Written by women on the road

Is Dubai safe for solo female travelers? Yes, Dubai is definitely safe for solo female travelers, and it is the perfect destination for solo female digital nomads! NomadHer, app for female globetrotters, interviewed Patricia, a personal trainer from Spain who is currently living in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. She didn’t hesitate to leave Spain to take a great opportunity in UAE. She travels and works at the same time, and she shared her thoughts on solo female travelling.

Join other solo female travelers heading to United Arab Emirates and meet local women in Dubai ! You can join the NomadHer community by downloading the app on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

Can you tell me a bit about yourself, when did you start travelling alone? Why? What is your current situation?

Aloha ! My name is Patricia and I’m a Spanish girl traveling as a personal trainer since May 2021. I started with solo travel because I accepted a job that allowed me to travel and work at the same time and I started also my online training business for women.

I always had the feeling that the world has too much to offer us to remain static in one place so I left my job in Spain, my house, my dog and my family and friends and.. here I am, 7600 km from my home, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Which countries did you visit ? Which is/are your favourite and why ?

I visited Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, France, United Kingdom. And.. I can’t choose only one. I believe that absolutely all countries (and especially the people who live in them) have many things to offer us.

Which country or travel experience really surprised you?

The country that has impressed me the most is Saudi Arabia. People, culture, religion, food and its landscapes are really incredible from north to south (and unknown to most people who don't live there). Saudi was closed for tourism until about 3 years ago, so now it’s a great opportunity to pack your bags and discover it.

What does travelling alone bring you?

In one word? EMPOWERMENT. All the fears I had before leaving Spain have disappeared. I am learning to ask for help, to solve my problems alone, to get by in a language that is not my mother tongue, not to judge people and to say yes to (almost) everything.

Did travelling change something in your life ? in the perception of yourself ?

Traveling change everything in my life. I have the feeling that I’m a new and better Patricia! I currently believe that I could live in any country in the world without feeling afraid or alone.

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What would you say to people who say that traveling alone as a woman is dangerous?

In my (unpopular) opinion, being a woman is a risk that we are born with, simply because we are. But, traveling alone is not the greatest risk we can have. Travelling makes you brave, strong , we meet other women who live and travel alone in cultures totally different from theirs and who have never had any mishaps. And now, we can use Nomadher to create community and support each other.

If you want to discover more about solo female travel in Dubai, join the NomadHer community and connect with over 15,000 women globetrotters from all around the world. You can join by downloading the app on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

How could we change this idea that women shouldn't travel alone, and should go with someone?

I believe that if we continue to perpetuate that we are weak and that something can happen to us, we will never be able to change the world.  As I said before, simply being born a woman is a risk, but that is changing in many countries.  In addition, women who travel alone are privileged, most of the risks and problems are faced by women who were born in certain countries, but we can avoid them.

What is your worst experience? How did you handle it? Did it have an impact on you, your behaviour or your life?

The worst experience was in Paris.  I was running in the street and a man tried to harass me.  If I'm honest, it's something that unfortunately we're used to (it's happened to me dozens of times in Spain). I always carry my phone with me in case something happens to me, so I called a friends who was in Paris and I run away.

What were the difficulties you had to overcome while travelling?

My biggest problems are given by the language barrier.  Also, not everyone speaks English, so when you have a medical problem it can be a bit more complicated to solve it.

Best souvenir while travelling ?

To meet GREAT people who become family forever.

How do you think travelling can empower women ?

Learn languages and training Strenght!

What advice and tips would you give women who hesitate to travel alone?

I think it's very important not to be afraid to meet a lot of new and different people, to ask for help if you need it, and of course to have the support of a community like Nomadher. And most important of all : enjoy

A message you want to give for the women who will read you ?

Do it, and if you are afraid, do it with fear!

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Hello. I am Yunzee Kim who is 33 years old and works as a journalist at Busan No.1 Economy. I was born and raised in Busan and I went to university in Busan too. So, my life was mostly happening in Busan💚 One day, I just started to run. Then, running changed my life for good. Due to the running, I can feel like a traveler in Busan. So, I want to share my story with you!😀

You can meet other female travelers around the world by joining the NomadHer community on the app ! You can download it on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

✨At first, Busan was where my normal life happens. So sometimes, I feel like I need to go somewhere else to feel excited or happy. However, that thought was totally changed due to running! After I started running, I went around every(figuratively) corner in Busan and I found new attractions that I didn’t expect before. So, from then, Busan became where my life happens at the same time where my travel begins. That is how I got to love Busan more and more.

