I agree that travel is very often a gendered endeavor, but I disagree that the quality of my travel is lessened by my gender or the decisions I make regarding my safety. Solo travel is never "safe," really, so it comes down to what the individual traveler is comfortable with.

Posted By Sue on December 18, 2008, 4:24 PM

Thanks for expanding the discussion on this issue, Sean. I hope more readers will take some time to reflect on this. I'd love to hear opinions from male travelers as well.

I didn't imply any "better" or "worse" sentiment in my original post, just different -- but some of the comments did note that interaction suffered in places where women were not treated equally as men.

Beyond our own experiences, shows such as Alex's reinforce this difference by simply ignoring it. When will we see more travel shows hosted by women and people of color, reflective of their interests and issues? Are these things that Budget Travel considers when selecting articles or authors, for example?

Posted By poetloverrebelspy on December 19, 2008, 11:40 AM

The difference in experience is only significant in high-risk areas. Men and women alike can have similar experiences of their choosing in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, etc. Majority of people are probably not interested in traveling solo in Kenya anyways, men or women. Alex's story should be looked at as an exception to the rule, and not an encouragement that everyone should follow suit.

Posted By Sam on December 19, 2008, 12:20 PM

The question here is a little faulty - better is (I think) the wrong adjective. Different is more accurate. Or maybe "easier." Or "safer."

And it IS different. While I wouldn't trade my travel experiences for anything, there is no denying that I do a gut check for things that I think lots of guys wouldn't think twice over - going in that bar, walking instead of taking a cab, even traveling in that nation.

It is not the same. We can not take our Western freedoms with us as women, so our experiences MUST be different. And if you doubt that, I offer up two words for starters: Head scarf.

Posted By pam on December 20, 2008, 7:57 PM

Equally, women can have travel experiences men cannot. If I hadn't been a solo woman, I probably would not have been taken along with a large group (more than 100) armed men seeking poachers in a Mozambique national park... nor would I have been invited to a traditional wedding in Bali... or to go out dancing at the height of the war in Lebanon...

I traveled solo for three years across Africa, Asia and parts of Europe and the Caribbean. I slept in neighborhoods I was warned against, and tried not to let gender deter my travels.

However, I did use common sense - I didn't go out at night alone (where I was, most men would have stayed home too), and yes - bars unaccompanied were off-limits.

And - I do have a head scarf, AND have worn all types of abayas and veils, which have allowed me to see without being seen.

Indeed, my world would be a better place if gender roles disappeared for travelers but while they remain, travel doesn't need to be in any way 'faulty' for women - just different.

Posted By Scribetrotter on December 23, 2008, 1:45 AM

I have travelled to 41 countries around the world and have experienced no major problems and expect none in the future. This can be attributed to the use of common sense and the native ability to recognize and avoid places and people that make me feel uneasy. These guide lines should work whether one is male or female. Thus, keep your eyes open at all times and enjoy this wonderful world of ours.

Posted By ChasDWes on December 26, 2008, 9:25 AM

what you say does make sense...when my daughter and i traveled to jamaica, we had to be concerned about where we were walking since we were two women alone. it didn't stop us, but we did think about it, and we did walk faster. and once i walked down a long walled street in quiet and less touristy part of a city for a photo and about 1/2 way in i realized i was alone and there were no side streets or shops and i quickly turned back toward the square. i love to travel & will continue to enjoy it, but as a woman i am more cautious than a man would be.

Posted By melinda on December 26, 2008, 10:46 AM

Agreed and disagreed. If on my own in dodgier spots, I stay close to homebase at night and catch up on my journal and travel planning. I figure the best imaginable upside of what I'm missing is still outweighed by the worst imaginable downside.

On the disagreed front - I've been invited to dine with and go home with a number of families who reached out to me based on my being solo and female. These are experiences that have made trips and ones I don't see so often offered to my male solo counterparts.

