Gir Travelling Alone

zedhead

Am heading to australia in september by myself and was looking into some hostel accomadation.
Have never really travelled on my own, but wouldn't have thought twice about booking into one of the mixed dorms in hostels. But have had a few people tell me that I'm mad and that I should only go for the all female dorms.
Was just kind of wondering what peoples opinions are. As a girl travelling on my own, would it be safer in all female dorms, or would I be alright going with my instinct and sticking with the mixed dorms.

Trankton

When I was in Australia met loads of girls travelling on their own, at the time I thought them mad as well, but they never had any problems in dorms whether mixed or not, theres always the chance you could end up sharing with a load of dick-heads but that could happen anywhere. Just be careful and you'll be fine.

passive

he'll be fine...

SouthKerry

Im travelling on my own in September as well zedhead, where abouts you headed

fraggles rule

Hey you two, I'm also headed there in September on my tod. Trying to work out where to stay in Singapore (1 night) on the way over and Hong Kong (2 nights) Any advice on this will be welcome. Sorted for the Oz trip as my sis is in Brisbane. You guys doing a stop over?

zedhead

I'm flying into Sydney, spending 10 days there alone. Then a friend is meeting me to spend 3.5 weeks travelling up to Cairns and then she's leaving me again! Hoping to get some work around Cairns, maybe some fruitpicking or something! But just gonna see how it goes!

I'm heading over via Canada, spending just over a month and a half there first. Will eventually be flying home via Asia, stopping in thailand and spending sometime there too!

fraggles rule

Wow, you're getting around, fair play. Souns like a great trip. I've never travelled on my own either but I'm sure this is going to be the first of many trips!! I'm off work for 8 weeks, my sis has had her first baby so I'll be spending loads of time with them but getting to see plenty while I'm there too. Fraser Island is a must, plus the Great Barrier Reef, lots of walking and horse riding too, plus chillin out in Brisbane and enjoying the city. Went mad at first thinking I'd get NewZealand in too and all sorts of notions about where to visit on the way there and back but my main aim is to spend time with family and see as much of the East Coast as I can. I'll be doing hostels too while I'm travelling, so I'm interested in the replys to your question. I'll be keeping an eye on this (first time on this so I'm delighted you replied )

zedhead

Well i quit my job to go! Figured if i dont do it now i never will, so i'm going for at least a year! So i have to get as many places in as prob wont be able to afford much else by the time im done!

First time being away alone too, and while im really excited I'm pretty nervous! Also hoping for a few more replies with advice too!

fraggles rule

Have you checked to see if there's an Oz version of Boards or another forum for travellers?

You Go Girl!!! I've been too chicken s*** to head off, I've had the option of a career break for years now and never taken it. Me thinks this trip might just change all that. Never too late to do it I guess.

"Don't die wonderin"

daftdave

zedhead wrote: »

Well i quit my job to go! Figured if i dont do it now i never will, so i'm going for at least a year! So i have to get as many places in as prob wont be able to afford much else by the time im done!

First time being away alone too, and while im really excited I'm pretty nervous! Also hoping for a few more replies with advice too!

if you stay in a hostel in cairns, i reccommend gilligans , book it early as its a popular place , or nomad serpent is also another good one in cairns ,

SouthKerry

Flying Into Brisbane myself staying there for 2 weeks, chillin out relaxing oh and maybe a few drinks:D, Then its off to Tasmania with myself.
Ive traveeled all over the world on my own would not have it any other way, the first time was hard but after a few days its easy and you will never look back, free to go where you want do what you want without somebody else nagging you, the only person you can fight with is yourself:).

Mrs OBumble

I'm female, have done loads of travelling by myself.

When alone, I'd NEVER stay in a mixed dorm. They're ok if you're with a group of friends (even all female friends) who will look out for you, but way too risky if you're alone: all it takes is a group of lads to come home after a night on the turps when you're lying there asleep looking all fetching and innocent. Some of the most decent males can become less so when affected by alcohol and in an environment where they don't perceive much risk of consequences for them.

www.hostelworld.com now lets you search (under advanced) for female-only, I'm pretty suure.

Doc

JustMary wrote: »

I'm female, have done loads of travelling by myself.

When alone, I'd NEVER stay in a mixed dorm. They're ok if you're with a group of friends (even all female friends) who will look out for you, but way too risky if you're alone: all it takes is a group of lads to come home after a night on the turps when you're lying there asleep looking all fetching and innocent. Some of the most decent males can become less so when affected by alcohol and in an environment where they don't perceive much risk of consequences for them.

www.hostelworld.com now lets you search (under advanced) for female-only, I'm pretty suure.

This is crap the chances of anything happening to a girl in a mixed dorm are tiny. It is in no way "way too risky if your alone". The worst things that tend to happen are you cant sleep because of people coming and going.