✨Also, I love eating delicious food, which is not effective for my weight loss but I think I can eat whatever I want without fear of getting fat thanks to running. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by my workload, sorrowful because my writing is not good, or just stressed because of so many thoughts. At that exact moment, I just wear my running clothes, running shoes and go outside. From my home, I ran to Nampo-dong, Songdo Beach, or Youngdo shore. Every time I ran, I felt so different all the time because time, routes make a different scene.

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✨Especially, before dawn, I sometimes run to Songdo Beach. I need to pass by a market to go to the beach. Near the market, I realize so many people live their life as fully as they can. People working at the market are so diligent. I am so impressed and think “I need to live my life as fully as I can too”. If I keep running to the beach, I can watch the sun goes up and that makes a really speechless moment to me, because the scene is so beautiful and sublime.

✨Also, the sun makes the beach sparkling and shining and I feel so happy to see this. Songdo and Youngdo are connected with Namhang Bridge. So, I sometimes use this bridge to go to Youngdo or Songdo. If you go up the bridge and look around, you can see the most beautiful sea ever. Also, at night, the bridge’s light was on and that is an eye-catch point! Another favorite place is Youngdo’s shore. If I run to Nampo-dong and Busan Bridge and head to the shore, I get to see small ports where many boats are anchored.

✨Youngdo’s sea is not just a beautiful attraction. Somehow, it holds a kind of roughness where people live their life. I think that is the most attractive point to me since I am also a Busan citizen and traveler at the same time. So that place is my favorite place to run. When I run and I run into other runners, I say hi to them. Also after I finish running, worries and sorrow go away.

✨I think traveling can be done by airplane, train, bus, car and etc. but most of all, you can do travel on foot. I hope someday I can meet all members of NomadHer and run together to find out hidden attractions. If you guys run and find out the spot, please let me know! I hope one day I could go there and run around the spot. Thank you for reading my story! Everyone! I hope you live your life with confidence and happiness! Don’t forget you are the owner of your life!

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Is Kyrgyzstan safe for solo female travellers? Yes, Kyrgzstan is safe for female travelers, locals are always welcoming with smiles. Still, girls and women in Kyrgyzstan had assigned roles. The Kyrgyz society expects us to become good wives, have kids, and stay home to take care of the family and the house. NomadHer, an app for solo female travelers had the pleasure to interview Aishola, who currently lives in Kyrgyzstan. She has travelled in 15 countries and just came back from a 2000km tandem tour! She inspires a lot of women to go on their own adventures, and she shared her thoughts on solo female travelling.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself, when did you start travelling alone? Why? What is your current situation?

Hi, My name is Aishola. I am from Kyrgyzstan, a small country located in the heart of Central Asia. I recently came back home from a 2000km tandem tour through the UK and Georgia with my partner. I am 24 years old and I do a variety of things - I am a photographer, communication specialist, interpreter and illustrator. I think we are so lucky to live in a world where we can choose what we want to do for a living.

Unfortunately, girls and women in my country traditionally had assigned roles. The kyrgyz society expects us to become good wives, have kids, and stay home to take care of the family and the house.

I grew up in a small town and as a child I used to love reading lots of adventure books like 'Robinson Crusoe'. I was curious about the world and always wanted to know what it is like out there. Back then my family couldn't afford travelling to other countries and I think this pushed me to look for opportunities to travel for free. I used to apply for youth conferences, academic scholarships and volunteering programs abroad that were covering all expenses.

I was 16 when I visited the neighbouring country Kazakhstan with a friend to film a movie about a small Krishna community there. I remember wearing a sari and helping to cook meals for the monks and in return they provided us a place to live in a village for a week. In the evenings we used to spend time listening to music and prayers in the temple. I never knew about this culture in my life and it was amazing to be out there to get to know them.

There are so many opportunities for travelling even when you don't have any money. I did a theatre performance at the Strasbourg parliament in France, I was invited as a speaker to the Philippines at a global citizen summit, and I went to Denmark as a young leader and spent a year volunteering in Germany.

I still remember my first solo trip to New York when I was 17, exploring the city alone with my old camera and only 100$ in my pocket. Just imagine a girl from a small country, travelling 6000 miles solo to the megapolis? It felt like being in a Hollywood movie! I came back to the states for a year again as an exchange student and travelled a lot, visiting other states. My friends from college were asking me if I am not afraid to be sexually assaulted while travelling solo.

