Five Things Solo Travel Teaches You💚

As women, we are put into cages from a young age. Society tells us what is expected from us, how to behave, think, and what we should do with our lives before we even know who we are. We are filled with fears, encouraged to limit our experiences, passions, and desire to explore the world because the unknown may seem dangerous.

‍

Before starting my journey, I had given up on my dream: traveling.  I was too intimidated to be away from my comfort zone and too frightened of the unfamiliar. I found myself just existing, limiting myself to ensure that anything negative could happen to me. 👉 This all changed when covid first started. I realized that up until then, I had never done something memorable with my life. I realized being alive, healthy, and having the right to do outdoor activities are privileges. I promised myself I would never again take anything for granted.

‍

I booked my first solo trip to the other side of the world. I left my country (Colombia) and moved to France in a month! It has been over a year since I made the best decision of my life. I have become wiser, more independent, stronger, and happier.😊 That’s why I want to share five things this experience has taught me since I consider them great encouragement if you have second thoughts about taking this step.

‍

‍

1️. Responsibility: From planning a whole trip on your own, being financially in charge, to surviving in a foreign country/city, solo traveling speeds up your capacity to be accountable✨ and make the most appropriate decisions to fulfill your purpose of traveling safely.

2️. Independence: You have the opportunity to plan your trip to please yourself. you can focus on the activities you love and enjoy some time alone! You get the chance to reinvent yourself as a person.🙂Being away from everything you know and the things that are socially dictated, you get this new given sense of freedom. You can focus on your happiness, building your own identity, and your world-conception.

3️. Adaptability: Finding yourself away from your culture, your support system, your language, and your traditions can be unsettling and scary. Don't worry! As human beings, we have the survival instinct which rescues us in situations like this. As foreigners, the best travel experience can be achieved through cultural immersion. 🌸The best thing to do is not to impose our habits and customs but to let ourselves be embraced by the new world that is being offered to us.

4️. Perspective: Every place you visit gives you the possibility to understand the world through a different conception. You realize that there are no absolute truths.🙂 You begin to be more empathetic, open, and willing to learn from others.

5️. Self-esteem: Self-esteem: your self-love, courage, and confidence grow in an inexplicable way when you realize that you can be self-sufficient, overcome every challenge that comes your way, and that even if you find yourself in intimidating situations, you can succeed. 🌈Traveling alone allows you to leave your fears and insecurities aside and see your true self.

Every woman should try solo traveling because the world has so much richness to offer; beautiful places to visit; lovely people to meet. Traveling it's the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself, find who you want to be, and get to know your full potential. Be free.

From Maria Bello, Colombia 💗

‍

‍

Have you ever had that feeling when you really want to do something but feel like you aren’t brave enough? Or fear that people will judge you?

When it comes to solo travelling, we all have that same feeling, especially for solo travelling as a woman.

That’s why we asked our community to share their fears and how to overcome them!

‍

1. You will feel safer when you prepare as much as you can. (From Sira, Deutschland)

• Make a good research on the area
• Make a list of areas to avoid walking alone at night
• Always keep your bag close
• Keep your important stuff (Phone, ID, Purse and etc) on you
• Have an arm on you bag while taking public transportation

Sira says one thing that can help a person that have fear of travel, it’s to plan the trip before. For example, see where your hotel/hostel/Airbnb is and then plan everything you want to visit. When I travel alone in the evening, I stay inside my room because I don’t feel safe going around alone in the evening. But nothing can stop me to travel, It’s so important to meet new people all around the world, new cultures, it opens the mind and while travelling, you make beautiful memories that you keep in your heart. I love the concept of the NomadHer app because it’s only for women, so I feel like it’s safer to make new friends

2. Remind yourself that people don’t really care about what you do (From Laura, Italy)

• Remind yourself that people don’t really care about what you do. Most of them don’t have any bad intentions.

Laura says people who overthink a lot (like me) tend to think about the worst scenario possible like “is there a lot of bad people with bad intentions?” How to overcome it? Probably just to put more trust in humans, a lot of them don’t actually care about what you do, and there’s kindness in the world too. And always look at the surroundings and use your senses and if you feel something is wrong don’t think twice before going somewhere safe or contacting someone.

‍

3. There are many ways to overcome loneliness(From Leidya, Indonesia)

Leidya says some useful tips on how to overcome feel being alone.

• Always open your heart to new experiences and cultures.

• Never judge the way people act in the new country you have visited. Take it as a new way of life. It might be different in another country. For example, I am from Indonesia and I am used to people smiling but if I go to more close/communist countries they might look a bit tough but it doesn’t mean that they are bad.

• Being open doesn’t mean being innocent. We have to be careful as well. Prepare things and try to look for some information before you travel.

• You can search for a community/activity before your departure. For example, join humanitarian work/ volunteering. Also, You can join and meet NomadHer community. Many NomadHers meet each other while traveling now.

4. Be brave to ask people to get useful tips for your solo trip. They are willing to help you. (From Olivia in France)

• Remind yourself why you really want to go on a trip and ask yourself what will you lose, miss or regret if you don’t. Based on that, you will find the courage to live the life you want

Olivia says I was afraid of being stolen, not having the capacity to do hitchhiking. I asked for tips and advice from people that have already done this type of travel in their life and that helped me to stop imagining the worst scenarios! Having friends that support and help you before the departure helped me a lot!

While I travel alone, I realized that there is almost ALWAYS someone to help you wherever you are! And when nobody’s here, you can always call the emergency, a family member, a friend to solve this bad situation! And if it’s too hard, you can always go back home, it’s not a failure, you’re not weak, you’re just protecting yourself which is the most important!

Want to get more tips? Download NomadHer and meet over 10,000 inspiring women from all over the world.

‍

Have you ever thought of going on a solo trip? Let's see 5 ways your life will change when you start solo travel.

‍

✳️ 1.Challenge yourself (From Maria, Columbia)

When traveling solo, you will face multiple challenges, one of them is to face your own boundaries. For example, fear of rejection, or people's opinions. Ask yourself, why are you not taking this trip you really want to? Is it a good reason?

Maria says, Before starting my journey from Columbia to France, I had given up on my dream: traveling. I was too intimidated to be away from my comfort zone and too frightened of the unfamiliar. I found myself just existing, limiting my actions to ensure that anything negative could happen to me. This all changed when covid first started. I realized that up until then, I had never done something memorable with my life. I realized being alive, healthy, and having the right to do outdoor activities are privileges. I promised myself I would never again take anything for granted. Solo trip broadens my sight beyond boundaries.

‍

✳️ 2.Become more independent (From Yuliya, Portugal)

Traveling solo is easier to plan. Indeed, you will be able to do what you want & when you want to, and you will mostly rely on yourself.

Yuliya says, It was me who decided what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, without any setbacks because of the other person, without having to do what others want to do. It was just me, my thoughts, and my wishes. I don’t want to miss this great opportunity to feel free and be independent. That is why I keep doing a solo trip by now.

‍

✳️ 3.Increase confidence(From Soyeon, South Korea)

I do not speak English well and will I be able to travel solo? Well, you will find yourself communicating with locals and other travelers by using hand gestures, broken English, etc. It is fine! You will discover that if you believe in it, you will make it.

Soyeon says Fear could be smaller than you think. When foreigners come to your country and ask you where they go, you will tell them as kindly as possible. The same happens when you travel abroad. In the world, there are much more kind people than bad people. So when you face your boundaries. Don’t make an excuse to say ‘No’ to solo travel.

‍

✳️ 4.Self-discovery (From Hyeyoung, South Korea)

Learn to prioritize yourself by getting to know who you are, and what you really want. The only person you will be with is yourself.

Hyeyoung says I was very surprised when I found myself talking to locals for the first time and asked many questions. No matter how much you prepare before you go on a trip alone, unexpected situations happen all the time. I realized that the easiest and fastest way to solve the problem was to ask the locals. If I go with someone, I would just step back and depend on my friends. In addition, when I traveled alone, I could try something that I’ve never done before. Getting a free-diving license in Thailand was the best thing I did. I learned that I can have more courage because I traveled for myself!

‍

✳️ 5.Make a new friend (From Maryline, France)

Just because you're travelling solo doesn't mean that you can't find a friend on your way! In fact, when you meet someone on the road, the connection can be even stronger than in your daily life.

Maryline says A solo trip is a great means to discover yourself, make friends, become strong, and find yourself. Be free and take time for yourself. You can make more friends that you travel for yourself. It’s a privilege of a solo trip!

‍

For the past month, we had a NomadHer illustration by partnering with Busan City and around 15 NomadHers from all different parts of the world have participated. Well, here are stories of 3 NomadHers and I hope you enjoy them. Again, We appreciate all of you who have participated in NomadHer illustration challenge!😀

⭐From Sheryline

‍
🔸 Why did I participate?
Bonjour, I’m Sheryline, 27 years old, from Paris (France) and cofounder of Le Papondu. I started drawing with my father when I was young. And in kindergarten, my teacher asked my parents to develop my artistic talent. That’s where I learned different arts and fell in love with nature and landscape drawings.

🔸 What did I want to express through my work?
When I’ve heard of the « Illustration Challenge 2021: the Beauty of Busan city », I was affected. I started learning and discovered the real beauty of this city: the diversity of landscapes, all the colors we can find on houses but also the walls and trains and the food specialties. I’ve also learned that there was an international movie about Busan « Train to Busan ».
So I wanted to regain each element to my drawing and transmit the feelings I had while learning about this pretty city.

🔸 What do I think about the Nomadher community?
I grew up in France, with very protective parents. The majority of my travels were with my family and was in Asia. I always wanted to travel alone, because for me, « solo travel » means « liberty, independence, curiosity, and exploration », but my parents were afraid of it. For my last travel, I took the plane alone for the first time and was very proud. It’s the starting point for several trips alone! I immediately felt the beautiful energy of women from NomadHer: good vibes, kindness, and strength!

‍

‍

⭐From Kristen

‍
🔸Why did I participate?
I am a graphic designer and recently completed a master's degree in art direction. I love illustration & travel & am looking for ways to combine the two. When I saw that this competition I was so excited.

🔸 What did I want to express through my work?
I had an idea of trying to combine many iconic places in the city into one composition because a city is not just one landmark but a combination of everything from people, to large monuments, to tiny alleyways, to the food, etc. That is why I tried to incorporate the Gamcheon village, the Haedong Yonggungsa temple, the downtown part of the city, the more modern skyscrapers, the Gwangan bridge, the beach, and the mountains. I also gave the illustration a "night vibe" because I think that cities are the most beautiful at night, the way that everything lights up, I love it.

