Coyote Broad:

Practical Resources & Inspiration
For Women Who Travel (or Want to!)

 

Advice for Women Travelers: Health & Safety

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Advice

Don't let concerns about personal safety keep you from traveling altogether - except during something like a global pandemic, or after an extreme disaster when local systems are taxed.

Yes, many thieves and otherwise bad people target travelers specifically, and target women specifically. But these same kind of people also target locals who are Christmas shopping in their own communities. Yes, global pandemics happen, and you may need to delay your long distance travel, for your safety as well as out of respect for the safety of others, but there are ways to do road trips and overnight stays in contact-free, socially-distanced, safe way in your own country in such times.

I have a British friend who went to Morocco and she never felt unsafe or particularly harassed, unlike when she visited St. Louis, Missouri, USA a year before, when a hotel employee tried to break into her hotel room in the night. I have another well-traveled friend who went to Morocco and was harassed and felt in danger the entire time. I have American friends who went all around the world for a year with their children, and never had a problem until they were back in the USA and had things taken out of their luggage at a DC airport.

Dangerous and/or opportunistic people, as well as wonderful people, are everywhere. That hasn't stopped me, or millions of other people, from traveling - or walking out the front door. The only thing that's stopped me from traveling has been lack of funds or the global pandemic (I stopped traveling before I was vaccinated both for my safety and out of respect for others). But, absolutely, women need to take extra precautions, whether solo travelers or in groups.

I'm also very conscious that I'm a white woman and, therefore, I don't face the level of or same kinds of security concerns that black Americans face when traveling, whether in the USA or abroad, or any other race perceived as different from me, for that matter. I am reminded of this when I read an article like this one offering thoughts from three different hikers in the USA or this one about traveling abroad or various links from the Outdoor Afro Facebook page or when I talk to my many colleagues and friends from Africa - most especially the female friends. I am reminded of this when, in Jordan, and a woman from Central America asked to hike with my husband and I in Petra because she was so tired of being constantly sexually harassed. So I want to acknowledge my privilege - that privilege is throughout my travel advice, and I acknowledge that.

I'm also conscious that a global pandemic completely derailed the travel of millions of people. It stranded people abroad, like Jeremy Kroeker and Elle West, on an epic motorcycle journey from Canada all the way to the Southern tip of South America and back - stuck in Uruguay for months. Check out this blog where I note several people stranded abroad because of the coronavirus pandemic and the lessons learned from travelers stranded because of COVID19 (we were in Mexico when numbers started surging). And I am appalled at how privileged people acted during the pandemic, with unvaccinated motorcycle travelers in the USA happily driving over the border with Mexico as though they weren't putting other people in danger, nor worried about further contributing to the image of USA travelers being inconsiderate assholes. 

This part of my travel advice is the hardest to write, because while I want to be realistic, I also DON'T want to

• scare the bejesus out of women, who become so frightened by me they chose not to travel.
   
• sound like I'm blaming theft or assault victims for what happened to them (women are NOT raped because they trusted someone or thought they were safe in a particular place - they are raped because someone targeted them for such, and that is not always something you can have control over).
   
• imply that these tips are guaranteed ways of staying safe.

I also cringe at the idea of saying to a woman, "You can't go out for drinks, you can't ever be alone with a stranger, you can't go on a guided tour by yourself, you can't ever dress such that you feel beautiful, and you can't stay out late, because you're a woman, and you might get raped!" Travel safety shouldn't mean feeling ever-restricted or continually afraid or never taking risks or never ever trusting strangers. But travel safety does mean thinking about surroundings, learning about a location's culture and crime rates, thinking about the chances that circumstances can change, thinking about why you are trusting someone - and then balancing all of those considerations with what it is you want to do and making what you think is the best choice.

Travel safety advice for women is about staying aware of your surroundings and assessing the risks of various situations you will encounter while traveling - often more so than if you were a man, I'm sorry to say, because women are often targeted specifically because of their gender and a perception that they are weak - no matter what their age or appearance. It's about realizing things like how you actually might be MORE safe with local men than someone from your own country you met on the road, or that all those people who blogged and said, I traveled to such-and-such place, and did such-and-such thing, I was fine, therefore, all safety warnings are alarmist and untrue were just lucky, and you might not be.

Remember: women who are harmed while traveling tend not to blog about it or make YouTube videos about it.

It's so unfair: I doubt any man has a plan for what he's going to do if he's raped while traveling. 

With all that said, here's the good news: learning to be more aware of your surroundings and avoiding certain risks while traveling will help you be safer in your every day at-home life. 

• Staying Healthy
  
• Getting Help for Health Issues
  
• General Safety for Women Travelers
  
• Women's Safety While Tent Camping
  
• Women's Safety While Traveling Abroad
  
• Safety at Bars & Pubs
  
• Final Thoughts

• I have advice on preventing motion sickness in the section of this web site regarding transportation and accommodations choices.

• Call your health insurance provider and see how your insurance works if you are away from your primary care provider and doctors in your network in your own country or abroad, depending on your destinations. Always ask if they will cover you for travel abroad, if you are leaving your country. You can get temporary travel health insurance (check the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide web sites for more information and special deals, as well as AAA if you are a member) - I highly recommend you do this even if your health insurance company says they will cover you abroad. If you are going to be driving or riding a motorcycle, check with your insurance provider for such about coverage, for both accidents and health-related stuff (when I had a medical emergency in Utah, it was my motorcycle insurance, not my health insurance, that covered the costs).  
  

