During your quest to explore the world, should you feel a little daunted, a little lost, if you made a mistake here and there…That’s okay. Because that’s what living is about.

NomadHer is delighted to interview  Lydia, the creator of the travel blog Lydiascapes (https://www.lydiascapes.com/)! Lydia is Singaporean, passionate about rock climbing and decided, a few years ago, to “ditch her high heels for hiking boots”. To this day, she has been to over 58 countries! You guessed it, we had to meet her. Here are her thoughts and tips on solo female travelling.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself, when did you start travelling alone? Why? What is your current situation?

I really love travelling ever since I was young, thanks to my parents who had the travel bug. Only when I got much older, became independent and started to earn my money did I really started to go on more trips. When I was 25 years old, I started to really enjoy rock climbing and that’s when I started looking to go on adventures and trips off the beaten tracks.

My very first solo trip wasn’t actually fully solo initially, I tagged along a trip with my friend to go skiing in Japan. They had organised everything and I just tagged along. After these 5 days of skiing, I had 3 days on my own in Tokyo, all by myself. It was the first time I tried Couchsurfing and the first time I tried Airbnb solo and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. As much as I was worried about language issues or being lonely, I had a good time! I could see why a lot of my friends would choose to go solo travelling or choose to go to Japan for their first trip. As long as you have a phone and you dare to ask questions, as long as you take a bit of time to figure things out, it’s actually safe and everything will go well. Problems get resolved over time.

I started my blog seven years ago, first just as a hobby, to write down my adventures: it was a way to keep my memories somewhere. Then as it started to grow, I converted it into a full-time blog two years ago. I quit my job -I used to work in the hotel industry, which is a very fancy corporate environment- and became a full-time digital nomad! I work on my blog, give a lot of talks about travel and being a content creator, plus I am a digital marketing consultant. I can work from anywhere in the world! Right now, I’m in Singapore because of the coronavirus.

Among the countries you have visited, which is your favourite?

It’s a very tricky question, there are so many beautiful countries! One on the top of the list would be New Zealand because it really looks like a postcard, everything is so beautiful, the scenery is picture perfect! If you are a nature or adventure lover, you will be blown away by how stunning the lakes are, the mountains, everything! Definitely a country I’ll go back to. I think the best way to see the country is to do a camping trip.

Which country or travel experience really surprised you?

One really intimidating and eye-opening was Bangladesh, because of the lifestyle. I went in July 2019, for a week, I was coming from Bhutan with my partner. It seems very uncommon for travellers to visit the country because it’s not really a touristic destination. We were probably the only two foreign faces in the crowds, everywhere we went we felt like celebrities because people were looking at us! It was hard to blend in since we felt people watching us all the time. In consequence, my partner and I never dared to take out our phones or camera under so many stares, we didn’t know if it was allowed or safe to do so. It’s the only country where I have so few pictures, I might have only five or ten!

We didn’t live in the expected areas, so we walked a lot, or used rickshaws, in typical local markets, which is such an eye-opening experience. You can see people walking around the market, holding five live chickens upside down in each hand, people selling raw meat displayed on the ground…The lifestyle there were so different from some other less developed East Asian countries, one would expect Bangladesh to have some common points with them.

What does travelling alone bring you?

I find that when you are travelling alone, you don’t have to worry about looking out for your companion. You can be comfortable in your own skin and hence gets to immerse yourself more in your surroundings. For example, my first solo trip after Japan one was to Canada: I did a 27-hour train ride, and I was alone. So, I just looked through the window, observed people and the changing scenery outside… One thing about travelling alone is that your senses are much keener because you are able to immerse completely in the place without having anyone else to worry about. And that’s really enjoyable, I think.

Has travelling changed your perception of yourself? How?

I find that when you travel alone you tend to think a lot more and reflect more on your life. When you’re on your own, there is nobody to talk to or to distract you and so you can take those silent moments to introspect, think about your life etc and actually address your emotions and thoughts better since you’re forced to confront to it.

And it changed me because it made me more comfortable in different situations: when you go back to society, to your daily life and problems, you tend to be calmer and to be more reflective instead of being reactive and stressed. Travelling solo helps you take a step back and gives you a better perspective and approach to things.

