Solo Travel - Top 13 Tips to Staying Safe

As an expat I travel often and alone. My solo travels have taken me round South Africa, The UAE, the UK and more recently to Canada. I’ve also travelled with hubby to most of Europe and to America when he’s been working and I’ve spent the days exploring various cities on my own.

In South Africa I lived in Pretoria and worked as a volunteer, which involved frequent trips into townships and driving late at night. I also travelled to Kruger, Durban and Cape Town for holidays as well as trips into Johannesburg to explore the city.

In the UAE, I’ve explored every inch of Dubai on trains, buses, taxis and on foot.

The UK which is my home country, my employment took me to remote areas as well as city centres late at night and weekends, as well as camping trips, days out and more recently using public transport up and down the country to visit family and friends and to and from airports usually last thing at night or before sunrise.

On my recent trip to Canada I stayed with a friend I met online 3 years ago, went camping with them in the wilds and stayed a few nights in Toronto prior to flying home to Dubai.

Living as an expat has changed the way I live my life both with my family and when I travel whether with hubby or on my own. After 4 years in South Africa I’m on high alert whenever I go out, not fearful for my safety but aware of it.

When you’ve lived in a country where the risk of harm and death is a daily occurrence you can’t help but change the way you live.

Many of these practices I learnt in South Africa are what I now consider best practice when travelling especially when I travel alone.

1.     Make sure your phone is unlocked and purchase a local sim card, air time and 3G

2.     Always put your hand bag in the foot well of your seat when driving or as a passenger and ensure doors are locked when driving.

3.     Keep your hand bag in full site of you when in cafes/restaurants etc.

4.     Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan on returning to your hotel or base.

5.     Switch off  location finder on your phone when taking photos

6.     Upload pictures to Social Media after you’ve left your last location

7.     Don’t announce on Social Media where your next destination is, City or town is OK but not the name of your hotel, café, activity etc

8.     Write your email address on your luggage label, should you be separated from it and not the name of your hotel

9.     Make sure you keep bank cards and cash to a minimum and in separate places when travelling alone. If everything is in your hand luggage/bag in case you lose it or it gets stolen.

10. Keep a written list of emergency phone numbers separate from your phone or hand bag. The bank, the next location you are staying in, the emergency number for police, fire, ambulance. Your next of kin

11. Carry a copy of your travel Insurance documents in your wallet in case of an accident or illness.

12. Spend time in advance working out how the public transport system works, where you want to go, the cost and length of travel time. This will save you getting lost, although from getting lost I’ve experienced so many more things than I would have done if I’d stuck to my planned route.

13. Confirm hotel bookings at least 24 hours in advance and give them your expected arrival time. I arrived at a hotel in Cape Town late one evening and they’d double booked…it does happen

How stressful is an expat, relocation move?

Very, it's not easy, you'll lose all control over your life, you'll be let down, plunged into difficult and sometimes dangerous situations, you'll be skint at the end of it all, no matter how generous your relocation package is and you'll swear blind you will NEVER, EVER DO THIS AGAIN (until next time)

Both our relocations to South Africa and to Dubai have gone wrong, very wrong, causing unnecessary stress at what is a very difficult time. Moving is one thing, but moving 1000's of miles from everything and everyone you know is hard work and can be heartbreaking.

South Africa was my home for 4 years and leaving my friends and my life was as difficult, if not harder than leaving the UK for the first time. For me, when I left the UK, I knew one day I would return, that it would become home again, I knew I could visit my family and friends and be there if they needed me, but leaving South Africa has a whole other set of emotions. I will visit, yes, but I will never return there, it will never be my home again.

A lot of the worries and anxieties can be removed with the right support, timescale and framework in place. however my experience of both moves says that HR is NOT the best department to deal with a relocation. They subcontract out to various companies for visa applications, shipping, renting housing etc and they DO NOT and WILL NOT deal directly with the accompanying spouse. The sub contracted companies when contacted will tell you the contract is with HR and not you and will not discuss anything with you at all, EVER.