• There is very affordable insurance that will pay to transport you back to your home across the country or back to your home country in an emergency health situation - or to transport your remains. Hope I never need them, but I use World Nomads.
  

• If you are traveling outside the USA, buy supplemental health insurance. The US Department of State has an excellent web site on Medical Information for Americans Abroad. In addition, consider buying Medical Evacuation Insurance if you are traveling abroad. The US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) is a national association of insurance carriers, third-party administrators, insurance agencies and related businesses involved in the development, administration and marketing of travel insurance and travel assistance products. Again, I use World Nomads. 
  

• Take all the medications you think you might need but might not be able to buy whenever needed, and if you have prescription medication, make sure the bottle descriptions are such that the medication could not possibly be confused for illegal narcotics. If you are going to a country where English is not the primary language, consider carrying a list of your medications and what each is for. Carrying them in their original containers is always best for dealing with law enforcement. 
  

• If you are going to a country where English is not the primary language, have written down what the phrases are for conditions such as "I have a yeast infection" or "I have a urinary tract infection" or "I am having an allergic reaction to a bug bite" or "I have an allergy to peanuts and if I eat even a tiny portion of them, I will die" or any other medical conditions you get somewhat regularly or are most worried about. 
  

• Take two or three washable face masks that fit SNUGLY across your nose and under your chin, such that, if you were to sneeze, it would hold most of what you expel. Masks protect others from you more than it protects you from others, but it IS protection for you, and you never know when a virus will break out and masks might be mandated. A bandana or a neck gaiter is NOT enough! Wearing the mask over your bandana or neck gaiter is awesome protection. Note: wearing a mask is both to keep you safe and to show respect.  
  

• Wash your hands at every opportunity, up to your wrists. It's fine to use a shared bar of soap - soap is filled with detergent, and detergent kills viruses better than almost everything. Also take a small bottle of hand sanitizing gel (remember your liquid limits on planes) to use when soap and water isn't available. Be vigilant about washing / sanitizing your hands! 
  

• Waterborne illnesses are horrific. Individual-use bottles of water are horrible for the environment - but the reality is that, in some countries, you need to drink bottled water, brush your teeth with it, etc. In Mexico, India and many other countries, hotels have a big bottle of water in every hallway - carry an empty plastic water bottle or two and fill them up, and use such for drinking and brushing your teeth.

Too many travelers think that if they are generally healthy, or have never been sick while traveling, they won't face this dire situation. Trust me: it can happen to anyone.

This is a post to a Facebook group I follow, for foreigners that are traveling by motorcycle in Mexico, or want to. What if this was you traveling abroad?

Caught some bug, think I'm actually dying and I'm not even joking. Coughing up green, diarrhea all the good stuff. I'm somewhere outside Guadalajara and I can't even find a motel that will let people stay for longer than 8 hours. Tried to visit a doctor, but the area was so bad I can't even park my bike for 20 minutes without all my stuff being robbed. Any suggestions.

It's a scary situation, even if you are in your own country!

In your own country, I'm going to assume you know how the health care system works and how to get medical help and how to find accommodations if this happens to you while you are traveling. If you are staying at a hotel or motel, ask the front desk if there is a hospital or clinic nearby if you can't find one on your phone or laptop and the Internet, where the nearest pharmacy is, etc. And let the staff know you are very ill - they may look out for you, make sure you haven't passed out or died, etc. 

If you are traveling abroad outside of your own country and are in the USA or other developed countries - Canada, somewhere in Europe, Japan, etc. - you should be able to find an emergency medical facility that will help you, via an Internet search or a referral. Just know that, in the USA, you are going to pay a LOT for treatment, and waiting times can be horrible, both because of COVID and because of how our health care system "works." If a hospital or clinic can't help you, ask them where the nearest one is that might be able to help you.

In many countries, pharmacies can give you medicines without a prescription that would require such in the USA.

It's essential when you are abroad that you carry a smart phone with a local SIM card and Internet access so that you can search the Web for information about clinics and accommodations in case of emergency.

Check the web site of your country's consulate in the country you are in - they MAY have information about English-speaking clinics on their web site.

Whatever you do, do NOT let an illness get to the point that this person is experiencing before you seek medical attention, if at all possible. And do not wait for such a dire situation to get local Internet access on your phone. 

My suggestion regarding the motorcycle dilemma would be to do just what this person did: post to an online group known for travelers helping travelers and say exactly where you are and how to contact you (his post included a map showing EXACTLY where he was). Don't wait to find such a group before you go - already be a part of the group before departure. Or, make sure your network is following you on social media while you travel so that, if you need their help, you can let them know. The of this guy posting to an online community known for travelers helping each other:

• Someone back in the states called at least 20 hotels to find one with that had secure parking, and was able to negotiate with the one she found so that the rider could stay two nights instead of just one.
   
• Someone else suggested finding and paying a garage or a shopkeeper or even someone at a church to watch the bike while the rider saw a doctor (pay something upfront and tell them you will pay them again when you're back).
   
• Group members found a reputable hospital that had English-speaking staff 40 miles away, but the rider couldn't make it without some temporary treatment, and another user was able to find a local clinic - he provided the contact info and added, "If you don’t speak Spanish and he doesn’t speak English you can call me and I will translate..."
   