🔸 What did I get to know about Busan?
You can go to see beautiful temples in one part, then go to a super modern area with skyscrapers, or go to a village with all of these colorful buildings that are a completely different style than the skyscrapers. I love when cities combine the old and new.

🔸 What does travel mean to me?
For me, travel is a learning experience.we realize even more that the world is more than just what you see around your own city. Coming from the United States, honestly, we do not put an emphasis on learning about other cultures in school. It is super sad and I think it is a shame that the students do not necessarily realize how vast the world is.

When you finally travel you realize, where I live is just one tiny place in the world, You develop empathy and understanding for others, you learn to be open-minded and most importantly you realize that we are all more similar than you'd think, we're all just human. I think this is key for creating peace in the world.

🔸 What do I think about the Nomadher community?
I got the chance to meet NomadHers. We got drinks one evening in Paris and had lots of interesting conversations. The community is full of girls from diverse backgrounds, who all love to travel.

‍

‍

⭐From Novita

‍
🔸 Why did I participate?
Hello, I am Novita from Indonesia. I am thankful for the appreciation of my artwork. I am so glad and surprised at the same time when I knew that I got the third position.

I knew this competition from Instagram, and I was attracted to join because it is suitable with my passion to draw. Therefore, I tried to join.

🔸 What did I want to express through my work?
When I made this illustration, my inspiration came from my friends who were solo traveller and visited various places. Therefore, I decided to make an illustration from the concept of female travellers, they can visit various places such as Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan Tower, and Haeundae Beach to get magnificent experiences.

Through this illustration, I also want to tell people that a woman can go traveling alone, including going to Busan. Meeting a lot of new people there, in Busan, can be an incredible experience.
Moreover, my friends were really attracted to Korean culture. So, Busan sounds familiar to me because my friends commonly talk about it. A lot of tourism destinations can be visited there, such as Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan Tower, Haeundae Beach.

🔸 What do I think about the Nomadher community?
For me, travelling is an exciting activity. Besides visiting various lovely places, travelling also allows us to gain a lot of new friends, challenge our courage as well as our socializing skill.
I have never found this kind of community before. A lot of experience and pleasure shared by this community member motivates me to go for solo travelling.

‍

The guide to Busan for solo female travelers

Made by NomadHers with love💚

How much does NomadHer recommend Busan for solo female travelers?

(😩 Bad, 😊 Fine, 😍 Amazing)

Our score is: 😍 Amazing

When traveling alone, you often feel like you have to solve everything on your own. At the same time, it is when you receive the most help from others. You learn along the way.‘I will help others too!’ As you keep doing that your perspective gets wider. At first, when you travel alone the only thing you can see is yourself. But as time passes you will find yourself focusing on others too and experience your heart getting bigger. Affection does exist in solo travel.

NomadHer always supports females’ solo travel. She Can Travel Anywhere.

1. NomadHer’s Overall Rating

Busan is highly recommended for female solo travelers. With pleasure, we would give Busan three out of three stars. You are probably wondering why so let us tell you. Have you been to a city that is brighter at night? Busan is a bustling place even late at night with people enjoying the night sea. Restaurants do not close until morning. Isn’t that incredible? But more so, public transportation connects every part of the city. You can go anywhere at any time. Even going to the ocean and the mountains are quick and easy.

What if you get lost or have no clue about something while traveling? Do not hesitate and ask for help. Because Busan’s warm climate attracts tourists all year long, the local people are used to meeting tourists all the time. Busan is a city where you will be welcomed by the warm hospitality of the locals.

2. A Short Summary

Are people living near the coast usually so kind? In Busan, you can count on the kindness of the people. As the only place in Korea where you can spend a warm winter, it is always lively with tourists. So people living in Busan are no stranger to the energy of the city full of tourists.

Are you lost while traveling alone? Don’t worry! Ask anyone around you! People in Busan are more than willing to help! Can people be this kind? Absolutely! They know Busan's charm very well that visiting once is never enough.  

Surprisingly, Busan is where city and local sensibilities meet. Would you believe it if you could enjoy the views of the ocean and mountains in between the tall skyscrapers? From water sports such as surfing, yacht, cruise to beautiful forests, there is never a dull moment. Busan has amazing local food that is part of many Koreans’ food bucket lists. Let’s travel to Busan together! Feel free to download the PDF version of this guidebook.

3. Words you should know in Busan

Busan has a unique dialect with a stronger accent than other regions. It is one of the reasons why K-dramas love to include Busan’s dialect. The dialect can sound strange at first, but you will soon find yourself familiar with it. Try to keep some phrases in mind and use them in everyday conversations with your friends once you get back. Isn’t this the beauty of the Busan dialect? Your trip will be so much more fun if you know some phrases. They are really easy too, so wouldn’t it be better to learn a few before the trip?

Mat-jae?

It is used to confirm once more that something is correct. For example, while giving a change of thousand-won you can say ‘mat-jae?’ to confirm that it is the correct amount.  

Moe-ra-ka-no?

When a person is confused about what has been said to them, they say ‘moe-ra-ka-no?’. If you ask for directions too quickly in English, you would probably hear this a lot. ‘What are you saying?’ ‘Moe-ra-ka-no?’

Ji-gi-nae!

This translates to ‘Awesome’, ‘Amazing!’ For instance, if you are trying on different clothes at a shop, the worker can say ‘Ji-gi-nae!’ to express that the clothes look good on you.

Gae-ahn-ta! or Gae-ahn-na?

‘Gae-ahn-ta!’ means ‘I’m fine. Don’t worry!’, whereas ‘Gae-ahn-na?’ translates to ‘Are you okay?’ If someone says ‘Gae-ahn-na?’ to you whose face has turned red from eating spicy food, he or she is asking out of concern if you are fine.  

Why-rano?

It is a dialect for ‘What is wrong with you/me?’ You can say ‘What’s wrong with you?’ ‘Why-rano?’ to a child nagging you to buy them a toy. Or you can say ‘What’s wrong with me?’ ‘Why-rano?’ to yourself when you forget your phone at home. It can be used in many ways.

Oi-so!

It means ‘Come here!’ At local markets, you will hear this the most. When you hear ‘Oi-so!’ at markets, remember that the merchants are saying ‘Come here and take a look.’

‍

4. Emergency Numbers

As a female, what troubles you the most while traveling alone in a city that you have never been to is your safety. We probably have all experienced saving emergency numbers on our phones and having a separate note with all the numbers in case of losing the phone. It is also a good tip to prepare a physical copy of your passport for a quicker process at the embassy when you lose your passport. Especially when you travel solo, we highly recommend having emergency numbers right at your fingertips for that country or city. We have compiled emergency numbers in Busan for you.

Busan Tourism Organization’s Tourist Information Service 1330

If you urgently need help or service in a foreign language while traveling in Busan, try making a call to 1330 operated by the Busan Tourism Organization. It is available 24 hours and provides a translation service. You can use it at a restaurant or in a taxi when you need a translation service. You can also use it if you get lost or encounter an unexpected situation.  

24-hours Female Emergency Call 1366  

During your travel, if you experience any sexual harassment you can use the Female Emergency Call. To protect female rights, it operates 24 hours and provides service in foreign languages. Associated with Professional Consultation Service, Medical Institution, and Law Institute, you are able to receive support any time.  

Busan Police Station 112 / Your Country’s Embassy Contact Number

If there is any case of personal danger, call the police station. We also recommend learning your country’s embassy emergency contact number in advance.

5.  Do

Have you ever felt clueless after you had arrived, having thought to yourself that you were very prepared while planning and researching your trip? Either making new friends or going to new places, it is essential to break the fear of something new. So, we are introducing you to the Dos and Don’t in Busan to make sure that Busan doesn’t feel totally strange to you. Feel free to skim through them on your train or plane to Busan!  

It is okay to feel warmth in Busan’s dialect.

You can be very surprised when you hear Busan’s dialect for the first time. Its strong accent can make you think ‘Is that person mad at me?’ or ‘Are those people fighting?’ Don’t worry. We guarantee you that in less than a day, you will find yourself already used to the dialect. As much as the dialect’s strong accent, you will fall in love with the peoples’ enthusiastic personalities.  

It is safe to walk alone at night and appreciate the view of the Gwangan Bridge.

You have never walked in the streets alone at night while traveling? Then ready to be surprised. Busan is brighter at night.

The night view of Busan is very beautiful. In particular, the lights of the Gwangan Bridge are on from sundown to 24:00 from Sunday-Thursday and until 2:00 from Friday-Saturday although they vary seasonally. The laser show happens three times a day (20:30, 21:30, 22:30) for about 10 minutes. Even late at night, many people come out to the beach to watch the colorful lights on the Gwangan Bridge. Busan is a safe city where females can walk alone at night.  

It is okay to bargain at the Jagalchi Market and enjoy fresh seafood.

If you like fresh-caught fish, try visiting the Jagalchi Market. Known as the “sanctuary” of Busan’s seafood, Jagalchi Market is a 5-minutes walk from Exit 10 of the Jagalchi Station. Seafood is sold on the first floor. On the second floor, there are restaurants that provide tables and side dishes to go with the seafood that you bought. To enjoy various kinds of seafood, it is a good idea to go together with many people. You can find other people to go with you on NomadHer! With 40000 won to 50000 won for two people, you will have a very filling meal.  

Walk along the Busan Galmaetgil Road by yourself.

Galmaetgil Road is Busan’s walking course that is connected to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. If you need meditation or some alone time this course is an amazing fit for you.

When you travel in a city, the liveliness of the city can energize you. But you might also want to escape to nature and spend some quiet time alone to reflect upon yourself. In Busan, you don’t have to go out of the city because there are many coastal walks along the beach. The most popular tracking course which takes about three hours and is 10km long is one of the Galmaetgil courses. It starts from the Moontan Road and passes the Songjeong Beach to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. You will meet many people walking along this course. Although you are alone, you can feel like you are walking together with them.  

Do not give up on finding your belongings that you forgot at a cafe or a shop.

CCTV is in every street and every shop in Korea. The same goes for Busan. You will be surprised at how casually people hang out at night. At a cafe, you will often see people just leave their laptops and go to the restroom. Be ready for another surprise. Koreans do not take anything that is not theirs! When you travel to a new place alone, there are so many things to carry around that you sometimes forget your belongings at a cafe or shop. ‘Since many hours have passed, I bet someone already took mine.’ Don’t be so discouraged. The owner of the shop or other customers who find them will hand them over to the shop to keep them. Remember that you can expect peoples’ kindness in Busan!  