I was 18 and it was quite scary but I was determined to see more of the country while I had a chance. My scholarship covered my study expenses and I also used to receive 300$ each month. It wasn't a lot but I used to save up and travel on a budget - taking trains, buses, hitchhiking, staying in hostels or Couchsurfing.

You can meet solo female travellers in Kyrgyzstan and meet local female travelers through the NomadHer app! Why don’t you check who other solo female travelers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan are on Google Play Store or on the Apple store?

Which countries did you visit? Which is/are your favourite and why?

I haven't travelled to many countries, around 15, but was lucky to visit some several times. It's quite hard to travel with a kyrgyz passport. I need visas to most of the countries and the process of getting them isn't the easiest and cheapest. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of the world. It's my dream and I believe dreams come true!

I truly enjoyed India for its nature, music, and food. It was a beautiful and wild country where you get to see and feel a different kinds of life.

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Which country or travel experience really surprised you?

Last autumn, my partner and I cycled through Georgia on a tandem bicycle and people were incredibly generous. One day we were stopped by a lady in a small village called Chinti who waved to us and asked us to wait.

'Wait for what?', - we thought. She ran back to her house and after a few minutes, she approached us with a huge bag of apples. It was very sweet. Another time we stayed with an 80-year-old man living alone high in the mountains. He shared his house, food, and of course the famous Georgian wine with us. We barely knew the language but being there made me feel like I am not a foreigner at all but a family member who came for a visit.

What does travelling alone bring you?

Travelling alone can be intimidating at first, but once you are on the road, you start learning about yourself, you grow and you find what inspires you, you become more motivated to meet people and the great thing is that you can explore places at your own pace.

I think many of us are terrified of being alone, but it's so important to have 'me time. It teaches you to rely on yourself and tests your ability to overcome obstacles and challenges on the way. Although I am not an expert so I am looking forward to spending more time travelling by myself soon again.

Did travelling change something in your life? in the perception of yourself?

Travelling isn't always easy. It's quite challenging because it forces you to leave your comfort zone. It pushes you to grow, to be flexible, to be resilient and we all know, growing isn't always the easiest process.

I always thought I am happy with a 9-5 office job, but travelling full-time this year definitely changed my perspectives on life. I realised there are so many opportunities to work remotely and explore the world at the same time, especially while young.

What would you say to people who say that travelling alone as a woman is dangerous?

People were saying that to me all the time too and every time I would hear that I would start having doubts and think if I am doing the right thing. I like the saying 'Feel the fear and do it anyway'. You can travel alone and minimise dangerous situations. I think that's why the Nomadhers app is so wonderful because it allows you to meet other globetrotters so that you can travel together or find tips and insights on what countries are safe to travel for female solo travellers.

If you want to learn more about women-friendly destinations in Kyrgyzstan, join the NomadHer community and connect with over 10,000 women travelers all around the world! You can join by downloading the app on the Google Play Store or on the Apple store !

How could we change this idea that women shouldn't travel alone, and should go with someone?

I think it's great to collect stories of women who travelled alone in the past and who are travelling those days to show it's possible and absolutely normal to choose to travel solo and that any woman can do that.

What is your worst experience? How did you handle it? Did it have an impact on you, your behaviour or your life?

I try to take things easy because I know that travel doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes it means you can get food poisoning, acne, mosquitoes… or all at the same time! Not long ago I got bed bites all over my body while I was in Georgia.. My whole body was itching and burning for a week.

I was angry at myself for making a decision to stay in that exact hotel and for not checking the bedsheets. But this incident taught me to be grateful for different kinds of experiences on the road. It's important not to dwell on things but just accept circumstances and mistakes and learn from them. Nonetheless, I love travelling and I think those kinds of uncomfortable moments make you truly feel alive.

Today I am proud of who I am and I know what I've been through and know what I want even though it might take a lot of work to achieve things.

What were the difficulties you had to overcome while travelling?

I think I am always overcoming myself. Sometimes I would think oh no I can't do it but then I think Aishola you are here maybe only once in your life, why not make an effort to wake up early to see a sunrise up in the mountain or jump into this cold ocean water or go on this crazy roller coaster. You have you and you can challenge yourself to do things!