This causes additional and unnecessary stress on your relationship. For us, I didn't want to leave South Africa, I wasn't ready, HR's timescale was too slow, they dragged their heels with starting the move and as predicted left us with an extremely short time frame in which to move. My husband is dealing with a new job, a new way of doing things, new and different cultures in the work place, he doesn't need me stuck in a hotel gently rocking in a corner because I feel left out, I'm not in control, I'm not allowed to do anything because NO ONE will speak to me, include me, let me do the stuff I'm good at. He also does not have the time to sort everything out on our behalf, we are a team, we have different skill sets, that's what makes us able to survive 2 international relocations and no amount of him asking, telling, begging HR to deal with me, let me sort the stuff, it's what I'm good at, they just won't shift. it's hubbies contract, it's with him, not me.

I've written a series of blog posts over the past few weeks, they've been added to and edited and don't really follow in any particular order, but if you're interested, please feel free to click, read, comment and share.

The whole process of applying to move to Dubai started in October, again we were told very little about what we were actually required to do, it took a lot of phone calls and we had to spend 3 weeks in the UK to sort out all the paperwork, which was submitted in Dubai on November 29th, after returning to South Africa to pack up our home, we returned on December 19th to discover the work visa application had been submitted as promised.
Applying for visas to live in Dubai

The first post is based on our experiences from using a relocation firm, although the woman who helped us with most of the stuff, was bloody wonderful, her hands were tied, there was only so much she could do to help us, where everything fell apart was despite her constantly emailing the company she worked for, they failed to respond and eventually told me, she was as fault, which I will not accept.
If I were a relocation expert

Next up are the consequences for the spouse, unable to 'do anything' due to the companies refusal to deal directly with me.
What happened to pastoral care?

This post outlines what was promised and what actually happened and is happening, this post will continue to be updated.
Timeline for an expat move

The following post is about life in a hotel for 5 weeks, I think we're actually in our 6th week now and our 3rd hotel. It isn't a lot of fun.
5 weeks in a hotel

This post was written and published the beginning of December and outlines my concerns and worries about what lies ahead based on what happened when we relocated to South Africa in 2011
Reality of a company move

We already knew things were going downhill and a lot of stuff is now getting repeated, but as you can see from the next post, we've spent most of our time in Dubai just worrying about what is going to happen.
Moving from South Africa to Dubai 

Prior to our move we had to sort all our documentation and organise our shipping, all badly advised, we did most of the work ourselves and I doubt we'll ever know just exactly what and why these experts are being paid for.

How to sort luggage, air freight and shipping 

What happened to my accent?

I've never been to Canada or Australia, but I've been asked on many occasions when travelling if I'm from either of those 2 countries.

I live in South Africa and in my 4th year here. Despite coming from the UK where you can travel 20 miles and hear different accents, I've never really picked one up. I have a fairly neutral accent with hints of my roots, South Wales, The Midlands, Yorkshire and the South West.

I do have a tendency to slip into a Welsh accent when I've had a few too many drinks and I use many Welsh words such as 'like' 'tidy' and 'O'

Living in South Africa there aren't many British voices around here, in fact I only know a handful of British people here.

At least once a week and sometimes more often, I'm asked where I'm from. I reply England. It's met with 'I love your accent, say something to me' On one occasion when Hubby said he was from England a woman in the shop asked him to talk like Jamie Oliver and say 'pukka, pukka' We gave up explaining that hubby was from Manchester and not the London.

On a recent trip to the UK, travelling on buses, coaches, trains and on foot, with a suit case and handbag, fellow travellers asked me if I was off somewhere nice, when I said I was visiting the UK they responded with 'are you Canadian/Australian?'

I guess the lack of regional British accents has neutralised me even more.

How to survive airport travel

I’m not a good flyer, it’s the take off and landing I’m not keen on. I need to sit by a window so I can keep my eye on the wing and the ground and make sense of what’s happening. The actual flight is ok, It’s probably the only time I sit and watch a movie.

