More and more women are travelling today - did you know that 64% of travellers worldwide are female, while only 36% are male? But not only are they planning more adventures, they're also challenging themselves to do it alone! Solo travel teaches you a lot about the world and yourself, such as how to navigate a new city on your own, or how to communicate in a new language when ordering food. However, 66% of women worry about personal safety when traveling alone, which may prevent them from going on a trip by themselves.

We understand that travelling alone, especially as a woman, can be a daunting experience, and may require a little bit more awareness. If you are interested in taking that step, it's important to consider your safety. One thing women from our community often find themselves doing is lying - not in a negative, or deceitful way, but to protect themselves.

You can even make it into something fun, and come up with your best creative lie, or build a whole new character story to tell on your travels! Sometimes, as a solo female traveller, the truth doesn’t always feel quite…safe, or even needed.

Here are our team’s harmless go-to lies which you can carry around with you wherever you solo venture…

1. “I’m here visiting my friend”

There is a comfort found in saying that you know someone in the place you’re visiting, as it makes it sound like you’re not alone, that you have local knowledge and support. Basically, it means creating an imaginary friend for that particular trip, so you aren't seen as a clueless tourist. People are then aware that you have a friend nearby who will notice if anything happens to you, or who is ready to hypothetically come to your rescue. The illusion of backup is all you need!

Or you can find real backup, by downloading our app and meeting up with other NomadHers! Because no matter what, if you're part of our community, you will always have a friend somewhere!

2. “Me and my BOYFRIEND…”

This is a very common lie to tell. But spoiler alert…he’s not around, and does he even exist? No one needs to know. If you find yourself in a situation where a man is asking you way too many questions - which has happened to me before in a taxi - then this lie can help you out. Now you’re no longer a solo female traveller, but actually waiting on a fictional male character to arrive. You can even go one step further and put a ring on your wedding finger. This lie is especially useful when checking out a new city's nightlife, as going out alone, as a woman, at night, can be risky.

Quick tip: Many hostels organise family dinners, or bar crawls where you can befriend other travellers, so then you don’t have to go out at night on your own.

3. “Oh I’ve been here before”

Even if you have not, and you find yourself completely lost, this lie can make it seem like you know what you are doing. Putting on a confident facade makes people less likely to take advantage of the fact that you’re in unfamiliar territory. No one needs to know it’s your first time.

This can come in handy if someone’s asking a few too many times if they can help you, or guide you somewhere. Become a local - act like you are confident and unbothered - even if you’re internally screaming and hoping Google Maps will guide the way. We’ve all been there.

Quick tip: You can use Google Maps offline - just download the maps of the areas you plan to visit while connected to Wi-Fi. You can then navigate and search for locations without any internet connection, at a later time.

4. “I don’t speak [insert language]”

If you find yourself in a situation where someone is asking you something uncomfortable, or you experience catcalling, then you can use this one. Just pretend that you don’t speak the language. It works like magic in markets too, if you're being hassled a little too much by vendors. Just smile, nod, and keep walking.

"I'm on a group tour"

Even if this isn't the truth, it can be safer for people to think you are not alone, that others will be expecting you. Even if your group tour is in fact just your solo self.

If you find yourself alone in an unknown place, it can be very overwhelming at first, and you may feel unsafe in some situations. Lying is a great way to set boundaries, to protect yourself, and sometimes to just cut off a conversation you don’t want to have.

Safety is something that every woman has to think about when considering solo travel. But the more you travel, the more you will be prepared to tell a few white lies. You will also learn to trust your gut and know the best way to get out of any weird situation which you could be faced with.

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Ask these safety self-check questions:

• What is my body telling me - do I have a weird gut feeling about this situation, or person?
• Is this person respecting my boundaries or pushing them?
• What is a way in which I can leave the situation safely if I need to?
• Is there anybody nearby I could turn to if I need help?
• Have I told anyone where I am or who I am with?
• And probably the most important one - if I was watching another woman in the same situation as me right now, what would I want or advise her to do?