Best souvenir while travelling?

I stopped buying souvenirs because most of the time I travel light and on a tight budget but what I truly appreciate is the stories I collect along the way. I love talking to people, photographing, filming stories and making memories and personally this is the best souvenir for me from whatever country I visit.

How do you think travelling can empower women? What advice and tips would you give women who hesitate to travel alone?

Travelling alone makes you stronger. It's challenging but it's the best way to learn about yourself. I think you don't need to immediately start travelling alone to other countries. You can start locally… go for a solo date, go for a solo hike, visit interesting places in your home town. And maybe at some point, plan a trip or just go for a spontaneous adventure to another country.

A message you want to give to the women who will read to you?

It's interesting how we all can build plans but never actually try to make things happen. We often overthink situations too much and simply forget that life is too short. We all have fears and doubts and it takes time and courage to work on yourself - chasing a dream can be terrifying, but giving up on a dream is heartbreaking.

I always remind myself of those words: 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step', Laozi.

You just need one single step and with every new step your confidence will grow!

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What the NomadHer community asked for

We asked our community why they downloaded NomadHer, what were their expectations, and here are some of their answers.

Basically, the most current answers were: informations and meetup. So, how to decide which one should be the first to work on ?

Back on Summer 2021, when we conducted several interviews with NomadHer community, we asked each one of them how they organize and prepare their solo trip.
Looking for informations about a place to visit always comes before trying to meet anybody. That’s why we decided to work on guides first.
So we asked to NomadHers, what kind of informations are they expecting exactly : “looking for tips and places to visit” or “women’s experiences and tips about their travels” > looking for informations to prepare a solo travel as a women.

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How we try to solve it

At the moment, we already have blog content, some written by the team, some written by NomadHer community. Not to mention that we also have amazing posts inside the app where NomadHers share their experiences. So, we decided to focus on blog content first and add them inside our app : the easiest way to test if our new feature matches NomadHer’s expectations.

So we are happy to introduce you : Pocket!

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All the informations reunited at the same place.

Prepare your first solo travel, or take notes from other travelers, or read NomadHers experiences from all over the world with our new feature: Pocket!

And, because we know that it is important for you, we decided to put an easy access to it directly in the bottom menu on the app.

Last but not least, because it is really important for us to create this app in collaboration with our community, we suggested a list of name for this new feature and NomadHers voted in majority for Pocket!

In Jan 2020, after working on my van for several months, putting so much effort, and getting out of my comfort zone so many times, I finally hit the road to Belgium and The Netherlands on my own! I had no idea what to expect, and what this world had to offer me.

✨ Why Vanlife?
To escape painful daily life. Buying my van also meant << there’s no turning back >>. At that time, I didn’t know I was running away from pain and emotional burnout. All I knew was that I needed to go. And once on the road, I couldn’t escape anymore: All my wounds reopened, and I need to heal them.

✨ How has it changed me?
Back my first solo trip. After 3 days, I felt completely LOST. Here’s one truth about vanlife: you are REALLY free. You depend on nothing but you, no train, no plane, no restaurant, nobody. I know it seems like the coolest thing, but at the same time, sometimes balance is the key.

So, what do you do when, like me, you are supposed to be the happiest woman who reached her goal but ended up crying for 2 weeks, feeling miserable and helpless, in a van that didn’t even have a shower 😂 (and yes, we still shower in the gym)?

✨You learn to listen to yourself.
And that was what this whole trip was about. It wasn’t about discovering new cities, it wasn’t about meeting new people. No. For me, it was all about reconnecting with myself first. The reason for all those tears was because of all those wounds that needed to heal.

So I asked myself, why do you think do we like to travel so much? For me, I feel that somehow it disconnect us from our painful daily life, and allow us to breathe, live the present moment, and create a deep connection with ourselves, and with others.

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💚 Here are 3 Lessons I’ve learned while building my van:

👉 Learn to ask for help.
I’ve learned that often, people would be glad to help you, but they think you can do everything on your own because, when you don’t ask for help, that’s the image they perceived from you. And that’s also the image we want them to see.

But, Loneliness can hit really hard. Taking care of yourself is also asking and opening doors for others.
⇢ Be humble enough to say that you can’t do everything, or that you don’t know to do something.
⇢ Be honest with yourself, it’s the first and most important key to healing.
⇢ And, if you feel stuck, then you know it's the time to ask for a professionnal.
⇢ Asking for help is showing your vulnerability, which makes you way more relatable, human, and inspiring.

