A female solo traveller has revealed that only one destination has ever made her feel completely comfortable walking alone at night.
Taking to Reddit, the tourist described the country’s atmosphere as ‘freeing,’ and praised it for offering a level of safety that allowed her to do ‘whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted’.
Revealing the destination as Japan, she explained she had returned from a week-long trip to Tokyo, which she described as ‘one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.’
As detailed in her post, the traveller stayed in a hostel for around 5,000 yen per night.
To keep costs down, she ate mostly at convenience stores and budget-friendly chains such as Matsuya, with the occasional splurge on a traditional meal.
The holidaymaker also bought cosmetics from a local drugstore, spending a total of around 180,000 yen, excluding flights.
Noting how the trip offered a rare sense of independence, she wrote: ‘I really enjoyed traveling alone, not having to ask for anyone’s opinion or worry about someone else’s mood felt so freeing. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.’
She added that taking photos and videos, another worry for her, proved easier than expected.
A solo female traveller has described Japan’s atmosphere as ‘freeing,’ and praised the country for offering an ‘incredible’ level of safety for women travelling on their own (stock image)
According to the traveller, her Tokyo trip offered a rare sense of independence and an ‘incredibly safe’ environment for female tourists – even at night
She continued: ‘As a solo female traveler, the two things I was most concerned about were safety and taking photos/videos. Japan turned out to be incredibly safe. I never felt uncomfortable even when walking alone at night.
‘For photos, I sometimes asked strangers to help, but I also tried filming myself for the first time using a phone gimbal when no one was around. So the photo problem was solved, too. I ended up getting some really nice shots.’
The traveller said the experience was so ‘perfect’ that she is already planning her next solo trip to Dubai, and asked fellow Reddit users for recommendations.
Many commenters agreed with the traveller’s thoughts on Japan’s safety, with one writing: ‘I have heard Japan is incredibly safe!’
Another said: ‘Good to know. You could try Seoul or Taipei. They are pretty much safe for solo female travellers. And you could return to Japan for further solo trips, as each region is worth discovering.’
A third added: ‘I started my new solo travel thing with Japan too! It’s great for solo travelers……possibly because of the crazy work culture that means a ton of people are eating semi-sad solo meals at restaurants, but still!’
However, her plan to visit Dubai drew mixed responses, with some commenters expressing concerns about labour conditions and local attitudes toward women.
One commenter, who had travelled there alone, said two days in the city allowed ‘enough’ time to visit tourist spots, adding: ‘If you choose to venture to local neighborhoods like Deira, I would dress really conservatively there. Not that I felt unsafe but I got a lot of stares for absolutely no reason.
Another was more critical, writing: ‘There’s a bagillion other places to go that you haven’t been. Weird to willingly give money to support slavery.’
It comes as another female solo traveller has opened up about her experience visiting Japan and her first impressions of the country.
Millie Mclay, under her username @milliemclay, regularly shares her adventures around the world on TikTok to her 1.3million followers.
The travel influencer revealed her ‘honest’ take on Japan in a recent video, which shows her walking down the street in the popular destination. Detailing the various things she has noticed about the country, Millie explained how people aren’t allowed to consume food and drinks on the go.
AloJapan.com