• nd this also response came in: "I have a Airbnb not too far from you are ! I will help you out and give you especial Rate! If you want me to pick you up I will ! Take you to the doctors near by !! I have secure place for your bike ! Call me... I have a Trailer with a pick up truck let me know!!"

• Take a self-defense class before you travel. Take more than one. Learn how to get out of a choke hold, learn where to hit or poke someone where it counts, and practice those moves. These classes are very empowering and will help you in your every-day life, not just while traveling.

• Always be aware of the people around you. Know who is behind you and beside you, on public transport, in a restaurant, in the lobby of a hotel, at a museum, and on and on. It doesn't have to be a scary thing - it can actually really enhance your experience, help you to be all the more present, help you see things that will delight you, rather than scare you.

• Don't get lost in your smart phone messages - in fact, why read social media or messages at all when you're traveling in public and want to experience a new place? Do not walk and talk on the phone or walk and text. Do not stand on a sidewalk and talk on a phone or text. Use your smart phone to read messages or make calls only when you can find a safe space where no one can walk up behind you or walk up to you and snatch your phone away or knock you down. If you need to look at a map, including on your phone, go into a shop to do so.

• If you are going to listen to music, don't read as well, unless you are on a plane and its safe to do so - that closes you off way too much from people around you. Reading a book in public is fine, but you need to regularly look up and around.

• Don't ever be so inebriated that you won't always be WELL aware of the people around you, where your purse is, etc. More about safety at bars & pubs later on this page. 
  

• Never let a budget keep you from staying safe. If you feel that you need to upgrade to a better hotel, or to first class on a train, in order to feel safe, do it. If you need to take a taxi to get you out of a bad area of town, do it (but always book through a company or service - don’t flag a taxi down in the street, especially if you’re alone).

• When traveling alone, don't be the only woman in a train car. If you are on a bus, sit with a woman or a group of women or a family (they will sometimes "adopt" you for the trip - by all means strike up a conversation with the kids or the women!), or as near the driver as possible. Do not get in a mini-bus or any other transportation except a cab (see earlier advice) that does not have other women traveling.

• Avoid driving or traveling at night. That's not only to keep you from being victimized; it's also a great way to substantially reduce your chances of being in a road accident. Of course, there are exceptions: some places are best enjoyed at night, or in the wee hours of the morning, before sunrise.
  

• If you have to wait for a bus or a train alone, either find a group to stand near, or stand in a well-populated restaurant or business until it's almost time for the bus or train to arrive, or stand where a train station worker can see you. NEVER stand there alone listening to your MP3 player or radio or whatever in both ears, even in day time.

• Avoid sitting or walking in empty areas (empty train car or an empty street), no matter what time of day.

• Look at your hotel room when you arrive. Do all the doors and windows lock? What kind of access is there to your room from outside (windows, fire escapes, adjoining balconies, etc.)? If there is a fire, how will you get out? Be on the lookout for peepholes - these will be in the door and in a wall shared with a hallway. Cover the TV with a towel - it's a great place to hide a camera (and, yes, it happens). Consider turning off all the lights and seeing where any light might be shining in from a peep hole. If you aren't satisfied, ask for a different room or leave altogether. It is perfectly acceptable to ask to view a room before you pay. And once you are in your room to stay, use all the door locks AND use a door stopper - I actually carry one with me when I travel: it's a piece of plastic, about three inches long, in a long triangle shape, and if you stick it as far as you can into a door, it makes it very, very difficult to open. Only thing about it: if you need to get out of your room fast, in a panic, don't forget to reach down and remove it.

• It is so easy to hide a camera in a hotel room or room you rent from a family, and such cameras are so cheap now, that there are a LOT of people doing it, even in developing countries. Here's how to look for such cameras in your room.

• Go to Google and type died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a hostel or hotel. Behold all the stories - from Florida, from Spain, from all over the world. Or go to carbonmonoxidekills.com. Learn how to stay safe in your accommodations in cold weather! I carry a carbon monoxide detector.
  

• Don't assume men in uniform are automatically safer than men not in uniform, even in the USA.

• Don't go with the cheapest or nicest male tour guide if you will be alone or it will just be you and one or two other women. Get a recommendation from your hotel or a reputable source, make it clear to whomever you are seeking a referral from that you want to be safe and you want someone of excellent character, and make sure your hotel knows you are going with THAT guide that they recommended and what time you should be back. And make sure your hotel knows you blog about your experiences, review such on TripAdvisor, etc. - even if you don't, LIE and say you do. If that guide steps out of bounds, let the hotel know the person is crap and that you are going to unleash online that this person is crap (and call law enforcement if you believe a crime has been committed, and CHANGE HOTELS). 

• In some countries - and this can include the USA - walking in a crowd means your breasts and ass are going to get grabbed at least once, or someone is going to rub their pelvis against you. It's gross, it's humiliating, and if you know "Do not touch me!" in the local language, by all means, yell it out forcefully. But then walk right on - the last thing you want is to get encircled by a group of angry men or boys. Your best bet - avoid crowds where you will come in body-to-body contact with men.

• Lock your car, lock your door, lock your bags, including your purse (except when you are checking in at the airport -- they will break your locks!).

