Solo traveling: Here are some tips to stay safe

Though traveling by yourself can be scary and intimating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.

Laura Hernandez told CTV News Ottawa Friday she’s been traveling for 10 years now. Along the way, she’s learned a few lessons and one of them is that solo traveling can be safe if you chose the right accommodations and look for welcoming communities.

“I had read a few travel blogs online, making sure that it was safe because that’s everyone’s first concern and the truth, it is very safe,” she said. “There is a huge community out there ready to receive anyone that wants to explore this area and it was just a little easy. Honestly, in Southeast Asia, it’s quite simple.”

Hernandez says her safety tips apply to multiple destinations around the world, including Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.

Here are her tips:

• Look at reviews when booking your accommodations to make sure the place you’re going to be staying at is welcoming, has good energy and good people.

• Stay in a hostel if you don’t want to stay alone.

• Bring a lock for your locker, as many people would be staying at the same room in a hostel.

“You really want to make sure that you’ve got your things all safe and good to go,” she said.

“You can check the reviews to make sure that they do have those lockers because not every hostel will have those lockers.”

• Bring a water bottle and some snacks with you to make sure you stay hydrated and fed throughout the day. She recommends having a few granola bars and mixed nuts on you.

• Go with the right community. She says “a lot of female solo travelers will use Bumble BFF” to connect with other people to do activities with, such as hiking.

“So, Bumble got three interfaces on the platform. They’ve got the Bumble Date, they’ve got the Bumble Business. But, what we’re looking for here is the Bumble BFF,” she said.