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If You’re Dreaming Of Traveling Solo, These 22 Tips By This Experienced Traveler May Help You
InterviewWith the world slowly but surely fighting back against the Covid-19 pandemic, travel is becoming an ever more alluring possibility to many of us once again. Of course, our health is paramount and you shouldn’t be taking too many risks, but with vaccination campaigns continuing, it’s becoming far safer to travel than before. Though, certain other safety issues are still lingering in the shadows! Especially if you’re traveling alone and staying at hotels.
In a series of viral TikTok videos, former scientist, lifestyle expert, and content creator Cathy Pedrayes gave her followers a whole host of tips to keep in mind when traveling and they’re spot-on if you’ve got a trip coming up.
When you’re done upvoting the best traveling safety tips, check out our earlier article about Cathy, who has over 1.7 million followers on TikTok, right over here. What did you think of her tips? Do you have any of your own to share? Let us know in the comment section, dear Pandas!
Bored Panda went into detail about safety and security while traveling with Cathy herself. According to the content creator, being aware of our surroundings is vital. "It's something we're probably most aware of when walking through a parking lot late at night or getting cash from the bank, but we should practice awareness regularly," she said, noting that we should all practice people watching.
"Don't hesitate to look around you. Who's behind you while you're walking? Next to you? Is there a hazard up ahead like a pothole? Also, awareness goes beyond our physical experiences. Many of us are interacting in our digital worlds more than ever and it's important we're careful with how trusting we are online and teach our children good digital habits." You'll find our full interview with Cathy below.
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Mos times I never had to worry when I was alone inside the hotel, they have security and there's always kind guests during breakfast that will try to make conversation. I'd say this is more useful for the streets or tourist spots
Cathy shared that from her chats with travel agents and meeting planners (in this case, Tracy Weldon with Goldman, Michelle Donson, and Laura Krueger with Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks who book weddings and do corporate events) there appears to be some good news: "It seems travel is back, and people are anxious to get out."
Before traveling, you ought to take into account all of the pandemic travel and healthy advice. However, Cathy shared with Bored Panda a whole host of additional tips and tricks to make your life easier and safer whether you're traveling for business or for pleasure. One of Cathy's pieces of advice (and we can't stress enough how important this is!) is looking up known scams so that you're prepared for potential problems. Forewarned is forearmed after all.
Cathy also suggests looking up travel advisories ahead of time, reading hotel reviews, and bringing your own portable lock because some hotel doors might not be secure, depending on the country you're traveling to.
mehh put a bill in another place than a purse. If the purse is gone so is your pocket mirror/tampon bag/whatever. Keep one one your body.
According to the safety and security expert, we should also "plan transportation ahead of time (some countries have limited taxis), have copies of your passport and leave a copy with someone back home should yours get lost, [and] communicate your travel itinerary with someone back home."
What's more, Cathy warned people to "dress the part." For example, if you know that you'll be traveling to a high-theft area, you shouldn't be walking around with expensive jewelry on or swinging designer handbags. "Minimize how often you take our expensive electronics like your camera or smartphone. One way I do that is by mapping out locations in advance and downloading the map to my phone as well as getting a rubber watch, so I don't have to take out my phone as often. You can also change the straps on your cameras to something that doesn't show off the brand name," she told Bored Panda.
Actually, I used to put a chair right against the door, with the back of it beneath the handle. If anyone tries to enter it'll make noise and the chair will make them stop for a few seconds since it's blocking the door
Something else that you should avoid doing is traveling with all the contents of your wallet. You really shouldn't be putting all of your eggs in one basket in case it goes the way of the dodo. "Only bring what's necessary and split up your cash so if your wallet is pickpocketed or lost, you don't lose everything. Also keep inventory of what's in your wallet so if anything gets lost, you know who to call to stop credit cards, etc."
Finally, Cathy advised us to be prepared with a handful of go-to lies in case you come across some nosey people who ask personal questions, like where you're staying, if it's your first time visiting, if you're traveling alone, and others. "These questions may seem innocent but sometimes they're not, so be prepared with go-to answers. The large hotel chain with hundreds of locations is a response if someone asks where you're staying and don't admit to traveling alone. Of course, you can always say no, but a lie is a good alternative when you're not sure if it's just friendly banter."
Earlier, my colleague had a chat with Cathy about other safety habits and her as a content creator. She shared how she takes the topic of safety very seriously and, for example, took a 4-month-long first aid course when she realized that she didn’t know how to react in most emergency situations. That’s how dedicated Cathy is.
“I was taught about safety from an early age, probably not much different from what most parents teach their kids but I always had an interest in being prepared,” the video creator shared with Bored Panda during an earlier interview.
What's the point of taking it, then hiding it? Just leave it at home.