• I keep my wallet in one of two places: when using my soft-sided briefcase from REI (which is too thick to be razor bladed open quickly from the bottom), I put my wallet in a compartment that I can zip, then put a flap over the compartment that can be fastened twice (so that you can't unzip it without unfastening and then flipping up the flap), then carry the bag so that the compartment is facing inward, up against my body. Or, I put my wallet around my neck and shoulder (the wallet has a strap) and cover it with a light long sleeve shirt or jacket, then walk in such a way that I can feel the wallet up against my side. Either way, I never take this off in public, not even in a restaurant. I keep a few bills or coins in an easy-to-reach pocket, for train fare -- if that were to get lifted, it wouldn't be a huge loss. That means I have to spend a lot of time to reach my money -- and that further means I need to be in a safe place before fumbling for such (never on the street). 
  

• Favorite places to steal purses from travelers are in restaurants, bars, trains and buses. Do not EVER take your money, passport, or other vital documents off of your body, no matter how safe a place looks, even in your own country. Don't think, "Oh, I'll put it in my suitcase and put the suitcase under the restaurant table - I'm right next to a wall, no one can get it." There are countries where children will stealthily crawl on the ground, unzip your luggage, take your things and be gone before you ever know it. Or a fight will break out in the other side of the restaurant and while you are standing up, looking over, your things are being taken. Also, note a favorite places to razor-blade purses or pick pockets are trains, buses and museums.
  

• In a hold up, thieves don't just take your purse - many want your coat or jacket too, knowing that's where you have "hidden" your wallet, and knowing that when you remove your jacket, ta da, there's your wallet hanging around your neck. If holdups are a risk in a region where you will travel, consider a money belt. It's annoying, it's inconvenient, but most hold ups are done as quickly as possible and thieves just want to grab quickly - your purse, your luggage, your jacket - and by then, they will run. 

• Do not assume that your fellow travelers are trustworthy merely because they are also traveling, even if they are on the same tour group as you, are friends of friends, or they've seemed fine for the 48 hours you have known them. You are under no obligation to share a room, a car or a hike with anyone. When turning down an offer, just say, "I'd prefer not to, if that's okay." or even "No offense, but that would make me uncomfortable" or even just "No thanks." If someone gets overtly offended or starts to pressure you, it's all the more reason to NOT do whatever it was they were wanting you to do.

• By all means, talk to people -- talk to strangers! -- but know your boundaries, and don't ever be afraid of being impolite if you feel uncomfortable in any way. Never be afraid of being impolite if you feel that someone is stepping over your boundaries. Do not let ANYONE guilt you into doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable, whether it's coming into a shop or sharing a meal or walking down a side street or just simply talking to them. If someone calls your behavior insulting because you cut them off or walked away, too bad.

• Negative experiences with men can happen from any culture or nationality. Never assume someone is okay, or not okay, simply because of his ethnicity or religion or origins are the same as yours.

• Just because a person is a Westerner doesn't mean he or she is any more trustworthy than anyone else.

• Be assertive. Never say "maybe" for buying something, for sharing a meal, for meeting later, or any other invitation when what you mean is "no." If you need to cut someone off or walk away to get the point across, DO IT.

• Parking lots are, to me, more dangerous than most anywhere else, even in broad day light. Drivers are often more focused on finding a parking place than looking for pedestrians or other drivers. And people walking to and from their cars - especially women - are easy pickin's in airport parking lots, restaurant parking lots, tourist site parking lots, etc. People getting in or out of a car, or walking to their car, in any of those places, are favorite targets of robbers (including right here in the little town I live in in Oregon). When you park your car, scan the area. Look around your car. Do the same as you get out and walk. Do the same as you return to your car, noting if anyone is standing or walking near the car or near you. Walk in such a way that other people in the parking lot can see you. If it's night time, park near the entrance of wherever you are going, where others can see you getting out of your car. When returning to your car, carry a flashlight or use your phone flashlight and use it as you are walking - and don't be shy about asking restaurant staff to watch you walk to your car. Load packages or luggage quickly, then get in and IMMEDIATELY lock the doors. Remember that your car horn and hazard lights are there for you to use in case of danger.

• Never invite a male who is not a close, trusted, long-time friend into your hotel room, including hotel employees and food delivery, no matter what country you are in (including the USA). If they absolutely need to come in, put away your valuables, leave the door open, and stand next to the open door, in control of it, or in the door way, while they do what they need to do and leave. Most USA hotel employees will completely understand this behavior. And don't write me and say, "I've NEVER done this, and I've been FINE!" Good for you. I have talked to two people who weren't so lucky - and it just takes once with the wrong person.

• When walking to your room in a hotel, look all around you. If there is someone close behind you as you approach your door, consider passing by your door, or turning around suddenly and walking back the way you came. If you feel threatened, YELL "ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?".

• Never walk alone at night unless there will be many other women walking around as well (and I don't mean sex workers).
  

• On a train or a bus, if you are with a friend or friends, even in the USA, all but one of you can sleep -- one of you needs to stay awake and keep watch and NOT listen to his or her MP3 player. Sleeping people on trains or the bus, even in the USA, are super easy targets for thieves. I've known two people in other countries who woke up on trains to find their wallets or a bag gone - or in the process of being taken (surprise!), and have heard of it happening even more to many people. If you are by yourself -- no sleeping, and no listening to your MP3 player unless you are absolutely certain you aren't going to miss something you need to hear (the announcement of the next stop, the sound of someone opening the door or sliding your bag away, someone begging for help behind you, etc.). On a train in a developing country, pay extra for an upper berth or first class if you absolutely must sleep, and be ready hands in the night reaching up to explore you and the things you have in your berth with you.
  