Posted By Beth AC on December 26, 2008, 11:55 AM

Now that I am in my late 60s, I feel safer doing travel things that I would not want my own daughter to do. Of course, I also have less energy for doing these interesting things now! But I still am not foolish; single male travelers DO have advantages over single females.

Posted By CC on December 26, 2008, 12:50 PM

Some years ago I was hitch-hiking solo from North Cape to Oslo in the Norwegian summer. Standing drenched by the side of a muddy road just outside Narvik I was joined by an attractive blonde young lady, equipped, as was I, with a large rucksack. Hers, however, was supplemented with a massive set of reindeer antlers spreading out on all sides, and covered in mud from where she'd set it down shortly before. As we chatted I commented on the difficuly she must have hitching so "handicapped". Giggling, she bet me she'd beat me to Oslo, and we arranged to meet and settle up. Within 10 minutes a large panel truck slowed and the driver beckoned her in. It was empty after having delivered bananas to towns all the way up the coast, so I figured I also was in like Flynn. Ha! The driver shouted an explanation that he only had room for one (at least I think that's what he said as my Norwegian was rudimentary at best) and waving cheerily she drove off. A few drenched hours later a guy on a Vespa stopped for me. Even allowing for the fact that we skidded in the mud and were hit by a Mercedes-full of German tourists outside Mo-i-Rana, necessitating a brief hospital visit to be informed of the cushioning capacity of thick layers of mud, on final arrival in Oslo I was overjoyed (chagrined??) to find she'd beaten me by four days. Over a quiet beer or six she admitted that the banana driver had been a perfect gentleman, much to her disgust. He had, however, left her with this startling piece of trivia, viz: the favourite food of the Scandanavian elk is the banana. Having been booed unmercifully in a few pubs attempting to win trivia contests, I verified this at Elkshusen in Sweden a few years ago. There the trainers carry bananas in their inside coat pockets to reward their charges. One of them told me they'd learned this from Russians who had elks in some circuses. All of this is a bit rambling, but has led me to believe that gender-based favouritism in hitch-hiking was, and maybe still is, alive and well, but that it can have its rewards if you're an elklover.

Posted By Tony on December 26, 2008, 1:16 PM

I agree that there's a difference. I can see the same things with a male or female, but the planning around the activity is different. When I travel I like to try the night life in various cities. When I go with a female friend we have to read up on the club and the area to make sure it's safe. Everything has to be planned out ahead of time. There's always a small worry in your mind about the safety of the situation. With a male companion it's different. You pick the most interesting activity and you just go, minus all the planning and all the worrying.

Posted By Jennifer on December 26, 2008, 2:22 PM

I have traveled to 5 continents with my two sons ages 10 and 12. People ask me if I am scared to travel alone with my sons. Anything can happen any where, whether you are traveling or going to your neighborhood store. You just have to keep a watchful eye and use common sense.

Posted By Susan on December 26, 2008, 4:23 PM

Women do have to travel more cautiously I believe but we have to be more careful in everyday life too. I was raped and nearly killed in my own nice safe neighborhood. And I changed the way I live to some extent, but I don't overthink it--caution when traveling is just a natural extension of everyday common sense.

Many of those commenting probably choose to ignore the uncomfortable truth--that the only thing keeping anyone from doing something horrible to you at any time is the fact that he or she doesn't want to. If people want to do you harm, they can. Anywhere. I travel a lot and have had very good luck throwing myself on the mercy of the local population, but complete safety anywhere is an illusion.

Posted By s2kreno on December 26, 2008, 7:25 PM

I don't know about men having better travel experiences - but I think they're different.

I find that when I travel alone, I take more time to pause and reflect. I talk to locals and artists more. I feel like I experience an area much more deeply but I don't take on all the challenges that I might if I was a man. When I travel with a man it's different - less time getting to know the people and the place. More time and energy on the "experience" and we go places I might not have gone to on my own.