Do not panic when your phone doesn’t have a battery.

Did you forget to charge your phone last night by falling asleep while going through your photos? Don’t worry. Many cafes in Busan have outlets and they even provide charging service for customers who forget to bring their own chargers. When you order your coffee, it is totally fine to ask the worker if you could borrow a charger!  

When getting on a bus, ask the bus driver if the bus is going to your destination!

One of the difficulties during solo traveling is that you have to find directions to an unfamiliar place and travel by yourself. When the city itself is strange, finding the right way can be so overwhelming. When you are trying to get on a bus but unsure whether the bus is stopping at your destination, ask the bus driver! The bus driver will not only tell you kindly but also notify you when the bus is near the destination.  

The heaven of free WiFi

Busan offers free WiFi in main tourist attractions, subways, and public places. The Internet speed is extremely fast. At cafes and restaurants, they always have free WiFi, so you can ask for the WiFi name and password when you order.

6. Don’t

When planning for your trip, group places that are close to one another.

When you look at the map of Busan, the land is long vertically. Although the distance may look short on the map, in reality, it can be pretty far. If it takes 30 minutes to get somewhere, a round-trip will take more than an hour. The travel time might become longer than you think. It is important to take the travel distance into account more than anywhere else.  

Be prepared to swim even during the winter.

Every single year, in front of the beach during the winter in Busan there is a special event. It is called the Polar Bear Swimming event. What if over 5,000 people go and dive into the ocean and swim? At this swimming festival, the person who swims 80m first in a cold ocean wins the race. So don’t think that people in Busan only swim during the summer. Well, there are so many things to look around even at a winter beach!

It is better to go earlier to famous tourist spots or to enjoy activities even during weekdays.

Busan is crowded 365 days with tourists. It is better to arrive earlier for famous tourist spots to save your time. For example, for a city tour bus, there is a limited number of passengers who can take the bus and it is better to arrive 30 to 40 minutes earlier at the city tour bus station. In the case of Haeundae Beach Train & Sky Capsule(Haeundae Blueline Park), it is better to go earlier if you wish to have an ocean view even with a reservation.

Do not eat food on public transportation.

Yes, sipping a cup of coffee with freshly baked bread, on the other hand, that’s the joy of walking around in a new city. However, it is not appropriate to take a sip of coffee or eat food on public transportation. For years, it has been a huge problem to take food out of sanitation issues in public transportation.

It’s better to take public transportation.

Busan is a metropolitan city and you can go everywhere with public transportation. Even Korean people do not bring their own car when they go and travel to Busan. Because they do not have to. It is super handy, fast and you can grab a public bus or metro every single 8 to 15 minutes. It’s more complicated to find a parking spot with a car. In Busan, taking public transportation will save your time than bringing your own car.

7. Sightseeing Courses to Recommend to Solo Female Travelers

Solo traveling is the best way to listen to our inner voice and realize that there are many sentiments and feelings that we didn’t notice in our daily life easily. In our daily busy life, we rarely get chances to figure out what we really want and who we are and while traveling solo, we discover different parts of ourselves.  

While traveling by ourselves in different corners of Busan, every single day will be a new adventure. Sometimes you might feel like just chill out, on other days you might feel like talking to local people and also meeting new people. Your feelings will be different from today. This is a guide for those who wish to try new things with different themes for solo female travelers when they travel to Busan in South Korea.  

‍

🌺THEME I.  For those who wish to jump into the big ocean and feel nature

‍

1) Try to go surfing at Songjeong Beach

If there is a city where you can feel sunshine with a breeze touching you and waves are leading you to jump in, what would you like to do? Don’t you want to just dive into the ocean? Well, then you are in the right place. Songjeong Beach is the surfing spot if you get chances to travel to Busan.  

Don’t worry even though you have never tried surfing yet. You do not have to worry because you have never tried surfing and do not have to be nervous. What if it is your first time going surfing? You can go and try to take surfing courses at surfing shops around the beach. It feels so liberating to go surfing and dive into the water while seeing the sunset. You can learn everything starting from A to Z when it comes to surfing at Songjeong Beach.  

Q. Where can we try to go surfing?

There are two exemplary surfing shops at Songjeong Beach.

     -  Surf Holic

This is open for everyone starting from the elementary level to professionals and different levels of surfers can take courses. They also offer accommodation and some other options.

Price: 65,000 won per 1 class (Including Suits, Board Rental Fee)

Opening Hours: Everyday 06:00~21:00

How to get there? : Busan Metro Exit 2 of the Line Donghae and take a walk around 15 min to Songjeong Beach

Instagram: @surfholic_kr

-  Songjeong Surfing School

Starting from entry-level to professionals, different levels of surfers can take classes.

Price: 65,000 KRW per class (Including Suit & Board Rental Fee)

Opening Hours: Everyday 06:00~20:00

How to get there? : 15min from Busan Donghae Metro Line Exit 2

Instagram: @sjscsurf

2) Feel the true local vibe of Busan at Haeundae Beach  

Haeundae beach might be the most popular spot for summer vacation. If you get a chance to go and walk around Haeundae beach, You will easily see why Haeundae beach is the symbol for summer vacation for South Koreans. Also, there are many activities that you can try in Haeundae Beach. Just within 5 min walk, you can grab and eat fresh seafood and also can go to the traditional market of South Korea.  

After Sunset, there are endless lights across the border and it makes the atmosphere so romantic. Well, you might wonder whether it is safe to walk around 2 am in Haeundae Beach. You can wonder whether it might be quite dangerous for a solo female traveler. Not at all! Haeundae Beach would be full of travelers and locals who wish to get some breeze from the ocean. You will feel the dynamics of the travelers and locals who are standing outside of the beach. You do not have to feel lonely even though you travel solo as the vibe of the Haeundae beach is so dynamic and always full of people. Don’t miss this chance to see two different faces of the Haeundae beach and you can go and grab morning coffee in front of the beach in the morning and see endless lighting and buzzing streets at night.

3) See the sunset over the Yacht at Gwangalli Beach

You can easily see the Yachts at the seaside of Busan and can observe a Yacht tour easily in any part of Busan. Especially, yacht tour around sunset time is especially popular as you can see the ocean full of red and mysterious colors. Well, taking a Yacht in Busan is such an affordable option! Most of the Yacht tours will have a tour around Gwangalli Beach and the price might be slightly different depending on the size of the Yacht but starts from around 20,000 KRW to 40,000 KRW. Don’t worry about taking a Yacht by yourself as the staff on the Yacht are so friendly and also you can get chances to talk to other people on the Yacht. Feel free to listen to the music on the Yacht and the time flies as you would feel that 1 hour is quite short.  

Q.Where can I book a Yacht Tour?

There are many different Yacht programs in Busan. Most of them have an almost similar price range and programs and feel free to choose what you prefer.

- Let me Yacht(요트탈래)

The Yacht tour starts from Busan The Bay 101 and is for 60 minutes. You will get a chance to have a tour around the Gwangan Bridge. Don’t forget to bring your ID for the ID verification check.

Price : Morning Time 20,000 KRW / Sunset TIme 40,000 KRW / Evening 30,000

Opening Hours: Every Day 09:00~22:00

How to get there? : Busan Metro Line Dongbaek Station Exit 2, 10min walk

Instagram: @yachttale

- Yacht Holic

The Yacht tour lasts for 60 minutes starting from Busan Yachting Center for 60 minutes. You can get a great view over Gwangan Bridge with a Yacht Tour for 60 minutes. Don’t forget to bring your ID for the onboarding process.

Price: Morning Hour 30,000 KRW / Evening Hour 35,000 KRW

Opening Hours: Everyday 11:00~23:00

How to get there? : Busan Metro Station Line 2 Dongbaek Exit 3, 10 min walk

Instagram: @yachtholic

‍

🌺THEME II.  For those who wish to feel the youth local vibe

1) Feel the vibe of Busan Gamcheon Cultural Village

Have you ever seen the diverse and endless colors of the houses when you search for Busan Traveling? Yes, That is Gamcheon Cultural Village which is also called the Machu Picchu of South Korea. It first started as Busan’s cultural art project and tried to create the space for artists within Busan, and now Gamcheon Cultural Village is reborn as the artistic space with the collaboration with local residents and artists. You can get a chance to see so much graffiti on the wall in different corners of the town.  

‍

How to enjoy Gamcheon Cultural Village?

You can get a stamp tour map with 2,000 KRW and will get chances to walk around different spots of the town based on the map including observatories, art galleries, etc.

Working Hours: It is not recommended to visit the Gamcheon Cultural Village during late hours as there are currently local residents living in the village. All the facilities are open from 9 am to 6 pm and open until 5 pm during the wintertime

How to get there? : Grab the metro line 1 at Toseong Station exit 6 and take the local bus Saha 1-1, SeoGu 2, SeoGu 2-1 and get off at Gamcheon Cultural Village. There are quite many hills and it is better to bring sneakers and a bottle of water!

2) Discover Yeongdo, the heaven of Busan’s Local Creators

Starting from the western part of the Yeongdo, Currently, Yeongdo is one of the hottest spots in Busan where all creative young local creators gather together and work. They are working on brewing the traditional alcohol, brewing the beer, and trying to revitalize the old swimming pool into a complex cultural space. Busan is making Yeongdo an attractive space where South Korean youth gather and solve the local problems and bring new value to the community. If you wish to visit the cultural district where you can feel the vibe of the youth, then you must definitely visit Yeongdo.

  The places below are within 5 minutes of walking distance. Shall we visit together?

       - Complex Cultural Space with local masters and artists, AREA6  

It is a complex cultural center where there are artisans and artists who have been living in Yeongdo for a long time. It opened in 2021 and currently, around 10 shops and business owners are incubated at AREA 6. There are shops such as traditional alcohol breweries, tea coffee shops where you can try Korean traditional tea, arts and goods shops where you can see the artists' artworks in posters and postcards, leather factories, and also Korean traditional souvenirs shops. I strongly recommend you to go and visit if you wish to see all the artworks made by local creators.  

Opening Hours: Everyday 11:00 am ~ 19:00 pm (Every Monday is a day off)

How to get there? : We recommend you take a bus as there isn’t any metro station near here. There might be several bus recommendation options.

