Travel can be an enjoyable experience but female tourists might want to be more cautious when traveling, especially when traveling abroad and alone.
Several incidents have occurred recently that may make female tourists want to take more precautions. In the latest incident, an American student was kidnapped and gang raped in Brazil while studying abroad. Earlier this year, a photographer from New York was killed in Turkey. Several rapes and murders have also occurred in India and Mexico. Recently a woman jumped out of her hotel room window because she thought the hotel owner was trying to rape her.
GoOverseas.com came up with a list of important tips and precautions for women to take while traveling abroad.
If you're traveling alone, don't tell people about it. Don't make it obvious or public knowledge. GoOverseas recommends wearing a ring even if you're not married, to keep predators away.
Be aware of how the women dress in the country that you're traveling in. You don't want to stand out or attract unwanted attention by wearing something inappropriate. Conservative countries may expect women to cover up certain body parts even if you're a tourist.
Make sure you have emergency phone numbers for important places in the country you're visiting. Know what the local 911 number is and have embassy contacts.
When checking into a hotel, be sure to check in during the day. This allows you to become familiar with the area around the hotel as well as with the security of the building and your hotel room.
Cat-calls on the street may be common but you don't have to feel threatened by them. You may want to catch a cab instead of walking if you feel like you're in danger. You may also want to hang out in certain areas or take certain forms of transportation that are made for women in particular.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
