Women solo travellers speak of experiences, challenges, lessons

A few years back, Fiona Kwamboka and a couple of friends from high school planned to go on a group vacation in Florence Maina Liz Njeri Caroline Baragu Mombasa, known for its pristine beaches, diverse cultures, amazing Swahili food, and a wide range of exciting activities to do.

She had never been to the coastal town before, and could not wait to experience it for herself.

However, as the day drew closer, her friends pulled out of the plan. The social conversations on their WhatsApp group went silent and soon the event had to be cancelled.

“To say that I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to take my debut travel to the coast is an understatement. It meant I wouldn’t sunbathe on beach beds, drink the famous coconut water, have a ride on a yacht or get to visit all those historic sites we had planned to explore— things I was really looking forward to doing,” she recounts.

At that moment, Fiona realised that she was disappointed at the prospect of not fulfilling a dream of hers and not so much about hanging out with her former classmates. “I called a travel agent and learned they were planning for a group travel to the coast. I asked them to add me to this group and paid for my booking, and the following week we hit the road. Suffice to say, the trip was a great experience and I made new friends on the trip,” she smiles.

Rewarding experiences

Fiona says she returned home with a new fire awakened. “I decided to travel for me and no one would ever stand in the way of my new acquired desire of exploring the world. Here, I’d says, is where I trace the root for my love and passion for solo travel was born and has been growing since,” she says.

Increasingly, more and more women are adventuring out alone, crossing boarders, seas and continents to sample new cultures, food and fashion — exploring and discovering new destinations. So much has this type of travel gained traction that now travels agents are organizing women-centric trips and tours.

In fact, more than half of the solo travellers on domestic overnight trips are actually women, according to various studies. One of the major reasons for this trend, researchers say, is women are becoming more independent and economically empowered.

However, it is not uncommon to hear women being cautioned about independent international travel as they are much more likely than men to be victims of attacks, including sexual harassment and sexual assault.

A recent survey by online travel agency Tourlane found that nearly half of women considering a solo trip haven’t done so, because of concerns about their safety and security. Early this year, in April, thousands of users on Twitter joined hands to support 24-year-old Zainab Oladehinde, a Nigerian who shared her distressing story of sexual assault by a male hotel security guard while enjoying a solo vacation in Zanzibar in 2021.

“Well, I have never been worried that being alone will make me a target.

However, my friends and family constantly tell me that I am being irresponsible in going out on my own. Only on one occasion on what would have been my first trip to Arusha, Tanzania, with a group of young men and a few women that my inner voice held me back with visions of worst-case scenarios,” Fiona recalls.

Inequality between men and women

She felt things were not right from the WhatsApp group conversations as the men kept complaining that the number of women on the trip did not match the number of men, and, therefore, some men would be lonely.

“It’s like they had other ideas about the trip other than going to explore the destination, I backed out,” she says.

Florence Maina, a solo traveller in her 50s says it’s been 10 years since she started travelling, just to enjoy her company and reflect about her life.

She says travelling alone, at least twice a month gets to wash some of her worries away and gives her room to reflect about her role as a parent.

“Travelling helps to relieve any stress and anxieties I might have. It is also liberating because you don’t have to, for example, deal with judgmental people who will make you feel you’re too young or too old, too fat or too thin when you dress up for the beach,” she shares.

About her experience with safety on the road, she admits that there is inequality on how solo women travellers are treated compared to men. “One such experience was in Kampala, Uganda where women service providers and authorities treat women as if they should not be travelling alone,” she offers.

In extreme situations, she urges females to be quick to report and leave a place immediately if they realise something is amiss.

Safety precautions

Caroline Baragu, another lone traveller says she takes early precautions before travelling, such as researching about the destination she travelling to and shares her travel plans with her trusted family members.

“In order not to appear lost, I make use of Google maps on my phone. I make myself aware of my surroundings and get to connect with other women for assistance and report to the hotel or authorities about any suspicious strangers,” she says.

Alex Njeri, the director of Grinds and Rolls Safaris and travel consultant says four years on since establishing the tour company, they have served a large number of customers, and year-by-year, women seem to outnumber men that travel alone.

However, he says they do not offer a special package to either gender, as every man and woman get the same treatment. “We have made it our responsibility to ensure that all our clients, whether men or women, are safe throughout a safari,” he says.

Liz Njeri, a supervisor at Stanley Havens hotel says females booking their hotel are usually taken through the check-in and check-out processes, as well as how to ensure their safety while at our facility. “We tell them to avoid opening doors for strangers and inspect their hotel rooms before settling when they come back in the room.

We also ensure they are accompanied by a security guard to the parking if they need to, and so on,” she says, adding, “We also ensure we do not give the ladies easy-to-reach rooms, such as those that are near emergency exits or on the ground floor. And we can change a room if a client is not satisfied,” she says in conclusion.

SAFETY TIPS

• Go the extra mile while researching about a destination you are about to visit. Be aware of any areas that are overly quiet after dark or have a reputation for being more dangerous or notorious for crime.

• You don’t have to do it totally alone. You could consider joining group travel if it is your first trip. Here you get to meet fellow solo travellers who will no doubt have the same sense of adventure, plus there’s safety when travelling in numbers.

• If you are sharing a hotel with other female travellers, exchange numbers so you can be reached or you will have a contact if you get into a difficult situation.

• When you’re travelling alone, you’re going to want to get around easily. Carrying light luggage is the safest way to move around without needing to approach strangers for help.