Hi,
I'd like to take a break and go overseas but not break my bank. I'll be travelling solo (female). Main priority would be sight-seeing (not really into shopping). Are 3rd world countries unsafe for a solo female traveler? Would would be a safe and cheap destination?
Safe & cheap destination for a solo woman?
Lwchui on 19/05/2012 - 22:24
Comments
Vietnam.
Careful of bag-snatchers and pickpockets there. A friend of mine who visited Hanoi got her purse snatched by a little boy - he just ran past her and grabbed her stuff which was just sitting on a table.
also best not to carry expensive stuff like iPhones with you — it's like dangling a big neon sign saying "I'm rich; rob me!"
Hmm but i want to take lots of photos with my $397 DSLR that was posted on ozbargain. Should I just use my point and shoot :( ?
Just do the point and shoot that will slip into your pocket or somewhere secure. No sense announcing your wealth as you are on your own and will be obviously travlling in less than first class cotton wool.
One thing you do not want is to have your belongings (AND the fear of losing them or breaking them) hold you back.
Travel with a 7kg total weight backpack. It is completely possble. I did it. You can fit a few dresses, some trousers, tops, 100ml of aussie sunscreen (it will be expensive in asia) toothbrush, hair brush and lackeys.
Get antibiotics from your doctor. When you land buy immodium for about a buck for 6. Also buy your insect repellant straight away.
In Thailand and Bali(and presumably Vietnam and other asian places) 7 - 11s are cheap. Get your insect rellant, bottled water, etc from there.
I think "just sitting in the table" is the operative term here.
Hey voteoften, I've been looking at this carry on only/one bag travel philosophy but haven't been game enough to try it.
Did you ever run out of clothes or have to do washing every night in order not to run out of clothes? Did you have to locate and buy (at possibly a higher price) anything that you would otherwise have packed if you'd had luggage?
The other pro of travelling light that you didn't mention - and this is Ozbargain after all - you will save a whole lot in baggage fees if you don't take luggage!
Well if it freaks you out, and you want to save some money, if you are going on a budget airline, you could just pack light leaving the country and then whilst you're overseas (particularly in Asia) you could buy more clothes and also a new suitcase to go with, and pay for checked luggage on the way back.
Japan
I went there by myself for about 5 weeks 2 years ago as a solo female traveller. It is really safe and people are really honest (I could fall asleep on the train for hours with all my luggage and nothing would ever get stolen. You could manage heaps of sight seeing on your own, with their extensive intercity rail network (bullet trains!). I spoke almost no Japanese when I got there but I picked up some along hte way. It is relatively cheap, if you are willing to stay at hostels, but hostels over there are extremely clean (some are a bit cramped) but definitely clean and pleasant to stay in, more so than other countries I've visited (even Australia).
Korea or Taiwan is a good choice too.
+1 to Japan, and everything Yada says…it's just an amazing country to visit, and much more anglo-friendly than you would think! Japan is somewhat of an enigma IMHO, coz even at it's busiest, it is still oddly serene! :)
Fuji-San is breathtaking, and easily accessible by public bus on the cheap! ;)
How much did the trip cost you? I went a few years ago with a friend who's a shopaholic and so I shopped a lot with her, not really keeping tabs on each individual expense. The trip became expensive lol. I'd like to go there again since I only explored a small region.
About 5-6K for 5 weeks, including return flights from Jetstar (they weren't the cheapest at about 900 return - Jetstar have better sales than that), a 3 week JR pass, a 1 week JR EAST pass (the JR passes were about another grand all up), all accommodation & food.
I don't like shopping that much but I spent quite a bit at the 100 yen store :) (100yen ~ 0.80AUD).
I only stayed at hostels, except for 2 nights where I stayed at this ryokan (which was about $50/night). Hostels were generally around the 25-30/night for a dorm bed. This was when the exchange rate was 0.80 AUD to 100 yen
Korea would be the safest choice I know of, based on a stopover in Seoul last year. The friendliest and most helpful people anywhere, and lots of signs in English. Beijing is good too, not as friendly but has more to see e.g. Forbidden City, Great Wall, Olympic Stadia, Lama Temple. You can travel very cheaply and safely in Beijing taxis (up to 5km is about $A2 =13yuan), and the subway is safe. The Peking International Youth Hostel is great. Be careful in the rest of China, e.g. Guangzhou was dangerous a week ago when I was there.
