Carry a pepper spray, Swiss knife and a whistle. Read on to find out why.
Solo travelling has become a big trend in India.
People today are keen to explore the thrill and excitement of solo travelling at least once in their lifetime. But for women wishing to travel solo in India, there are the added security challenges.
However, with proper precautions and guidelines women can definitely give it a shot.
Here are 10 important things a woman should follow to enjoy her solo trip safely:
1. Stash the cash
Never keep all your cash in one place.
Always keep your valuables in different places, be it in a bag, inside pocket of a jacket, socks, hip pocket etc.
This would prevent you from losing all your valuables in one go and you will have a back up if something bad were to happen, like a theft or loot.
2. Travel solo, but don’t pretend so
Avoid telling people you are travelling solo.
This would help lessen the chances of being vulnerable to any suspicious persons around you.
In case you get into an uncomfortable situation, try to communicate with nearby people, preferably women.
3. Wrap the map
During your solo trip, avoid consulting a map frequently in front of others or even in a rental car.
Rather, you could use a mobile GPS app to figure out directions.
Consulting maps in front of others may invite someone to misguide or harm you.
4. Prefer reputed hotels
Always prefer a reputed national hotel chain with good safety records.
Avoid mom-and-pop accommodation and always share the hotel details with your dear ones before leaving for the trip.
5. Relationship status: Married
While booking a hotel room or filing your details anywhere else, always pretend to be a married woman.
Add 'Mrs.' as a prefix to your name while filling in your details.
It can be helpful to an extent to keep away those people wishing to take advantage of you.
6. Have all emergency numbers noted
As they say, prevention is better than cure. It’s always good to have all the emergency numbers saved in your mobile or a diary. This will come in handy in a difficult situation.
7. Stay confident
Exude confidence and familiarity in any place you visit. This lets people around you think that you frequent the place and know it well. Perhaps even have loved ones living there.
8. Act smart while hailing a cab
While in a cab, make a call to someone close and indirectly convey to them the cab details.
Make sure that the driver is listening to your conversation while you are sharing his cab details.
9. Prefer daytime arrival
Always plan your trip in a manner that you reach the destination in the daytime.
This will give you a chance to explore the destination well.
However, if you do arrive in the night, ask your hotel to send a cab instead of hiring any odd taxi off the road.
It is best if you could avoid reaching your destination at night time.
10. Carry a safety kit
Carry a pepper spray, Swiss knife and a whistle.
These items will make you feel confident while you are on your trip and can be very useful when required.
Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
The author Shefali Walia is founder, WeTravelSolo, is an MBA in marketing and sales and served several positions in Business and Marketing profession before founding WeTravelSolo.
