Lately, I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries via mail and Twitter from women regarding solo travel. Seems like a lot has been considering backpacking, this is what I like. I’ve noticed too that I have more girl readers compared to boys and so as to accommodate my dear readers, I will be having a GO GIRLS TRAVEL TIPS SERIES every Sunday until year 2011 ends.
So without further ado, let’s kick-off the series
Nina Fuentes of Just Wandering:
On safety: If you can survive living in Manila, you can surely survive traveling
around the world.
On traveling solo: Think of it as traveling with the person you love most.
On staying pretty while backpacking: A smile is your best accessory — and it doesn’t take up space in your backpack.
Solo Traveler Nina always brings her "toys"
Paula Peralejo of Our Restless Feet:
Sometimes, it’s easy to say just dress like a local and you’ll be fine. But we all know that even at this day and age when we all scream for equality and go against racism, your physical looks can still be a factor in making traveling a breeze. If you’re female with relatively whiter skin and you’re traveling around the country, more often than not, you will still get the looks. It’s nothing bad, it’s just that no matter what you do, you will hardly be taken as a local. Yes, you can always dress down, but at the end of the day, people will still notice you – the woman “who’s not from town”. Most of the time, this is okay. When they notice you, look at them in the eye and smile. But it also wouldn’t hurt to take precautions when traveling, most especially when you’re alone.
Once, I did a solo travel to this place where people often see as an unsafe zone. Fair enough, there have been reports on bombings in this city, so I couldn’t really blame others for questioning why I wanted to visit this city at all. However, that’s the beauty of travel, it takes out all your prejudices and somewhat transforms you into somebody who’s more open-minded and understanding. I would like to think that’s what happened to me. But of course, this is something you cannot just tell your mom or people who deeply care about you.
Paula exploring the other side of Calaguas Island
So to make it easier for me and for everybody else, I did four things I normally don’t do when I travel.
1. I asked for help from the right people. I called the local tourism office of the city and told them I was planning to visit. Normally, I just go on my own but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask for assistance from these people.
2. Instead of bringing a huge SLR, I just brought a small point and shoot cam to avoid questions like “Are you a journalist?” or “What are you taking photos of and why?”
3. I didn’t announce in the social media realm where I was going, or that I was leaving at all. I told the people close to me where I was going, but I made sure to keep mum on Facebook and Twitter.
4. The locals advised me that it’s better to stay indoors at night, so that’s what I did. After watching a cultural show, I went home to my hotel. And as I normally do, I tried my best to dress like a local to avoid unnecessary attention. Luckily, I found out the day before I flew that a friend of mine who’s from another city was also going there for the holiday, so I had a companion.
It turns out that trip was one of my best trips ever. Once again, I have proven that the media can oftentimes make things larger than they really are, and this city known to Manilenos as a scary city is just a normal thriving city, full of wonderful people with a very rich culture. In the end, nobody hurt me, and every single person I met welcomed me with open arms. This is something we don’t hear from the media, but something that happens even in the “most dreaded cities” of the Philippines everyday.
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"Go girl! You can do solo travel..."
GO GIRLS TRAVEL TIPS SERIES is my way of saying “thanks” and “go girl, you can do solo travel” to my female readers I hope you many will try and embrace the adventures of female solo traveling.
I asked 10 female travel bloggers for help on topics like safety, solo travel, outfit & fashion, staying pretty while on the road, travel secrets and more girls talk.
