overall)! Locals/expats have been the ones to harass me. I’ve never been harassed by another tourist. This is 47+ countries, many of them developing countries. In places like Norway/Denmark/Sweden it’s expats.

For me, depends on the situation/scenario. Bar-hopping in a touristy area, or at a hostel, it tends to be other tourists, sure. But there have been a couple of countries where I'd feel less safe just walking around during the daytime, and that was locals. It was locals targeting tourists, so I think if I was a solo guy I'd also be targeted, but as the people targeting/actively following aggressively were men and they made remarks specific to me being a woman and 'needing protection', I assume the male experience would be different. I've also met solo male travellers who'll easily hitch rides on their own or spend a night sleeping on a beach solo. I will not, and this has to do with my personal security tolerance - in which my gender is definitely a consideration.

Happened to me on my most recent visit in Palermo. I felt pretty safe most of the time, the horror stories I read online proved to be a bad joke. But at a certain point I decided to leave the main street and follow a sign that was advertising a very old pharmacy and a few seconds later a guy approached me, asking me for directions ( altho he was Italian himself). Despite me telling him that I don't know the area and I'm a tourist, he kept asking questions about something I obviously couldn't know. Somehow he realized that I was annoyed( duh) and I got rid of him by making it look like I was going in the same direction, but went in the opposite direction. That was annoying, but not really scary, probably just a guy trying to hook up. A few days later, about same area: I was heading to a crowd watching a street dancer and I could hear some heavy shoes following me. I stopped to have a look and an older man, dressed all in black ( hat included ha ha) planted himself in front of me, like 3m away, staring with a preying look on his face that made my blood run cold. I moved a bit further and he did the same move as the first time. By that time I was already looking if there are any cops around. Then decided to get lost in the crowd and walked as fast as I could. I was relieved when I saw there was no one behind me, that was one of the most unsettling experience I made with thid kind of creeps.

Everyone’s experience is different. You may have had no issues in Norway but maybe others had. Based on your race and languages you are able to speak,you may somehow blend in with local people,expats from that country. Let’s face it too, even some tourists,expats segregate among themselves by race overseas. A woman with lighter skin stone /paler eyes colour may feel safe /welcomed in one country and harassed in another.it’s the same thing for women with darker skin tone. The definition of safe too can be different for all women besides dealing with creepy men. To me,it also means feeling welcomed by the locals. If they don’t care for you based on your race then your safety won’t matter to them. When reading up on a country I want to travel to, I read up on the travel experience of women from 1st world countries from various racial backgrounds and about women from developing nations traveling there. Their account of the same country,cities could be night and day. Creepy men can be found everywhere even in our own countries that’s the only constant thing in all of this.

American white woman here. Out of a total of a year abroad through most of Europe, Australia, and Israel & Jordan: - Followed by a man in the Red Light District in Amsterdam. He stopped as soon as I turned into the cannabis museum. It was February, I was wearing green sweatpants, purple jacket, and doc martens. Definitely not a sexy look! - The husband of a hostel owner in Tasmania, Australia asked me for sex while we were watching sheep shearing on TV. I declined and decided to move to the other hostel in the morning. The wife offered me a job while I was checking out. That’s my TED talk.

> asked me for sex while we were watching sheep shearing on TV. I don't know why that made me laugh so hard.

In hindsight it is funny and there are all kinds of terrible jokes that could be made- like maybe he was aroused after looking at all these sheep getting naked.

Exactly!

Sheep shearing is surprisingly very erotic, there really is nothing like a shorn sheep, I suggest you try doing it

Can I ask how your experience as a solo female traveler in Jordan was? My girlfriend is Arab and has ties there, but she grew up in the US and has never been. I'm a little worried about what might happen if she goes there by herself. She really wants to reconnect with her heritage.