Do you have an experience or person you met who changed your way of perceiving yourself, or the others, or even the fact of travelling alone?

During my travels, I have met so many kinds of people, some who are still my friends now. It’s really interesting because travelling helps take down boundaries between cultures and races and stereotypes and it helps make you less racist or biased, because of all this diversity of people you meet. A person who really has changed my life a lot is probably my current partner Cez, because I met him on my travels, during a travel conference in Ireland. He has been travelling for ten years, so way longer than me. He showed me so many new perspectives on how to travel, how to travel full time, on budget, how to live in a car for a long time…I really discovered a lot about travelling with him.

What would you say to people who say that travelling alone as a woman is dangerous?

Saying that travelling is a hundred per cent safe would be naïve, or to be blind to potential problems. Travelling always comes with risks, whether you’re a man or a woman, if you’re ignorant or unprepared. Travelling alone as a woman isn’t the most dangerous thing a woman could do. If you’re smart, and wise, about the destination you pick, you can have a fantastic trip without encountering any problem at all. Even if you are travelling with a partner, you can potentially encounter a problem or dangerous situation, because there will always be potential risks, from pickpockets, robbers etc. A lot of women tend to have the misconception that they shouldn’t travel alone because there are risks, but my suggestion for that is to do more research. Be smart about what you do, dress more conservatively, do not walk in areas where your instinct tells you it could be dangerous…make friends along the trip as well! There are so many women who travel around and who don’t encounter any problem at all.

How could we change this idea that women shouldn't travel alone, and should go with someone?

I think that rather than thinking and saying that women shouldn’t travel alone, we should ask ourselves why and how solo travelling can be safe and enjoyable, which practices to use to stay safe. We should show the benefits, the gain people get from travelling, share our tips and best practices. If you are ignorant, and you travel on your own, yes, you can put yourself in great risks, because you are vulnerable, not informed etc, hence naïve. And naïve and solo travel doesn’t really make a good mix. However, if you are smart and careful, and you do your research, your trip will be thoroughly enjoyable.

What is your worst experience? How did you handle it? Did it have an impact on you, your behaviour or your life? It’s a tough one, I wouldn’t say I have a lot of bad experiences while travelling solo. Probably when it comes to taking photos, you end up not having any footage of yourself because you don’t dare to ask people, by fear of them stealing your camera? There are also countries where I encountered nasty people. When you travel alone, you tend to be more defenceless, whereas if you travel with a companion or your family, people don’t approach you that much, they don’t dare to talk to you as much. I encountered people who throw me racist or sexist comments, or who were nasty, which is unpleasant. BUT, as a solo female travelling alone, I also get a lot of helping people, who are willing to give you a hand!

What advice and tips would you give women who hesitate to travel alone?

I would say: do not be afraid and don’t let worries and anxiety about children, finances or companionship stop you from exploring and discovering the world. Because travelling is a fantastic way to understand yourself and it makes you more confident and happier as a woman. I encourage every woman to embrace travel and discover themselves.

Your best experience while travelling?

I would say all the places where I was able to rock climb. I love outdoor climbing and nature, and outdoor rocks. I have gone to so many unique destinations to rock climb, it not only helped get stronger physically but also helped me see the world from a different viewpoint. Some of these places are so unique and special. For example, I rock climbed in Greece, on Kalymnos island, one of the most famous rock-climbing destinations. I was climbing through the rock, and then goats and sheep appeared from nowhere, watching me climb. It was awesome, just me, the rocks, a gorgeous sunset and then suddenly a bunch of random goats and sheets climbing around me. You wouldn’t experience this anywhere else! In the future, I’d love to design and create my own climbing wall, so I can teach my future children to rock climb as well and take them with me rock climbing!

Do you have a message for the women who will read you?

During your quest to explore the world, should you feel a little daunted, a little lost, if you made a mistake here and there…That’s okay. Because that’s what living is about.

To find out more about Lydia and her travel stories you can check out her blog (https://www.lydiascapes.com/) and follow her Instagram (@lydiascapes), Twitter (@lydiascapes), Facebook (@lydiascapestravelblog).