Rhianna83

zedhead wrote: »

Well i quit my job to go! Figured if i dont do it now i never will, so i'm going for at least a year! So i have to get as many places in as prob wont be able to afford much else by the time im done!

First time being away alone too, and while im really excited I'm pretty nervous! Also hoping for a few more replies with advice too!

Hi guys I am a female lone traveller and have been travelling alone for nearly 3 months now and I can honestly say its the best thing I have ever done.. my friend came over for 4 weeks but it wasn't the same, you have so much freedom on your own and meet soooooo many more people. I have done Thailand, Cambodia and am now in Laos then onto Vietnam and Oz for the year so have been about a good bit, never really felt unsafe you just need to keep your wits about you and have a bit of cop on once you do that you'll be grand, you'll find that you wont actually be on your own that much cos you'll meet so many people. I was pondering for years whether to do it alone and finally said feck it and its best decision ive ever made, have met groups of friends etc who also say they wish they would have done it on their own!
Best of luck

slipss

Doc wrote: »

This is crap the chances of anything happening to a girl in a mixed dorm are tiny. It is in no way "way too risky if your alone". The worst things that tend to happen are you cant sleep because of people coming and going.

Just posting to second that. Have been travelling round OZ for a year now, have stayed in hostels the whole time and have ended up in mixed dorms about 90% of that time and have never once seen any of the girls having any trouble or even heard of anything serious happening in a mixed dorm to any girls i've met over here.

Mrs OBumble

slipss wrote: »

Just posting to second that. Have been travelling round OZ for a year now, have stayed in hostels the whole time and have ended up in mixed dorms about 90% of that time and have never once seen any of the girls having any trouble or even heard of anything serious happening in a mixed dorm to any girls i've met over here.

I've been living in Ireland for two years now, and haven't seen any gangland crime or shootings. Does that mean it doesn't happen?

I'd suspect that most of the girls you have met in mixed dorms have not been travelling alone.

OP travelling by yourself is grand: as others have said, you've got so much more freedom. And with a bit of cop-on, it's not dangerous. But don't take risks that you don't need to take! There are plenty of hostels with female-only dorms. And you will meet males (assuming that you want to!) in hostel kitchens and lounges, and pubs etc. You don't need to meet them in dorms.

zedhead

JustMary wrote: »

Some of the most decent males can become less so when affected by alcohol and in an environment where they don't perceive much risk of consequences for them.

While i appreciate the advice, this part of your post really bothers me!
This is like saying every guy will attack a girl given the chance if they don't see the consequence. You seem to have trust issues with men if you truly believe that. No decent male would do this.

The way i had been figuring it before posting on here was that even tho I am travelling alone, i am very unlikely to be alone in a dorm. and there would always be people in the vicinity to be able to scream for help.
Also to suggest i would be stayin in a mixed dorm to "meet men" is completely off the mark. Mainly the reason would be that for the most part it is cheaper. Most places i have looked into the cheapest dorm to stay in is the biggest, and they dont usually offer that size dorm for female only. May seem a little stingy, but every penny counts right!
I dunno, TBH, have had enough feedback on this in favour of going for the mixed dorm, and can always change my mind should i feel unsafe at any time!

slipss

JustMary wrote: »

I've been living in Ireland for two years now, and haven't seen any gangland crime or shootings. Does that mean it doesn't happen?

I'd suspect that most of the girls you have met in mixed dorms have not been travelling alone.

OP travelling by yourself is grand: as others have said, you've got so much more freedom. And with a bit of cop-on, it's not dangerous. But don't take risks that you don't need to take! There are plenty of hostels with female-only dorms. And you will meet males (assuming that you want to!) in hostel kitchens and lounges, and pubs etc. You don't need to meet them in dorms.

Are you going to leave Ireland because gangland shootings sometimes happen? Do you think there is even a slight chance of being involved in a gangland assasination because they sometimes happen? That's a silly analogy you're trying to make. I'd say slightly more than half the girls I've met have been traveling alone if you're interested, about the same percentage as fella's I've met that are travelling alone. You seem to think men are all vicious animals that are just waiting for a chance to attack some poor girl, that's bullsh1t, of course there is the odd psycho around but the vast majority of us are basically normal decent people, and if on the rare chance someone was to try to hurt someone in a mixed dorm, well there are going to be like 7 or 8 other people in there, do you think they would all just ignore what was happening? You say you've travelled alot, and thats great, but I think you'd probably get a little more out of it if you trusted people more and relaxed.

RedNiamhy

I'm heading to Australia on my own in Septmeber too. I'm going to meet my friend there that has lived there for two years. I have no plans for what to do when I get there. I am taking a 3 year career break and have decided to just go with the flow. I'm so excited.

BTW, booked my flights last night with air asia via Stansted and Kuala Lumpar - very cheap!!!