Instagram: @area6.yeongdo

-Coffee shop transformed from an old swimming pool, GEMSTONE  

The place has been transformed from an old swimming pool into a trendy coffee shop and a cultural center. There is interesting furniture and artwork in every single corner of the coffee shop. Isn’t it so interesting that the old swimming pool has transformed into a coffee shop? There are many spots where you can take trendy photos in different spots of the coffee shop.  For those who wish to experience a unique coffee shop experience, it is recommended to visit GEMSTONE.  

Opening Hours: Everyday 11:00 am ~ 22:00 pm

How to get here? : Strongly recommend taking a bus as there isn’t any metro station near the cafe. On the Kakao Map Application, there will be some bus recommenda -tions to get to the coffee shop.

Instagram: @gemstone_official_

-Samjin Fish Shop where 3 generations have been making a fish cake in Busan photo5

Fish Cake is one of the most common side dishes and staple food in South Korean meal culture where they fry fish with flour. Busan is famous for fish cake where they have a comparatively high portion of fish for fish cake. Yeongdo's Samjin Fish Cake is one of the most popular fish cake brands and you get chances to eat different kinds of fish cake flavor including Kimchi fish cake, Pepper fish cake, lotus root fish cake, and French Fries fish cake, etc. Are you hungry during your solo traveling to Busan? Then directly go to the Samjin Fish Cake store and try Korean Fish Cake!  

Opening Hours: Everyday 09:00 ~ 18:00

How to get here? : Take a bus instead of a metro station. You can search for Samjin Fish Cake Shop on the Kakao map for different options.

Instagram: @samjinamook

3) Sneak Peek into the true local community of Busan through a local market

Gukje Market  - Kkangtong Market - Bosu Book Market are all within 5 minutes of walking distance. Why don’t you try to have a look at all?

-Find everything here, Gukje Market

You cannot dismiss the joy of having a look around the local market. If you ever get a chance to visit the Gukje market, you will be surprised to see the huge dimension of the market and also endless curations of the beautiful products. This is the largest local market in Busan, and you will find everything here starting from clothes, accessories, lighting, furniture, bags, Korean traditional clothes called Hanbok, snacks, and everything here. Especially, if you are someone interested in fashion, interior design then these would be the best attraction sites for you. The time goes so fast at Gukje market and why don’t you just walk around in the market and have a conversation in Saturi (Busan local language) and talk to local vendors?  

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 20:00, Closed every first and the 3rd of the Sunday

How to get here?: Take a metro line 1 and get off at Jagalchi Station

- Heaven of the delicious food, Kkangtong Market  

Kkangtong market is always more crowded during the evening than during the days. Why? Because there is a delicious night food market opening here. There are so many delicious foods here at Kkangtong market and there are street shops opening every night which literally makes you so hungry. If you are not sure what to eat first? Then why don’t you go and check the food lists recommended by NomadHer for solo female travelers? It is preferable to bring the cash to pay at local shops and you can get chances to try Seed Hotteok, Tteokbokki, Bibim Noodle and different kinds of food. If you ever want to try the street food of Busan? Then we recommend you stop by the Kkangtong market.  

Opening Hours: Kkangtong market opening hours 08:00- 20:00 /  Night Market opening hours: 19:30 - 23:30 / Open 365 days

How to get here? : Take a metro line 1 and get off at the Jagalchi Station exit 7

-Bosu Book Store, where you will read old books  

If you are one of those who stop by the local book store whenever you go traveling, and you love reading books, then this might be heaven for you. There are many old and vintage books that would make you feel like taking a time machine and going back to the past. This is like a secret jewelry shop where you can buy and read books that are not available anymore in the normal bookstore. Why don’t you order a small coffee or tea with music coming from an LP?

Opening Hours: We recommend that you go around the afternoon time as it closes doors around the evening hours.

How to get here? :Take a metro line 1 and get off at Jagalchi station exit 7

‍

🌺THEME III.  For those who wish to put a comma in their life and take a break

If you travel around in a new city, you might get easily tired as you want to go and observe so many attraction sites at once. It’s normal that you would feel like you did not enjoy the sites enough and feel like you have wasted traveling experience. Traveling Solo is an essential experience to look back on who we are and get out from a busy and hectic life. Why don’t you travel to escape from the hectic and busy daily life? Why don’t you give “commas” in your daily life and take care of yourself?

1) Pray at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple right next to the ocean and make a wish

Temple was built where monks gather and study and pray for Buddha so most of the temples are situated in the deep mountain. However, interestingly, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was built just right across the  Donghae ocean and the place attracts many visitors. You would feel so much Zen and peace in the mind. You feel so peaceful by listening to the sound of the wood. The place says that if you make a wish with your true 100% will then the wish can come true. What kind of wish do you wish to make at Haedong Yonggungsa temple?

Opening Hours: 5:00 am - before midnight

Price: Free Entry
How to get here? Take a metro Line 2 and get off at Haeundae Station and take a bus Line 181

2) Take a walk at Dongbaekseom in the middle of the city

Come to Dongbaekseom if you wish to have a look over Haeundae Beach if you do not wish to go further. It takes around 1 hour in total and you will have an endless view of the ocean and a walking road full of Dongbaek Island. When you take a walk around 10 minutes, you will see a road surrounded by pine trees and camellia trees. You will listen to the sound of waves and seagulls on the way and enjoy the moment of concentrating on yourself and get relaxed. At the end of the walk, there is a lighthouse and APEC house, the place where they organized an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. Do not miss out on the chance of seeing endless lights near The Bay 101. You deserved to be loved and this course is definitely a gift for yourself.

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

APEC house: Free Entry, 09:00 - 17:00 (Holidays every Monday)
How to get here? : Take a metro line 2 at Dongbaek Station Exit 1 and 10 min walk

3) Grab a coffee at Huinnyeoul Culture Village at the end of the steep cliff with  an ocean view

Do you agree that wherever you go a cup of coffee or tea makes our day so peaceful? Huinnyeoul Culture Village has been a film scene background for various South Korean films. Houses in white color remind you of Greece’s Santorini village. Gamcheon Cultural Village consists of houses in different colors, Huinnyeoul Culture Village is just right next to the ocean. All across the road, there are various coffee shops and this is the best spot to just chill out with a sip of coffee. Just below the hill, there is a long pathway where you can take a walk. This course takes around 3 hours and it’s better to bring your sneakers. There is a small shop where you can have Korean Ramyeon with an ocean view and why don’t you try Ramyeon?

Opening Hours: Various depending on the coffee shops but it is better not to go too late as there are local residents

How to get here? Take metro line 1 and get off at Nampo Station. From Exit 6, take a bus 6, 9, 82, 508

4) Listen to the sound and story of nature at Taejongdae surrounded by endless forest

Taejongdae is on the top of a high cliff where you have the emerald blue ocean view entourage with pine trees. Every year people from Busan visit this place. There is an option where you can walk, or take a small train called Danubi and stop by the observatory, lighthouse, and Taejongdae. You can always get off the train and get on to Danubi train. If you go in a very late afternoon, don’t forget to have a sunset over Taejongdae. Especially try to stop by Yeongdo lighthouse where you will get an ocean view while walking down the floor. In total, it takes 3 hours. Even though you take a train, it is better to take comfortable shoes.
Opening Hours: 05:00 - 24:00, Free Entry

How to get here? : Take a line 1 metro to Nampo Station and take a bus 8, 30, 66, 88

Taejongdae entry Danubi train: 3,000 KRW for adults

5) Participate in a sunset yoga class at Busan Haeundae and Songjeong Beach

From spring to fall, near Haeundae and Songjeong Beach, there are different Beach Yoga, Sunset Yoga classes. There are seasonal classes and it is better to ask NomadHers on the NomadHer app as the information on the internet might not be correct. NomadHers living in Busan will be more than welcome to answer you with kindness. You can sit on the ocean with a breeze and try to find peace in your inner life.    

‍

🌺  THEME IV.  For those who wish to take an adventure and try different things

Sometimes we wish to try something exciting and adventurous. There are interesting outdoor activities in Busan and why don’t you give it a try?  

‍

1) Take Haeundae Beach Train & Sky Capsule and have a look at different sides of Busan

Haeundae Beach Train & Sky Capsule(Haeundae Blueline Park) was made based on an old train road and you can take a Beach train and Sky Capsule. Enjoying the view of the ocean from the Beach train will be a whole different experience. Keep in mind that you can always get off at any travel stop and get back on the train which goes from Mipo to Songjeong if you buy a free pass ticket. It is recommended to make a reservation in advance as it is very touristic and always full of people waiting for the train.  

Price: Different depending on Beach Train & Sky Capsule. Check the website.

Opening Hours: Different depending on the season and check before going

How to get here? Take metro line 2 and get off at  Jungdong station. 15min Walking Distance.

Where to book? : https://www.bluelinepark.com/booking.do

2) Take Skyline Luge and enjoy the speed in a safe way.

It’s a special activity where you will take the luge from the hill and roll down the hill.  You take a lift through a curvy way. It’s pretty easy to drive with 4 different courses.  During the weekdays, only 2 courses are available and all 4 courses are available during the weekend. It is situated right across the Haedong Yonggungsa temple and you can try it on the way to the temple.  

Price:22,000 KRW for twice

Opening Hours: Weekdays 10:00 - 18:00, Weekends 10:00 - 19:00

How to get here? Take a bus 1003 or 1001 and make a transfer to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple with a bus 181

How to book? : https://www.skylineluge.kr/busan/

3) Take Busan Air Cruise to feel that you are floating over the ocean

Busan Air Cruise(Songdo Marine Cable Car) is a unique experience with glass-bottom cars for views of the surrounding sea & mountains. It ranges over 1.62 km, starting from Song-rim park from the eastern side of Busan to the western side An-Nam Park. You will feel like you are flying over the ocean and will see an endless blue ocean with a view of the whole Busan City. It is another charm to see Busan City from the top of the sky.  

Price: 15,000 KRW to 20,000 KRW for a round trip

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 20:00

How to get there? Take a metro line 1 and get off at Jagalchi Station and take a bus 6, 26, 30, 71, 96, 96-1 and make a transfer

How to book: http://busanaircruise.co.kr/main/main.html

‍

8. Where to eat

Eating local food is one of the pleasures of travel. As solo travelers, we can decide whatever we want to eat. But at the same time, it is not easy to think and choose different food every day. So, here is what we recommend for you if you get a chance to visit Busan. These are popular local foods in Busan, so you can easily find them wherever you go.