When using a zipped bag, the foot/runner of the zip should be facing towards your body when the bag is closed (which is exactly what the woman in this picture is NOT doing). This means any potential purse/wallet snatcher would have come into your body space to get the bag open rather than be able to dip into it from behind. They'll probably look for a easier mark.
“I thought I was being a good citizen, learning good habits, but my awareness changed when I started working as a host on national television. Suddenly I was exposed to risks, threats, and some extreme stalking cases, which opened my eyes to a new world of safety and security,” she opened up about just how necessary it was to educate the public about safety and security.
“When TikTok saw how overly prepared I was, they dubbed me the Mom Friend of the Group, and that helped me realize I had a lot to share,” Cathy said that she took the nickname and embraced it fully, even calling her website by that name. In her videos, she touches upon all aspects of security, ranging from physical all the way to how to stay safe online in the digital age.
I also recently spoke about hotel security with Allie Lovegood, a TikToker who aims to protect women and victims of abuse. One of the things that Allie told me is that we should always be aware of our surroundings. “Paying attention to other people’s behavior and mannerisms has allowed me to stay safe and leave quickly if I feel something is off.”
When traveling I'm also more alert, less naïve, but these 'tips' are borderline fear mongering...
There is a fine line between giving reasonable tips to make people "stree smart" and fearmongering. The pure dose here suggests the latter, particularly in the light that BP has taken up so many of these posts recently. Moreover, security advice better comes from experts than from influencers. According to BP, we have a "lifestyle expert and content creator" here. In others words: someone who tells people what they want to hear, not what would be well-researched. Sorry to be that harsh, but social media is full of non-experts voicing their opinion as if they have years-long experience, a scientific backing and statistical support at hand.
Load More Replies...I get feeling secure, but those tips are for someone that is being stalked (or an MI6 agent) not for a normal person on holiday. WTF if I know I'm stressed so much that I have to use such tricks to feel safe I'm not fu*king traveling.
I've travelled a lot on my own, in a lot of different countries. Whilst it's good to be alert, these tips seem to be assuming the very worst of everyone in every scenario and set a message of being fearful of everything.
What about "travel alone safely by not looking paranoïd and insecure"? I travelled alone in many so called "dangerous" countries alone as a tiny woman and was not paranoïd. I think that if you look insecure and always alert it's more like an invitation to problems.
I have traveled solo all over the world. Most of these tips are completely pointless. I could make a much better list. Just soome essentials: photocopy all your IDs and credit cards. If anything gets lost or stolen, you have the photocopy to prove identity and/or have the numbers to call. If you are a single woman, do not accept "help" or "travel advice/assistance" from men who approach you for this purpose. When out and about, use bags with zips and feel free to put a luggage padlock on the zip to make extra sure you don't get pickpocketed. Do not wander alone at night unless it's a busy downtown area with lots of people. Learn to say things like yes, no, thank you, please, go away and help in the language of the country you are visiting, at the very least. Do NOT ever put phones in your pockets or on tables. Use a lanyard and keep it close to your body. Do not attempt to do currency exchanges anywhere but official places. Stay sober enough to take care of yourself.
I hate to say it, but this woman is an idiot. She can't tell the difference between airport luggage tags and designer ones (they do the same thing!), her suggestions for hiding valuables almost ensure that you'll forget them, ditto having money on your person (different locations in your purse won't help), and putting anything other than a doorstop under your door is ridiculous. Ceramic cup, jingle bells? Excellent, I've got a two-second notice that my door is being opened. Putting your own lock on a door - but only if it doesn't hurt the lock! - means that you're traveling through airport security with suspicious electronics that you might not even use. The rest is common sense - pay attention to your surroundings! I do that in my home town.
The things that we consider common sense aren't always the case. Many people don't have these "common senses" and need someone to make them aware of it. The jingle bells are a louder, more distinct sound to hear. Also, If you hide your things in the same place at a hotel you won't forget them and that's only if you're staying at a place with no safe, which is usually not that often. These tips aren't all meant to be used at the same time, they are there to just help make people more aware.
Load More Replies...If you haven't any common sense or street smarts then just don't travel alone (if possible). And don't go somewhere you don't feel safe, get out of there! Some of these are a bit silly/paranoid really.
If you‘re paranoid and steadily feel unsafe you should‘nt travel alone. Better look for a safe stay before traveling, send copies of all your documents to a good friend at home and do nothing what you would‘nt do at home, too.
dont go anywhere if you need to do all that just to feel safe. take it easy , no stress and relax
As I've been travelling alone for over 20 years, I was hoping for more useful tips. Like choose aisle seats so you can stretch your legs on the plane. Make sure the reception desk / concierge works 24 hours. Always learn the emergency exits and ask for help if you don't understand (in case of an emergency in a foreign country you might not understand the instructions).
