Slovenia

Ranked at the top of the WPS index for Central and Jap Europe, Slovenia has made huge strides within the notion of ladies’s security in recent times, with 85% of ladies feeling protected right here, in keeping with the index.

When Claire Ramsdell first arrived in Slovenia’s capital and largest metropolis Ljubljana, she wandered the streets at evening taking images.

“This might have been a dicey expertise elsewhere, however on this case it was a delight,” stated Ramsdell, who’s an journey advisor for Wildland Trekking and runs the journey weblog The Detour Effect. “No person ever bothered me in any respect throughout my time within the nation and I did not have hassle with navigation, a language barrier or the rest that may typically appear intimidating to determine while you’re solo.”

She additionally discovered the town very walkable and the general public transportation throughout the nation dependable and in depth. For these seeking to be part of up with like-minded travellers, she recommends Ljubljanayum Food Tours and Food Tour Ljubljana. Whether or not grouped or solo, she says travellers should order a buckwheat walnut štruklji, a crammed dough deal with, from Moji Štruklji, which she says is “among the finest desserts ever”, and take a look at the world-renowned gelato at Cacao.

As an avid hiker, Ramsdell got here to Slovenia particularly to discover the vast outdoors and alpine mountains throughout the nation, and located they supplied a really perfect mixture of solitude and security. “Whereas I typically felt like I used to be within the wilderness, I additionally all the time knew a city was close by if some form of emergency had been to come back up,” stated Ramsdell. “I did not really feel completely alone, which offers peace of thoughts.”

She recommends guests cease by the turquoise Soča River, which is on the western facet of the nation near the Italian border and was a filming location for the Chronicles of Narnia. Whereas hikers can get pleasure from peaceable walks alongside the water, even these travelling by automotive can pull over to discover the high-hanging pedestrian suspension bridges over the river.

Rwanda

With 55% of its parliament made up of ladies representatives, Rwanda ranks primary on the earth for its gender equality in parliament, according to the WPS. It additionally ranks extremely within the index’s notion of group security, and is ranked sixth on the earth within the Global Gender Gap index, which measures how equitable a rustic is when it comes to economics, training, healthcare and political participation.

Rebecca Hansen noticed this first-hand when she moved to Rwanda from Denmark in 2019, discovering it to be extraordinarily protected for solo journey. “There’s police, safety and navy round at nearly all areas and all occasions of day and evening,” she stated. “It might appear intimidating at first, however you’ll rapidly be taught that every one of those uniforms are pleasant people who find themselves all the time keen to assist out.”

She stated folks usually do not hassle you however may practise their English with an occasional “How are you?” or “Good morning”, particularly from faculty youngsters. English and French are two of Rwanda’s official languages, alongside Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili, reducing the language barrier right here. Even individuals who do not communicate English are pleased to assist and level out instructions for those who get misplaced, she stated.

Rwanda has lengthy been held up as a leader in its peace and reconciliation work following the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi people. The nation has a number of memorials, however Hansen suggests guests expertise the Kigali Genocide Memorial within the capital, which not solely reveals the historical past of genocide right here, but additionally different examples throughout the globe and the risks the world nonetheless faces from this risk.

Whereas it is costly, visiting the nation’s mountain gorillas is a must-do for any traveller; however Hansen additionally recommends Nyungwe National Park within the south-west and the Volcanoes National Park within the north to see monkeys, or the Akagera National Park within the east for sport drives.

United Arab Emirates

With the highest scores in the WPS inside the Center East and North Africa for ladies’s education and monetary inclusion, the UAE continues to be a pacesetter in gender equality within the area, and not too long ago reached gender parity in its parliament. It additionally ranks the very best of all nations within the index within the class of group security, with 98.5% of ladies aged 15 years and older reporting that they “really feel protected strolling alone at evening within the metropolis or space the place [they] stay”.

Dubai, particularly, has been ranked because the safest city for solo female travellers primarily based on an index by the journey insurance coverage firm Insure My Journey. Influencer Sandy Aouad, who splits her time residing between Paris and Dubai, says she has all the time felt protected within the metropolis, even within the outskirts. “One time I had a flat tyre, I left my automotive in the midst of the desert, unlocked with the keys inside,” she stated. “I knew absolutely effectively that I might belief the taxi would come to select me up, and I might make certain the automotive can be protected.”

For solo travellers, she recommends reserving a desert safari as a result of it is a simple option to meet a wide range of attention-grabbing folks. However for those who’re feeling extra adventurous, she personally cherished skydiving over the Palm Dropzone.

Japan

Ranked one of many top-10 most secure nations on the earth by the Global Peace Index for its extraordinarily low charges of violent crime and low variety of exterior or inner conflicts, Japan has a tradition of women-only subway cars (throughout sure occasions and routes) and women-only accommodations that may make it really feel additional protected for ladies travelling alone.

Solo eating and solo actions are additionally extra of a cultural norm right here than elsewhere. “As a result of depopulation, folks not desirous to get married and cherishing as a tradition our ‘solo time’, there are such a lot of issues surrounding ‘solo’ journey,” stated Mika White, who was born in Japan and is the founding father of tourism agency Chapter White. “Magazines all the time function the most effective solo karaoke, solo ramen outlets and solo onsen.”

Lulu Assagaf, who moved right here from Indonesia 20 years in the past, felt protected right here instantly. “The locals make you are feeling at residence and are pleased to assist strangers,” stated Assagaf, who now works as a tour chief for Intrepid Travel. In the event you’re travelling to extra rural areas, nonetheless, she recommends going with a information as English is much less more likely to be spoken.

Since eating solo is a norm right here, Assagaf recommends testing the meals scene, particularly in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo. Her favorite spot in Tokyo is the Shinjuku San-Chome space, which has a lot of eating places, nightlife and native izakayas (a Japanese model of a pub).

For guests who wish to enterprise exterior of the standard vacationer spots, she recommends the coastal metropolis of Kanazawa, recognized for being the house of the samurai; and Takayama within the Japanese Alps. “Takayama has lovely conventional structure and sake breweries,” she stated. She additionally recommends the Takayama Showa-kan Museum, which showcases popular culture artefacts from Emperor Hirohito’s reign from 1926 to 1989.

Norway

Ranked number one in the WPS for its high scores in girls’s monetary inclusion, absence of authorized discrimination and ladies’s group security – and persistently rating within the high 10 of probably the most gender equitable and happiest countries in the world – Norway has proved to be an inclusive place for travellers of every kind, together with LGBTQ+ and solo guests.

Oslo resident and founding father of Up Norway Torunn Tronsvang notes that the tradition is socially tolerant and trusting, making it a really perfect place for solo girls. “You may comfortably ask somebody at a neighbouring cafe desk to take care of your issues while you utilize the restroom,” she stated. She’s additionally pleased with what number of companies listed below are run by girls, who’ve created iconic locations to eat and keep in rural areas throughout the nation.

To get probably the most out of a go to, Tronsvang encourages guests to embrace the Norwegian idea of “friluftsliv“, a philosophy of residing life within the nice outside. With Nasa reporting an increase in solar activity by means of 2025, it may be a really perfect time to see the Northern Lights with an Arctic journey, canine sledding and snowshoeing by day and staying in family-run igloos and ice motels at evening.

Living In is a collection from BBC Journey that discovers what it’s wish to reside in a few of the world’s high locations.

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