I don't know which is better - I love both types of travel - but I do think that men and women experience a place differently. I certainly think more about my safety than a man probably would and it does influence my choices. But, as a mother of boys - I often wish they'd use a little more caution :-)

G-

Posted By gdr on December 27, 2008, 12:06 AM

I think women do need to be more careful than men. My friend and I took a self defense class to prepare us for possible problems on our backpacking trip thru Europe. One main thing they taught was that you should always be aware of what is going on around you. Be confident and assertive - Don't look like an easy target. We went where we wanted and had no problems. Women should not let fear stop them from getting the most out of traveling or limit them to "safer" activities. Women just have to travel "smarter" than men.

Posted By fran on December 27, 2008, 12:10 AM

Men also need to use common sense and caution when traveing on their own. A young male friend returned home from Europe with tales of being propositioned aggressively by gay men he was not interested in and various situations of petty theft.

Posted By Donna on December 27, 2008, 2:51 AM

Both Cairo and the island of Lamu (off Kenya's coast near Somalia), offer unique experiences for travelers but I found it impossible as a single woman to deal directly with the Swahili man who scheduled all the local trips at my resort in Lamu. The worst flying experience came at the Cairo airport when my female friend and I waited first in line in the business class to get boarding passes. For over half an hour, the ticket agent ignored us but provided passes for every man who walked around us holding multiple passports. Then when I finally cajoled the supervisor to come over, he turned way complaining that I should have learned the language before traveling to Egypt. I promptly cursed him out in Kiswahili, Greek, Spanish, and French. Interestingly, only after he heard the French did he tell the ticketing agent to attend to us. I am pretty sensitive in foreign countries about my manners and cultural differences, but will avoid many Muslim countries in the future if I travel alone or without a male "cover."

Posted By Ann Meisel on December 27, 2008, 3:36 PM

I've been to Italy and Ireland and my next stop is island hopping in Greece. Women just need to be aware of their situation at all times. I partied every night in Ireland and never had any problems. I had to belt a guy in the arm but other than that I was ok : )

Posted By Karen on December 29, 2008, 10:29 PM

Women must have "street smarts", and always be aware of their surroundings. I travel a lot and always try
to blend in, not always possible, but by wearing very little jewelry (nothing flashy), conservative clothing, and, if possible, dressing as women my age do in their countries. This always helps a lot and I always try to learn a few words in the language of the country I'm traveling in. "Please" and "thank you" are magic words everywhere just as good manners are.

Posted By Marion M on December 31, 2008, 4:59 PM

Women are frisked more by TSA-- older women alone or younger with children. They are threatened more by TSA and the Airlines and treated more rudely by stewards and stewardesses particularly stewardesses--even if you are travelling first class.
I keep records.

I would like to compare comments and experiences with this gender based discrimination by the TSA and airline personnel
JRB

Posted By j RAE on January 1, 2009, 5:42 PM

I was raised to fear all forms of self-travel, since it put my delicate female form at the mercy of bad weather, dangerous men, aggressive animals, etc. In disagreement to my parents, I pack up and move off anyway, determined not to let 'being female' trap me. Yet I have, in comparison to male friends who travel extensively, enjoyed numerous more experiences for this exact reason! Instead of worrying about the dangers of male vs. female travel, I think you can make a large distinction between the benefits of gender trips.

Everywhere I go, someone seems to 'take pity' on the blonde backpacker and lets me pick the better seat on the bus, order from the take away first, or deflects the glances of dodgy mustachio-ed grandpas. My male friends say they are just generally ignored when they visit places. Everyone is, essentially, at risk any moment, in any location- so call me old school, but I think in many ways it is safer for females to travel because we are protected by the common understanding that we need protection. As long as your feathers aren't fluffed by a bit of extra help, you can gain a lot of unique opportunities being a girl and going on your own.

Posted By Dakota85 on January 6, 2009, 10:21 AM

In my observations during travel all over the world (that's a large part of my job)I have noticed a tendency of women of all nationalities to feel entititled to be indignant in situations where they should best keep quiet. I do not think that this is "erring on the side of caution."

Posted By Joshua N. on January 8, 2009, 6:17 AM