It was -2°C in the middle of the night, much colder than I expected for March, when I flew in from Sabiha Airport in Istanbul to Tbilisi Airport in Georgia.
I should have checked the weather more carefully before my trip. As I ended up having to buy a scarf to keep myself warm!
That’s when I realized, as a Muslimah Solo Traveler, you should pay attention to everything, especially the do’s and don’ts!
But it’s okay, sometimes, we can only know about them after having traveled. Therefore, I would like to share some do’s and don’ts for an enjoyable solo trip, which I’ve learned from my travels in The Caucasus.
In total, I spent five days in Georgia alone and stayed in the center of Tbilisi. If you are planning to explore any country in the Caucasus mountains, trust me, Georgia is one that has many places to visit, especially in the winter!
The Caucasus Mountains – Where Is It *actually* Located?
Have you ever heard of The Caucasus Mountains before?
According to Britannica, the Caucasus is located between the Black Sea (to the west) and the Caspian Sea (to the east).
Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan occupy the region. The Caucasus and its mountain ranges are geographically considered part of the natural boundary between Europe and Asia.
The exact definitions of this boundary vary. However, due to cultural and sociopolitical factors, the region is generally considered part of modern Europe.
Here are Some Essential Do’s To Ensure a Safe and Enjoyable Muslim-friendly Solo trip (ft my experience in the Caucasus):
Let’s get right to it!
1. Do Research And Plan Your Itinerary
One of the big do’s for any enjoyable solo trip, especially before you travel, is to prepare an itinerary! This ensures that you are familiar with your destination when you arrive!
I made an itinerary for my 5-day trip which included a day trip to Gudauri and Kazbegi Mountain because I wanted to see The Caucasus Mountain.
If you are planning to go to Georgia, I recommend you to book an accommodation in the city center of Tbilisi with good reviews, and a focus on safety.
I highly recommend the TibliSee Hotel, where I had an excellent experience staying at. Old Tbilisi is a safe and ideal destination for Muslim Solo Travelers as the area has a mosque and offers plenty of options for Halal food.
Tblisee Hotel, Georgia
2. Do use Trusted Transportation
Bolt Online TaxiCredit: Tia / Muslim Solo Travel
My experience with online transportation here has been nothing but safe, especially at night. Also, the prices were so affordable.
In Tbilisi, Bolt is widely used throughout the city as the preferred online transportation, hence why I also used it to get around.
Where to get Bolt?
You can easily find it anywhere by downloading the Bolt application on your phone and placing orders wherever you go.
But don’t forget to buy a local SIM card, as you can’t use Bolt without it!
You can buy a “Magticom” sim card at Tbilisi Airport as it is cheaper and better.
MST Tip when in Georgia
3. Do use Travel Insurance
It’s essential to have travel insurance whenever we travel.
As Muslims, we should pray for a safe trip, but it’s also wise to buy travel insurance as a precaution.
I almost always purchase travel insurance to ensure I’m covered if something unexpected happens. The same goes for the time that I was in the Caucasus, before being here…. I opted for an annual travel insurance policy to save money, which is more cost-effective than buying insurance for each trip.
I bought MSIG insurance from Indonesia, which you can check it here! If you are located outside of Indonesia, you can consider Safetywing instead.
4. Do Prepare Your Necessary Travel Document(s)
A big do for an enjoyable solo trip is to make sure you have the necessary travel documents! This is to ensure you have a “visit / stay verification” within the country. Again, this depends on the passport that you hold.
Before traveling, I always ensure that I have the necessary documents, such as my passport, travel insurance, hotel booking confirmation, roundtrip ticket, and visa. It’s essential to check whether your destination country requires a visa.
For my trip to Georgia, I had to apply for an eVisa on the Georgia website, which took one week to get approved and cost 20 USD.
So, bear in mind the timeframe of how long it takes for a Visa to be approved, whenever you plan to travel!
5. Do Keep your Belongings Secure
As a Muslimah Solo Traveler, I always bring all my essential belongings wherever I go.
I keep my bag locked and stay alert to my surroundings.
When staying in a dormitory, I always get my valuable items when I sleep and secure my bag and clothes in a locker.
Now That We’ve Discussed The Do’s, it’s Time to Head to The Don’ts!
By knowing both, you’ll become a savvy traveler!
1. Don’t Overload Your Itinerary
Sometimes, when I travel, I get excited to explore the city as much as possible, so I become busy exploring everything.
One time, right after the Fajr prayer, I was ready to explore Old Tiblisi because I heard some places would be crowded during the day.
So, to avoid many tourists, I made a mental note to go early in the morning.
However, moving from place to place made me feel exhausted because I had made too many plans! So make sure you don’t make the same mistake as I did!
2. Don’t Ignore Local Advice
They say the locals know best, and that’s true—to an extent!
- Turkish Halal Restaurant in Tbilisi (Location)
In Tbilisi, I remembered when some locals warned me not to buy Khinkali at the bar restaurant because they mixed it with pork. They suggested I go to a nearby Turkish restaurant that serves Halal Khinkali if I wanted to try it.
3. Don’t Ignore Your Health
It’s essential to ensure that you have a robust immune system. Don’t push your body to try everything, or you may become sick.
This happened to me on the third day in the Caucasus. When I was at the hotel, I woke up with a headache. I fell sick because the weather was not typical for my body, and I also forced myself to go everywhere.
I took paracetamol and went back to sleep for a few hours. Because of this, I had to change my plans for the day. Initially, I planned to leave around 8 a.m., but I did not go outside until 1 p.m. after I started feeling better.
Getting sick while traveling is very disheartening. Ensure you bring the necessary medicine to help you when you are unwell.
4. Don’t Go To Places That Have Less Tourists
Prior to my trip to the Caucasus, I was searching for too many “bucket list” places that I wanted to go to in Georgia. Some of them are located close to each other.
I went to Liberty Square, Narikala Fortress, Mother of Georgia, Tbilisi Juma Mosque, and Mtsaminda Park, some places with many tourists.
Why shouldn’t you go to places with fewer tourists? If you are alone, it is better to visit a tourist location with fewer tourists to ensure your safety. In such places, you can blend in with other tourists as some places are not safe enough for tourists.
5. Don’t Go Alone at Night
During my solo travels in Georgia, I generally return to my place before 8 pm (before Isya prays). However, if I meet some friends, I might join them and continue to enjoy traveling together at night.
How to Meet Friends (According to My Experience):
There are many apps that are designed for solo travelers to connect with locals and find companionship during their travels.
- One of them is Couchsurfing if you don’t mind a mixed environment with non-Muslims or our own Connect with Muslimah Solo Travelers – our sub-FB group that allows you to meet fellow MSTers!
- You can easily have a friend when you stay at the dormitory, but make sure you choose a female dormitory.
Introduce yourself first to make a friend!
MST Tip
Wrap up: Is The Caucasus Safe for Muslimah Solo Travelers?
Georgia, especially Old Tbilisi, is safe for women traveling solo. This has been vouched by others too before. As a Muslim woman with a visible hijab, I had a great experience in the Caucasus.
Alhamdulillah, many Muslims I met in Old Tbilisi have made it easy for me to find halal food and mosques.
There are plenty of Turkish, Indian, and restaurants from Central Asian countries in Old Tbilisi. Even when I was in the mountains, I was able to find a halal restaurant. It was a fantastic trip to the Caucasus!
Have you gone to the Caucasus solo before? Share your experiences with us in the comments!