👉 Be part of a community.
Surround yourself with people who truly understands you.
I was really at a lower point of my life, two years later, I now have vanlifers as friends, but also incredible solo female travelers that I met during NomadHer’s events, and now, I don’t feel lonely anymore, I feel empowered. Empowered enough to empowered others.

👉 Take action, no matter how scary it can be!
Listen to your fears, embrace them, and do it anyway. Because, when you overcome your fears, you grow, you become more and more courageous, and nothing can stop you.
Travelling in a van is such a unique experience of freedom. You really reconnect with nature, and this allows you to create sooooo many memorable and unique experiences like being stuck in the mud and having three ladies push that 3.5T truck 😂.  So yes, I was afraid of vanlife. I was so afraid of my first solo trip.
Yes, I was afraid to tell everyone that I wanted to coach people.
But no regrets. At all.
Now, I am full of happiness, and so are my coaches.

💚  Keep in mind, nothing is perfect:
I don't want to paint you a perfect (van)life. It was HARD and painful.
Building my van, I made mistakes that forces me to disassemble and rebuild everything again.
But I've learned from my mistakes and this time : I asked for help. I ask for a professionnal and learn so much.
I am sharing you this because I am not afraid to be vulnerable.
I've learned to embrace the pain rather than hiding it. And it's because I was true and honest to myself that I was allowed to find my inner peace.

💚 Now, how do you think this trip has empowered me?
Today, I am proud to say that I have really strong self-confidence because I know exactly who I am, I know what I’ve been through, I know what I want and what I don’t want and nobody can take that away from me.

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Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?

We are Valentine, Claire and Liora, French business school students, and we are creating a podcast project together. We traveled in different countries during our studies: Valentine went to Spain, Claire to Japan and Liora to Morocco and Mexico. It was therefore essential for us to build on this momentum and include travels in our project. So we started at the beginning of January our three months trip around Europe in order to interview people and discover their vision of love and relationships according to their culture, their religion,... The idea is to meet people that are different from those we usually meet and to discover new cultures.

How did you meet ?

We met in preparatory classes in Versailles, France. We attended the same boarding school, so we immediately formed very strong bonds since we lived together for two years. And once we were in Paris, we continued seeing each other.

What countries have you visited so far during your trip?

For the moment, we focused on the capital cities of each country, so we went to Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden), Tallinn (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), and now we are in Warsaw (Poland).

We are going to continue to go South and come back a little bit more to the West, so the capitals that we plan to visit next are Vienna (Austria), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Istanbul (Turkey) and Athens (Greece).

And among all these capitals, which one did you prefer?

Copenhagen and Stockholm

Copenhagen is very colorful and there is water everywhere, it is truly beautiful. But we especially loved it thanks to the people we met there. Our host was great, we still speak almost daily with    him, and we really got along well with him. Even if it is a big city, it looks like a village.

In Stockholm, we loved the fact that it is full of islands, and we really enjoyed its big city vibe. And in terms of architecture and museums, everything was open, so we had the full experience!

The only drawback for these two cities is that they are very expensive for people who want to travel on a budget. We had to restrict ourselves a lot when eating and bought sandwiches in the supermarket.

Did anything surprise you during your trip?

In terms of behavior, whether in Copenhagen or Stockholm, Scandinavian people are rather shy and when we asked someone to take a picture of us, they looked a bit strangely at us. For them, it's quite strange to talk to people in the street. So, for our interviews, many people refused to participate at first, but hopefully we were still able to collect some very interesting content.

We also met people who made us question all our beliefs. As French people, we realized we were behind on many subjects because they are very evolved and ahead of us in terms of gender equality. We met a Swiss woman who lived in Denmark, and who told us that, for the first time in her life she felt more of a person than a gender. We felt like we were living in the future compared to France, which is already evolved compared to other countries. So we have a lot to learn from the Scandinavian countries because they are ahead of us in  many societal issues.

Besides, we sometimes interviewed people with radically different opinions from ours. And as a result, we feel our conceptions and beliefs regarding several themes such as marriage or monogamy are evolving.

So it's mostly the words of the people we interviewed that stay in our minds.

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And what does travelling bring to your respective lives?

You feel like you get to know yourself differently. Being constantly faced with new people gives us confidence because we realize that we have things to say and that we are  interested in what people have to say, which creates real connections.