• I'm going to say it again... don't listen to your MP3 player when walking around outside, when you are alone in a strange building, while on mass transit, while walking on the street, etc. Even in the USA, I listen to music only on long rides where I don't need to hear anything (like the stops) and the passengers around me aren't going to change much during the ride, or where I feel like I've taken appropriate precautions against pickpockets. Listening to what's around me is not only something that helps keep me safe, it's also one of the most fun parts of traveling.

• Even on a plane, you are vulnerable. People DO steal from other passengers on planes. And women have been sexually assaulted on planes. Don't assume the person next to you isn't going to go through your bag under the seat in front of you while you are in the bathroom. And don't assume the guy who brushes your bum or breast did it by accident. Do not hesitate, ever, from yelling loudly "Stop touching me!" and calling attendants on a plane.
  

• Have a plan for worst case scenarios. If you are robbed of all of your money, what are you going to do? If you are assaulted, what are you going to do? Think and plan now for the exact things you will do in the case of something you don't want to think about - because if it happens, you are going to not be in a position to try to figure out what to do.
  

There are plenty of places online that talk about staying safe while camping in regards to bear safety, flood safety, insect bites, first aid, etc. But what about safety specifically with regards to being a woman?

There is a perception that camping in a remote area makes you more vulnerable to crime than staying in a hotel. I disagree. If no one knows you are in a remote area, and it's not likely you are going to be found, you aren't going to be targeted as a crime victim in a remote area. Are you, as a woman, more or less vulnerable to robbery - or worse - while camping than while staying in a hotel? I don't think so. I cannot find statistics anywhere on the matter. Using Google I can find far, far more stories of women being assaulted and/or robbed within hotel grounds - even within their own rooms - than while tent camping.

Each year, I go to Google and type in robbed while camping (no quotes), and the stories that come up are pretty scary - but many years apart, and never for the same area (often not in the same country), so relatively speaking, it seems to be rare. Same for searches of raped while camping and raped camp ground : they bring up scary stories but, again, all months or years apart and in different countries - it's a very rare occurrence. The cases of strangers assaulting campers that you will find if you search the same terms: a German couple raped in 2018 in the Siegaue Nature Reserve, north of Bonn, where I used to live. In 2017, a Russian/British motorcycle rider traveling on her motorcycle from South America to Alaska was attacked at her campsite in Boliva, raped and beaten by three men, robbed and left for dead. She survived (and her story is very much worth reading). In 2014, in the USA, a woman was raped near Devil’s Den State Park on Saturday night while camping with her children - the rapist had helped her get her horse trailer unstuck. A Swiss woman on a cycling trip with her husband in central India was gang-raped by local men as the couple camped out in a forest in Madhya Pradesh state after bicycling from the temple town of Orchha in 2013.

I'm sure there are more incidents that aren't reported, and certainly many attempts that aren't reported either, but think about how rare these attacks are. I'm sure people have camped in all these places and been just fine. The blame lies squarely with the rapists, not with these campers.

My own experience: I've been way more wary of some of the hotels I've had to stay in than when I've been tent camping. But I also haven't really camped entirely alone; I've had my dogs or my husband with me. But would my husband or my dogs really make a difference if someone really wanted to target me for a crime? It didn't in three of the four aforementioned cases. What I do know is that, even with the very few, though horrific, stories of people being assaulted or robbed while camping, there are many, many, many more news stories of women being robbed, assaulted and killed in their own homes or in parking lots near their homes.

So, with all that in mind, here's some tent camping safety tips for women:

• When you walk into the bathroom or shower, make sure no one is following you, and check to see if anyone is in or around the facility. Could people hear you if you yelled for help in the shower or bathroom? This is not just a nighttime precaution.

• Sorry to be stereotypical, but I avoid drunk men, young or old, while camping. I don't talk to them and I camp near other people if such are present - or choose a different campground entirely.

• I'm not sure if this is a good strategy, but when I've camped alone, I've liked to camp (and befriend) couples - gay or straight, male or female, doesn't matter. I have no idea if that makes me safer, but it makes me feel safer.

• If camping in a camp ground, choose a camp site that is away from roads; people who rob or victimize campers want a quick hit and getaway.

• You are probably safer at a camp site with other campers than if you are the only person camping at a site - don't camp so far away from other campers that they couldn't hear you yell for help. If you come to a remote camp site and the only other campers are one group of men, move on - they may be the nicest folks ever, but there's just no way for you to know for sure. If you will be the only person in a camp site - one without even a camp host - you might want to reconsider camping there at all; camping rough, completely hidden from all road and foot traffic, might be a better option (and if you camp rough, make sure no one could see you by passing by on a road or trail).

• Inside the tent, don't put clothes or items up against the side of your tent, where it would be easy for someone to slash the sides of your tent and make a quick grab; by the time you wake up, the perp has jumped in a car and is driving away. It rarely happens - it's never happened to me, and I've never known anyone personally that it's happened to - but it does happen, as a search of Google will tell you.

• Keep valuables on your person, even when you go to the bathroom. Other campers aren't automatically trust worthy just because they are camping.