Nina & Paula / Chyng & Lisa Marie / Claire & Kaiz / Lois & Monette / Gael & Gay
helpful and empowering. salamat dito! 🙂
🙂 nice to hear that rain
Nice! NIce! Great outlook and attitude, Paula! Way to go, James!
hi! james. pls consider featuring sole sisters and pinaysolobackpacker :)) ..
madamo gd nga salamat!
hang on, your wish is my command chique 🙂
This is a good segment, James! Nina helped me in a lot of ways na she’s not aware that she did and Paula’s points are right. I realized that i can get away with anything by using my LX3 since it will not mislead the rest that i am working for a newspaper or something. Looking forward to the completion of this series! 😀
nina and paula are the perfect travel bloggers to kick-off the series! ibang klase talaga yan dalawang yan.
apir sa camera natin mica, lx series. (mas bago lang yung akin) hahaha
Nina and Paula are one of my pegs when it comes to traveling. I had the opportunity to ‘tour’ Paula around my hometown.
http://theunstressed.com/2011/07/05/an-afternoon-with-filipinadiver-and-tulogboy/
James, I read your Mindanao challenge. I think I commented on the post. I felt bad that you slept in Dunkin when you visited Butuan. Let me know next time, there is a couch in my house.
im a fan of these 2 lady travelers.
naks ha, envy you for traveling with paula. and the blog post is completely documented.
about the butuan trip i had, its okay its part of the adventure.haha that makes my blog unique, haha
anyway, i’ll be back in butuan next year… i hope to see you and maybe crash yoru couch kat. thanks in advance!
sure. hope to see you, too. email me in advance so i have time to clean the couch (haha) and clear my sked.
sure thing kat!
for sure i’ll drop by sa butuan during my 100-day challenge next year. see yah?!
hi james katatapus ku lang basahin ang blog ni Paula i think mas maganda talaga yung blog mo no offend to Paula =) and her fans mas swak kasi s pinoy ang blog mo hehehe
their stories are inspiring, i wish i have the same courage to travel solo 🙂
why not start next year?
i think everyone should try solo travel.
I just have to agree, it is not difficult to travel solo as a female, you just have to be careful. But doesn’t matter how much you dress down, you will always be noticed as the foreigner. But sometimes it is an advantage 🙂
i can only symphatize alex… i cant imagine how you girls do it. i hope this series helps would-be solo travelers.
and yes, i agree that you can leverage your situation as a solo female traveler- using it to your advantage.
I am very proud to all the girls who travel alone! I salute!
me too marco!
indeed, its harder for girls to travel alone, lalo na kapag backpacking trips.
great tips.
i don’t think i can do a solo trip. too praning to be on my own in a foreign land.
how come? you should try it sometime!
kuya how can i find their page?
just click the title of their blogs on the post. 🙂
Loved these tips! I, too, believe that if one can live in Manila, you can survive it anywhere. And great tips Paula!
cant agree more.
survive manila and you survive the Phils
Hanggang ngayon naiinggit pa rin ako na nakakabiyahe magisa ang mga girls dito. I tried it once pero medyo sablay. Imbes nakatipid, gumastos ako. Kasi naman, bumiyahe ba ng Todos Los Santos? =) Anyway, I’m bookmarking this post kasi hindi naman ako nadala. Natakot lang. Haha! Good job James for compiling posts about female solo traveling. You don’t know kung gano kalaing tulong ito sa mga katulad ko. 😉 More power!
glad that you tried it dazl! try it again, hahaha
i hope these tips will really encourage the female travelers, its actually fun and full of adventure!
thanks thanks! see you on the road ha, connect me in romblon for my 100 days challenge
No problem, James. Anytime basta ikaw ;P
I like this bit, girls traveling solo. I am a solo female traveler myself and I can relate. I mostly travel alone because my friends are all married with kids. I like it, but it feels lonely sometimes too. Blogs online help a lot and I am rabid about reading up before i leave for a trip. I think the best advice I’ve learned is to always travel with an open mind (mentioned by another female traveler in this series). Sometimes, we get so caught up with the preconceived notions from reading up that we miss out on the actual experience because we refuse to do it as per someone’s bad experience. It helps to be vigilant, but not to the point of shying away from the many possibilites that travel has to offer.
I’ve been reading up on ur blog because I plan on camping on some islands along Zambales and Pangasinan, and maybe end up in Baguio or even further up. I bought a tent, a sleeping bag and a swiss army knife that even has a fish gutter, so I think i’m all set. Thanks for all the detailed info. You’re a lifesaver. Keep it up.