1) Grilled clams in Songjeong Beach

Busan is surrounded by the east sea of Korea, so you can enjoy fresh seafood at a reasonable price. Wherever you go, you can find a restaurant easily. Songjeong Beach is especially well known in the area for fresh grilled clams. With butter and cheese on clams together, you can’t stop your chopstick.

Price is usually about 4~50,000 KRW. So how about finding a companion through the NomadHer community? Lots of people who love to travel are waiting for you.  

‍

2) Street food in BIFF Square    

Busan International Film Festival(BIFF) is held for 10 days from Thursday in the first week of October. You can see the handprints of famous movie stars in BIFF Square. And there is one more important thing to try. Don’t miss to enjoy lots of street food in this square. Ssiat-hotteok, a sweet Korean pancake stuffed with lots of seeds, is must-eat food if you visit Busan. There are various foods like flat dumplings and fish cake which are good for snack time. Enjoy the street food in BIFF Square!

3) Enjoy various foods in Bupyeong Kkangtong Night Market

You can find lots of different foods in Bupyeong Kkangtong Night Market. It takes only 15 minutes to walk from BIFF Square. The night market is held from 19:30-23:30 every night. You can see many foods in the daytime. But, if you visit during the night time, you can see more kinds of street food that make you happy. Here are what we recommend to try.  

‍

-Milmyeon  

Milmyeon is a cold noodle with a special sauce that you can taste three different flavors at the same time: sour, sweet, and spicy. And the broth is boiled for a long time with pork bones, various vegetables, and herbs together. If you like the red sauce flavor without broth, it would be a good choice to try “Bibim Milmyeon”. If you like to try with thick broth, then we recommend having “Mul Milmyeon”. Fight the heat of a hot day with Milmyeon.  

‍

-Dwaejigukbap

There are many pork and rice soup restaurants in Busan that have been in tradition for decades. Many Koreans visit the city to eat this from other cities. It's a soup in which pork bones are boiled for a long time. You eat it with rice along with pork meat in the soup. If you try it with salted shrimp or kimchi, it could be a perfect combination. You will get to know why this is comfort food to people in Busan.  

‍

-Seafood Pajeon

Jeon is a traditional Korean pancake. There are various kinds of Jeon depending on the ingredients. Busan’s Seafood Pajeon is especially famous for its abundant seafood, such as squid, clams, and mussels. If you have a bite, you will be surprised by its crispy texture with fresh seafood and various vegetables. You can’t stop eating until the plate is empty.

‍

-Yubujeongol

It is a fried tofu hot pot that puts seasoned meat and Korean-style noodles called japchae together in a fried tofu bag and boils it in a fish cake soup. The soft taste of fish cake soup and fried tofu bag with these ingredients harmonize to create a savory taste.

‍

- Busan fish cake and Multteok

Fish cake is a food made by mixing mashed fish and flour, and you can see this easily as one of the side dishes that Koreans eat every day. In particular, Busan fish cakes, which contain a lot of fresh fish, are popular enough to sell to all parts of the country. When you go around the local market, they sell fish cakes and long white rice cakes called Multteok together. Multteok, a chewy water rice cake that is boiled in fish cake soup, is a good combination to try with.

‍

-Nakji-bokkeum at Gaemijip which locals love

A spicy stir-fried octopus called Nakji-bokkeum is everyone's favorite food in Busan.
You can order for only one person, so you don’t need to worry about that. It is so delicious when you sprinkle sesame oil on seaweed and rice along with shrimp and octopus that are mixed with spicy sauce. Gaemijip's stir-fried octopus restaurants are open all over Busan, so it's good to find out if there's a restaurant near where you go.

4) Are you looking for a vegetarian restaurant? Don't worry, you can fully enjoy vegan food in Busan. I'll tell you about the restaurants that vegetarians in Busan love.

‍

-To enjoy vegan food for everyone, restaurant Arp in Yeongdo  

This place strives to make vegan food more accessible. They provide different dishes by hours. During the daytime, it runs as a brunch bar using various vegetables. At night, you can enjoy vegan burgers and bracken pasta.

Price: About 15,000 KRW per dish

Opening Hours: 12:00 - 21:00, closed on Thursday

How to get here: It takes about 20 minutes from the Nampo subway station. So we recommend you to use the Kakao map app to find a way to take a bus.

Instagram: @arp_kitchen  

‍

-A famous vegan restaurant around Haeundae beach, Homebistro

Homebistro is the place where you can enjoy vegan food and bar at the same time. Many foreigners have visited here. You can eat hummus salad/sandwiches with chickpeas, fried mushroom with sweet and sour sauce, tacos, and basil pesto plates. (The menu can change slightly depending on the ingredients for the day.)

Price: About 15,000 KRW per dish

Opening Hours: Wed-Sat 18:00~23:000 (closed on Sun, Mon, Tue)

How to get here: It takes about 10 minutes from Haeundae subway station by walk.

Instagram: @homebistroandcafe

‍

-Cozy vegan restaurant around Gwangalli Beach, Loveurth

It is a place where you can feel like enjoying food in the neighborhood. There are sweet pumpkin cream pasta, basil pesto cream pasta, potato watercress salad, vegan butter curry, and so on. The menu changes seasonally, so please refer to Instagram before visiting.

Price: About 12,000KRW per dish

Opening Hours : 11:30-20:00 (breaktime 15:00-17:00)

How to get here: It takes about 10 minutes by walk from Gwangan subway station Exit 3

Instagram: @love_urth  

‍

-Enjoy various kinds of fresh salad bowls, FULL FULL

In this cafe, you can enjoy different kinds of salad bowls. For example, a Korean bowl using tofu, a Ricottalia bowl with ricotta cheese, fruits and nuts, and so on. If you miss fresh salad during the trip, this will be a perfect place for you.

Price: About 9,000 KRW per menu

Opening Hours: 11:30-22:00 (Break time 15:30-16:30)

How to get here: It takes about 5 minutes by walk from Jeonpo subway station Exit 7

Instagram: @fullfull_salad

‍

9. Accommodation

Choosing accommodation is as important as making a travel plan. A reliable and comfortable accommodation has a huge impact on our travel experience. Especially as female travelers, we are worried all the time. ‘Will this accommodation be safe to stay overnight?’ Before you make a reservation, please refer to NomadHer’s tips on choosing safe accommodation in Busan.

Tips for accommodation  

1.  If the people who are choosing the guesthouse are mostly in their old age, then it is likely to be a pretty good accommodation. Old people have lots of experience, so they are very careful when choosing a place to stay. So it means that the guesthouse satisfies their needs by possibly having a comfortable bed, nice atmosphere, and guaranteed privacy. So if you find this kind of accommodation, it will be good to pay attention.  

2.  Safety and security issues are mostly influenced by how the host manages the accommodation. Safety and security issues are mostly influenced by how the host manages the accommodation. If the host is the type of person who drinks to the point of intoxication with guests, he or she would not be ready to handle a situation when some problems arise unexpectedly. When you find this kind of review, then It's a good idea to think again

3. If you find an issue with cleanliness, it is better to find other places. The average price of a guesthouse in Busan is about 20,000-30,000 KRW. It is a good price and most of them have good room condition too. Keeping a room clean is the most basic part of running an accommodation. So if you find a place that has a cleanliness issue, it is highly doubtful they can manage their safety and security well.  

4. Choose accommodation in the downtown area. While traveling, plans can change unexpectedly. Sometimes, we arrive at our guesthouse at night after hanging out. So we recommend choosing your stay in the middle of downtown where many people are around, restaurants are open until late at night and public transportation is convenient to use.

Recommendations on areas to stay  

1.  Haeundae subway station area  

Haeundae is the most popular district that people love to visit and stay in during their travels. There are many one-star hotels and it is always crowded with people enjoying the night sea. The Haeundae area is brighter at night than daytime because many restaurants open until late at night. So there are many guest houses to choose from.

2.  Jagalchi subway station area

Discover the lively and historical markets near Jagalchi subway station called “BIFF square”, “Gukje Market” and “Bupyeong Kkangtong Night Market”. This area is always crowded with people who go out to enjoy a midnight snack until late at night. If you love trying delicious local food, this district gives you an opportunity to discover the taste of Busan.

3. Seomyeon subway station area

This is one of the most popular youth districts near universities where you can meet many young local people on the street. Seomyeon Underground Shopping Center is directly connected to the subway station. There are many shops that sell clothes, accessories and cosmetics and so on. If you love shopping, it will be a good place to stay and look around.

‍

10. Transportation for solo female travelers

When traveling alone, sometimes we feel that it’s hard to make a plan from beginning to end on our own. But when you go on a trip to Busan, you will notice that there is no city like Busan that has well-organized public transportation. It is not complicated at all. So you don’t need to be afraid of using it. NomadHer will become your guide. In this part, we will introduce you to how to go to Busan and how to use transportation when you are visiting tourist attractions during travel.

1)  3 Ways to go to Busan

You can go to Busan by plane, train, or express bus. We will introduce them one by one.

‍

●  If you visit Busan by plane

To go to Busan by plane, you should go to Gimhae International Airport, not Busan  International Airport. It can be confusing, so please keep in mind that it’s Gimhae International Airport. Flight tickets range from 20,000 KRW to 100,000 KRW depending on peak season and off-season.

- You can go downtown by taking the Light rail from Gimhae International Airport

- If you get out of Exit 1 of Gimhae International Airport, you can easily find a sign that says it’s a Light rail ride.

- It takes about 20 minutes to get to Sasang subway station, where you can transfer to a city subway connected to the heart of Busan. It can take more time depending on your final destination.  You can purchase tickets by typing the final destination in the automatic ticket machine at the airport subway station. The basic fee starts at 1,400 KRW and there is an additional fee depending on the destination. If you go from the airport subway station to Haeundae subway station, it will say on the screen to put 2,000 KRW. You can put that amount in and buy a ticket. There is a currency exchange next to it, so you can easily change your money to Korean money.

- It can be easier if you have a Korean transportation card or if you are using a credit card with a transportation card function.

●  If you visit Busan by train

To visit Busan by train, you should go to Busan station. There are three types of trains that you can take. We will explain how to go from Seoul to Busan station, which is the most common route.  

-  KTX (Korea Train Express): 59,800 KRW for adults, which takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes (It takes much less time, but you may feel it is a little   expensive)

-  Mugunghwa-ho: 28,600 KRW for adults, which takes about 5 hours and 40 minutes (It takes longer, but it's a historic train in Korea. You can't miss the charm of taking a train around Korea.)

