Travel Through Vietnam

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Is it safe for a 19 year old girl to travel through South East Asia by herself?

I want to go traveling next summer to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos but want to go by myself. I will be 18 when i go and turn 19 whilst there, is this safe?
I told my parents about my plans and said i know people who have done it by themselves but only guys... they say it's more dangerous for a girl to go traveling by herself than a guy. What do you think?

Generally all the countries you mentioned above are safe to visit but we cannot deny that for a young girl to travel alone to new places, the safety risks are always higher than the guys.

People in South East Asia are very friendly and very generous to tourists especially those from western countries. The poorer the countries, their people are more friendly ( Laos and Cambodia )

Eventhoug i do not know where are you from but i think visiting these countries would not be any less safe than visiting your own country alone. Follow my advices below and you'll be find. When i mentioned "risks" i was referring more to you being cheated ( monetary ) or taken advantage of , not so much on your life.

- make a thorough plan before visiting those countries.
- when you are in the countries, try to accomodate to the local cultures and customs and respect the way of life of the locals ( for example learn some simple phrases or words used by the locals, wear modestly, do not flaunt your wealth either through your actions or dressings )
- notify your whereabout to your embassy, family, friends and hotel reception staff regularly.
- if you wish to go to rural or more isolated places, do not go alone but with a tour. Let the other tourists accompany you. Eventhough rural people in these countries are even more friendly that the urbanites but english is hardly understood so it would be difficult to communicate should you get into any trouble and moreover road conditions and other facilities might be quite bad in some places, so going there alone is not advisable
- do not bring too much cash with you went venture out of the hotel. credit card is widely acceptable in Thailand and Vietnam. For Laos and Cambodia, other than in the major cities, credit card might not be accepted.
- safety isn't referring only to 'life' but also health. get the necessary vaccinations or medications ( hepatitis, malaria are very common ). try to avoid street food especially those sold near dirty areas. ( street food in Thailand is highly recommended though - safe, cheap, tasty )
- do not go to isolated or dark places alone
- try to take public transportations used by many locals ( eg buses, trains ), try to avoid taking taxis as much as possible. not only that you might be cheated by the drivers ( higher fares ) but you would be travelling alone and the risks are always higher when travelling alone.

Safety risk are always there, wherever you go. As long as you take the necessary precautions, you should be fine. Don't be suprised to discover that the countries you mentioned above are safer than other countries you have been to or even safer than you country.

BTW Video - Part 10 - Lao Vietnam Cambodia


travel through vietnam
travel through vietnam