Written by: Zunita Ramli
Solo Traveling? Why Not?
Japan, is one of the countries you should go to at least once in your lifetime. Japan offers many unique experiences that you cannot find in any other part of the world such as vibrant culture, traditions, and the peculiar way they lead their lives to the rest of the world.
Ready to solo travel!
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Firstly, Is It Safe?
Japan is indeed a very safe place to travel – including for women. Been doing solo travel in Japan for some time – including hiking, cave exploration, and so on, I would say Japan is very safe and it indeed offers so many experiences that you might only get if you are traveling alone.
For example, struggling to catch the bus in a rural area, asking a stranger to take a decent photo of you, and the list is going on and on. Solo female travel in Japan is indeed an incredible experience and the challenges of traveling alone as a woman shouldn’t deter you from the adventure ahead.
What You Need To Know in Traveling Alone
Well, even though Japan is a very safe country but bears in mind there are cases where unfortunate can happen. Be wise enough to know when to stop or keep going.
Nevertheless, here are five tips for your solo trip to Japan.
Tips 1: Know the places that you want to go
It is very important to know the public transport schedule in the area, especially if you are going to a rural area when the public transport is not frequent. You do not want to be stuck at that place without any transport of going back to your accommodation.
This also includes knowing what are the dos and don’ts in that place. For example, if you are going inside a cave, no graffiti is allowed to be drawn on the cave’s wall. You are also expected to bring your rubbish home with you.
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Tips 2: Visit public places
It is a good idea to just focus on public places but if you are a little adventurous, you might want to explore the rural area, probably like me. It is still possible, but make sure you arrange your schedule and avoid getting back late at night.
Tips 3: Choose Easy-To-Access Accommodation
I always choose to stay near the train station or any location that is easily accessible by public transport. After coming back from a long journey for the day, getting back straight to the accommodation without much hassle is very much needed. Trust me, you can thank me later.
Tips 4: Beware of belongings
Though Japan is a very safe country, there are also some cases of missing belongings. Though the cases might be small, they can happen. Hence, make sure you do not leave your belongings unattended in any case.
Tips 5: Do prepare for an emergency or unexpected circumstances
An emergency can happen anytime and it can be critical when we are alone in a foreign land. Hence, while traveling alone make sure to bring enough cash in case of emergency. It is also a good idea to bring along a credit card, just in case.
For foreigners, bringing a passport and residence card (if any) can be very helpful in an emergency situation. Make sure emergency telephone number is always ready such as your family, friends, and even your embassy contact number.
Note: [110] is to call the police, and [119] is to call an ambulance or firefighter.
Since almost every gadget nowadays uses a battery, it is also a good idea to bring a power bank (and make sure it is fully charged!). I myself have 3 power banks that I always bring when traveling solo. Medications, are also helpful to bring.
Extra: Listen to your instinct
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Always, always, always listen to your instinct. If in any case, you feel it is not safe, do not go.
I think it is also important to not over-plan or feel pressured to finish everything you had planned before. Be flexible and again, always listen to your instinct.
Don’t be afraid. Get the experience. Explore.
Good luck!
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