I'll say it again: dangerous and/or opportunistic people, as well as wonderful people, are everywhere. I have a British friend who went to Morocco and she never felt unsafe or particularly harassed, unlike when she visited St. Louis, Missouri, USA a year before, when a hotel employee tried to break into her hotel room in the night; yet I have another well-traveled friend who went to Morocco and was harassed and felt in danger the entire time. I have American friends who went all around the world for a year with their children, and never had a problem until they were back in the USA and had things taken out of their luggage at a DC airport.

So I don't want to make it sound like developing countries are crawling with predators. Also, regions within countries vary: one province can feel safe while another feels dangerous. And no safety concern about any country has kept me from going there if I really wanted to. 

Women from the USA are capable, independent, and grew up in a country where, for the MOST part, it is our legal right in our country to do anything that a man can do and go anywhere that a man can go. Unfortunately, this is not how it is in many other countries. Other cultures may see this capable, independent attitude and lifestyle as "loose" sexually. This opinion is sometimes created/reinforced by the perception abroad of television shows and films from the USA. It can feel insulting to not be yourself, to have to dress a certain way and not look people directly in the eye - I so get that. But your safety has got to be paramount when you're traveling abroad, where you may or may not get help from the police and legal systems. 

If you think something weird just happened, it probably did;, so speak up! Creating a fuss, especially on public transportation or in any public place, may shame the creep, or creeps, and may even rally your fellow passengers to your aid. Never hesitate to find a new spot on the bus, or take a different train/bus/sidewalk/hotel room altogether, for ANY reason.

But also note that, in some cultures, being a woman may be to your advantage: you might have access to women's society and friendship that is denied to men in certain cultures, for example. You can be super friendly to women and families with children that you encounter in shops or restaurants and not have to worry about your actions being misinterpreted. I've had some amazing exchanges with women my husband could never have. Some men may be especially protective of you if you are their customer (and particularly if you are modestly dressed and making an effort to be respectful of their culture), and that may pay off in a situation where other men are being threatening or just creepy.

• Long sleeves, long skirts and long, loose pants are a girl's best friend abroad, as are big, big scarves - waxes, sarongs or dupattas. I have more clothing advice on this page regarding packing suggestions and an on my page of Packing Advice For First-Time Humanitarians & Aid Workers.
• Know how the phones work in whatever country you are in and have a sim card or an extra phone so that you can make any local or international call you may need to at any time.
• In some countries, thieves will collide with your car or motorcycle with their own car, motorcycle, or scooter and then either demand money or, while you are checking damage, loot your vehicle (happened to my in-laws in Barcelona, Spain in 2018, and I've long heard stories about such in other countries). Some people will throw a woman or child into the path of your motorcycle, bicycle, even car, so you will hit that person and they can then demand money (see Lone Rider by Elspeth Beard for a harrowing account of this in India - as well as some of the other safety concerns noted on the page you are reading now).
• Know exactly what documents you are handing to a customs agent or government official or police officer - you might want to count the pages of what you are handing over, out loud, or say the names out loud ("passport, carnet, motorcycle import document," etc.) before you hand them over. This lets the person know you know what you are handing over. Then, when they return the documents, say the name out loud and before you walk away, make sure you have them all. Be very nice about it, don't dawdle, just be a perky, attentive tourist as you do this. Why do this? Because later, when you try to leave the airport or get just a mile or two from the border, a government official may ask you for a specific paper and, unbeknown to you, the last government official you talked to took that document and didn't give it back, so that you could now be fined - you will be asked for potentially thousands of dollars in cash.
• When going abroad, leave the revealing or super-tight outfits at home, unless you are absolutely certain it's the cultural norm for where you are going. What works in Florida is inappropriate in Egypt. What works at your enclosed compound full of Westerners in Egypt won't work out on the street. When traveling, think carefully about exactly what kind of attention you want to attract. That is NOT to say that women who dress in a way that could be called provocative should in any way be blamed for something awful that happens to them - what's provocative to one person may be prudish to someone else, and no woman who is dressing to feel pretty, or even to feel sexy, should be branded as someone who is "asking for it." Just know that, if you are going to go shopping or to a club or walk on the street and you are going to wear something that shows your nipples or your thong or the tattoo on your butt crack, you can't act surprised if someone comments on it or be offended at the attention such attracts in a culture where that isn't the norm for women.

• Sun glasses are a great way to avoid eye contact. Making eye contact can be misinterpreted in a myriad of ways in countries abroad. Get a couple of pair of cheap glasses that you can still see very well through but that don't allow someone to see where you are looking. I have trouble seeing in sun glasses, and I take them off when talking to any woman or when I need to interact with a shop keeper, a waiter, a hotel manager, etc.

• In developing countries in particular, when you need to ask for directions on the street, ask women, couples or old people, or go into a well-populated shop or restaurant and ask an employee. In France, I look for people who are obviously immigrants, because they seem to always be particularly happy to help someone who isn't French (not that they are anti-French, but that they seem to really understand your outsider feeling).

• When going hiking in an area where you feel like you might not be safe because you are on your own, consider hiking near a group of hikers - or even asking a group to look out for you. When we were in Jordan, a woman from Bolivia who was staying at our hotel and was touring the country on her own approached us and asked if she could hike with us the next day in Petra, because she was being harassed when she was on her own, and we were more than happy to have her along (it actually made the day even more fun). 
  