Regarding the hosts who welcomed us, it renews our faith in humanity. They welcomed us with open arms in a very warm way, and it's something we hadn't necessarily experienced before. When we go back to France, we will try to give back by welcoming people and helping them discover Paris.

Traveling also opens your mind, and gives you a kind of benevolence, the desire to know people without judging them. When we meet someone, we have no preconceived ideas about them because we don't necessarily know the local social codes. We can't put them in a box, so we are much more open to meeting people, and we create friendships with people we wouldn't have talked to in France.

This also confirms our desire to live abroad after our studies precisely to continue to enrich ourselves culturally by meeting people from many different backgrounds.

Have you ever had a bad surprise, a problem ?

We never really had any bad surprise but constantly moving from one place to another with our big bags without any place to settle down can be rather tiring. But we really don’t have much to complain about !

What is your best memory during this trip?

Hard to choose!

The moments we shared with our first host in Copenhagen. We were truly fascinated by their warm welcome. He and his partner were very interesting and knowledgeable people.

We also enjoyed riding bikes in Stockholm. Pedaling was hard and it was cold, but looking back at it, it was a bit of a dream to cycle through the islands.

Another good memory is our ferry crossing from Stockholm to Tallinn. We did this trip at night, and we had never done such a thing, it was incredible. The ferry looked like a cruise ship, it was huge ! We were about 200 while the boat could welcome up to 2000 passengers, so we almost had the entire boat to ourselves. And we discovered that for the Finnish and the Swedish, it is a little a tradition to come on weekends on the ferry and to make the round trip to spend time on this moving city. It is crazy!

What do you think of your experience with couch-surfing as women ?

It was our first time using couch-surfing and the app, so at first we were sending requests like a message in a bottle, but it's actually really simple. We send about 20 requests each time and about 3 or 4 people generally agree to host us, so we have many choices!

We are impressed by people’s hospitality, they show us around the city, host us and feed us. We try to make small gestures in return. People are so kind, they leave us their house keys without even knowing us.

But it is true that as a woman, it is more complicated, we have precautions to take. Even if we travel together, we really look at their previous comments before choosing a host. For a single woman, we would recommend staying at women’s places or with people with many comments.

What would you say to women who are afraid to travel alone?

We would like to tell them that this fear is legitimate because, as women, we are always a little more vulnerable. But if you take the right precautions, there is no reason to be. There is a very large community of women who travel alone, as you can see on NomadHer, and when you are in the right networks you are quickly reassured. You can get advice from someone on the spot and therefore be much less afraid.

And don't forget that when you travel alone you are never really alone! It is much easier to meet people whether in a hostel or through social networks.

An advice we can give is to go step by step!

How do you think travel can empower women?

Through meeting and discovering new cultures. We interviewed an Indonesian woman who moved to Estonia, and she told us that coming to Estonia allowed her to see  all these European countries where she could talk freely about her condition as a woman and the abuse she had suffered from in the past, whereas in Indonesia, it is rather shameful to talk about it. Traveling can therefore allow women to discover other possibilities, to do new things and to assert themselves.

On the other hand, going to countries where women's freedom is less obvious allows us to realize how lucky we are, for example in France.

Traveling is therefore a way to free yourself and become aware of your condition as a woman in different countries. There is also this side where you do everything by yourself, you don't need anyone to take care of yourself. It builds up your self-confidence !

What is Relationtrip?

This project was born a little less than a year ago and the goal was to gather the three of us  around a trip that would allow us to meet really different people. We wanted to end up with a product that we could "present to the world", hence the podcast format.

It's a documentary on matchmaking in India which made us aware of the stark differences between countries as far as relationships are concerned. The theme of couples is very interesting because we push people to really open up, which in turn allows us to strongly bond with them.

We plan on making six episodes. Each episode will explore a theme around relationships such as the dating phase, marriage, etc… In each episode, there will be crossed testimonies of people we interviewed in each country we visited. The goal is not only to portray cultural differences, but rather to show the most striking testimonies, those that can be really eye opening to people. We want our listeners to think to themselves "I never thought of it that way".

Most people we interview are women, which gives a true feminist dimension to this podcast. We want to explore couples as being one of the main patriarchal shackles oppressing women in many countries and see how we can free ourselves from them.