I was thinking of saying something generic like "my bedroom", but i think New Zealand is a good alternative
Thailand. It is very hard to spend money there.
It is completely safe. I was the biggest danger to myself.
So much to see, the people are great in Bangkok and (esp) Chiang Mai.
Avoid Koh Samui and Srat thani area, they are holes and the onlt places I felt hostility. I later read that Koh Phangan and Koh Samui are the only two places in Thailand where you need to worry about violence.
Chiamg Mai is beautiful. Fly into Bangkok and take th eovernight train to Chiang Mai. Stay at Vanilla Place - look them up on trip advisor. Mr Kem and his wife Kat will realy look after you. They are a gentle older couple who speak very good english. It is like having an uncle thereto look after you. There are a lot of videos on youtube about chiang Mai. Google "retire cheap asia jc youtube" for some ideas on how cheap everything is. I intend to go back there with my daughter and spend a couple of weeks or a month studying (it is a university town) Mandarin, Thai and violin (daughter only on that.If I go back without my daughter, I will go to Burma as well or instead of Thailand.
Read my general thai advice.
Do not hire a motor bike. You will be uninsured and that it how most foreigners get hurt. Your health insurance will not cover you.
Avoid Malaysia. I found it to be very hostile to a solo woman traveller. There is even advoce not to be out after dark if you are a solo woman traveller in some areas like Penang. Funk dat!
Malaysia is a hole, a dirty filthy hole for a solo woman traveller.
I strongly disagree!
Suggest Sabah in the island of Borneo. It has beautiful seas and mountains. You can see Orang Utan, fresh sea food, markets and most of all, everyone is friendly. Because the country consist of three main types of people: Muslim, Christian and Buddhist, the people are very tolerant. As for Sabah, there are less Muslims there and more Natives. Very culturally diverse. And the best part is, because it was a colonised state before, most people speaks good English. And shopping and food and getting around is really cheap. Check out Air Asia.
Check out Thorntree Lonely Planet. They have a branch on women traveller.
Enjoy.
Yep, Sabah is awesome. If you time it right you'll get to see the giant Rafflesia flowers open & smell their beautiful perfume (:P) too!
Other parts of Malaysia, well some can be a bit sketchy I'm afraid. It's a fantastic place, but I suppose like anywhere one must be wary of the seedier aspects of the culture!
I was constantly quizzed on my relationship status. Initially I told people I was divorced. Such disapproval. I then started telling people I was married. They then wanted to know where my husband was and why was he not with me. Where exactly he was and what he was doing.
Yeah, some of those old cultural prejudices are 'quaint' to say the least!
If you want to shut them up, ask if they have an Indo maid, ask if they beat her and how well they pay her! ;)
I've heard Japan is very safe.. Going in November :D
Vanuatu - the locals are genuinely friendly and sincere. eg. do taxi drivers rip you off…not there. For shopping and travelling generally, there's no tipping, no haggling.
As for New Zealand or Japan being 3rd world countries…LOL.
As for New Zealand or Japan being 3rd world countries…
Nobody has suggested any such thing.
OP stated: " Are 3rd world countries unsafe for a solo female traveler? "
So far we've had suggestions of Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea; the last two probably not "3rd World" either.
Otherwise all helpful suggestions but broadens the scope beyond what the OP was looking for.
Perhaps the NZ suggestion was tongue-in-cheek ;-)
safe & cheap destination for a solo woman?
What part of the very first question - in the title no less, did you not get???
I'd like to take a break and go overseas but not break my bank. I'll be travelling solo (female). Main priority would be sight-seeing (not really into shopping).
Still no mention of the developing world as a strict criterion.
Are 3rd world countries unsafe for a solo female traveler?
Ok. So now do you get that the third world question was an entirely separate issue.
Would would be a safe and cheap destination?
Two criteria, safe & cheap; no mandate for a third world country! The OP has quite a broad scope already, and has already expressed interest in returning to Japan should the price criterion be viable.
[edit] Yes, comprehension - fail indeed! :p
For some reason Stewball can't consider criteria beyond the header/topic line. Comprehension - fail.
Okay, time for some pedantry.
The "Third World" no longer exists. It was not a definition of a country's wealth or development (under-developed, developing, developed), but rather stated a country's alignment.
First World countries were aligned with the United States. Second World countries were in the Soviet Union's sphere of influence, while Third World covered everyone else.
