I’m so glad to hear this. I was a bit worried I might of come off as too defensive. (To any readers who are lost, this is the previous message in reference). Perhaps, Gavin de Becker’s The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence would be furthermore empowering for you to read.

Truthfully, it’s difficult to give advice on packing, if I don’t know where someone is going, other than pack as light as possible, and you’ll be freer. Leave as much valuables at home as you can, or else you might just was precious time worrying about them. If you’re interested in the dress, jewelry, adornment or so forth of the regions you’re visiting, bring less from home, and collect along the way (although do be conscious of any religious connotations or so forth of local dress and adornment, as some things may be considered offensive for a foreigner to wear). Especially if you’re traveling to a more impoverished part of the world, buying goods is a great way to help support the people within the community. I could say so much about packing, but in a nutshell, it puts a bit of a damper on your travels if you have to carry too much weight around, so less is usually more.

I use hostels.com, hostelbookers.com, and hostelworld.com the most, but you can also consult travel guides (as well as other sites) for accommodation recommendations. Once again, it depends a bit on where you’re going, and what you want out of your accommodation and what you can afford. You may also want to consider helpx.net which offers opportunities to work / volunteer in exchange for room and board and food. There’s also couchsurfing.net

Well, I’ve never not found room and board, so I can’t really give advice there, other than book a place before you arrive, and you should have no worries. If you’re interested in a place that’s very popular, you may want to book well in advance to ensure a room or bed. It might ease any worries to be aware of a few alternative places you could stay before you arrive somewhere, just in case one isn’t working out. In some cultures, hospitality is essential, and locals may eagerly invite you to stay with them, and treat you as a honored guest (of course, they believe you are honoring them by being their guest), and if you’re traveling somewhere remote enough, where there are no hotels, this may become your only choice. Use your instinct on this one, if you don’t feel comfortable staying with someone, don’t.

There are numerous books about traveling alone as a women, perhaps, look around on Amazon or Goodreads (these two tend to have the most reviews, if you want to get a feel for a book), and see which you may like to read. There’ll be much more advice in them, than I can post in this message. And Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts is a wonderful little book, if you’re looking to travel extensively. Hope this can help you some. <3 

Applying for my India and Vietnam visas (also going to Nepal, Thailand, and Laos), I’m so excited about this trip I could burst into tears of joy. A dream come true. So many have said, “You can’t, you shouldn’t”, but I’m tenacious and I’m passionate, and no one can tame my free spirited and wild heart. I’m hoping to make a little book, to print and sell, when I come back, with my stories from these places, and some photographs, if they’re good enough … I think I best practice my photography chops before then, I’m already hoarding rolls of film. 

I’m planning a spring-summer odyssey in Asia, from India by land to Nepal, Thailand, Laos, and perhaps, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, and/or Singapore. I live in North America, and have been vagabonding in Europe and Africa, but never to Asia. Advice? Must-sees? (You can message me, if you prefer.) I can’t wait to be among the beautiful lands, cultures, and peoples of Asia!