Are you thinking of solo traveling but are intimidated by the news of harassment, Islamophobia, scams, and your safety?
Having these safety and red flag concerns is totally normal, especially if you have never tried solo traveling before or if the destination you’re visiting has potential red flags from stories you’ve heard from people’s negative experiences or social media.
Your safety should be the number 1 priority when traveling as a Muslimah Solo Traveler, so here are some safety Tips for Muslim Women Traveling Alone.
Disclaimer: Some of the links here are affiliate links. Muslim Solo Travel receives a small commission AT NO EXTRA cost to you if you use the links. Hope you find this guide helpful!
Related ?? What does it mean to be a Muslim Solo Traveler? ?
Start Your Journey With a Dua (prayer) + Duas To Keep In Mind
Number one on the list is to start your journey with a prayer. Make sure your intentions are clean and pure.
A dua is a strong shield that can protect us from harm, and unwanted situations, so be sure to keep your intentions clear before your solo travel.
Two handy Muslim Travel duas that will, in sha Allah, keep you safe are
Entering A Vehicle
When You Head Out Of The House
Use The Elevators, If The Stairwells Are Dark (& Vice Versa)
This depends on the situation of the place so pay attention.
If many people use the elevators, then join in the crowd. Sometimes, stairwells can be too dark to use on your own.
However, if the elevator is unoccupied, and most people like to use the stairs, then you might as well follow the norm.
Never Say You’re Alone, Ever!
Another Safety tip for Muslim Women Traveling Alone is never to admit they’re alone.
Even if that stranger looks like they can be trusted.
Give the impression that you’re with someone.
Keep Check Of Your Prayers
This may be common sense, but do plan your prayer times ahead.
Different destinations have various prayer times, some totally different from your home’s prayer times.
So make sure you have that planned ahead, with a pocket abaya, prayer mat, and portable bidet if you need one.
Install Safety Apps & Keep Yourself Updated With The Destination’s Situation
Some safety devices for Muslimah solo travelers are apps that notify you of the destination’s situation.
Apps & Specific website
- In Europe, the Eurail app is good in notifying you of demonstrations, strikes, and service maintenance
- Travel advice from the World Health Organization
Country-specific Travel Advisory websites
- Foreign travel advice of respective countries like The U.S., Australia, Ireland, Singapore, and The U.K.
Trust Your Gut Instincts
Out of all the Safety Tips for Muslim Women Traveling Alone, trusting your instinct is important to be mindful of throughout your solo travels.
“If you have a negative gut feeling, perhaps that’s Allah’s way of telling you not to proceed eating there. Trust in the gut feeling that is signaled to you from Allah.”
— excerpt from Halal Terms and What Do They Mean
Visit The Local Mosque
A standard, tried-and-tested safety tips for traveling alone as a Muslim woman is to visit the local mosque.
By visiting the local mosque, you’ll get to meet the local Muslim community and feel supported in ways that will help you get rid of anxiety.
As shared by Shaimaa to us on her first-ever solo trip to Granada, Andalusia,
Blend In With The Crowds
When you are solo traveling, it is important that you blend in with the crowds.
Refrain from wearing something flashy and bright-colored clothes.
Do your research like what is the typical attire of the destination so you can look like the locals.
Draw Attention When Necessary
If you are under attack, or are being harassed, do what you can to divert the attention towards you.
It can be a scream, a whistle (handy to have!), or just calling the local police silently via your phone on loudspeaker.
Look And Feel Confident
By looking and feeling confident, you instantly instill the feeling that you can solo travel.
This will also repel you from people with bad intentions. Bullies usually target weaker individuals because they know they can manipulate and control them.
Book A Reputable Service/Hotel
As you are traveling solo, where you choose to stay overnight or what you choose to be a part of, like day tours of week-long expeditions, matters a lot.
Hence, it is important for you to look for reputable travel services. Preferably one that has been certified by the standards of the country’s tourism board or region’s Islamic tourism council.
