8 DAYS | 113STORY (^) CHERYL ONG
Simone Heng, 31.
The Class 95FM DJ
has lived, worked and
studied by herself in
four diverse regions,
including Australia,
Switzerland and Dubai.
7
BLEND IN WITH
THE LOCALS
“When I was 17,
I went to Zurich alone. I
was just fresh off the boat
from Australia, and being
really friendly and speaking
to everyone. And generally, Swiss people aren’t like
that. So it was very obvious that I was a foreigner. And
so a couple of guys came to talk to me and asked me
for my number, which made me very uncomfortable. I
was naïve then. Now, when I’m travelling, I always have
my headphones nearby and my sunglasses on in case
Xinen Chua, 28, spent two years visitng 50
countries across six continents on her own. She
runs travel blog Koala Travels the World, which aims
to inspire solo female travel.
3
BUY THE RIGHT TRAVEL INSURANCE
“For my two years abroad, I used World Nomads,
a popular insurance used by many backpackers
or travellers, and it has served me pretty well. You can
renew it for as long as you want from wherever you are.
Also, many travel credit cards cover some sort of travel
insurance. Check your credit card to see what they offer
before you pay more for travel insurance. If you pay for
a trip, airfare or rental vehicle through your credit card,
you may be covered for things like trip cancellation, flight
delay and car insurance.”
PHOTO CREDIT: XINEN CHUA/SIMONE HENG/PAIGE CHUA
To grave about: Xinen at Recoleta
Cemetery, Buenos Aires’ most
prestigious graveyard, in 2015.
Solo wanderluster #2Solo wanderluster #2
4
LEARN THE CULTURE AND LANGUAGE
“When visiting another country, it’s appreciated
when you learn their customs and a few words of
the local language. I’ve picked up conversational Spanish
while travelling through the continent of South America for
eight months. And it has enhanced my travel experience
greatly, especially when you can interact with locals
and get to know their culture better. Learning the local
language also saves you money — you know when you
are getting ripped off.”
5
BE OPEN TO MAKING NEW FRIENDS
“As a solo traveller, it’s easy to meet other people.
This can make the lonely days more pleasant, and
travelling in numbers increases safety. When I was in
South America, I got chatted up by a guy at a hostel. We
ended up travelling through Ecuador together for the next
10 days! And he’s one of my best friends today! You never
know when or where you will find your next travel buddy or
best friend. But saying ‘yes’ to experiences and things is
a great way to start.”
6
TRUST YOUR INTUITION
“I was couch surfing through South America and
agreed to a cabin-in-the-woods type experience with
my host. Turns out the area was pretty sketchy and he tried
to get me drunk by offering me lots of alcohol. He also
asked if I wanted to sleep with him that night — I played it
cool and laughed it off with a firm ‘no’. As soon as the sun
came up the next day, I got the hell out of there. On hindsight,
I should have been more alert to the red flags. Thankfully,
nothing happened. It didn’t stop me from couch surfing again.
But it definitely kept me more on my toes! Also, it's good to
always let someone know your whereabouts so they either
know not to worry or when to send help.”
Welcome to
New York:^
Simone at her
Airbnb in the Big
Apple in July.
anyone tries to talk to me. I use that as a
protective mechanism.”
8
BE CAREFUL WHEN USING
A DEBIT CARD
“Recently, I was in Thailand, and I
paid with my debit card at a restaurant.
The staffer took my debit card away,
skimmed the card number and siphoned
S$1,600
out of my
account. I
only found
out when I
returned to
Singapore.
I did
manage
to get the money back,
but it was a huge ballache.
So if possible, pay in cash.
And if you are going to pay
using a debit card, make
sure that you follow them to
the cash point.”
Solo wanderluster #3Solo wanderluster #3
Life’s a beach: Simone at the
Snake Island in the Philippines
last year. “If women are
travelling alone and want to
take great pics, a camera with a
monkey tripod and self-timer is
her best friend!” she says.