While solo travelling can be an adventure, it can also pose a lot of safety questions, especially for women.
There are a lot of precautions to take when embarking on a trip across the world, by yourself – especially if you haven’t done it before.
One female British solo traveller has revealed her top tips for women planning to make a big trip alone – particularly to Southeast Asia.
Kyra Mae Turner, an influencer and independent travel agent from the UK, is currently making her way through Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, and more.
Posting under her TikTok handle @kyramaeturner6, the Brit keeps followers updated with her solo travel journey, regularly offering advice and tips such as how to avoid food poisoning and the cheapest ways of getting around.
She recently posted a video to share her nuggets of wisdom when it comes to making decisions around safety while solo travelling.
The video has already been seen by more than a million people and racked up over 300 comments.
Kyra told her 632,000 followers: ‘These are my top tips for solo travelling as a girl in south-east Asia.’
Stay in a female-only hostel
The travel pro’s biggest tip was to skip hotels and instead stay in female-only hostels.
She revealed: ‘Firstly, if you can get a female-only hostel, I would recommend to do that. I feel a lot safer in hostels, number one, than getting a hotel room by myself for the night.
‘You just don’t know if anyone can get in, I don’t know – I just feel a lot safer in a hostel and I feel a lot safer in a female-only hostel.
‘I’ve only stayed in female-only hostels. I wouldn’t stay in a mixed one but it’s entirely up to you.’
Kyra added: ‘If you’re with a friend or something then maybe it’s alright but when I’m on my own, you just can’t trust people.’
Don’t trust anyone
The TikToker’s second piece of advice is to be wary of people and ‘not trust anyone’ while you’re travelling along.
Kyra urged her followers to be safe and remember that the people around them are strangers.
She admitted: ‘That’s another tip – when you’re travelling, I know it’s sad but you can’t really trust anyone.
‘Don’t just go back with someone random, don’t be wandering the streets in the middle of the night at quiet places.’
Use apps to book hostels and transport
The final tip applies to both safety and finances, as the TikToker recommended two apps that she uses a female solo traveller for securing accommodation and getting around.
She advised: ‘A place to book your hostels is Hostel World, which is an app. There are probably the best rates on there to be fair.
‘Booking all your travel like ferries, buses and overnight trains, I book all on 12Go Asia, which is another app.’
Concluding the video with a more general, money-saving piece of advice, Kyra added: ‘I also recommend if you’re on a budget to eat local, eat street food.
‘You can get meals for like £1 and £2 if you eat the street food. It’s crazy how cheap you can actually get stuff.’
Viewers rushed to the comments to thank the travel agent for her advice and praise her for being so ‘brave’.
One user questioned: ‘Do you not get bored being on your own all the time? I don’t know if I could be alone for weeks?’
Others reassuringly replied: ‘You’ll find people along the way to be friends with or do things with!’ and ‘I’m currently solo travelling and you meet so many people you’ll be fine’.
Another viewer pleaded: ‘Very good advice, especially for the girls, please listen’.
Meanwhile, another frequent solo traveller quipped: ‘You can also get a travelling doorstop, alarm, and lock for like £12 on Amazon. I always stay alone in hotels as a preference, but always use this’.
Someone else chimed in with: ‘Stay safe, I wouldn’t let my daughter do it. However, she’s going there with her friend next week. My heart is in my stomach’.
Others asked further questions such as ‘Do you leave all your stuff in the hostel while you go out?’ and ‘How do you plan staying in hostels? Do you look before getting to the place or once you get there you ask?’
‘You are so brave to go traveling by yourself,’ commended another viewer.
Someone else admitted: ‘I just left the UK as a solo female, I couldn’t stay in one of those dorm-like hostels I have serious trust issues and the thought of sleeping in a room with strangers sends me into panic mode’.
Another penned: ‘When I was in my early 20s I went travelling on my own. I only did it for a short while, but you really learn a lot about yourself when you do it’.