Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

Guest post - Safety in the eyes of a female traveler

1/27/2013

14 Comments

 
Picture
     First of all, I want to take a bow at Brandon’s work on this blog. It is inspiring and makes me want to jump into these boots that were made for walking! Brandon and I met each other in a cozy pub in Ireland, the one he describes in his article as “A perfect pint and perfect night in Doolin”. He asked me if I would write about safe traveling from a woman’s point of view. Before I start to tell you about my experiences, there is something important to say: I have travelled around only in Europe, my home continent, so far. I have never experienced a real culture shock, nor have I found myself in a situation where I could not communicate through a (foreign) language. I have read Brandon’s tips to travel safe, and of course all of these are also useful for women. Here, I’d like to give you an insight of my traveling experiences from the last couple of years. 

Picture
     To me, “safe travel” means to be realistic: I always want to prepare properly before I leave. There have been journeys for which I have decided to plan my trip with a traveling partner; for example, when I knew I would visit rather dodgy areas or abandoned destinations. I always inform myself about potential danger topics, such as criminal activity, drug areas, public transport, or the political and social background. Knowing regional cultural traditions, as well as gender topics, can be useful. Usually, I get this information through the internet, a reliable tourist guide (which will always accompany me while traveling), or at a travel agency. What I also like to do is to inform myself on-site, get in touch with locals, and listen to what they think about dangerous places or other “avoidance's” in their area.
     Preparing before leaving is one thing, but I also always try to act preventive while traveling and enjoying places. I always try to look ahead, to be aware about all that is going on around me, and to stay focused. When I’m walking around I want to look convinced and self-confident. I’ve noticed that I attract “shady” characters when I show my insecurity or that I’m lost; I think I make myself just more vulnerable. Sometimes I consciously avoid eye contact, because just a polite smile or look into the eyes unfortunately can send out wrong signals. Guys who are not used to female company and have bad intentions will misinterpret it as a flirt intention from my side. It is a shame, but I have learned to trim back my politeness or my natural behavior in order to protect myself.
     Acting preventative also means changing street side if somebody suspicious is approaching. If I’m looking for a seat in a train compartment, I’ll sit in an empty one, close to another woman or by an exit. No matter if it may seem impolite or anything – if I feel unwell, I listen to this inner intuition and act accordingly. When I walk, I don’t walk fast, but not too slow either. I try to show that I know where I want to go, convinced instead of insecure. I always make sure that I have a street map with me and that I know where I am at that precise moment. 
     I often try to adapt a certain local behavior and try not to look too much like a tourist. I would never wear clothes that are too colorful, sparkling, or that show too much skin. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Not when I’m traveling! I take with me only a few, cheap pieces of jewelry and a watch, but that’s about it. It’s also time-saving when you pass the airport security checks without too many accessories to take off and on again.
     When it comes to luggage equipment, I’m always careful with having my bags closed at all times. I like to wear small bags under my clothes to hide my money and passport. Also, bags with many zips, hidden pockets and bags to wear across your body can come in handy. If necessary, I keep the bag in front of me, not on my back where it is out of sight to me (especially in crowded places). I always try not to put my money in places that are too obvious, and I never use big wallets. I like to carry with me some cash in the front pocket of my jeans. This way, if I have to buy something I don’t have to open my bag every time. 
     Personally I also like to wear backpacks, but several times I have had the experience of locals classifying me immediately as a tourist and treating me like one. In Florence, Italy for example, I was walking over a rather touristy “piazza” in the city centre. As it was just before dinnertime, the advertising waiters lurking outside their restaurants were shouting in English to me: “Hey beauty, so alone?”; “Wanna have dinner at our place?” etc. They treated me like a naïve tourist girl, and I am sure they would have played games with me when it came to paying for the dinner. You really should have seen their faces when I told them in almost perfect Tuscan-Italian that I had already eaten and that I wish them a good night! I’ve had similar experiences in which people didn’t take me seriously because I look like a sweet naïve girl that cannot defend herself. It has been always like that; first they treat me unfriendly or try to fool me. But when I start to talk to them, not only in the local language but also in a determined and confident way, they become friendly, give me advice or even a reduced local price for something I wish to acquire. 
     During my travels I always have a fully charged mobile phone with me. If I stay longer in a place, I buy a local SIM-card. I save all relevant contacts, and I also write down on paper the most important ones, in case my mobile gets lost (for example my accommodation address, or my closest relative at home). When I am lodging in a hotel I sometimes leave my number to the owners (only when they seem trustworthy), when I’m going on a one-day-trip by myself or something. 
     When I’m traveling I like to discover a place at daytime, but also at night-time. I am always interested in getting to know the vibrant music scene of a city, or places where I can get in touch with locals and their cultural habits. It is very difficult to decide if you can go out safely as a woman. In general, I never go out on my own when I am travelling. It is a fact that in every place bad intentions can lurk, and maybe even some more for women. When I went out I had either travelled together with friends and therefore was never alone, or I stayed longer in a place until I had met some new acquaintances with which I could built up a trustful relationship (for example, other travelers, language students from my school etc.). There were also nights in which I simply resigned and stayed in my room. It might sound lame, but I just never wanted to risk anything. When I had the chance to go out with friends, I always wore comfortable shoes. I wouldn’t recommend to girls neither high heels nor flats. Flats are very thin, and when you walk through streets at night, glass splitters and junk of all sorts can lie around and cause you serious trouble.  Also I would never take big handbags with me, for comfort and safety reasons.
     I can consider myself as lucky that so far nothing serious has happened to me while travelling. Only twice I have almost been robbed, and I wasn’t even by myself. Unfortunately I’ve had negative experiences like suggestive looks or remarks from men. Once I also got felt up in a crowded bus by an old man. It was absolutely surprising and unexpected, for that guy did it in absolute discretion and I wouldn’t have expected it from his appearance – it was not the classic weirdo. I tell you this story to show you that things like this unfortunately DO exist and that while traveling you obviously expose yourself more to the outside world than in your daily routine at home. In my eyes this is a fact that especially women should be aware of at all times. Nevertheless, it is not a reason for you to not explore the world. To me, it is just crucial to plan the journey ahead, and to keep a clear head during the whole travel.

