Hi Reader,
How are you doing?
I am in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where I am spending one last week before returning home from a month in Asia.
This has been an extremely enlightening trip, and a bit of a trip down memory lane, since I have revisited countries I had been to many times before, but with new eyes and after them having changed a lot.
If you're keen on visiting Vietnam and Cambodia, join our waitlist to find out first when our trip goes live for the spring of 2027. And go follow me on stories to see what I am up to. Spoiler alert: there is a lot of food.
๐ฉ On this week's email
- I had planned to talk about something completely different this week, but given the global situation, Meg and I decided to share some tips for keeping up to date and prepared.
- Next week is International Women's Day and, while it is ALWAYS IWD for us, we wanted to feature some of your stories on Instagram.
Tips to prepare for travel in the coming weeks
I am not flying for another week and my flights are not connecting in the Middle East. I have another flight to Japan in 3 weeks but it is direct from Poland.
Meg, on the other hand, is flying via Dubai in a month to join our Egypt tour and I have many friends living in Dubai from my 5 years there as an expat.
Nobody can predict how the situation will unfold, but we thought we could share some tips if you are traveling soon or are overseas to help you be prepared.
Being informed is key to makind the right decision.
A note on travel advisories
Travel advisories issued by a country are made for each country's citizens and are not always as relevant for others.
For example, while citizens of country A may be seen as a target in country Z and therefore at risk, citizens of country B may not, so the recommendation is not the same for the two travelers.
Travel advisories are also extremely politically charged statements and opinions of a Government and heavily influenced by diplomatic relationships and other aspects such as trade relations and the like. This needs to be considered when reading them. An example would be the US listing Mexico at the same level of caution as most of Western Europe, even though Mexico's violent crime statistics are significantly higher than in any Western European country because of its close ties.
That said, the travel advisories that are most kept up to date are the US State Department's, the UK Foreign Office's, Canada's and Australia's and they all contain relevant information for all travelers.
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Here are our tips:
If you are in one of the Middle Eastern countries affected by the strikes:
- Register with your embassy or the online system of your country so you are up to date. For example, in the US, STEP and in Australia, Smart Traveller.โ
- Keep an eye on the latest news, including following the social media pages of your embassy in the country you are in or traveling to, the airport nearest to you and the airlines you are flying with. I like to follow a range of media sources to have a more balanced and especially, comprehensive view. Al Jazeera is a good source for Middle Eastern on the ground news.
- Connect with locals via Facebook groups. Several specific ones have been created across the Middle East and groups such as Host a sister or other expat local groups are useful sources of information and invaluable insight from foreigners livng in the country of which there are thousands across the Middle East.
- Check your country's travel advisory for the country you are in.
- If you can, return home. While most affected countries have insisted things are calm and safe, many Governments, including that of the UAE, have issued "shelter in place" messages a couple of times in the last week. As you assess your options and consider the help your government can provide, do not forget that your insurance may provide evacuation support or at least reimburse you for the costs of going home earlier or arranging alternative transports. At the same time, if you do not evacuate and remain in a high-risk zone, your insurance may be invalidated.
If you aren't abroad but are scheduled to travel soon, some of the same tips apply, plus you should inform yourself to be prepared to make any decision closer to your actual travel dates:
- Register with your embassy or the online system of your country so you are up to date with the latest news.
- Keep an eye on the latest developments.
- Check your insurance policy, and find out what you would be covered for if you traveled to a country that is currently under travel advisory. Know that Acts of war are not typically covered by travel insurance policies, and if your country issues a Do not travel warning and you choose to travel there anyway, your insurance may be invalidated, but it's important to understand your specific policy. Every policy and company is different and your personal circumstances may also affect your coverage, only your insurance company and policy can answer these questions. It's important to know the details so you can make an informed decision. Note: Check as well what would happen if the country you are traveling to was ok but the situation changed while you were there.
- Check your flight change policy to see what your options are.
Other sources of useful info:
- FlightAware has a list of delayed and cancelled flights that is always up to date. See here.
- Both the UAE Government and the Qatari have said they will pay the hotel and food bills of stranded tourists who can't go home for reasons beyond their control. More here.
What would you tell your pre-solo travel self?
Next week is International Women's Day, so you are about to be flooded with messages from every single company and brand out there ready to prove they care about women, they have equity programs in place and they promote equal opportunities for women.
They will feature their female staff members, they will tell you about the initiatives they put in place, they may even share emotional stories, or tell you numbers to show they really care.
To me, all this is performative.
Equality isn't achieved by remembering women once a year, it is a daily effort, a constant fight for rights, for opportunities, for awareness.
So this year, we wanted to share real stories from our community. I would love to hear what you would tell the woman you were before your first solo trip.
Hit reply and let me know!
I would love to share them on our Instagram on IWD, 8th of March, next week Monday.
Photo of the week
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Last week's photo
This was taken from my Antarctica ship as it set sail way from Ushuaia, in Tierra de Fuego, Argentina.
Congrats to Meg N, Jackie W and Amy H for guessing the right location.
We have 3 spots left on our sailing this December, come join this trip of a lifetime!
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This week's photo
Can you guess this week's photo?
In case you missed it
Interesting travel news, discussions in the group and other important travel updates:
- Pakistan declared open war on Afghanistan. Read here.โ
- Apps to help you monitor wildlife when you travel. See the list.
- The history of coffee in Vietnam, explains why this is the country with the best coffee I have ever had. Every day, I enjoy cups of incredible brew, presented with coconut granita and condensed milk, or salted cream, or egg yolks....or so many other incredible additions...Read here.
- Inside the secret world of Japanese snack bars. Read here.
Sending hugs from Cambodia and Australia
Solo Female Travelers Co-Founders
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