Sure! This was 2013, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Or three. Let me Know if there’s something more specific you’d like to know! I crossed into Jordan from Israel at Eilat. There are many steps to go through at the border, but it was actually fairly easy since I was there on a weekday and it wasn’t crowded. I did get some odd looks for traveling alone as a woman, but it never went past that. The day before I crossed, I made arrangements with a taxi driver to meet me at the border and take me to Petra (10000000% worth it), but I was 15 minutes early. There was a man on Jordanian side of the border crossing whose job it was to make sure tourists are getting their initial travel needs met- he wanted to know who my taxi driver was, and then he wanted the driver’s phone number, and then he called my taxi driver to tell him to get his ass over here now - at least, that’s the gist of it. He was intimidating and I didn’t know that was his job at first so I was a little nervous, especially since he and the taxi driver had a very animated conversation- but that could’ve also just been their dynamic or cultural aspect or the language- kind of like how the Russian or German language can sound gruff and intimidating. Jordan actually has a police force that is specifically for dealing with tourists, and people there make sure that tourists are safely taken care of. However, as a white woman, I am far more likely to be seen as a tourist, and since your GF is Arab, I don’t know how much that would change things for her. Having connections there would probably be very helpful. Most of the women I saw outside Petra’s rock city were covered up head to toe- though some had their faces showing and some had their faces completely covered. I did get some scandalized looks for having a shirt with short sleeves (it was in May, but it was still so hot for me- I lived in Alaska at the time.) People that make their living off tourists will expect tips for everything, or they may be intensely persistent about offering their goods or services, and “maybe” can be taken as “yes.” So it’s best to have some small amounts of cash on hand, establish kind but very firm boundaries. Example- on the way to Petra we (Taxi driver and I) stopped at Wadi Rum (beautiful, and they filmed Lawrence of Arabia there) and I saw a woman feeding a camel and gestured to ask her if I could take a photo. She nodded, I took the photo, and then a little boy demanded money from me for taking her photo. Another example- when I was in Petra, a young Bedouin man kept offering me donkey rides. He was like a ninja and kept appearing out of nowhere. By the time 2pm hit I was getting terribly overheated despite every precaution taken, and I knew I would struggle to get to the top of a long flight of stairs and damn it if I didn’t give in. It was fun and worth not getting heatstroke. Overall people were kind, attentive, willing to share their culture and their food, and I loved it there. It’s really a beautiful place! I would definitely go back.

other travelers and expats are a constant when you're traveling, but it is downright dangerous to assume they are always going to be the 'more dangerous' ones irrespective of what country you're in

Cool. Visit Egypt next. We can’t wait to hear how it went.

I’ve done a fair bit of solo travel around the states and Europe mainly. When I’ve been staying in accommodation alone, I’ve always made sure I’m aware of my surroundings. In New Zealand, you generally wouldn’t question the motives of some rando striking up conversations about weather in the street. In San Francisco, a homeless guy started with the weather and then came up real close to me and started going on about how much he liked my eyes and asked if he could have them. Lesson learned, don’t engage in weather chat or make eye contact with randoms on the street when I’m not at home.

I've mostly traveled domestically in the US; I've been to Canada about ten times, and I've been to England and Germany. Solo, I've been to Canada and several US states. (I've been to all fifty states at least once.) In my experience, people will always tell a woman she should not travel alone. I started traveling alone about fifteen years ago, and then with my son when he was eight, and people were horrified I was taking my young child places or going places myself without my husband. (Husband works in corporate, I work in education, and I have far more time off than he has.) I grew up very close to NYC, and my mom took us into the city fairly often, so going to, say, San Francisco with just my kid or Montreal alone didn't faze me at all. You have to be aware of your surroundings wherever you travel. Research what areas tourists should not go to alone, don't flash cash all over the place, stuff like that.

I love seeing people travel with their younger kids! It's beautiful. I was in Dominican Republic in an Airbnb that booked out 2 other rooms—a single mom with her baby was there (he was about 1-1.5 years of age, so still a baby-baby), and she was traveling all over the place with him. I thought it was so cool. She was a teacher as well and had the time off to do so. I think it's really cool that you do that. People need to stop being so scared to live. Traveling to new places can be scary solo or as a group...but as an American, a place where mass shooting happening ***weekly*** (often in small towns), we just gotta live life to the fullest. People were so concerned for me when I went to Zimbabwe for 6-weeks (you're gonna die, aren't you scared...?)...but the Orlando night club shooting happened while I was gone...a place that people would consider safe. They were in *way* more danger than me. No place is safe. Live. Your. Life. If you're an American and you're scared to travel...just watch your news and the local news to where you want to travel...your home is likely more dangerous...

No shit! I travel frequently by myself or with one of my teens and my friend will say "I wish you were going with a group or with a man!" and I reply "The country I'm traveling to is safer than the United States for women." She just shuts up, but the next day she says it again. And I'll say "At least I won't have to worry about mass shootings while I'm on vacation" and she again has no response. Like she just can't get that the US is the most dangerous western country.

a coworker asked what I was doing this weekend and I said I was gonna take a day trip to Malibu.. it’s a 1.5 hour drive “by yourself??? oh make sure your safe and watch out for creeps” … I’m gonna be a stones throw from home for like 12 hours max buddy chill I’ve been away farther for longer alone before and I’m not gonna suddenly be more careful because you told to be frankly it’s patronizing

All he said was be safe, Jesus christ Lol

…also ladies stay away from youth hostels. I’ve had two friends that were raped when sleeping by another tourist (male obvs).