- ITX Saemaeul: 42,600 KRW for adults, which takes about 4 hours and 40 minutes.

If you see the Letskorail website, an integrated train reservation system in Korea, you can see the timetable of these three trains at once. Usually, the train from Seoul Station to Busan departs every 10 minutes, so you can choose a train that meets your schedule. Busan train station is connected to Busan subway station Line 1, so you can move faster if you go straight to the subway station along the connecting passage.

Letskorail website: https://www.letskorail.com/

●  If you visit Busan by express bus

You can go to Busan Inter-City Bus Terminal by bus. There are several Busan Inter-City Bus Terminals. We will introduce you to bus terminals that have the best accessibility to the center of Busan. You can make reservations for both places on the site below.

T-money Inter-City Bus Reservation Site: https://txbus.t-money.co.kr/main.do

-  Busan Seobu Inter-City Bus Terminal

When you come out of this terminal, there is Busan Sasang subway station on Line 2 within a 5-minute walk. It takes 17 minutes by subway from here to Seomyeon subway station, the street of youth in Busan. Let me explain based on Seoul, the most popular departure place.

How to get to Busan from Seoul?

You can take an express bus from Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal. It is connected to the Seoul Subway Line No.3. So it is easy to go there for solo travelers.

If you depart here, then you will arrive at Busan Seobu Inter-City Bus Terminal. The Seoul-Busan route runs twice a day, departs from Seoul at 13:30 and 19:00, takes a total of 4 hours and 40 minutes, and costs 32,700 KRW for adults.

-  Busan Haeundae Inter-City Bus Terminal

When you get off here, you can see the Haeundae subway station nearby. and the bus terminal is a 10-minute walk away from the most popular beach, Haeundae beach. If you have accommodation around here, you can unpack and start your trip right away. Let me explain the route that starts from Seoul as it is the most popular departure place.

How to get to Busan from Seoul?

You can take an express bus from Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal. It is connected to the Seoul Subway Line No.3. It is easy to go there for solo travelers.

If you depart here, then you will arrive at Busan Haeundae Inter-City Bus Terminal. The Seoul-Busan route runs 3 times a day, departs from Seoul at 7:30, 9:50, 17:00, and takes a total of 4 hours and 50 minutes. 36800 KRW for adults.

-  Good tips to know

Depending on the highway traffic situation, it may take an hour more to arrive in Busan than expected. If the schedule is tight, we recommend visiting Busan by plane or train rather than by bus.

If you take a bus, it will stop by 1 rest area for about 15 minutes. Delicious snacks are sold at rest areas in Korea, but you can't eat them on the bus, so please refer to them.

2)  Public transportation in Busan

Tip 1. When you travel alone in Busan, you can use three types of transportation:   subway, bus, and taxi. If your budget allows, taking a taxi could be an experience to talk about Busan’s story with a local driver.  

Tip 2. It's good to download the Kakao Map application, a Korean Google map. It has the function of finding the fastest way to get to your destination from where you are.

Tip 3. If you are not going to only use the subway, it is a good choice to buy a transportation card. There is more detailed information below.

●  If you only take the subway

If you only use the subway, you can use the ticket machine in the subway station to buy tickets. If you are a solo traveler, there are 3 options below.

-  One pass: Starting with the basic fare of 1,400 KRW. Additional costs will be imposed depending on the final destination.

-  1 Day pass: It costs 5,000 KRW and you can use it for a day an unlimited number of times (not applied to a Light rail and Donghae Railroad).

-  7 Days pass: it costs 21,000 KRW and you can use it up to 20 times for 7 days (not applied to a Light Rail and Donghae Railroad).

●  If you take the bus

There are three types of buses in Busan: town bus (when going to the neighborhood), city bus (when going downtown), and express city bus (when going to a destination far away). The basic fee in cash is about 1,150 KRW, 1,300 KRW, and 1,800 KRW each.  

However, it will be inconvenient to pay for the bus fare while carrying cash and coins every time. In fact, most locals pay with a transportation card instead of cash. If you don't just use the subway, it will be a good idea to buy a transportation card.

What's good about using a transportation card?

-   Type of transportation card: T-money, Cashbee card.

-   Purchase fee: About 3,000 KRW.

-   You can easily buy and recharge at any convenience store.

-   You can take the subway, bus, and taxi.

-   For subways and buses, you can get a discount of 100 KRW, and even if you take different routes in a row, you can still get a discount.

-   It can also be used in Seoul and other metropolitan cities.

-   Except for taxis, when you use the subway and bus, you must put the transportation card on the card machine when you get on and off so that you

   don't get any additional charge.

●  If you take the city tour bus

In Busan, there is a city tour bus that goes around Busan's representative tourist attractions. If you want to look around the whole city before diving into a trip or if you want to travel efficiently on a tight schedule, it is a good choice to use a city tour bus.

What is the City tour bus?

-  Red Line: Busan Station <-> Haeundae

 It runs 9 times a day. The first departure from Busan Station is 09:45 and the last departure is at 16:35. Departing from Busan Station, the bus operates a total of 15 stops including UN Memorial Park, Gwangalli, Marine City, Haeundae, and Centum City. The bus may pass by Busan's popular Busan Port Bridge and Gwangan Bridge.

-  Green Line: Busan Station <->Taejongdae

 It runs 9 times a day. The first departure from Busan Station is 09:30 and the last departure is at 16:20. Departing from Busan Station, the bus operates 4 bus stops in the direction of Taejongdae, including Yongdusan Park, Taejongdae, and Oryukdo Sky Walk.

-  Blue Line: Haeundae <-> Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Gijang Market

It runs 9 times every 50 minutes. Haeundae's first departure is 10:20 and the last departure is at 16:45. Departing from Haeundae Beach, the bus operates 16 stops, including Dalmajigil Road, Cheongsapo, Songjeong Beach, and  Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. Currently, Blue Line is suspended due to  COVID-19.

-    A Day pass can be purchased from the driver at the time of boarding at each stop. (first-come-first-served)

-    Free unlimited use of 3 lines, 24 hours a day at no extra charge.

-    Valid for 24 hours from the boarding time (applies only to the circular red line, blue line, and green line sections; the Night View and theme courses

    are excluded)

-    Some of the stops are non-stop, so please check the city tour site in advance.

-    Many people use the city tour bus on weekends. If you want a seat with a good view, you’d better go to a bus stop 30 minutes earlier than the

    departure time.

-    Closed: Monday, Tuesday

-    Price: A day pass is 15,000 KRW for adult

-    Site: http://www.citytourbusan.com/ko/00main/main.php

●   If you take the taxi

If you travel with your friends, it could be cheaper to take a taxi because you can share the fee with your friends. But if you are a solo traveler, the cost could be expensive. But there are times when you have to take a taxi.

If you want to know the taxi fare in advance, you can find out how much it costs to get to your destination from your current location through Kakao Map. If you feel tired, getting a taxi could be one way.

-  Fare  change line

Regular taxi :

Basic fare 3,800 KRW  (first 2km distance) + Additional fee

depending on the distance.

Black Deluxe Taxi :

Basic fare 6,000 KRW (first 3km distance) + Additional fee

depending on the distance.

-  Tips for using a taxi

Busan local taxi drivers know everything about Busan because they drive all over Busan. In addition, they have to drive for a long time and eat outside every day, so they know the best restaurants where you can enjoy delicious local food. If you take a taxi, talk to them and ask them about Busan's famous local restaurants!

‍

11.  Disclaimer

This guidebook was made by NomadHer and the Busan Tourism Organization in support of female travelers taking a step closer to the bigger world through solo travel. The information in the guidebook may have changed in the meantime due to COVID-19. Don't hesitate to correct us with better recommendations or the latest knowledge

Busan where city and local sensibilities meet is a good place to travel alone. It's always full of vitality with the kindness and the people who came out to enjoy the night beach and night market even late at night. It is also a place where you can experience surfing, yachting, and trekking in the mountains and seas.

Are you preparing for a trip to Busan? Don't forget that NomadHer and Busan Tourism Organization will always be with you on your trip!

‍

Letter from Kazakhstan💌

💎 A lifetime in months

For the last year of my studies, I had the amazing opportunity to do my internship abroad. After living 5 months in Siberia during my bachelor's degree, I chose to do my internship in Kazakhstan.

When travelling around Russia, I wasn’t alone, and it was, therefore, easier to go without being afraid, but for Kazakhstan, I was completely on my own.

The day I left Belgium, I remembered I cried all the way until Nur-Sultan where I needed to catch another flight until Almaty. I was terrified, I wanted to go back, my first solo trip, to a country that I thought was not developed, what was I thinking?

‍

‍

Well, I am glad I didn’t. This country is everything but not what I imagined. Locals are warm, nice, helpful, funny, they have really great tolerance, they are open-minded, ready to show everything you need.

I met so many wonderful people and I arrived only one month and a half ago. I feel like I am at home in this country that is so far from Belgium. I feel like it was meant to be.

In Almaty, they are really lucky because just beyond the city there are the mountains. And the locals are going there every weekend, how could I not join them when this beautiful landscape is calling me all week?

Not far from the city you can find Kolsaï lake, Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon, which are stunning. I was left speechless when travelling to these places.

‍

I still have 1 month and a half left in this amazing country, and a part of me is already crying that I will have to leave one day. I fell in love with the culture that is so rich, I fell in love with the peace I found inside me every time I escape in the mountains, I fell in love with the kindness of the locals, I fell in love with the warm laugh that wraps me when I am with my friends here, I fell in love with their heart, their love, their tolerance, their joy.

When I am thinking about how much I was afraid at the beginning it makes me smile, little did I know at that time.  

I’ve always been told that an exchange is a lifetime in only a few months, and that hits me really hard here because that is so powerful and true. I have the impression that I am living a whole new life, when in fact I am just passing by in theirs.

But I am glad that I will keep this life with me for the rest of the time, that these few months will forever be my other life on the other side of the globe, that they will be mine to cherish every day later.

I am so grateful to be here, to have learned that I can do things alone even though I thought I could not. I am glad that I am not feeling insecure when I come home late at night, I am grateful for meeting so many powerful women here. I am grateful for this life

And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Kazakhstan you stole my heart💖

From Lucille Villance (@luluenvoyage_)

‍

🌸Draw the beauty of Busan city for solo female travellers!🌸

‍

NomadHer is the application for female globetrotters encouraging safe solo travel. Our mission is “Empowering Women Through Travel”.  NomadHer opens a new project to make a guidebook for solo female travellers. This time, Our destination is a Busan city, South Korea!