I absolutely LOVE this kind of thread with lots of really innovative and intelligent tips and tricks. Such as 'Look after your valuables' - so grateful for that one because the wife and I usually just put our watches, jewellery and money under a palm tree by the main entrance. This is really gonna change the way I holiday! Thanks OP!
I find it still disturbing that these are for women. We need to address the literal elephant in the room... men's behavior.
yeah...a lot of these can happen to men too especially the breaking and entering, pickpocketing etc...
Load More Replies...All these hiding spots are great, but you have to be careful which one you go for. One of my friends hid her pills beneath a large table and a cleaning lady thought that it was rubbish from a previous guest, so she threw them out... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
When traveling I'm also more alert, less naïve, but these 'tips' are borderline fear mongering...
There is a fine line between giving reasonable tips to make people "stree smart" and fearmongering. The pure dose here suggests the latter, particularly in the light that BP has taken up so many of these posts recently. Moreover, security advice better comes from experts than from influencers. According to BP, we have a "lifestyle expert and content creator" here. In others words: someone who tells people what they want to hear, not what would be well-researched. Sorry to be that harsh, but social media is full of non-experts voicing their opinion as if they have years-long experience, a scientific backing and statistical support at hand.
Load More Replies...I get feeling secure, but those tips are for someone that is being stalked (or an MI6 agent) not for a normal person on holiday. WTF if I know I'm stressed so much that I have to use such tricks to feel safe I'm not fu*king traveling.
I've travelled a lot on my own, in a lot of different countries. Whilst it's good to be alert, these tips seem to be assuming the very worst of everyone in every scenario and set a message of being fearful of everything.
What about "travel alone safely by not looking paranoïd and insecure"? I travelled alone in many so called "dangerous" countries alone as a tiny woman and was not paranoïd. I think that if you look insecure and always alert it's more like an invitation to problems.
I have traveled solo all over the world. Most of these tips are completely pointless. I could make a much better list. Just soome essentials: photocopy all your IDs and credit cards. If anything gets lost or stolen, you have the photocopy to prove identity and/or have the numbers to call. If you are a single woman, do not accept "help" or "travel advice/assistance" from men who approach you for this purpose. When out and about, use bags with zips and feel free to put a luggage padlock on the zip to make extra sure you don't get pickpocketed. Do not wander alone at night unless it's a busy downtown area with lots of people. Learn to say things like yes, no, thank you, please, go away and help in the language of the country you are visiting, at the very least. Do NOT ever put phones in your pockets or on tables. Use a lanyard and keep it close to your body. Do not attempt to do currency exchanges anywhere but official places. Stay sober enough to take care of yourself.
I hate to say it, but this woman is an idiot. She can't tell the difference between airport luggage tags and designer ones (they do the same thing!), her suggestions for hiding valuables almost ensure that you'll forget them, ditto having money on your person (different locations in your purse won't help), and putting anything other than a doorstop under your door is ridiculous. Ceramic cup, jingle bells? Excellent, I've got a two-second notice that my door is being opened. Putting your own lock on a door - but only if it doesn't hurt the lock! - means that you're traveling through airport security with suspicious electronics that you might not even use. The rest is common sense - pay attention to your surroundings! I do that in my home town.
The things that we consider common sense aren't always the case. Many people don't have these "common senses" and need someone to make them aware of it. The jingle bells are a louder, more distinct sound to hear. Also, If you hide your things in the same place at a hotel you won't forget them and that's only if you're staying at a place with no safe, which is usually not that often. These tips aren't all meant to be used at the same time, they are there to just help make people more aware.
Load More Replies...If you haven't any common sense or street smarts then just don't travel alone (if possible). And don't go somewhere you don't feel safe, get out of there! Some of these are a bit silly/paranoid really.
If you‘re paranoid and steadily feel unsafe you should‘nt travel alone. Better look for a safe stay before traveling, send copies of all your documents to a good friend at home and do nothing what you would‘nt do at home, too.
dont go anywhere if you need to do all that just to feel safe. take it easy , no stress and relax
As I've been travelling alone for over 20 years, I was hoping for more useful tips. Like choose aisle seats so you can stretch your legs on the plane. Make sure the reception desk / concierge works 24 hours. Always learn the emergency exits and ask for help if you don't understand (in case of an emergency in a foreign country you might not understand the instructions).
I absolutely LOVE this kind of thread with lots of really innovative and intelligent tips and tricks. Such as 'Look after your valuables' - so grateful for that one because the wife and I usually just put our watches, jewellery and money under a palm tree by the main entrance. This is really gonna change the way I holiday! Thanks OP!
I find it still disturbing that these are for women. We need to address the literal elephant in the room... men's behavior.
yeah...a lot of these can happen to men too especially the breaking and entering, pickpocketing etc...
Load More Replies...All these hiding spots are great, but you have to be careful which one you go for. One of my friends hid her pills beneath a large table and a cleaning lady thought that it was rubbish from a previous guest, so she threw them out... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