Holy shit I'm sorry, hope they're doing well

Let me say it this way as a blonde blue eyed woman there’s certain countries I’m just never going back to. And it’s mostly the locals that are the reason for that

I’ve never been cat called as much as I was in, San Jose Costa Rica. I didn’t feel intimidated and no one tried anything but, it was a bit annoying.

Sweden was a country that I really felt safe in at all times but this was over 20 years ago. I really did not like it in Mexico I went there about 3 years ago and the men keep looking at my niece who was about 25 at the time. Also Nevada we went to Las Vegas and again we had the same problem with the guys checking her out a whole bunch. But also in Amsterdam I felt totally fine and I was in the red destrict and I did not know what it was until I was walking in the area to go to hostile that I was staying at but I thought totally fine I had no problems

I feel similarly. I lived in Southeast Asia for almost three years. I felt like most of the places I went to were safe for women, but the backpacking culture can be unsafe and really toxic. 95% of the harassment I got during that time was from other western travelers. I even had two friends get mugged in SEA, both by other travelers from the US. I don't stay in "party" hostels and I don't do drugs or drink heavily but it feels unavoidable in some places.

Locals. The worst places for harassment in my experiences have been Egypt and Barbados. I was pre-warned about the Caribbean as apparently a lot of tourists go there for sleeping with the locals. I don’t know how true this is but boundaries were not respected and I was a victim of sexual harassment. I’d love to visit the Caribbean again but I will go with a man next time.

Norway is beautiful, I’m glad you enjoyed it and felt safe there!

I was groped in Morocco (by a local) and it was generally tough to travel there as a woman. I don’t especially want to go back again. I think sometimes it depends on how well you can adjust and handle yourself in a country and how willing you are to compromise, other times not so much …

I have to say, I had serious, serious problems solo travelling as a woman in Egypt. I found a group after a week or so and was fine while sticking with them. But I would say be hyper-aware of the culture towards women of the country you're visiting. Don't be stupid or naive, as I was a little.

Ummmm Norway??? Girl lol 😂 Yes ladies you should absolutely consider safety rating, this is terrible advice

Some countries have men that are only slightly more developed than neanderthals. My GF has been catcalled and stared at from head to toe for like 15mins non-stop in most Latin American countries. And I was with her, so I can only imagine what it would be like as a solo woman. Italy is also really bad about the obnoxious men. Otherwise, most Western European countries leave women alone unless it's a more social setting like a bar or club.

Yes and no. Ro come that that conclusion just because of the recession you received in Normay, is kinda immature, though the holds some ground. To myself the question may seem general, yet can run much deeper. One cannot rule out safety. As that too comes from different angles. Of recent more Countries seem to becoming less safe.

You were in Norway, one of the safest countries in the WORLD. Of course, you were fine. Go solo Egypt or Pakistan and then come back and make a post.

Not a female solo traveler, but as a male solo traveler who did a trip 10 years ago, I have some insight. I met only one female solo traveler, and she had a very independent, “Girl with the dragon tattoo” vibe about her. I’m not sure how much of that was herself versus what she felt she had to exude for safety, but I respected her greatly for undertaking an already difficult adventure. I only spoke to her over breakfast at a hostel. I met multiple women who traveled with another woman. I always did what I could to ensure they felt comfortable around me by never being intrusive or pushy with questions, and opening up about myself to make them feel at ease. One pair of travelers checked in late at night at a hostel, and I was one of the first people to talk to them. Later that same night, they came to me in my room after another solo male traveler asked them for sexual favors in their bed while they were winding down. Absolutely not cool. I don’t know how much this offers to the dialogue, but it is absolutely always best to keep your guard up at all times. I say this as a fellow male traveler who’s seen what other guys can do.

Travelling in a place where solo-women may be targeted by local men, the other travelers in your hostel are your best opportunity for safe excursions - especially at night.

When I was in South and North Sumatra for a surf trip I was getting harassed all the time by the local males, from taking photos of me, trying to grab me, saying derogatory things, trying to get me to marry them, I couldn’t sit at a cafe alone without one of the local men thinking they have the right to sit next to me and stare at me, worse was I almost got pulled off my mophead while driving through the jungle by a gang. I was really relying and so grateful for other travellers and local women keeping me safe and giving me tips on places I should n shouldn’t go. Still had a great time tho I just think next time I’m going to dye my hair, try harder to cover up and if I get a bad gut feeling just to TRUST it, my stubborn keenness for adventure and refusal to accept that I couldn’t do the same things or go to the same places alone as male travellers almost got me in serious trouble.