We are looking for a female illustrator who draws the beauty of Busan for solo female travellers! We are an app that has over 10,000 views per month. Go to participate in this Competition and spread your mazing work to female travelers from over 170 nationalities.

🌸Introduction of Competition

Subject

The illustration which shows the beauty of Busan city and attracts female solo traveller get interested to visit Busan city

• Apply period: 20. Oct ~ 20. Nov (1month)
• Anyone who is interested in this work is welcome.
• Host : NomadHer
• Winner announcement date:  21.Nov

🌸How to apply

• ✅ Draw 1 illustration about a place to show the beauty of Busan city and attracts female solo travellers get interested to visit Busan city. The image would be used for NomadHer App Splash Screen and Homepage to feature your work for 3 months.

• ✅ Upload your illustrations on your social media with the tag #nomadher #visitbusan #shecantravelanywhere #illustrationCompetition
• ✅ If possible, Feel free to share your illustration on NomadHer App #Home and feel free to write from where you got the inspiration for your illustration.
• ✅ Fill out the type form link (https://form.typeform.com/to/n6smyaQq)  and submit your illustration!
• Only to Winners, We will contact and request below the 4 sizes of images. so on the process of applying, Applicants just upload 1 photo.
• : 375 × 812 / 750 × 1624 / 1125 × 2436 /1920 x 1080 (.png file)

‍

🌸Criteria for selection

• This Competition is for encouraging a solo female traveller. female illustrator can apply.

• The illustration which shows the beauty of Busan city and attracts to make female solo traveller get interested to visit Busan city

• If you upload your illustration on NomadHer app #Home and receive Like from app users, Your work will get more chance of being picked.

🌸Reward

👑First winner (1) : 500 USD + NomadHer App Online Exhibition

👑Second winner (1) : 300 USD + NomadHer App Online Exhibition

👑Third Winner (1) : 200 USD + NomadHer App Online Exhibition

To winners, NomadHer will contact directly to receive the file, and please keep in mind that the size and type of illustration can be requested to edit if it is needed after submitting the file. when you apply this event, we consider you agree with this.

🌸About copyright

When illustrators receive a reward from NomadHer for their illustration work, it regards as NomadHer has copyright for the illustration. Therefore NomadHer use, remake the illustration as uploading its social network service, homepage, application, guidebook, press release, goods, poster, and other material related to NomadHer’s future business The illustration should be original content and the submitted one is not returned. Submitted illustrations don’t violate others’ copyright. After being rewarded, if a legal issue occurs, the illustrator is legally responsible. the person who submits their illustration is regarded as agreeing on this. According to an illustration that is not selected, we will discard it. If you have more questions, please contact to NomadHer Team,  aloha@nomadher.com

‍

The guide to Paris for solo female travelers

Made by NomadHer with Love 💚

‍

How much does NomadHer recommend Paris for solo female travelers? (😩 Bad, 😊 Fine, 😍 Amazing)
Our score is : 😊 Fine

Paris is the kind of city where you can find something different to do every day. This Guidebook is written by a Parisian from the suburbs. This means that whenever I am in the city center, I live my best life, relieved to not have to deal with transport complications. Paris is a metropole, but it still seems tiny: you can cross it on foot in about two hours, which is one of the reasons it is so enjoyable!

It is also a very recognizable city, with its pigeons, dirty streets, angry Parisians (we will come back to that one) and expensive cafes, but it also has a romantic atmosphere, beautiful architecture and culture, and typical cafés and brasseries!

How safe is it to roam the streets of Paris alone as a woman? To be honest, I first wanted to score it as Amazing, because I enjoy this city so much. However, even if I’m used to walking alone at night or taking the metro to go back home, there are too many times when I don’t feel safe enough to say it is an “Amazing” city for female solo travellers. That being said, it is not more dangerous than other capital cities and I still encourage you to go there!

‍

Here are some things to bear in mind, both good and bad.

🙂 The good:

• You will see many people eating alone in cafés and restaurants, or even having a little picnic at the many parks around the city. It is all safe and okay.
• Public transport is everywhere and the transport network is well designed, so it’s easy to get around, and you will be able to reach anywhere you want pretty easily.

🙁 The bad:

• You will probably experience catcalling and sexist remarks at some point.

• Pick-pocketing is quite common:
• 👉 Take care of your belongings in public spaces
• 👉 Make sure to avoid some districts, especially at night
• ⛔️ Hazardous areas that you should avoid during nighttime. If you have any more opinions, feel free to contribute as well!
• Les Halles - Châtelet: lively commercial center but it can get wilder at night.
• Gare du Nord: one of the 4 major stations in Paris but try not to visit when dark.
• Stalingrad and Jaurès: beware of pickpockets!
• Porte de la Chapelle: popular neighborhood but you might feel insecure
• Barbès Rochechouart and the Goutte d’Or: walking those colorful streets at night might be too risky

Paris is worth its reputation, on different levels, but you can for sure have the best possible experience, even if you are by yourself. We are here to help!

‍

Do’s

Rent a bike or a scooter.
It rains a lot in Paris, but the advantage is that we really learn to enjoy blue sky, so whenever you can take a bike or a scooter, do not hesitate! It may be faster than a car and even the Metro sometimes. You will find bicycles and scooters from different companies (like Lime) all over Paris, or you can try a Vélib bicycle if you are staying a long time. Vélib is the bike-sharing service par excellence in Paris, and they offer from daily to annual plans.

Go near the Seine on the quays.
It is the best. Bars, cafés and nightclubs are good, but also simply taking some snacks or drinks, a speaker with good music and sit down near the Seine is a wonderful experience: it's cheap and beautiful, and there's always a good atmosphere! My favorite spots are in front of Notre Dame, but from Gare de Lyon to Bastille there is always some place to enjoy!

Grab a coffee in random brasseries or cafés
Oh, this I love. Who doesn't know Parisian cafés? They are so typical. Just go anywhere you find cute and live like a local by ordering an expensive black coffee (without sugar for a more intense experience).

Use Paris as a base to explore France
This is a bit off-topic, but I guess you already know about the biggest museums in the world and the Eiffel tower. From Paris, you can basically go anywhere in France by train with the national railway company SNCF. It can be expensive if you go to the South, for example, but you can go to Normandy (Cabourg, Honfleur, Dieppe) and see the sea for 1 day!

‍

Don’ts

Don't get lost in the city without a charged phone.
You will discover really fast that Parisians are always looking at Google Maps because even the locals don’t know their city that well. There are a few apps that will always help you get back home safely:
- Bonjour RATP! or City Mapper to check the transport system
- Uber / Free Now / My Mouv to order a taxi/car
- Lime for bikes and scooters

Don't (or try to avoid) take Ubers and cars.
Traffic is awful.

(but) Don't use public transport if you are going from a suburb to another suburb.
It might sound really specific, but trust me, I live in the western suburbs and I virtually always need to take a car if I don't go to Paris Intramuros (i.e. within the city itself). During the summer, the public transport options are greatly affected by railroad work: don't rely on it too much!

Don't be surprised by the French English accent.
Yes, some Parisians make no effort.

Don't be surprised by Parisians’ character.
And don't take it personally: in this city, everyone is overwhelmed by life, stressed out, or late for something. And if some are annoying, ask French people to teach you French slang ;)

‍

NomadHer Recommendations

Eat

Must-Eat foods in Paris! These can be clichés but they exist to be proven, right?

🥐 Baguette, croissant, pain au chocolat and pâtisserie

Try to wake up around 7am in the early morning, and go to the nearest boulangerie of your accommodation. You can go and order the freshly baked, warm and crispy baguette, which will definitely blow your mind.

🍷 Wine

The more expensive the better? Not really! Go visit the nearest local supermarkets like Carrefour, Monoprix, Auchan and dive into the different types of wine ranging from red, rose, white and champagne! You will be surprised to know that starting from 3 euros you can get quite decent wine in France!

🧀 French Cheese

Local Markets are always the best place to try different types of cheese! For example, you can go to the local market in Bastille which is held every Sunday starting from 9am and find out over a hundred kinds of cheese! Blue cheese (Roquefort) is a must-try! It is always bringing lots of controversies.

🥯 Macarons

‘La Duree’ and ‘Pierre Hermes’ are the two most famous and loved Macaron brands by Parisiens! You might say that this small macaron costs like 3 euros? But when you try one bite you will understand the complex sabor of it!

🍲 Onion soup and Croque Monsieur (or Croque Madame)

If there are street foods in other countries, Onion soup and Croque Monsieur might be the finger snack food in Paris Brasserie! Enjoy these light meals for less than 10 euros.

‍

Places to eat

• Savory pleasures

Brooklyn Pizzas
33 bd Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France
I love Italian food. And there is some very tasty Italian food here. The atmosphere is nice and it’s next to Bastille, which makes it even nicer. The menu is very funny, which just adds something to the 7€ Margherita !

La Felicitá
5 Rue Eugène Freyssinet, 75013 Paris, France
La Felicitá features several restaurants in one. Whether you like pizzas, salads, pastas, just coffee, or tasty cocktails: you will find what you are looking for here. It’s very crowded (for a reason) at both lunch and dinner time, so make sure you arrive early ;)

Rue Sainte-Anne
Between the Opéra Garnier and the Louvre, this street is very famous for being THE place of all good East-Asian food. For me, there’s one place that stands out:
- Naniwa-Ya 11 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris, France
Tasty Japanese food: I always go there and get more or less the same thing, and I’m never disappointed or bored!

• For more sweetness in your life

Glaces Bachir… ice cream lovers?
58 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France
If you like pistachios and orange blossom water, this is your place. Right in front of the Centre Pompidou, in the very center of Paris, enjoy some very instagramable Lebanese ice creams. A bit expensive, but totally worth it!

Glaces Berthillon
31 rue saint louis en l'ile, 75004 Paris, France
My mom used to tell me these were the best ice creams in Paris :) Still expensive, but the place is super nice.

Season
1 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003 Paris, France
Fans of brunch and pancakes, I’m talking to you! They make fat tough pancakes. It’s delicious. That’s it. The location is also quite nice and the restaurant itself is quite comfy, located between République and the Marais.

Holybelly 5
5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France
Another one for brunch lovers, quite different but a good pancake-maple syrup combination to start the day on a good note. The queue on the weekends is quite long, so I recommend going on working days if possible!