We hope to broadcast our podcast on the main streaming platforms: Deezer, Spotify, Apple Podcast, etc. Our goal is to release it in French in September 2022, to have enough time to take a step back on the interviews and to offer the best possible quality.

Do you have any final message you would like to share with the NomadHer community?

Setting a project, a goal can help you get started, and meet new people.

So, take the plunge, go for it, and for those of you who are a little afraid to do it, just do it once before it becomes almost an addiction. You'll never regret doing it.

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How borders separate us, how language and culture are different, There are values that we can share. Olive Soreng tells her story of the last bonfire and what she learned about re-using ash.  Do you have a similar story like this? here is her story❤️

Currently on holidays for Christmas and New Year's in my hometown, Jharkhand, India. Having brought up in different countries, made me less knowledgeable about my own home. It is only through my mother's stories that I've only heard about my roots. My father is now retired and my parents have settled in the hometown.

Ever since we returned to India, whenever my sister and I, visit home for the holidays, we make it a point to actually experience life as is and make do with whatever is available around us.

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✨So what can you do with the leftover of last night’s bonfire?

Today morning, a day after Christmas, my mother made us strain the leftover. We separated the charcoal from the ash with the help of a strainer.

What I learned today will forever be imprinted in my memory — We used the Ash to sprinkle over the onion and garlic which we are currently growing in our little garden.

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✨Why?

Ash is a good fertilizer. Among its other uses, especially in remote villages, it’s used to clean dishes, and some even clean their teeth. As for the leftover charcoal, well that’s going to be used again to make a bonfire to warm ourselves tonight.

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✨Nothing is wasted.

Pretty interesting?!! Such knowledge can only be taught firsthand. Passed from one generation to another for survival or for simply to be connected to your roots.

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🌈Travel Travel Travel.

Solo or with the company. Let there be cultural exchanges.

Such knowledge and basic work should not be extinct. That’s my lesson from this morning.

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One of the most popular questions that are asked in our NomadHer community is “where is the safest country to go for my first solo trip?“. This isn’t an easy question to answer. But, In NomadHer community, there are lots of women solo travellers who are willing to share their tips and stories. We all understand how difficult to start the first solo trip in life. That’s why we ask our NomadHers to recommend a safe country for women travellers based on their experience. and here are their answers.

🌟 South Korea

“In South Korea, If I want to go to the bathroom when I was at a cafe, I just went by leaving my laptop on the table without being worried like who’s gonna take it. People in here have a mindset like why people take mine that is not theirs. This thought is so natural here. So which cities I visited in Korea, I was never worried about who stole my cellphone or didn’t need to wear a small bag inside of my jacket.”

by Soyeon, South Korea

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“My first solo trip was in South Korea and I felt safe from the beginning to the end. All places on the street were well organized. It was my first trip on my own. I felt relieved all the time in here.”

by Line, France

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🌟 Germany

“Germany is the place I have felt the most comfortable walking and doing stuff on my own. I was never disrespected, harassed, or taken for granted and a very respectful culture.”

By Maria, Colombia

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“I have lived in Germany and especially in Berlin for almost 11 years and I can confirm that I have never felt threatened or felt unsafe. People mind their own business and really respect personal space and at the same time they are open-minded.”

By Maria, Germany

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🌟Japan

“South Korea and Japan are one of the safest countries to travel solo as every convenience store is open 24 hours and many street lights are out there and you feel safe for walking alone in the night most of all, I like the fact that there are fewer chances of being stolen your phone and camera which is so important for me.”

By Hyo, South Korea

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🌟 Iceland

“For me it’s Iceland. It is 100% safe for a woman alone. You don’t feel insecure when you walk during the night in a street or if you have any precious things with you. Minds are open and they are used to having great equality between men and women which is really precious. Moreover, cities are small so you don’t have the feeling to be lost with billions of people around you and Reykjavik is a really easy city.”

By Judith, France

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🌟 Estonia

”I would like to add Estonia, I spent 10 days in this country alone, I was a bit scared before visiting the city because many people asked me “Isn’t it dangerous for a lonely woman?” And the answer is 100% no.

People mind their own business but if you ask them for help, they will try their best to help you. But at first sight, they can look distant and cold. I talked to some employees of shops, restaurants and I was really surprised by their kindness (which is a bit different from France) you have many different cultures in Estonia which are perfectly mixed together.