Of course, with the end of the cold war this system of classification of countries also ended.
Wikipedia has a pretty map at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World.
Yep, you are technically correct Postulative.
That said, as colloquial aphorisms, the terms 'third world' and 'developing countries' have (for better or worse) become pretty much interchangeable in everyday vernacular.
It never hurts to be reminded of the etymology of some of the terms we often use offhandedly though, cheers! :)
I read an article on cheap destinations and the majority of the countries suggested were 3rd world (least developed countries, whatever you prefer to call it..let's just call them LDC).
I understand that these are probably unsafe for a lone traveler, but was still hoping, however unlikely, that there might be exceptions, something that's decently safe. I have a broad scope regarding where to travel to, since 'cheap' and 'safe' can be trade-offs and I'm taking a lot of suggestions to consider the right balance.On my safety and expense scale Japan would be the highest (not willing to spend more than that).
Anything cheaper and decently safe I'll take into consideration.How would these three compare?
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam?
Yea, i was actually :D
Hehehe! I might pull that one on my Kiwi mates! :)
Now, back on topic…yes, according to my family members who go every year, Vanuatu is a lovely destination for a safe relaxing holiday that's very family friendly, and it's beautiful (I've seen their photos).
I'm told that it's tiny so perhaps sightseeing opportunities are somewhat limited? I'm happy to be wrong though, as I can only go on family/friend reports. I might go check it out later this year to be sure…I could use a relaxing holiday! ;)
I had a quick search and my impression is the same as yours. Looks lovely, but a place which I'd bring my family or partner along.
+1 Vanuatu. Beautiful place, safe and friendly locals. Cheap also.
What about Singapore? Although it's more of a shopping destination than a sightseeing one…
There's nothing to sightsee in Singapore. And the prices aren't that good either. Hong Kong > Singapore.
Standing ontop of the Marina Bay Sands and seeing all those cargo ships in the harbour is one heck of a sight!
But yeah, agreed there isn't much to see in Singapore, and the shopping there isn't any good either, it's cheap and good but not as good as Hong Kong.
After having gone to Singapore, honestly it's not worth it for a holiday if you only plan on going to Singapore. It's only worth visiting if you're flying Singapore Airlines and make a 3-4 day stop over there or if you're planning on visiting that area (Singapore and Malaysia and what not) as a tour or something.
OP, I would recommend reading some travel advisory websites for some precautions about the places you're visiting.
For a full listing, see the Australian Advisories Index
You can also check the UK travel guide if you prefer additional perspectives:
For e.g Malaysia: (safety rating: green)
Singapore (rating: Green)
Vietnam (rating: green)
Thailand (rating: dangerous!)
Thailand - Safe. Stay away from malaysian border. Avoid red shirt demonstrations. Do not insult the king or anything with his likeness. Don'e be a dickhead. Avoid Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.
I am working on a proposal to my ex to take out daughter to Chiang Mai for 7 weeks over the Christmas school holidays. I won't take her to the US, because most of that hole is too dangerous. Thailand is magnificent. Take the overnight train. You'll love it.
May as well mention Cambodia too. Very cheap and enjoyable.
The people suggesting Japan need to brush up on the definition of the word 'cheap'.
May as well mention Cambodia too. Very cheap and enjoyable.
What part of 'safe' did you not get??? I have friends in Phnomh Penh, they have told me that tourists are well advised not to stray too far from the beaten track! Yeah, it's cheap coz it's one of the poorest countries in the world; but the huge disparity between rich & poor there means street crime is rife.
I've been planning a trip to Angkor Wat with them for a while (once our schedules match up better), and they have told me to be careful there… but a solo female traveller, warning bells IMHO! Yeah, I believe it's getting better, but from a safety viewpoint you wouldn't pick it over somewhere like Thailand or Malaysia unless you have someone watching your back.
The people suggesting Japan need to brush up on the definition of the word 'cheap'.
You've clearly never been there, you've only heard the old wives tales of bloody $30 oranges & other nonsense…it's cheaper than travelling in Australia now!
Actually, on that note I'll have a bit of a rant…Australian tourism should be ashamed of itself…having shown a few international guests around recently I'm confident in saying that Aussies are leading the world in price-gouging not only international tourists, but their own people as well…huzzah! Here endeth the rant! :s
No mate. I have been to both countries. So I know from first hand experience. Although I'm really glad to hear you have friends in PP.
