Working Remotely and Traveling as a Solo Woman

In a video session for the biggest community of digital nomads on Facebook, Danish, the community's leader, interviews Kristin Templin, who has been on the road as a solo woman for 20 years for the topic "Working Remotely and Traveling as a Solo Woman". Kristin is originally from a small town in Northeastern Ohio, on the border of Pennsylvania and Canada. She went to school there and when she was 22, she got out as fast as possible from there. She started by doing a series of working holiday visas in Scotland, Ireland, and New Zealand.

She then lived long-term in New York and Hong Kong, before she decided to backpack around the world for a year. She hit her 100th country in 2016, and then she went back to Graduate school. She has visited unpopular countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and more.

Find some of the most relevant questions from the session below:

Unfortunately, it is not as easy for a solo woman to travel as compared to men. Has safety improved during the last 10 years for solo women to travel around the world?

It is a little bit difficult to really say because 10 years ago we barely had smartphones, and it was not so easy to get SIM cards, so logistics of traveling have gotten much easier as well staying connected. In that regard, safety has improved. 

Is it hard to apply for visas as a solo woman traveler? 

In a few countries it can be difficult. For instance, before, Saudi Arabia would not let any single women in if they were under 40. Another difficult circumstance can be applying for an Indian visa as a single woman, as Kristin explains, that in order for her to apply for a Work Visa, they asked her to provide a letter from her father or husband saying that they would support her.  

What are some tips to consider when traveling as a solo woman?

·      Trust your gut instinct, and if something feels wrong get out.  

·      As women, we are taught to be polite and try not to hurt people’s feelings. It is important to put yourself and your safety first. 

·      Try to travel light so that you do not have problems taking your stuff with you if you have to escape a situation. 

·      Try not to put your stuff on the trunk of taxis. 

·      Make sure you have enough money to put yourself out of risky situations, for instance, a disrespectful couchsurfing host.

·      Wear a fake wedding ring to maintain unsolicited attention away.

What should a solo woman traveler research before choosing a destination?

Sometimes, the government warnings can be geopolitically skewed, so you will see that in certain countries there is always a travel warning even if they are perfectly safe. If you are going to go on government advisories, look at different countries, for instance, New Zealand's government advisories seem to be a little bit more in tune to what actually is happening. 

Is it safe to travel as solo woman?

Sadly, as a woman, you are much more likely to get attacked by somebody you know, whether it is by a husband or your boyfriend or parents. If you are traveling in a place where you do not know anybody, you are already safer. 

What is a good destination to visit as a vegetarian?

India is definitely the easiest place to be vegetarian. Second place can be Italy because there are many vegetarian dishes. Germany has also become extremely vegetarian-friendly.

Do visiting certain countries affect you for getting visas?

Yes, for instance Europeans can have a hard time getting the American Visa after visiting Iran and other countries.

Is having travel health insurance important? 

It is important because in case anything happens, you can go bankrupt. Some places are cheaper than others, but repatriation amongst other services is never affordable. Check a great option for medical and travel emergencies here.

Kristin’s last and really powerful advice is: “Be fearless, but do not be careless. You should not be scared of everything because you are never going to do anything but try to be cautious”.

We hope this blog inspired you to travel the world by giving you amazing solo female travel tips. We invite you to watch the complete session with more stories on the link below.