• I hate to say this, but I really do think, based on observation and conversations with others, that women who are blond and red-headed, regardless of their race, have more trouble in developing countries, or where the hair color of locals is mostly brown or black. So think about ways to be inconspicuous despite your hair color (hats and bandanas are good). Yes, I know there are some of you out there who have had no problem - good for you - please respect that others have. In addition, women of African descent can be subjected to especially intense or increased harassment from men in countries where there are few people of African descent, such as countries in Asia and the Middle East - a friend from Kenya told me some of the things men had said to her out of the blue while traveling - shop keepers, travel agents, drivers - and I was stunned and saddened for her, as she has to always deal with this, sometimes every day - but, still, she travels! 
  

• As a person from the USA, people in developing countries will assume that you are rich (and you are in comparison!). Don't wear anything that affirms a high economic level if at all possible.

• It's up to you on how you deal with "cat-calling." I ignore it on the rare occasion it happens. You wouldn't think it's something a woman over 50 would have to worry about. You would be wrong. If I felt threatened by it, I wouldn't hesitate to talk to a police officer about it (I'm scary when I'm demanding). 

• Read through the crime section of the US Department of State's Travel.State.Gov page for Italy and the crime section for India. Together, these pages provide a good summation of the worst crimes that a US traveler needs to work to prevent in MANY different countries. They can also scare you so much that you decide not to go - and I hope they don't do that.

In addition to being careful about how you dress, in some countries:

• If you swim, then follow local custom and wear a T-shirt and long shorts over a bathing suit, if that's the local norm.
   
• Avoid public transportation at night, altogether, and never ride in empty buses or trains ever.
   
• Try not to be in a position to have to travel at night at all, but if you must, use taxis with call services at night; don’t flag them down in the street, especially if you’re alone.
   
• Don't assume your hotel is automatically a safe space or that hotel staff are automatically safe, trustworthy people to be around.
  

The most important thing is to read as much as you can about a country or culture before you go to a particular country -- and seek out women authors as much as possible, because men can sometimes gloss over cultural concerns that women need to be very aware of. Become aware of cultural differences, specifically that pertain to attitudes toward women (and American women). Lonely Planet books offers tips specifically for women, tailored for each country, and I have found the books very helpful specifically regarding their advice for women.

And then there's going to bars or just sitting around drinking with friends. I went to a bar in the middle of the day in Madrid, by myself, for a pint of Guinness and a rest for my feet, and had a wonderful afternoon chatting with the women that worked there. But that's just not possible everywhere - and even there, I was on my guard about who was handling my drink and who else was in the mostly empty bar. And even if you are with friends, you are incurring risk, per the now rampant use of date-rape drugs. So, especially for bars, here are some tips:

• When in doubt about your safety at a bar, DON'T GO, or LEAVE if you are already there.

• Lonely Planet guides usually say point blank if it's appropriate for women to go to bars in a particular country, whether alone or with men, even spouses. Follow the advice.
  

• When you first walk into the bar, don't look for a place to sit -- look to see if there are women there, either as customers or serving. If there aren't, consider whether or not this is a good place to hang out.

• Get your drinks directly from the waiter or bartender -- preferably, a waitress or barmaid. If you can, take your bottle of beer, your freshly poured beer or your freshly poured wine straight from the bartender, and avoid mixed drinks.  

• Do NOT accept a drink handed to you from someone else, even a friend of a friend, or someone buying you a drink - get your drink directly from bar staff only. If your refusal of such a drink is taken as an insult, too bad -- that person should know better. Don't write me and tell me about the hundreds of times you have accepted a drink from a stranger and been just fine - again, I know two people who were bought and brought drinks by very nice guys - and the drinks were spiked (thankfully, their girlfriends got them out of the situation).

• If you go to a bar with others, agree on an easy-to-remember, no-questions-asked safety word, to be used if you believe you need to make a quick exit out of fear of your safety, and you think being blunt about leaving could make you more vulnerable. It could be anything: "Doesn't this place remind you of Springfield?" or "This reminds me of the scene in that George Clooney movie." Say the phrase a lot together back in your hotel room. Laugh about it. Joke about. But know it when you hear it from a fellow traveler, and make sure he or she knows it if hearing it from you.

• If you are out drinking with friends, negotiate with a long-term travel companion, another woman, or someone that is absolutely trustworthy about looking out for you. For instance, date rape drugs tend NOT to knock the victim out - under the influence of such, you may just look to your friends like you are having a great time dancing and making out with a guy you just met when, in fact, you aren't entirely sure where you are and you will have no memory of such later. Talk to a companion before hand and tell that person bluntly: "if you see me kissing someone tonight, or letting him feel me up, please interrupt, take me aside, and ask me the answer to this question... my answer will be...." And then come up with a question that is not yes or no, with an answer that would be hard to manage if you were on a date-rape drug. For instance, "What's your favorite scene in Star Wars?" Answer: "The scene in the garbage compactor." Agree beforehand that if you can't answer the question, and don't understand that the meaning of the question is, actually, "Are you okay? Do you know what you're doing?" your friend will get you out of there no matter what, no matter how you might suddenly start protesting that you want to stay. Here's one of the many reasons you should do this.
  

• If you feel that you are in a country where you can safely go to a bar alone, then go only early in the evening, and leave before it gets the least-bit late. Take a book to read, even if there's a game on the TV you want to watch (in which case, read it during commercials). Having a book is a statement that you aren't interested in being picked up, and a good buffer against creeps. FORGET THE MP3 PLAYER. It cuts off your awareness of your surroundings in such a situation, and you just cannot afford that. Your purse should be on your body at all times, never hanging on a chair or placed on the floor between your feet.