So what exactly did you find particularly expensive about Japan???
Try to use the 'reply' link to keep the thread clean & contiguous too, please.
Although I'm really glad to hear you have friends in PP.
Yes, oddly enough I tend to trust the advice of locals that I know, over anonymous western people on the internet! ;)
I think that the people on the forum who are stating this is sfae or not safe for a solo female traveller should state whether they have been there or not as a female solo traveller.
There is a world wide expert on violence. He has some sort of security company that provides risk assessments to high profile people around the world. People like celebrities, CEOs, US Supreme Court Judges, etc. One of the things many things he does with stalkers and disgruntled former employees is he can analyse their behaviour and tell you whether they are a risk or harmless. His name is Gavin de Becker. He wrote a book about violence, how to avoid it and how to survive it. It is called the Gift of fear. Anyway, de Backer makes the statement that a man's greatest fear is that a woman will laugh at him and a woman's greatest fear is that a man will kill her. You may laugh, but men have dressed up as women in experiments and they are immediately afraid. They have never thought of the world in the way that a woman does.
So I assert, rather strongly, that unless you are a woman, your opinion on what is safe is not as beneficisl to the OP. Even more beneficial would be if you are a woman who has travelled alone to that particular country. Not one who went with her boyfriend and spent an hour shopping without him. Not a woman who went with a group of women. Alone, the whole trip. Slept in strange places there, had to get around there, etc. Otherwise, you do not have the experience that the OP is seeking.
I am a woman and have travelled solo in the following countries and reassert my opinions on the following countries.
Singapore - delightful safe cheap (yes cheap if you eat in hawker centres, even cabs are cheap) I call it the Disneyland of Asia. Sanitised.
Malaysia - Absolute hole where if you are a western woman and are travelling alone you are constantly barraged with unwelcome attention and judgements. HOLE HOLE HOLE HOLE I spoke with other women who have been there, even in women groups and they dislike the questions, which are culturally inappropriate to us. I would say that when you are in a situation in a country of such a fanatic religion and you are universally despised and diapproved of, then you should stay away. If something goes wrong, things could go bad very quickly for you as you are an object to be treated with contempt.
Bali - Hole, but safe. Filthy and inefficient.
Thailand - Safe. Women and men are seen doing the same work interchangably. I never went into sex areas, so I can not speak as to how that would feel like. I never felt anythying relating to my sexuality excpet from hot backpacker types who I would invariably meet at every lesson or on every tour or out and about. (Damn!!) I was a foreigner, therefore was sexless. It could be different for a man as there are some women there who would very much like to marry a westerner. But that would be welcome-ish attention as it would come without the whiff and threat of potential violence. Thai people think differently and are very tolerant of differences. I saw so many feminine men prancing around carrying knockoff LV handbags in Bangkok. They'd be at risk of violence in the UK, US or Oz. But in Thailand, the hetero men do not see them as an affront or threat to themselves. I was in both Chiang Mai and Thailand during Songkran. I had to go into the crowd to get from the skybus to the underground. It was about 150 metres and it took me nearly an hour to run the guantlet of having the icecold water dumped on me and being smeared with mud. It was getting dark. My front bit was against the person in front of me's bum. Someone's front bit was against my bum. It was too crowded to trun around and see if that person was man or woman. We were all shuffling through the sea of water and mud. The crowd was massive and most people had been there all day. When I finally got to the underground entrance, I was given a towel to clean off with. As I waited for the train, I mused that not one person had groped me. I saw no act of aggression or impatience. I did meet a lady on the train to Surat Thani and few days later who had her iphone stolen. She had her pockets open. But no violence nothing sexual at all, with all those wet clothes, etc. In Perth, there would have been glassings, fights, shootings, sexual assaults and more than half the poeple would be drunk as hell and powderkegs waiting to explode.
Thailand = safe if you are not a dickhead. Avoid large gatherings, unless a national or local festival. Treat the king and his images and likenesses with respect. No drugs. Do not trust anyone who comes up and starts a conversation with you. that is not the thai way. They will help you however they can if you approach them ,but they will not seek you out, unless they want something. It will just be money anyway, not to hurt you. Violence just does not occur to them. Stay out of the southern areas near Malaysia. (Those people are probably just up in arms because they live near that HOLE). Don't go to the full moon party. Don't accept drinks from strangers. Don't flash your money around. Avoid Surat Thani, except to transit from the train to the west coast. Don't go east to Koh Samui. It is a hole. I had not read that Koh Samui and nearby Koh Phangan were the only places where foreigners should fear violence, until I read it on a link from here after my return. I was regarded with hosility in Surat Thani town and Koh Samui. I felt unsafe and sure enough, my instincts were right. It is a dangerous place, relatively speaking. It is certainly unpleasant.