Picture
     Mara Strufaldi is a 27 year old Swiss who is living in a small town close to Zurich. After studying Social Work and working in this area, she decided to make a time out studying English and Italian, finding inspiration again for the world of languages. She spent the last half year in Galway, Ireland, and in Tuscany, Italy. Travelling to her not only means to get to know the outside, but also the inside world of herself – and to experience that in every spot on this earth special persons are waiting to meet her and to teach her something for life.
14 Comments
Jennifer Grashel link
1/27/2013 10:35:18 am

Great tips! I travel a lot, mainly in the US. As a woman, you do have to be careful when by yourself ... if in the big city, I usually don't go out at night alone ... if in a more suburban area, it's probably fine. Hotel staff / concierge are great at giving advice on what's safe. I also once had a front desk clerk who always assigned me a room near the lobby for extra safety - much appreciated.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:30:00 am

Yes, she has really great tips about traveling as a female, and keeping ones eyes open.

Reply
Karo @Ktraveltheworld
1/28/2013 03:47:30 am

Great post! And these little tips can help a lot. Never let an unsafe feeling ruin your trip and it's certainly not a reason to stay at home!

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:37:13 am

The tips are very helpful. I passed them along to some female friends that do a lot of traveling.

Reply
Ninasafiri link
1/28/2013 04:21:10 pm

Nice post, although I'm the total opposite from you. I am a Dutch girl, travelling most of the time alone and I might be a bit naive or maybe danger finds me wherever I go. Nonetheless I don't want to be too scared something bad might happen. I encourage girls to go out there, enjoy every single little thing and yes some scary or dangerous things might happen but that shouldn't hold you from being yourself. I never put my backpack in front of me, firstly because this way you show everyone you are a tourist and have something valuable, secondly everything is replaceable ;-)

Anyway, good post, nice tips and I hope it will help many girls with their future travels =)

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:38:38 am

I am really thankful that she was able to do this guest post. It was really helpful, and honestly, these tips can be used for men as well. :)

Reply
Jay link
1/28/2013 08:47:54 pm

Quite true, whenever women travel to a different place they need to extra careful regarding their safety.

This was a very informative article. I shall pass on to the female members in my family and friend circle :) Thanks for sharing the info :)

Regards

Jay
<a href="http://road-to-sanitarium.blogspot.in">My Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/welcomehometosanitarium">My FB Page</a>

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:40:07 am

I did the same thing. When I read the material, I knew it would be verey beneficial to some of my female traveling friends.

Reply
Katrine Carstens link
2/1/2013 05:12:13 pm

Hey Mara,
Great story with some good tips.
I'm based in Switzerland too, although down by Lac Leman.
I've been trying to find other bloggers in Switzerland as I've always found it super useful to swap tips and stuff. Do you have your own blog?
It would be great to hear from you - you can check my blog out here: www.SusDane.com.
Have a great weekend!
Katrine

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:42:05 am

I really enjoyed this material. I was very thankful that I had the opportunity to speak with her. She has much knowledge on the subject of traveling safe as a female.

Reply
Hitch-Hiker's Handbook link
11/5/2013 07:16:33 pm

Very nice article, Mara! I also used to travel on my own before I met Jon and my 'survival' techniques were very similar to yours.
What do you think of solo female hitch-hikers? Have you ever hitch-hiked on your own? Should girls do it or should they rather be discouraged from doing it?
We had an interesting discussion on that topic not long ago and if you have any thoughts, we'd love to hear them :)
Here is the link: http://hitchhikershandbook.com/2013/10/01/solo-female-hitchhikers-good-or-bad/

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:43:32 am

I really enjoyed reading this article. Some of the questions you asked in your comment, I asked myself. haha :)

Reply
Erin link
11/6/2013 12:55:36 am

This was refreshing to read. I can relate to her a lot in my own travels. I remember the first time I wen out of the country, it was 2 week business trip to Milan. I was SO excited! I had all these plans to see every tourist spot in Milan on foot. So for the first couple of days, I did try to go see all the sites, but I was alone and was way too friendly and accommodating. I kept getting stopped by men, and one even took it upon himself to sit down to dinner with me one night. I wasn't sure how to handle it. He walked me back to my hotel which was around the corner and he asked to come up to my room and started getting really touchy. Warning bells were going off all night so I declined, and we were in the lobby so the staff knew me by then and they were watching. So he left. After that, I didn't leave the room unless it was for work because I was too scared. I can still be a bit too friendly sometimes and need to be more wary of strangers, in general. For sure.

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/16/2014 12:44:33 am

Interesting comment. It sounds like you handled the situation very well.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

November 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.