Malaysia, for one, has Muslim-friendly certifications that go beyond food establishments like MFAR (Muslim-friendly Accommodation Recognition), Muslim-friendly Spa, and Muslim-friendly Tourist guides. Check out this ?? 3D2N in Klang Valley Itinerary to learn more about them.
Be Mindful Of The Times You Visit A Destination
When you visit a destination is also crucial to your safety.
There are times to avoid a place like:
- When there’s a war going on. Such as the Ukraine situation
- When celebrations and festivals that can harm you physically, spiritually, and mentally takes place. Such as Octoberfest and Halloween.
Being mindful of these times is one of the many Safety Tips Muslim Women Traveling Alone should be aware of.
Be Mindful Of The Weather
Besides that, the phrase “best time to visit” exists for a reason: to help you have the best experience.
The dangers of traveling alone do not only come from people but also from unavoidable environmental situations.
Some of these are out of your control, such as earthquakes, avalanches, etc.
Keep An Eye On What You’re Eating (+ Dua )
One safety tip for Muslim females traveling alone is to keep an eye on their food.
Do not eat food that you have left unattended without supervision for long. We’ve seen movies where people have their drinks and food, spiked when they’ve left it out of their supervision for quite some time.
So be aware of your food as well.
Reciting this dua to protect you from sudden affliction or harm is an additional protection that you should implement before eating.
Related ?? Halal, Muslim-friendly, Pork-free, BYOB, Partially-Halal.. [All The Terms Muslims Should Know before Dining!] ??
Avoid Crowds (Humans And Wildlife-alike)
Crowds can be deadly if it is uncontrollable.
Ensuring your safety when solo traveling means being able to spot a crowd that’s becoming too dense, and avoid being trampled by it.
This can mean many things, from the simplest, everyday situation like rush hour crowd in the Metro; to a celebration gathering like New Year’s Eve; and when the Great Migration takes place in Africa.
A simple rule of thumb to know it is crowded is when you have no personal space left in a public space.
Learn A Couple Of Common Local Phrases
A step above from blending in with the crowd is to learn a few common local phrases like hello, excuse me, please, and no.
Knowing these can be handy for the Muslimah Solo Traveler when navigating a destination independently.
You won’t know when you’ll need them the most!
Be Aware Of Common Scams
Helpful solo travel tips for Muslim women is to be aware of common scams like:
- Bump and Grab pickpockets. Common in busy sidewalks and train stations
- Friendly, smiley-faced, conversational locals. They may want that brief opportunity to pickpocket something from you.
- Some men pretending they’re the official tourist site officers and want to see your tickets, experienced personally by us at the Pyramids of Giza.
- “I’ve lost my OV-chipkaart train ticket,” to get into the train platform, experienced personally by us in The Netherlands ??
If you have experienced any scammy and unpleasant situation before, do share with fellow Muslimah Solo Travelers in the Community Group so you can help Muslim Women make better decisions when solo traveling. Your experience can help another Muslim woman out there!
Bonus Tip #1: Prep Yourself With Our Destination Guides
While it is important to know common scams and potential harmful situations so we can prepare ourselves in our solo travels, it is also essential to avoid getting fearful of them.
Here’s your sign to stop doom-scrolling and go into an endless pit of reading fear-mongering scenarios that can prevent you from embarking on that life-changing solo trip.
One way that you can prepare yourself is by going through our Destination Guides. Our website is a constantly growing resource for Muslimah Solo Travelers out there.
Bonus Tip #2: Join the Muslimah Solo Travelers Group
For extra reassurance and support on safety when Solo Traveling as a Muslim Woman, plus the latest global insights that will equip you to become a savvy #MuslimahSoloTraveler, join the FREE and Private Community Facebook Group for real-time interactions with like-minded Muslimah Solo Travelers.
By joining the group, you’ll also get access to our FREE Mini-course, which will give you tips for traveling alone for the first time, and more to increase your confidence when solo traveling as a Muslim woman.
