siastra travel

When it comes to travelling you have to be careful no matter your colour or gender. However, there comes an extra level of worry being a woman of colour. Having said that, I’d never want that to take away from my passion to travel. It just means I need to take extra precaution when picking my destination and ensure I’ve done my research beforehand.

For me when it comes to travelling I’ve only ever received starring mainly from the older generation and locals. While it makes me feel uncomfortable, I try and ignore it. I’ve never experienced any physical contact such as someone trying to touch my hair or taking photos of me without my consent but I know it happens to many black women.

Unfortunately, when choosing a destination I do have to research how acceptable they are to people of colour and research whether they are known for extreme violence / racism and to try and avoid where possible.

There’s been a handful of countries I’ve felt safest in both on my own and in group settings:

• South East Asia
• Iceland
• Denmark
• Malta
• Dubai

While I’ve loved exploring all places I’ve been too these are countries I felt most uncomfortable in.

• Lithuania and Greece in particular Santorini

This is mainly down to the starring, even when you catch them doing it they don’t hide the fact they’re looking at you and it just makes for a very awkward experience.

This year I’m planning to do more solo travelling and for me the scariest part is how I will be treated. I prefer to travel to places in Europe with other people but that’s not always possible and I don’t want to miss out on some beautiful countries.

Things I’ve done to prepare for my solo travels

• Research: I’ve googled whether it’s safe to travel to these places as a woman of colour. I like to look at vlogs from other creators to see how they felt.
• Location: I’ll always choose hotels when in Europe and will make sure they are in the centre even if that means paying that little extra.
• Safety: I’ll make sure I tell someone what I’m doing at all times, whether that’s sharing my location or giving them my itinerary. Always be aware of your surroundings and make sure you have emergency contacts available should you need them.

TIP : This applies to anyone when travelling solo, if you meet people out or if a stranger approaches you, never tell them where you’re staying and never let them know you’re travelling on your own.

With that being said, solo travelling is so rewarding and you learn so much about yourself. I feel that everyone should take at least one solo trip in their life, even if it’s to your local town for dinner.

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