A guy explained to me that policemen were just a few in the countryside because of the low criminal rate. I was harassed only by stupid tourists who wanted to find a girl in Estonia during their trip (and they probably believed I was Estonian so they asked me) but not local people. And I just advise you to be careful of these Western tourists who visit Eastern European countries to live a kind of “Very Bad Trip” because most of the time they come from Western Europe but otherwise I feel very safe.”

By Judith, France

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🌟 Czech Republic / Belgium /Austria

“During my five-month travel through Holland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Germany, were off-work hours I was totally alone, I can say that these are countries I totally safe and relaxed. There’s also an app that helps you out with less safe areas, you just have to put the city and it will tell you where it’s less safe at certain times of day or night, I believe it has been mentioned here, Wher.”

by Monica , Portugal

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”Germany and Austria, depending on the area of course but when I walked alone there I felt so safe. And you can enjoy nature around city too. So, If you start your solo trip at first time in your life, then I recommend these countries.”

by Jeannine, France

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Christmas season is around the corner and we have asked where NomadHers wish to celebrate Christmas and here are some responses that we have heard from them!🌟

1️. Prague, Czech Republic

“I will bring into the discussion Prague. this city is like a fairy tale and very affordable. I think it is a great Christmas destination. Walking Hradcany neighbourhood especially in the morning, and the city has so many cafes and bakeries where you can work or just relax and many beautiful pots from where you can see the city above.”

“Prague. Christmas market is held in this season and it’s amazing. I love to have a hot latte, and a cup of latte in Prague is cheaper than in Korea. Most of the attractions are closed to each other. You can go there on walking. I was happy that I don’t need to take a bus.”

By Soyeon and Eleni

2️. Colmar and Strasbourg, France

“The whole Alsace region, especially Colmar and Strasbourg! If you are based in France or if you want to come during this time of the year, You get the whole Christmas experience. The architecture, decorations, Christmas markets, and the cold weather and the snow! “

By Maria

3️. Paris and Nice  France

“Paris is the place to visit at least once in your life. Hot wine and Christmas music are everywhere and you will not realize how time goes by seeing all these small and beautiful gift shops on the corners of the street.”

“Paris is really charming, city of light and I love to spend Christmas in Nice (South of France) it’s warm but not too much, not too much crowded, blue sky and then for the new year I would go to the snowy mountain.”

By Hyojeong and Jeannine

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4️. Australia

“I’d love to hear from someone in the Southern Hemisphere. I was trying to explain to my youngest kiddo why Australia had images of surfing Santas where the US has images of snow. He still didn’t quite understand the difference in weather, culture, etc. Someday perhaps”

“Would love to know warmer places with just as much magic. Some of us are “visiting the snow” not embracing the snow visiting us.”

By Shawna

5️. Chicago and  New York, USA

“Chicago and New York City are absolutely magical at Christmas, with the lights and especially outdoor ice skating.”

“One city where most of the NomadHers are heading out for Christmas Season and New Year in New York in the USA. Endless Christmas lights and the vibe of the carol with hot chocolate is a must to try”

By Maggie

6️. Rome, Italy

“The whole of Europe is decorated warmly, When I was young living in Rome, I would be amazed at the streets decorated with lights and Santa’s at the corner, and Christmas trees every now and then. It was surely magical in the eyes of a kid. I never got to experience the same after having left Rome. In India, it’s more of a private celebration, and will find decorative trees and ensembles only at Malls.”

By Olive

7️. Goa, India

“If you are in India Goa and Kolkata’s Park Street are vibes! Goa is on the western coast of India, it’s a state and Kolkata is my city on the eastern coast of India. Yes, you are right people sell food, the street is wonderfully decorated with Christmas tree Santa lights, events are held at the park, fairs are held and carols are played the whole day. It’s a grand affair.”

By Minakshi

8️. Romania

“Romania is the best for this beautiful castle. I will bring into the discussion Prague. this city is like a fairy tale and very affordable. I think it is a great Christmas destination. Walking Hradcany neighborhood especially in the morning, and the city has so many cafes and bakeries where you can work or just relax and many beautiful pots from where you can see the city above. “

By Marie

9️. Budapest, Hungary

“Budapest is the city already amazing without Xmas time but with it’s a picture is just the perfect. There are historic and beautiful castles that will catch your eyes! and  Don’t miss the Christmas market in Budapest. The biggest Christmas market takes place on Vörösmarty square in the heart of the city. You can enjoy delicious foods and accessories there.”

By Monica

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