• Remember the line you've read so many times: "He seemed like such a nice normal guy, he was a friend of my friend there, he'd been so nice for the days he hung out with us, I can't believe he did this," etc. How nice a guy looks or acts is absolutely no indication of how things will turn out.

The CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel, last updated in 2020 (before the COVID-19 pandemic), is published every two years as a resource for health professionals providing care to international travelers. The fully revised and updated CDC Yellow Book compiles the US government’s most current travel health guidelines, including pretravel vaccine recommendations, destination-specific health advice, and easy-to-reference maps, tables, and charts. It's available free online. Have a read if you want further guidance on what to pack. It also has advice for the Business Travelers, for Aircrews, for Long-Term Travelers & Expatriates, for Study Abroad & Other International Student Travel, for Adventure Travel, and more (including advice for Sex & Travel). Note that Chapter 9 is all about health care for aid workers traveling abroad. As the site notes, "Humanitarian service can have an adverse effect on personal health. Studies of long-term humanitarian workers indicate that >35% report a deterioration in their personal health during the mission."

BootsnAll, a travel web site packed with articles by a variety of travelers on a variety of subjects, has a good article to read: Reclaim Your Power After Harassment (or Worse) as a Solo Female Traveler. 

Transition Abroad: Women Travel Guide has advice for solo woman travel, women-only tours, women travel websites and information on safety for women traveling abroad.

Founded in 2006, Diversity Abroad is an international organization that works to ensure that students from diverse economic, educational, ethnic and social backgrounds are aware, have equal access and take advantage of the benefits and opportunities afforded through global education exchanges - international study, internships, teaching opportunities, volunteering opportunities, degree and job opportunities, etc. They have a resource for women abroad focused on safety and cultural awareness. They also have resources especially for racial & ethnic minority travelers abroad, LGBTQ+ travelers abroad, and travelers with disabilities abroad

Final Thoughts

Before your trip, think about what you would do if you were robbed or raped. Imagine the plan: whom you would call (police, credit card companies, family, your country's embassy, etc.), where you would go immediately, how you would ask for help, how you would get to a safe place or home quickly, etc. Imagine the plan in your mind - and may you never have to follow that plan.

Before a trip abroad, think about what you would do if a police officer said you were under arrest and wanted you to get in his car. Do friends traveling with you know that if you have any trouble with police or local officials or they otherwise think you are in danger that they should IMMEDIATELY call your country's consulate and tell them what is happening? If you could manage to get one call through before being taken away, probably the only number you could call quickly would be someone in your family - does your family know that, if you were to call and to say, "I'm in trouble. I'm in (name of city and country). The police are arresting me. Call our consulate." Would that person know how to find the number of such a consulate and call them immediately and relay all that you said?

Before your trip, also think what you would do if an epidemic or pandemic broke out and you had to leave the country immediately. When sars-cov-2 first started, I read and watched lovely accounts of people in other countries being so, so helpful to people from the USA who needed to get out quickly. I also read about sudden road blocks, keeping foreign travelers from getting from one province to another so they could reach the USA border. I also read about Asian people experiencing horrific harassment and being put in danger by people in the country where they were visiting. I've linked to some of those accounts earlier on this page - go have a look at them, look at how they stayed safe until they were able to get out of the country, and you think about what you would need to do.

Did I scare you? I really hope not. I've followed my own advice, and it has not kept me from walking on a beautiful boulevard at night, or going out to eat and having a beer by myself, or talking to strangers, or wearing something that makes me feel beautiful, and it shouldn't keep you from doing those things altogether either - as long as there isn't a raging epidemic/pandemic. The reality is that you could follow all of this advice - and be even more restrictive in your behavior - and you could still end up being the target of a bad person, for robbery or something much worse. And you could follow NONE of this advice, and be quite reckless, and perhaps nothing at all will happen to you and you can mock me for all this advice.

I'm not a blame-the-victim person, and if you are robbed - or worse - call the police (and if you are abroad, your embassy), and do not let a feeling of guilt or a feeling that it is somehow you're fault (because it is NOT your fault) keep you from seeking help, immediately and even long after an incident.

Please don't let concerns about safety keep you from traveling, but also don't let people who say, "I never take any of these precautions and I've been FINE" keep you from taking precautions.

 
Disclaimer
Any activity incurs risk. The author assumes no responsibility for the use of information contained within this document.

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Are you a woman? (however you define that, I don't care). Have you traveled somewhere and want to talk about it? Have a travel blog? Have an online album of photos from your trip that you want to share? Have a tip for travelers? You can post links to your blog at r/womenwhotravel, an online discussion group on Reddit (a subreddit). Unlike other women and travel subreddits and many other online communities, this group DOES allow people to post links to their blogs, YouTube channels, etc., so long as it's either focused on women and travel or is by a woman who travels. Whether you are a backpacker, a bicycle traveler, a budget traveler, a luxury traveler, an adventure traveler, a cruiser, and whether its a weekend getaway or some epic experience in another country, come share your experiences at r/womenwhotravel. And if you are an experienced traveler, join the group and help answer questions from newbies. There's just one thing this group doesn't allow: the question "Is such-and-such area safe." Because that question is impossible to answer.

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