As a fairly new solo female traveler, my first experience was through a few countries of South East Asia! It was such an amazing adventure that I got to experience with friends but I also LOVED traveling on my own! Some of my best memories happened when exploring new cities by myself! Here are some of my experiences as a solo female traveler in South East Asia!
Even as I am an independent person, I would never imagine how much I enjoyed navigating a foreign city. I have always been intrigued by other cultures making my dream of being a solo female traveler come to life! Never imagine the amount of happiness and joy I had in all these new places.
As I know the world can seem like such a scary place sometimes I want to remind you that there is still so much good out there. Especially for females traveling alone may seem daunting, so I wanted to share my experiences to help you make the leap of faith! If you love to explore, learn new things, and adventure you will love to discover a new country or multiple!
I am not encouraging girls to go everywhere by themselves if they don’t feel comfortable, but wanted to share my experiences! I have heard from many that if you chose to go anywhere for your first solo female trip Asia is a great choice!
Key tips I learned about traveling on my own
- In the midst of planning your trip, I found it helpful to create a budget for each destination and keep track of all my spending on my phone. Once I got to the location I would use ATMs there to take out as much money as possible to avoid several ATM fees and for emergencies.
- At the airports, there are always money exchange places that will persuade you to use them right away. I think it is always good to take a little bit out here for transportation but it really depends on where you are. I remember in Indonesia the exchange rates were much better outside of the airport but in Sri Lanka, it was the opposite.
- When booking accommodation I always opted for a hostel for a few reasons. They are cheap, a great way to meet other travelers and sometimes they offer free meals. When booking hostels I made the mistake a few times of overbooking or under-booking a specific stay. I overbooked places that were horrible and under-booked places I loved and they filled up too quickly for me to add more nights. A great rule of thumb I now know is when arriving at a new destination book two-nights as a sweet spot to feel out the place and make sure you have time to book additional nights if desired.
- I always book through Hostel World as I love the way they provide as much info about every hostel detail you could imagine! If I am looking for accommodation that is not a hostel I usually opt for Booking,com, or Airbnb.
- I also struggled with where I should leave my valuables when I wanted to go explore, like my extra cash, camera, and laptop. Eventually, I felt fine leaving my stuff in the lockers provided by the hostel. Most provided the lock in Indonesia but everywhere else I quickly learned required you to bring your own.
- Before you go make sure to get travel insurance as this can cover almost all your activities, any stolen goods, and even canceled flights sometimes. To get all these benefits and the best coverage I use World Nomads.
South East Asia Overall Thoughts
Overall my time in southeast Asia was insanely amazing! I would say 99% of the time I felt super comfortable in each country I visited.
Every local I met was kind & generous, I was even invited for dinner in several places. Everyone was just so excited to meet a foreigner as well. Many of the locals found me extremely exotic, being a black female, and made my experience more interesting. One of the best memories was the number of people asking to take a selfie with you (pre-covid times, gotta love them). I recall one time being chased down in the train station by a man yelling “selfieeeee-eeeee-ee”. The look of confusion must have scared him away.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka probably had the nicest locals I had encountered ( I may say that for every country lol ). The colorful towns, delicious food, and friendly locals made this country unforgettable. While here I was mostly with friends but did stay a night on my own in a hostel where I befriended some locals in a short time. In one day I had more than 5 Sri Lankans help me get to where I needed to go. I was so amazed and completely exceeded my expectations for this country. All in all, whether with friends or alone I felt super safe walking around and exploring Sri Lanka.
Thailand
I spent a few days alone in Thailand on Koh Phi Phi and on Phuket. which were great. Koh Phi Phi is more of a party island so as a solo female traveler, I would recommend visiting with someone. As a party island, it was much easier to meet new people in hostels as everyone was there for a good time! I still felt super safe here and on the island of Phuket!
I had a great time alone in Phuket, especially in Phuket Town. Here I explored for two days, enjoying the cafes, restaurants, and shops. After a few days in Phuket Town, I moved to Padang Bai, a very touristy beach town. It wasn’t my favorite place but I still enjoyed roaming the city and watching beautiful sunsets on the beach. This is also a great place to visit if your traveling with friends due to the numerous bars and parties.
Check out more about Thailand travel.
Indonesia
Gili T
This has to be my favorite time as a solo female traveler, was my time through Lombok, Indonesia. I spent a little over a week visiting the famous Gili Trawangan island (Gili T) and then the island of Lombok.
First, Gili T was not my favorite place to visit and unfortunately let down my expectations. I had heard so much about Gili T but traveling here alone was probably not the best idea. Gilli T is a party island and I hadn’t chosen the best place to make friends aka a semi-creepy guest house in the back of the island. I was most uncomfortable while exploring the island and experienced a lot of catcalling. Don’t get me wrong it is still a beautiful island, with amazing snorkeling spots and a fun bar scene. If I was with a friend or a few I would definitely give this place another try.
Lombok
Although Gili T was not my favorite, it caused me to leave a day early to head to Lombok. This was one of the best decisions I made while traveling. Lombok is an insanely beautiful island and is said to have the calm atmosphere of Bali 10 years ago. It’s not as crazy as Bali, but the island has been under immense construction in preparation for the tourism industry. I spent my time in the South of Lombok, in a small surfers paradise called Kuta. I became obsessed with this beautiful, chill town. The locals were extremely kind, the restaurants/bars were all an experience in themselves, and the local surfing community made me fall in love.
As I headed to Lombok, many locals in Bali told me to be careful and never go anywhere alone. I was also told to stay strictly conservative with my attire since the island is mostly Muslim with a strictly conservative community. The number of times I was told to be careful was alarming and made me nervous. Fortunately, after my time, I didn’t have a single experience that supported any of the previous warnings. If I go back anywhere from all my travels it would be a tie between here and Bali!
I spent every day exploring as many beaches as possible and rural surroundings after learning to drive a motorbike. Making friends with some of the locals was also so easy here! I am sure that, like all places, Lombok can still be dangerous so you should always be cautious.
Check out more about Indonesia travel.
Maldives
This was a place where I was never completely alone but lived here for about 8 months, so I got a sense of the country’s safety. The Maldives is obviously beautiful and will have the most impressive tropical landscapes no matter what island out of 1200 you chose to visit. All the islands are either local, resort, or uninhabited islands, so you can easily get a little of each experience. Whenever traveling between islands I felt very comfortable as well and never unsafe. Just make sure to dress appropriately as the local customs are strict especially for female travelers.
Learn more about the Maldivian culture here.
In Male, the capital can be quite hectic as there are people everywhere! If you are alone on this island for some time it is fun to roam around on your own but it can be easy to get lost quickly. To find your way back use data or your google maps. Also as really anywhere else I would not recommend going out alone at night as a female.
Overall Solo Female Travel Through Asia
I hope to inspire you to go explore! I have never felt more alive than when traveling this past year, which is crazy to think about! This year has completely changed and turned on its head. That said, it reminds me just how short life is and reminds me to continue these adventures.
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