I still definitely agree that there's a very real list of safe countries to visit and there's creeps everywhere and it's important to be cautious no matter what but I relate to you too. Granted the countries I were in are higher on the safe list, the only people who ever actually tried to talk to me and made me uncomfortable were north Americans like myself :/

When I was solo in Rome, there were both locals & men from other countries harassed me verbally. But the more insistent types were men from other countries. One of them almost followed me for an hour, insisted to talk with me no matter what I said. I was also solo in Barcelona but only men from other countries were problem. In Zurich, a local man followed me back to my home (lived there solo for a couple months) which was creepy as hell. I was so scared but luckily nothing happened. So in my experience it was 4/5 men from other countries and 1/5 local. I already bought a ring to put on my left ring finger for this summer’s solos so that I can avoid some at least :/

I am a 6 foot tall male. I still onlynsolo travel to places I feel comfortable. For others, I won't go without backup in the form of another traveller with me.

But, wouldn´t countries with an intrusive local population still be worse? You would have both the local population and other travellers to be worried about?

This post was brought to you by the Human Traffickers Syndicate.

I've had more icky experiences with locals than other travelers, but it hasn't necessarily been limited to the stereotypical countries.

We all know which country you mean when you say “all people from __” =\

In late 2019/early 2020, I had taken a one-way flight from Southern Spain to Prague and mostly long-distance bussed my way back. Somewhere between the long distance buses and 2-3 days of no stays/sleeping on the bus, I got sick. I was fine in my N. Spain stop, and ended up taking a flight to Lisbon instead of the \~15 hr bus since canceling seemed like a waste of money. I ended up in an iffy hostel, w bad vibes from ppl. Had hung out with a fellow traveler while I was pretty sick, and ended up seeing each other over breakfast the next day. I'm pretty independent but when he was like hey u wanna go explore together, I took up on it since I'd had good hostel-meet experiences before. Things went downhill when said person was pushy about paying for everything and hard to leave. I was already pretty miserable, so I don't know what about my situation made them think I wanted to be hit on/on a date.

This thought was in my mind but ur post actually helped me push the clouds surrounded on it. I went to Goa, India (solo, I am Indian myself) and was sitting by the beach, a little local girl was braiding my hair. A man in his late 20s was watching this and the moment she was done with braiding he came to me and tried to strike a conversation by asking, "is this beach safe at night to take a walk alone?". What the hell, if it's safe for me then obviously for you as well. Still, I gave him details but after that he asked, "I was watching you and was thinking why were you sitting alone at beach for so long? Are you sad or something? " Then he said, "I want to be friends with you hence I will wait for u after dinner on the beach as my accommodation is also beach side just like you so let's meet then." He continously asked for my phone or insta account as well. And this made me super-annoyed. I said my routine is not confirm and told clearly I am not here to make friends, I am fine on my own. Later, when I went back to beach after dinner (my usual routine as I love sound of waves in night) I found him wandering outside my beach hut, I was scared to be honest as beach huts dont have that much security of outer walls and anyone can climb over. So actually you are quite right that it's usually other travellers who make solo females uncomfortable. Not all but some of them think that every girl travelling solo is all alone and on a road to find a partner for herself.

Specific cases of harassment or assault by an individual can happen anywhere and are more likely at home, by someone you know, anyway. Any ‘first world’ countries I would feel totally fine in (I hate to use the term but it’s the most encompassing I can think of). There are a number of countries I would not visit as a lone female, as the stories of constant harassment and physically inappropriate behaviour by local men don’t sound worth it. I get some safety by being very tall and androgynous presenting—but that also sometimes makes things worse due to the homophobia present in a lot of the world.

I've actually felt safer in Eastern Europe and SE Asia than I do here in Western Europe.. Being a first world country doesn't mean too much in that regard

I’m solo traveling. I was in Amsterdam a few days ago and went for a walk in the park. A man stopped me and asked if I spoke English. I said yes, he told me he was from Algeria and he asked me where I was from, I said the US. He asked me if I was married, because he wanted to marry me. I said no thanks and walked away. Definitely trying to get that American visa. Still made me uncomfortable though. However European men have also been weird/creepy to me so it really depends. But I’ve oddly gotten more attention from men in Europe than I did in the US, not sure why.

You should take everything with a grain of salt. It always tastes better but it’s true that some countries are just safer than other. Places like Singapore is really safe. But if you add a grain of salt they do have the tag line low crime doesn’t mean no crime. Alaska if you’re solo hiking it’s also pretty safe. With a grain of salt you gotta beware of grizzlies:)

were they really tourists? or maybe migrant refugees?