Bring your smile and your point and shot camera.Perhaps the best measure a male like myself can use is the yardstick by which I would measure each destination…Would I be confident allowing my wife/sister/daughter to go to this place by herself? IMHO, I would tend to err on the side of caution as a solo traveller, male or female!
I would say that when you are in a situation in a country of such a fanatic religion and you are universally despised and diapproved of, then you should stay away. If something goes wrong, things could go bad very quickly for you as you are an object to be treated with contempt.
I think you've hit the nail on the head with that, there is a lot to be said for separation of church & state. At least then the cultural/religious biases wouldn't have the force of the law to back them up when abused.
I'd say Singapore = safe. I'd consider it cheap but would be more expensive than say Thailand or Malaysia (someone feel free to correct me). Agree with the comments above that there's not much to sightsee. Things to do there - Sentosa, Universal, zoo, casino - win back your holiday money! Shop, eat, eat, eat some more.
I wouldn't say that Malaysia is as terrible as voteoften is making it out to be, but I wouldn't recommend it either (at least not KL - I can't really say about other parts).
All these are generalisations anyway - eg Perth is "safe" for a solo female traveller, but I wouldn't wander alone in Northbridge at 3am on a Saturday night! There will be horror stories from every country, even those considered safe, and there will be single females who have gone to the more "dangerous" countries and come back happy and unharmed.
Wherever you decide to go, read up on travel safety especially as it applies to solo travelers, use your common sense and you'll be fine.
Thanks for all the input. Since there are mixed reviews about Malaysia I'll leave that one for when I have a travelling partner. I'm sure Thailand is interesting but I'm concerned about the advisories rating and would rather play safe and wait until there are no warnings.
I've limited the choices down to Vietnam, China, Japan. I'm curious why when Vietnam was suggested, no one voted it up. Is it not a good choice?
Vietnam should be fine. I'm considering on going there next year as part of my University research program.
A few of my friends live and work there too… the food is cheap and good, and there's plenty of interesting things to see there. Don't bring expensive gadgets, leave jewelry at home, use a backpack for more storage and convenience.
Just a little tip. This is how you should cross a road in Vietnam — keep walking at a steady pace and looking at oncoming traffic (the cars will never stop for you)
TBH, I don't know why Thailand's danger rating is so high? IMHO, although it's got some dodgy areas, the vast majority of Thailand is pretty safe for most tourists. As voteoften says, steer clear of throngs of westerners, they're bad voodoo anywhere!
Most foreigners that get hurt there seem to do so more by their own alcohol fuelled misadventures than nefarious activity by the locals! I still love the Thai people, but I just don't rate Thailand much as a holiday destination these days for this very reason, scumbag foreigners have ruined it as a getaway spot for normal people! :(
I like China, I've spent a lot of time there myself, but brush up on your Mandarin if you're going there because not many people speak English (well) & unlike Japan things are not well alternatively signposted in English. If in doubt, look for a kid of late middle school - early university age & ask them for help/guidance…that's statistically your best chance of mutual intelligibility, & they're usually quite happy for a chance to practice their English with a native speaker! ;)
flights to china can get pretty expensive in comparison with vietnam but on par with japan :L
I have not been to Vietnam, but would go there alone, happily. Solo woman. I would do that before CHina and Japan.
But I will probably go to Burma after I take my daughter to Thailand. I am thinking I will take her for 6 or 7 weeks over the christmas holiday. Provided I can get permission from her dad.
you could just pack light leaving the country and then whilst you're overseas (particularly in Asia) you could buy more clothes and also a new suitcase to go with
Have seriously considered this also!
For the OP, I've never been to any of the 3 countries on your shortlist so am not qualified to comment on safety or cheapness. But I can't resist putting in my 2c anyway - a really high proportion of my friends who have gone to Vietnam and China have had some kind of major gastro incident there…more so than who get "Bali belly" or anything from Malaysia or Thailand. Obviously this is all anecdotal and you can get food poisoning anywhere, but something else to think about.
