Best Cities in Asia for Solo, Female Travellers
If you are looking to solo travel Asia, but aren’t sure where to start, this is the guide for you! Here are my top 5 best cities to travel as a solo, female traveller, ranked by safety, things to do and opportunities to meet other travellers.
Asia is one of my favourite areas in the world to travel and I keep coming back to explore more. It has incredible culture, history and the best food – in short, everything that makes a place great to travel.
It is also often still a lot more budget-friendly to travel compared to a lot of places in Europe, though as always be mindful to support the local community while exploring a new destination.
So, let’s get into my top 5 cities in Asia to start your solo journey and leave me your favourites in the comments at the end 🙂
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Best Cities in Asia for Solo, Female Travellers
1. Kyoto, Japan
When it comes to places I felt safest solo travelling as a woman, Japan will always come out on top. Even at night, I was able to walk around and the locals were always happy to help when needed.
While I could recommend many cities in Japan, Kyoto was by far one of my favourites. There are so many stunning things to see here and the city is full of history and culture.
You will also meet a lot of other solo, female travellers in Kyoto and Japan in general, which is always great. I personally made some amazing friends during my 2-week Japan trip.
Check out my Kyoto guides here.
2. Bangkok, Thailand
I solo-travelled Thailand for 2 weeks and had an amazing time. I completed the North and some of the areas considered a little less safe for female travellers with a tour by G Adventures, while exploring Bangkok and some of the Islands solo.
While a lot of Thailand is safe to solo travel, I think Bangkok is a great destination to start with. You will meet lots of other travellers, it is generally considered very safe (just beware of scams and don’t follow any people promising “tours” etc) and there are tons of things to do.
For me, Bangkok is the first place where I experienced culture shock, all the way bac when I first started travelling. It felt so chaotic and loud, and I constantly got lost.
It turned out to be one of the best trips of my life though and I still miss the food and experiences I made there.
3. Singapore
Singapore is a city state, meaning it is a city and country, and it’s an amazing place to visit as a solo, female traveller. Safety-wise, I felt super comfortable here at all times, similar to Japan.
I even explored at night as I was so jet-lagged on my first visit, and had no issues at all. You will likely also meet lots of other travellers in your hostel and I found the locals very friendly too.
If it is one of your first visits to Asia, Singapore is a great place to start. It is very organised and easy to navigate, while still having incredible food, culture and lots of things to do!
Check out my favourite things to do on a layover in Singapore here.
4. Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan is another very safe country for solo, female travellers. Taipei is the capital and a great place to start exploring Taiwan.
There’s some incredible things to do here, lots of other travellers and the locals are super kind and happy to help.
5. Da Nang, Vietnam
I have talked about Vietnam as a great place for solo, female travel on my blog quite a few times, but I have to include Da Nang on this list.
Da Nang is becoming increasingly popular with digital nomads as it is budget-friendly, has amazing beaches and lots of meet-up opportunities. That also makes it a great and safe place for women to solo travel.
Vietnam in general is popular amongst solo travellers and for good reason – apart from the fascinating culture and breath-taking nature, it is one of the most affordable countries to travel in SE Asia. It’s also very safe for solo, female travellers and you will meet lots of like-minded people here.
With Vietnam gaining so much popularity recently, I would say visit as soon as possible before the country becomes overrun and prices rise. Make sure to be respectful of locals and try visit nearer to the off-season to avoid overwhelming the country.
FAQ about Solo, Female Travel
How do I deal with loneliness while traveling alone?
When I first started solo travelling, meeting people felt super difficult. Even in hostels, everyone already seemed to be in their little groups and I was struggling. I remember being on week 3 of my Australian East Coast trip and calling my mum sobbing because I felt so lonely.
The more I solo travel, the more I have learned about loneliness and making friends. First of all, I am much more comfortable being with myself now. If I don’t find anyone to hang out with, that is okay. FOMO is sometimes still there, but I always remind myself that I am doing my best.
I usually do meet other people though. A good way is booking hostels with activities as it is SO easy to meet others during say a trivia night or a city tour. Another great way is choosing a female dorm – I often find myself bonding quicker with the girls in there. I also use Bumble BFF. That may sound awkward but I have met some of my now closest friends on there and it has been so great while travelling, especially if I am longer in one place. Finally, Facebook Groups – there are hundreds of travel groups out there and so many other solo travellers just waiting to meet you!
Sometimes though, loneliness prevails. Over the years I have learned that when the feeling refuses to leave, it is my time to go home. It’s a sign from my body that I need a break from travelling and constantly meeting new people. I need familiarity and my family. And that’s okay! Trust me, it took me a while to learn this but stopping a trip early is not failure, especially if it has already been a few months.
What are the benefits of solo travel as a woman?
I have grown immensely as a person since I have started solo travelling – in my overall confidence, trust in my own abilities and also people skills. Making friends used to be hard, now I am very comfortable talking to new people and have met so many of my closest friends while travelling. The best part about the people you meet while travelling is that they have a similar mindset to you and also often a lot to share about their own culture and traditions, meaning your worldview opens up a lot.
Travelling solo also means I get to choose where I go when, I can change plans last-minute and if I don’t like something, I will simply leave. These are all things you can’t do as much when travelling with another person. In addition, you get a lot of time for self-reflection but also to take in this new destination. I have noticed that I experience a place much more intensely when I am solo travelling, compared to when I am with e.g. friends.
Overall, I think solo travel truly changes you as a person. Once you have navigated a new country by yourself, you feel like you can do anything. I would recommend any woman to solo travel at least once in her life! Learn to trust yourself and that you don’t need anyone else to do things for you. Obviously it is nice to have someone else to rely on, but solo travel teaches you that it is not necessary – and that will change your whole perspective on life and relationships.
How do I choose affordable but safe accommodations?
The first thing I do when choosing accommodations in a new destination is research the area. Which areas are safe for tourists, especially solo travellers. There are usually lots of resources about these things. If you are unsure, you could also reach out to accommodations for advice.
Second, I usually stay in hostels or hotels that are rated well amongst solo-travellers. This is so I can meet other travellers but also so I know that the location is good etc. Hostel dorms are usually your cheapest option though some countries also have affordable AirBnBs – for those I always make sure it is a female host.
Reviews are crucial!! Check several sites such as booking, Google, Tripadvisor, etc. Some red flags are people talking about stuff being stolen, no women leaving reviews, bedbugs and any negative comments about staff. A huge red flag for me is also when a hotel responds rudely to complaints – it’s unprofessional and will probably affect you if something goes wrong.
Hi, I'm Bell
I’m a solo traveller, writer and designer. I created my blog to share the many different ways to travel the world. Learn more about me here!
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