Tips for Solo Travelers

Solo traveling can be one of the hardest most challenging things you'll ever do. It will also be one of the most amazing, self growing things you will do. One question I get asked a lot is "do you have any tips on solo traveling?" I decided to make a list of all the advice I could think of so let's chat! This blog might be pretty informal but who cares, enjoy!

- Always watch your back. Whether its in the hallway of a hotel or down a dark street. Always keep checking behind you and be aware of your surroundings. Even when you're with friends, keep your guard up always! One fun trick is when you pass shops look in the window and you can see the reflection, thats a way I use to see whose behind me. I've noticed people following me three separate times by being aware. It can save your life!

-Research where you're going and where you're staying. I am a review snob, I dont write them but I read them. If a place has a review that makes me feel uneasy I simply won't go to it. I also will read blogs when traveling to a new country solo to see what others are saying.

- Share your location with friends or family. I've learned its better to have open communication with my parents then hiding anything. Everyone has my location. High school me would be like "what the fuck" but its about trust and safety. My parents know Im probably at a club at 4am so who cares. Always share your location with at least one person and talk about a plan if something goes wrong. Safe words are also key! There is also a good tip if you're in a bad situation, I would text my parents "give dixie a kiss for me" .. Dixie is my dead dog. They would then know something is seriously wrong.

-Carry something for self defense. Pepper spray works wonders but sometimes isn't allowed while traveling so just do your research. I saw recently a girl in Canada wasn't allowed to buy it so she bought bear spray instead. Honestly, thats genius!

-Always leave your passport locked away. DO NOT TAKE IT WITH YOU. You don't need a passport. You might be thinking "what about for bars?" I've been all over the world and never needed it once. Take another form if you must but do not take your passport out. Theft is very common in most places. If someone steals your purse and your passport is in it, well your fucked. This happened to me once in Greece, I came home early in the morning from partying to my mom packing for our flight. I opened my purse and there was no passport. It was a mission retracing my steps but eventually we found it at the club.

-Along with your passport, leave at least one credit card at home or some cash. Hope for the best but prepare the worse when it comes to these things. Incase my purse or wallet go missing I always have another form of payment to get myself home. In Bali there were alot of ATM scams, I would only use one card for ATM's just incase my information was stolen. Spoiler alert : it was.

-Never carry all of your cash. Like I said above, keep some hidden at home incase of emergency. You'll thank me later.

-This next one really applies to anywhere, not just traveling. BE CAREFUL when meeting people on dating apps. Always meet in public places first. If you're getting a good vibe then you can go home with them but keep it public and feel them out. Then feel them up lol. Kidding, don't do that in public.. unless thats your thing? Also try to creep on their social media before meeting them. Just make sure they are a legit person.

-Dont go in dark places alone. Honestly do I need to explain this one? Just dont do it. Stick to well lit areas.

-Be careful when taking drinks from strangers. Always watch your drink. Take your drink with you to the bathroom. Watch the bartenders pour it and dont let anyone else handle it. Being drugged happens often, even in your home town so really be careful with this one. Never get too drunk at a club or bar. You have to get yourself home safe, there will be nobody to help you.

-TRUST YOUR GUT. If you're biking down a scary road and your gut is telling you "maybe you shouldn't do that" trust it. You are having a gut feeling for a reason. Its always better to be safe then sorry.

-When you get to your hotel room, always check the room first to make sure nobody is hiding in it. Check behind every door and closet. Kick the curtains to make sure nobody is hiding behind them. My best friend is a flight attendant and they actually teach them to do that.

-When you're carrying your purse, always grip it tightly. This will make it harder if someone is trying to steal it from you or reach in it. Again, one of those examples of being extra cautious.

-If you do find yourself in a situation where someone is robbing you. DO NOT fight back. Trust me, I would love to fight back and say no but it can make the situation worse not better. Just let them take whatever. Material items are replaceable but you aren't. If you fight back it might lead to them getting more physical. We don't want that.

- Try to stick to Ubers. Taxi's always tend to scam you and rip you off. If you have to take a taxi always ask for the price before you get in. Usually you can negotiate the prices depending where you are. Always haggle in Mexico! Once you get in the Taxi, put on your maps where you're going and follow it. This makes sure they are taking the right way and not driving around in circles. If they start going a different direction and things seem off. Ask nicely to exit the vehicle and if they don't let you, you better jump out. I've heard horror stories that I don't even want to write on here so just always be aware of your surroundings and again, trust your gut.

This blog post wasn't written to scare you of all the things that could happen while traveling but to teach you some tips and tricks I've learned along the way that keep me safe. Like I tell everyone, solo traveling is not scary and unsafe. However, you do have to keep your guard up a bit more and be more aware of your surroundings. Once you start doing these things it'll become natural. Go out there and get em Tiger!