Thai people are very clean. So are singaporeans. Malaysians and Balinese are not clean, in my opinion.
LOL, I've had one form of dysentry or another in many parts of SE Asia…I tend to look at it this way, if you travel enough, it's not a matter of if you're gonna get it, just when! Sometimes, it's not even toxic or microbial, it's just a significant change in diet that can prompt a dose of the trots too! ;)
Carry a decent stock of Immodium & Gastrolyte (sports drinks don't cut the mustard for dysenteric rehydration) is the best advice I can give! :)
Don't forget you can just ship stuff home very cheaply, especially if you want to shed your belongings and travel light for th erest of your journey.
I sent about 15kg home from that HOLE, KL and it was pretty cheap. I prefer to not be weighed down with crap when I am on the road.
Did you like Melaka? I thought it was lovely there, right up there with Sabah as a Mly standout. I'm not a huge fan of KL either, I must admit…great food, and real cheap, but the whole place just feels…shifty!
I did go to Melaka. It was pretty. I went on a tour group with westerners, so I was insulated from disapproval regarding my female and alone status.
Yes, KL is shifty. In a dirty way. Bangkok is a bit shifty, but the people are friendly, so it is more bearable.
I would like to go to Penang/Gergetown for the food, but I have read that I need to be back inside overnight if I do not want to be hassled. It is bad enough to be quizzed by people in shops, taxi drivers, restaurants, etc etc, that I don't want to know what sort of harassment might be in store for me if I went out at night alone. I met a guy here in Perth who was from there when buying a plant for my daughter and he said he was from this island called Penang in Malaysia. He made it sound so obscure, that I said, "You mean Georgetown?" He was quite happy and we talked about food in Georgetown. I asked him about going out. He said I'd be fine as long as I covered my neck, arms, down to the wrists and legs to the feet. He seemed fairly confident I'd be okay, but FFS,why bother when you are so looked down upon?
I ROFL every time I fly into a [insert fanatic religion here] country; as soon as the descent is announced there is an immediate line-up of women (all ages) at the toilets to put on jeans under skirts & hijabs!
The hypocrisy is appalling…I'm right with you on that one! ;)
Thanks stewy.
Somewhere above somebody asked me about running out of clothes. No, I did not. Laundry in Thailand is pretty standard at 30B ($1) per kilo. If it is 1.5 kg, they will charge you 45B, so you can be pretty sure you will pay close to a buck a kilo regardless of weight. I did wash my own knickers, out of modesty. Men are heavily involved in housekeeping and laundry services in Asia.
If you are a female traveller in Thailand, get used to the idea of squat toilets. A very deep squat is most sanitary. The prevalence of squat toilets is a good reason to wear dresses. If you have fat thighs, you will probably get some irritation. There were a number of western women wearing dresses, but you could see bike length shorts underneath. An interesting thing about Thai people is that they do not seem biased against fat people. They refer to them as "strong" and seem to see it as a positive thing. Maybe they are just so kind and happy, they couldn't consider thinking bad things about people who are different.
Women are supposed to stay away from monks, so they will not risk touching them. Apparently women can speak with the orange monks but not the red ones. I avoid them all. If it is so repugnant that I might touch them, I don't want to risk having them touch me.
If it is so repugnant that I might touch them, I don't want to risk having them touch me.
Girl germs! I learned about these in primary skool! :p
I'm a guy so I cant attest to how a woman would feel but I have travelled solo to the following places and felt safe:
Singapore - done to death by other posters.
US - obviously depending on where you go. If you can get a cheap deal on a ticket to LA you can then go online and use the US websites to search for cheap US internal flights. I normally use Southwest as they dont charge extra for bags. You can get very cheap tickets for internal US flights. I have gone to several places in the US on my own:
Vegas - I stayed on the strip. I dont gamble but there was plenty to see regardless. If you do your homework there are great deals to be had on hotels. There are factory outlets there for shopping and there is heaps to see and do. The Grand Canyon is close by for a day trip and there are loads of tour operators running cheap tours from about $50 - $60 up to private Helicopter tours if you want to spend up. There are loads of shows to see in the casinos and there are loads of places selling cheap tickets. When I was there in feb I think there was about 6 or 7 different Cirqui de Soleils on at the same time. There are magicians, (Copperfield and Angel) and all manner of singers etc. The Hoover damn is also close by. Just a walk up the strip was interesting and seeing all the different Casinos is a blast in itself. There's a Pyramid and a recreation of the Eiffel tower!!. Vegas has everything from the indoor shooting ranges where you can pay to have a go on a machine gun through to the simulated weightlessness flights in a plane or the indoor freefall thing where you go into a room with a massive fan on the floor that blows you off the ground! I am sure there are dodgy places there but I stayed in the Casinos and on the strip and felt safe all the time.
