You know you’re in good hands when the author has included a chapter on how to avoid and treat, among other women’s health issues, vaginal and yeast infections, and UTI’s while on the road. Nothing is off limits!
Author Caryl E. Dolinko has taken the forty years of solo travel through almost one hundred countries including Nepal, Fiji, Israel, and Turkey and put together this extensive companion for the first time traveler, or those who want to expand their reach into more exotic locations. Readers will not only know what to pack, when to go, but also how to respect the culture of the country, and how to deal with harassment and unwanted attention from strangers.
At eighteen, the author’s taste for solo travel began by accident. After her friend bailed on a four-month vacation to Europe, Dolinko had the option of cancelling altogether. But she decided to go ahead with the trip. “With a return ticket and enough funds for a few months, I decided to travel and be home before my nineteenth birthday,” she writes. “Instead, I ended up travelling for eight years!”
This book is a culmination of all she’s learned since her first book, 1998’s The Globetrotters Guide – Essential Skills for Budget Travel. So much has changed, including how popular tourist sites are “overused, overrun and exploited” and how to travel ethically, by keeping an eye on minimizing waste and conserving natural resources. Her approach to travel has changed, as has her perspective of the world: “I have gained valuable knowledge on how to travel well and with confidence and street smarts to keep safe.”
Some of her tips include:
- Choose hotels that recognize the importance of women when travelling
- To ensure privacy, use your first initial when checking in
- Do not disclose whether your room is a single or double within earshot of others
- If you’re feeling uncomfortable in the room assigned, request a different one
Dolinko has divided the book into specific and practical chapters, like planning the trip, what to pack, and recommended documentation. She also includes ones on how to enjoy the solitude of being solo, how to handle arriving in a new place when on your own, and making safe choices when choosing public transportation or taxis. There are also handy reminders like making sure your personal affairs back home are managed while away.
A fan of the postcard, she advises that travelers continue the tradition of sending them to family and friends. “There’s something special about taking the time to sit down and write a thoughtful message by hand and knowing it will be cherished by the recipient.”
One of strengths of the book is the encouragement Dolinko provides to those hesitant to solo travel. Safety concerns, loneliness, language barriers, getting lost, cultural confusions, and general anxiety when entering unknown territory are addressed with a supportive and understanding voice. Yes, the world can be a dangerous place, but preparation is key. She advocates that first-timers learn to listen to their gut/trust their instincts, stay informed about travel alerts, and embrace self-reliance. There is joy in overcoming a difficult situation, making new friendships along the way, and satisfaction in reaching a new level of self-confidence.
Having visited 93 countries thus far, Dolinko has a goal of visiting seven more to reach her goal of 100. Each trip has been a journey of self-discovery, she says, and has motivated her to take a dive more deeply into global travel by earning a master’s degree in intercultural communication and global leadership. All of this began by accident all those years ago and was buoyed by a quote she read in a journal her brother gave her: “To look is simply seeing; to do, is life.”
The website: A Woman’s Guide to Global Travel
A Woman’s Guide to World Travel
Caryl Eve Dolinko
Whitecap Books
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Bigstock photo by Mihailo K