‍

Cafés

La Cité Audacieuse
9 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, France
Very near the Luxembourg Gardens (Latin Quarter, student district, best district), you have this peaceful place with the Café Mona, which is located in an old primary school. You can take your coffee or something to eat in the schoolyard. Plus, it is very cheap (especially for Paris). To make it even better, the place is dedicated to Feminism: there are feminist bookshelves so that you can read something while enjoying your drink. Everything is thought to be in line with the place’s values: for example, the beer comes from a female-directed brewery. I’m gonna stop there but you should definitely try it!

Café Tabac
1bis Rue Ravignan, 75018 Paris, France
This café is located in Montmartre, which is also a district you should visit for sure. It might be the most Frenchy/cliché Parisian experience you can have. Here are some pictures for you to form your own opinion haha!

Brasserie Dubillot
222 Rue Saint-Denis, 75002 Paris, France
I couldn’t make this list without a brasserie! This brasserie is very typical of Paris, and at the same time really fancy! Near Châtelet, you can take a café allongé in this beautiful place. A bit expensive, like real Parisian brasseries!

‍

Museums and Art

You may already know the Louvre, the Orsay Museum and the Orangerie Museum, and please go and visit because they are totally worth it. In this section, I just want to add a more original touch to your tour!

59 rue Rivoli
On one of the biggest streets of Paris, a building is only dedicated to the arts. Some artists just stay a few weeks to present their work, exhibit it and sell it. I love the fact that you can interact with the artists, and the building in itself is beautiful.

Centre Pompidou
Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France
A basic, but you will surely be surprised by its different temporary exhibitions which rarely disappoint me! The permanent exhibition is also very interesting, and you can visit it more than once if you have a long stay here :)

La Gaité Lyrique
3bis Rue Papin, 75003 Paris, France
A place that I know from the Paris Podcast Festival, which takes place in October, this place welcomes different types of artists, performances, and experiences: check it out!

La Cité Fertile
14 Av. Edouard Vaillant, 93500 Pantin, France
Same spirit for this place that I know from the female-entrepreneurial festival EmpowHer. It’s a bit outside of Paris itself, but check their programs, there are a lot of good events and good tips!  

‍

Night Life 💃

La Mutinerie
176-178 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris, France
LGBTQIA+ bar! Safe and inclusive place (a bit expensive but we forgive them).

Le Nouvel Institut
1 Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France
Happy Hour from 4pm to 2am.
Beer for 3€. What else do we need?

Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France
Street with lots of dancing bars, things to eat, and a festive atmosphere!

- Café de Paris V 14 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France: the liter of beer is 9€ until 9pm, it’s a piano-bar, the mood is incredible.

- Georges Café 4 Rue de la Huchette, 75005 Paris, France: to dance all night long!

3615 Croisette
Boat party on the Seine anyone? It takes place every summer; the ticket is from €10 to 20, so make sure you book it in advance :) The drinks are a bit expensive, but the experience is amazing. The boat tour is 3 hours long, and then you can stay until 5am for the nightclub!

Jazz concert at Châtelet?
Another experience for the music fans (and the ones who want to discover something new! Listen to jazz for few hours while enjoying a glass of wine.
- Sunset Sunside
60 Rue des Lombards, 75001 Paris, France
- Duc des Lombards
42 Rue des Lombards, 75001 Paris, France

‍

Shopping

• Louvre and Tuileries District: The center of Parisian design and fashion.
• Galeries Lafayette and Printemps in Boulevard Haussman: You can enjoy the typical Belle Epoque mood.
• The Marais: Vintage, artisan, handcrafted, and antique!
• The Champs-Elysées: Do I need to explain?
• Les Halles - Châtelet: Huge underground shopping center with a cinema.
• Flea markets: Those in Montreuil, St-Ouen, Porte de Vanves are the most popular.

✅ In France they usually have 2 big sale seasons called “Les Soldes”. One in winter and the other in Summer. Winter sale will begin shortly after Christmas. Summer sale begins just before the vacances season. You can have big opportunities finding fantastic deals on expensive clothes and other items.

‍

Accommodation

In Paris, there are options for every taste; hotel, airbnb, couchsurfing and more. Even if you’re choosing a fancy hotel, make sure you check the area in which is located and how safe it is.

Paris has 20 arrondissements:

• 1st & 2nd arrondissements: Very historic. Full of must-see areas like the Louvre or Palais Royal. But accommodation can be highly expensive.

• 3rd & 4th arrondissements: Le Marais area has cool restaurants and bars. Different communities: Jewish, LGBTQ, Chinese, etc. Feel the vibe of diversity!
• 5th & 6th arrondissements: Lively neighborhood. The famous university La Sorbonne and Quartier Latin is located here.
• 7th & 8th arrondissements: The Eiffel Tower in the 7th, the Arc of Triomphe and the avenue of Champs-Elysees in the 8th! They are both highly touristic areas so beware of pickpockets.
• 9th & 10th arrondissements: the 9th district alone had 19 metro stations. If you ever find yourself in the 10th, Canal Saint-Martin is where to go, it is less touristy and offers a more intimate atmosphere than Quais de Seine. It is also also home to two big train stations: Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord where you can take a train to London.
• 11th & 12th arrondissements: The district of the youth & hipsters! You will see so many endless bars and the young people talking to each other especially near the metro station Line 3 "Parmentier".
• 13th & 14th arrondissements: The district of Chinese and Vietnamese communities! Well, you might feel like you are literally in Asia if you ever get a chance to visit this district. Feel the vibe of Asian street food, bubble tea and more to come!
• 15th & 16th arrondissements: They are residential districts. If you fancy calm strolls in parks, you can go to Parc André-Citroën. Tour de Montparnasse is located here, which is the highest skyscraper in Paris. The 16th is one of the most prestigious districts in Paris, home to a number of museums but also embassies.
• 17th & 18th arrondissements: 18th arrondissement is a home to the Montmartre. This highland provides a wonderful panorama of Paris. But be very careful when it’s dark!
• 19th & 20th arrondissements: the 19th is home to Paris’s artificial park, Parc des Buttes Chaumont. It was designed to imitate mountain landscapes it has: rocks, lake, waterfalls and cave. The 20th is known for its cemetery Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, where many international celebrities rest: Raymonde Delaroche, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde.

‍

‼️ Emergency Numbers

17 for Police
15 for an Ambulance
18 for Firemen

112 is the European emergency number. If you don’t know what to call, remember this one.
NB: everything is free so don’t hesitate!

Disclaimer

Our guide was made with care & love, but that doesn't mean that we always get everything right. Please know that the information above can be outdated and measures in countries may change overnight because of Covid-19. Don't hesitate to correct us with better recommendations or latest knowledge!

‍

A personal essay.

They asked me to justify why every woman should travel solo once in her life. This is what came out.

I have put off writing this article for months because I didn’t know where to start.

I didn’t know where to start because there is an implication in that prompt that doesn’t sound quite right and, for some time, I couldn’t put my finger on it. All I knew is that I was uncomfortable.

Why should every woman travel solo once in her life? I let it sit there in my mind, letting the subconscious do its job. Procrastinating can be a very powerful thing. A few weeks went by until one day, I was finally able to say it out loud: She shouldn’t. Or, rather, she doesn’t have to.

‍

Have I disappointed you? Bear with me, please.

In the process of reflecting on my own beliefs, I looked up the words on the internet to see if I could get a different point of view. Maybe there was something crucial I was missing. What I found, it turns out, was a long list of articles with the same topic listing the benefits of travel rather than backing up the premise they chose as a title. “Why should women travel solo” and “the benefits of travel” are two very different topics of conversation.

Don’t get me wrong. After years of traveling on my own, I could talk for days about the benefits of traveling solo. I could go on and on about confidence, connection, empowerment (the trendiest of words), intuition, courage, personal growth… I have experienced all of those, and more, while traveling alone. And I can say with a certainty I don’t often feel that traveling has been a life-changing experience for me and everyone I have met on the road.

However, the fact that something has benefits doesn’t mean that everyone should do it, right? I’m sure running 10 km a day has many benefits, but we don’t go around telling people they should go and complete a marathon a day. Why should this case be different?

‍

✨ It’s not the traveling part that stings me, it’s the should I have problems with ✨

Why should women travel solo once in their life? What if they don’t want to? Aren’t our lives plagued with enough shoulds already? We should study. We should love our family. We should exercise. We should eat healthily. We should act in ways that are acceptable to society. We should always strive for more (don’t even dare to settle). We should, we should, we should.

‍

‍

The last thing I want to do is adding another should to our lives.

Maybe some people thoroughly and genuinely prefer traveling in groups, for instance. And what if someone doesn’t like traveling? What, you don’t think that’s possible? I have friends who hate traveling. They find it stressful and suffer every minute of it. Others are simply indifferent to it. Now, you might be tempted to say, for example, that they are afraid of the unknown and that traveling would help them beat that fear. Touché. But they are not. They don’t fear it. They are simply not interested. Period.

Do I relate? Well, not really. I have been wanting to explore the world ever since I can remember. I used to read stories of adventures in faraway lands and dream of the time when I would go away and have my own. I also see travel in every little movement I make. Damn, even a trip to the supermarket can feel like an adventure if you put your mind to it. Maybe travel is just a mindset.

And traveling is not the only path to challenging yourself, boosting your confidence, or feeling empowered. In the end, we all have to find our own ways, our own answers.

I don’t relate to what my friends feel, but I wholeheartedly accept it.

Embracing our differences is love. This is an exercise in empathy: not sharing someone’s beliefs but still understanding that other people have the right to think differently than us. And that’s what makes the world interesting, isn’t it? Being open and exposed to other people’s opinions and points of view can broaden our minds just as much as traveling. And we don’t need to get on a plane to the other side of the world for that.  

So, no. I don’t think every woman should travel solo once in her life, the same way I don’t think every woman should get married, or have children, or love men. What’s true for me doesn’t necessarily have to be true for others.

‍

Let’s rephrase it, then: Every woman could travel solo, if they wanted to.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you DO want to travel, that your feet are itching to get going and explore the world. And that’s great. That’s amazing. Go do it. You have all the power and resources within you that you need to make it happen. And, whatever your experience, you will come back stronger and wiser for sure.

But let’s not put pressure on others to do the same.

Rosana 🌼

👉 P.S. I am aware of the tremendous amount of privilege that these words carry. My journey has not been without its challenges (I’m from a poor family in a third-world country), but they are nothing compared to the challenges other women face. To them, to you, I salute you. And I’m here for you.

‍