Orlando - Another very touristy place in the US. Full of theme parks. I think there is a suburban/CBD area but I stayed out in the touristy part of town. There are 4 or 5 massive theme parks there that are great fun (even for a big kid like me). Disney Epcott, Universal and Sea World are all awesome and much bigger than our versions on the Gold Coast. I payed about $100 for a day trip from my hotel down to Cape Canaveral to see where the space launches take place. Interesting place. More factory outlets that you can poke a stick at! US people go to Orlando on shopping holidays!! Once again I stayed in the touristy places, I am sure there would be dodgy neighborhoods there but I didn't go near any!
I have also been skiing at Lake Tahoe and Colorado, all on a shoestring using the same formula. Skiing was awesome but altitude sickness in Colorado can suck!!
I owned a townhouse in a suburb called Oviedo, which is/was in the outer nice part of Orlando. I worked in other parts of the country for clients and was only in town for about 2 weeks a year. The last 6 months however, I spent in Oviedo collecting residual payments. I knew once I left the country, the payments would cease. They did, but I hired a lawyer and fixed that up.
Anyway, the last six months of my time in the US were spent in Orlando.
Orlando, Dallas and San Diego are the only three places I would ever live in the US, if absolutely forced to do so.
Now that I have travelled more, I see no reason to ever live again in that country. I have no desire to visit either, but I can see where some people would like to see it. Orlando is great due to the theme parks.
When I left Orlando, the one place to avoid was downtown. There was an establishment called the Dixie Doodle and they had a shooting or fight to the death nearly every week. Avoid downtown. At the time, there was an entertainment complex downtown that was relatively popular - a must visit type of place. I say, just avoid downtown. Stay away. There are lots of other places to spend money elsewhere.
Further south, the keys are a good place to visit. The best place I have ever snorkelled was about half way to key west. They also had the whole pay $100 and enjoy exploiting the dolphins by having them tow you around etc. (That $100 was about 17 years ago pricing, but I bet it isn't more than $150 - $200 now.)
One of the must do experiences in Florida is one of those airboat rides in the swamps.
The most amazing hotel I have ever stayed at was The Breakers in Palm Beach. That was 17 years ago. I think it was built in the Florida heyday where the Vanderblts and their ilk were building empires. It was amazing. If you are driving south, stop off and stay or jst get a drink or just walk around. The thing about rich folks in the US or perhaps just the Florida rich is that if you act like you belong, they assume that you do belong. Be vague.
If you go to The Breakers or have been there in more recent years and do not think it is fabulous, please don't post that opinion here. It holds such a special place in my memory. The soaps in the rooms were so exquisite that people would buy more, even my mail order after they had left….
There are very bad parts in the states. More so since I was last there 14 years ago. Be very careful. It is different from Oz. People are more desperate. Basic needs such as health care are not met for a large part of society. There are a large number of people who can be tipped over the line.
Here's a mildy amusing blog type entry on "travelling with breasts".
http://www.thevine.com.au/life/travel/travelling-with-breast…
I say anywhere you want to go. I travelled to London and then backpacked around Europe as a solo female. Was 25 at the time. I don't recall ever being in a situation where i felt threatened and i stayed in some dodgy areas, especially in Paris. You just need to be sensible. I didn't go out drinking or walked the dark streets. If i wanted a night tour i'd go with a tour group with a hotel pick up and drop off.
I've travelled with my sister to America and also to Singapore. Again never had a problem.
I personally as a female solo traveller would never go to Thailand.
I went to Singapore, Paris and parts of Thailand as a solo female traveller. I went out drinking (heavily) and walked the dark streets.
I would not go out drinking alone in Koh Samui. It is a hole.
I will go back to Thailand, most likely by myself. I will drink and walk dark streets.
Singapore doesn't count. It is safer than disneyland.
New Zealand?