My first experience traveling solo came when I was 18-years-old, when I split from a program I was on and decided to go it alone in Australia for five weeks. The second time was on a weekend trip to Amsterdam during a 10-day class in Paris. Since then, I’ve added on Thailand, Laos, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal and Egypt to my list of international destinations which I have ventured to alone.
I love solo travel. I love the freedom it affords me for spontaneity and that I am able to enrich myself in ways that are important to me. I’ve also met way more people in the times that I’ve traveled alone than I ever have when I have traveled with other people. When I tell people about traveling solo, responses almost always fall on a continuum of “Aren’t you scared?” to “Isn’t that dangerous?”
I had a friend reach out to me for some assurance with traveling to a place that has been labeled “dangerous,” recently, and her response to the advice I gave was, “Have you written a blog post about that?” I realized that I hadn’t, and so here it is, my advice before embarking on solo travel – particularly to places that are often considered dangerous.
Evaluate the sources of the claims of “danger”
Who are the people calling your dream country dangerous? Are they people who have been there before? Are they people from a socio-economic class that is used to traveling with certain comfort standards? Is it a government that has an interest in applying pressure to another government? Is it two governments working in tandem to oppress and disenfranchise a minority group? Think critically about who is making these claims of danger because they may be coming from a place of ignorance, systemic oppression, political or economic benefit.
For example, there are a number of travel warnings against going to four of the southern provinces in Thailand, which has certainly experienced some violence. But, the violence has been perpetrated by both sides of a conflict that stems from the Thai government and military wanting to restrict the rights of a Muslim minority. The Thai government benefits significantly by limiting tourist dollars to that area and continuing to keep the people in a level of poverty.
Consider who the violence has been directed at
Is the violence between a minority group and the state? Has there been kidnappings of foreign tourists, aid-workers or missionaries? Is it theft with the presence of firearms? Is it separatist groups struggling against each other? Take some time to figure out who the targets are of what is being termed dangerous.
I decided not to go to the North in Cameroon for factors of time and money, but also because I knew that there is a Boko Harem presence and they have kidnapped foreigners in the past. However, I decided to spend two weeks on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt on my own, even though there had been recent reports of possible unrest, because it centered on a conflict between the military and opposition groups.
Weigh the risk against your motivations for going
What is it that is drawing you to that particular location? Is it a festival that only occurs every seven years? Is it a museum of antiquities? Maybe you are drawn to the culture and people? Is it a threatened natural setting or animal? Think about what you find out from the previous two lines of questioning, and then weigh it against your desire to go to that place. There is one country that I have in mind that I really want to go to, but, the reputation it has for certain crimes has me holding off on going until I have a travel partner or progress had been made.
This is going to be a personal comfort level. I know that my comfort level of risk is likely higher than most people’s, and that is OK. Other people would prefer to stay on the well-traveled and safer routes, which is also OK. You know what risks your are comfortable with taking and how far outside your comfort zone you are willing to go in pursuit of your dream travel experience. I really wanted to go SCUBA diving in a more secluded area of the Red Sea, so I went to Dahab (which was a bit closer to some of the unrest) rather than Sharm-al-Sheik.
Find in country resources
Finally, connect with people who have either recently been to where you want to go or are currently living in that country. Ask them what they think about the situation on the ground there. Expand your network and make some new friends.
I would suggest searching for expat groups on Facebook or reaching out to people on Couchsurfing.org (the site does offer an option for just meeting up, rather than staying) to find advice specific for your destination. The people who have lived and are living it will be able to give you a much clearer picture of the daily risks than a newspaper or travel advisories will.
My Experience
On a personal note, I think that there is value in going to places that many people consider “dangerous.” These are the people that are likely the most other-ed and oppressed by the people who are a part of your networks and community. By being able to humanize the people of that location and to provide a counter-narrative to the “violence” of the news cycle, you are doing a small part to work towards peace.
Really think about what is making you feel uncomfortable about going to a place and consider if there are reasonable steps you can take to minimize the risks that are really perplexing to you, and consider that growth and independence happen in the time of discomfort.
What is a place that you have discounted going to because you thought it was dangerous? Does reconsidering it through this framework change or reinforce your assessment? Have you ever been somewhere that many people think of as “dangerous” and that was just not your experience? I’d love to hear about it!