Want to travel deeper? Travel Solo!Believe it or not, my recent trip to Saint Martin was my very first solo travel outside of Canada. I don't consider my trips back home alone as "solo". It's kind of different in my opinion.Traveling is such a personal experience. We all see women experience solo travel and share their journey on social media. In the current socio-political climate, exploring as a woman can be a challenge. If you add in the fact that you're a black / brown woman or a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, REALITY can be very different in certain parts of the world. I feel like I don't see lots of female voyageurs talking about this aspect.

To be honest I did not have this kind of problem when I was in Saint Martin because there are many black people on the island. So I was blending right in.

Travelling alone means you're more vulnerable and you can easily be a target for people who don't have the best intentions.Now, of course solo travelling is AWESOME. When you travel alone, you can plan your schedule based on your own interests.

Most importantly, you have time to see what's going on around you. It allows you to truly take in the other culture, exchange with locals,  get out of your comfort zone, be present and focused. It's such a fulfilling experience.

SCAN COPIES OF ALL YOUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

I've made sure to scan all my travel documents and e-mailed them to myself. This way, I could have access to them at all times, forward them to my husband and have proof of identity in case I lost the originals. Depending on where you'll be staying, if  you have access to a safe in your hotel room for example, take advantage of it and store your passeport and other important travel documents. Otherwise, make sure you have them with you in a practical bag when you're outside. For example, go for a bag you can wear across your shoulders for added security.

REGISTER WITH YOUR EMBASSY

The embassy can help you in case of emergencies, natural disasters, lost of documents, etc. Better be safe than sorry.

BOOK YOUR ENTIRE STAY AHEAD OF TIME

Or at least, book your first two nights ahead of time. If you feel more comfortable, maybe you'll want to consider booking a room at a women-only accommodation ( hostel, Airbnb, etc. ). Personally, if I'm in a 3-5 - star hotel, I'd feel safe. For my trip to Saint Martin, I booked a room in a residence in La Savannevia booking.com. My host was a woman, I made sure to read the reviews of people who had also stayed there (most of them were solo travelers); so I was pretty confident I made a good choice. In addition, it was in a residential area with surveillance cameras. I spent 3 nights there and my last one was at another property in Grand Case. Someone I trusted referred me to the owner and everything went smoothly. 

DRESS LIKE THE LOCALS

I believe that as a traveller, you should be respectful of how the locals dress, of their customs, etc. It's the least you can do. You are on their land. If you're visiting a Muslim country during certain times of the year, for example Ramadan, you'll definitely notice that women will wear modest clothing. Be mindful of that and dress accordingly. If you want to connect better with locals, learn about their ways of life and do just like them.

SCHEDULE A DAILY CALL WITH SOMEONE

Check-in everyday with someone from your family or a friend. Before leaving, I set up a Facetime call rdv with my husband each evening at a specific time. You can even manage to hand out your daily schedule to your hotel desk and let them know when you're back at the hotel safe and sound.

BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

I barely used my headphones while exploring. I would only use them when I was on a call. It's not very safe to not be aware of your surroundings while walking. You must stay alert, so on top of avoiding noise cancelling headphones, make sure you are always sober!

HAVE ACCESS TO DATA AT ALL TIME IF POSSIBLE

If that's an option of course. The day after my arrival in Saint Martin, I bought a sim card which allowed me to have access to data and therefore be continuously reachable and able to reach other people when necessary. I would send messages to my husband on WhatsApp quite often, letting him know how things were going.

MENTION YOU KNOW A LOCAL

Even if I had a schedule, it was still in bulk points. It's fun to figure things out as you go and see more places recommended by locals for example. The people in Saint Martin were so friendly and would answer my questions or show me directions very kindly. I did not have any issues getting from point A to B. Whenever I had a conversation with a local and he/she asked if I was visiting alone, I'd always say I have a friend who lives in Saint Martin and that I'm exploring the city while waiting for her to finish work. I'd always say: " I have to meet her in an hour, actually I'm waiting for her call ".

Make sure your encounters know YOU ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE.

These are some of the tips I wanted to share with you in terms of travelling alone as a woman. If you have more suggestions please do leave them in the comments below. Also don't be shy to share if you loved this article

Photography by yours truly