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So I've been to a number of island nations, been to Mexico, France, Brazil....and while no scrote can take the joy of exploring from me, there have DEFINITELY been places where I didn't feel safe venturing out without at least one man.
What locales (if any) have you felt like you could just BE and explore without watching your back or keeping pepper spray in your pocket?
Also for those who DO travel solo as women...What are some of your precautions?
Name a country or place that cherishes and respects women, and I will move there.
Disclaimer: I've spent some time on my own in China but not enough to feel particularly knowledgeable. Feel free to disagree or expand on my input.
I have heard many people, both men and women, mention how safe Chinese cities can feel. Pickpockets abound, but the feeling of men collectively wanting to rape, kidnap, sexually harass, or beat up women simply does not exist as it does in many parts of the West.
Many Westerners have specifically commented on how women in China feel totally safe walking by themselves late at night, i.e., a woman walking the streets alone at night is a common sight. I can confirm.
I'm not pro-China by any means, but I do think the West can learn from this aspect of Chinese culture.
I didnt go to Finland alone but I feel like it’d be a place I would feel very safe alone. I was there in Helsinki and Turku for a few days.
Dublin and Tokyo. Both felt safe as a solo female traveler.
Iceland is the only place that really comes to mind.
I travel solo a LOT. My advice is to read The Gift of Fear by Gavin deBecker. It changed my life.
I listen to my gut and honor my feelings, and this has kept me safe. Rather than being on high-alert all the time, I allow my intuition to guide me. We women are GOOD at assessing situations - we ROCK! Unfortunately we've been socialized to give men the "benefit of the doubt," and this can be very dangerous for us. Never again.
If anything feels even slightly off, I immediately take corrective action.
Even if I feel embarrassed to speak up - I DO IT. For example, once I was in a cab and I didn't feel the trunk was shut all the way. I asked him to pull over on the busy highway and shut it again. I have no idea if the trunk was truly shut, but my gut was screaming at me and I listened. He politely did what I asked.
Japan - I felt safe in Tokyo and Kyoto even walking alone at night. Not sure how, but millions of people there just know how to behave properly! If anything I felt like a big clumsy tourist and tried to shrink my voice and demeanor to be more polite in Japan (I'm American, sorry 😞)
I visited Cambodia on a solo trip and felt very, very safe. The people there (even the men!) are very gentle and unassuming. I was even invited home with my tuk-tuk driver, met his whole family including his sweet wife and baby, and enjoyed authentic Khmer food. Beautiful experience, and I still keep up with them on socials.
I had a blast and Angkor Wat is gorgeous. I'm going back this November with a group, can't wait.
The only place I felt safe to wander around drunk af by myself has been Canada. Specifically, Montreal. The people there are very friendly and I explored the city by myself, bar hopped by myself, and felt super safe the entire time. The only bad experience I had was when a drunk American guy stumbled in and went table to table to harass the women at the bar and was promptly kicked out by security.
Colombia, oddly enough (maybe)
Like the guys will flirt with you, but they flirt with everything, it's just like breathing. They don't take it seriously, so if you brush it off they just shrug and go flirt with the next human in their path. There's not the expectation or entitlement that usually makes it scary.
It is worth knowing what areas of the country to go to, in addition to usual street smart things relevant to all genders of travelers. There are some areas which are controlled by forces other than the central government which are quite safe for tourists, because the powers that be want tourists and their money so locals are under strict guidance that messing with tourists (especially American/European/Aussie/etc ones) will be very bad for them. (And then areas where there is less control by anyone, or a fight for control, which you should avoid.)
That's been my experience at least. I've felt safer everywhere I've been in Colombia than walking around alone at night in the US. (Also will add, among the places I'm comparing this to are Mexico and Brazil, I agree about feeling unsafe there. Also comparing to: Canada, lots of places in the US, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Turkey)