As an expat I make regular trips between South Africa and the UK, preferring the Dubai route as I get to build up my air miles, use the Emirates lounge and it has the most leg room and more importantly, proper cutlery, not plastic forks that always snap. I’ve flown with various airlines, direct and with stopovers. Despite the Dubai route involving an 8 hour flight, 2 hour stop over and another 7 hour flight, plus the travel time to and from the airport, making it in total a 20+ hour journey, it has the most generous legroom in economy, checked in baggage is 30kg and trust me it’s not possible to get more than 30kgs in a suitcase. This disadvantage is the hand luggage allowance is only 7kg and as an expat and flying out of OR Tambo airport I carry all the paper work I need to sort out when I’m back in the UK and all valuables as theft from baggage is a high risk. Other airlines have a more generous hand luggage allowance of 10kg and purchase of an additional 23kg weight starts from around £45 where as Emirates charge £140 for up to 5 kilos.

It’s not just the ticket price you need to check when booking, how important is the luggage allowance? Is the cost of baggage wrapping included in your ticket price? What’s the charge for changing your ticket? Is insurance included in the price?

Top tips for travelling.

Check in online. I never print a boarding pass as from experience they prefer to issue you with one, but be warned, some airlines do charge for printing a boarding pass at check in.

When selecting a seat, you’ve more chance of having a spare seat next to you if you book an aisle seat; it is common practice for the airline to fill up the aisle seats first.

Avoid seats with extra legroom unless you’re particularly tall, the reason being these seats have fixed armrests, so if the seat next to you is empty you can’t stretch into it.  Also passengers will congregate on long haul flights near the exit doors whilst queuing for the toilets or they are near the galley where the cabin crew sit and passengers will stand and chat.

If flying from OR Tambo airport check with your airline to find out if baggage wrapping is included in the cost of your ticket. If not make sure you arrive in plenty of time not only for check in and clearing customs but for queuing to get your baggage wrapped.

After going through passport control, check the boards for your gate and locate it, it could be anything up to 30 minutes away and involve a train or a bus. It’s quite common for the gate to be changed, don’t just rely on your boarding card.

Once you’ve located your gate, grab a coffee, locate the smoking room and buy your duty free.

If travelling via another country, even if you are in transit, check what you can and can’t take through in regards to liquids. Best to buy your duty free once you’ve cleared security when you stop over, as they will not let you take liquids through, even though you haven’t left the airport.

Dubai airport have showers available at no charge. I always pack a hand towel so not to take up too much space/weight in hand luggage.

On arrival the first thing I do is activate my sim card, top up and message family and friends to say I’m here, this is my number, I’ll contact you again when I’ve reached my first overnight stop.

Coffee…any chance to purchase a coffee.

Travelling Light, currency, plugs and other tips

I know many people who buy new clothes, shoes, make up when they go on holiday (Mother) and pack an iron, hairdryer and 2 full sets of clothes, just in case, every toiletry item they think they’ll ever need and end up bringing most of it back unworn and/or unused.

I’ve known people to pack coffee, crisps, nappies and even blocks of cheese as they’re going somewhere new and foreign and are afraid they won’t get a few of their ‘home’ comforts while they’re away for a fortnights break.

There’s a big difference though between being a tourist and an expat, once an expat you’ll NEVER holiday or travel like a tourist again, trust me.

As an expat I’m a regular flyer, back and forth between South Africa and the UK, I however DON’T travel light, with all the family, 5 kids, 2 mums, a dad, siblings, nephews and nieces etc along with friends, my case is ALWAYS full of gifts and a ‘little touch of home’ for some South African friends, there is often little room left for clothing and I tend to pack bulkier stuff as after all I’m travelling to a colder climate. I do have a store of items I leave at my mums, that I’d never wear back in SA, winter coats, thermals, etc. However, this does leave room in my case for the return trip, where I stock up on the ‘home comforts’ such as tea bags, make up and aubergine pickle and pick up Summer sale items of clothing for wearing back in SA.

I’m currently on holiday in Dubai, just a holiday for me, hubby is working and we are extending the stay for a few days, so he has packed work clothes and leisure ware, including a suit that found it’s way into my suitcase. Hmmmmmmm

This trip I’ve only packed for me. I won’t be buying souvenirs or trinkets, in fact I won’t be buying much with the exchange rate as it is, other than a thank you gift, from the airport as we leave for my friend for dog and cat sitting for the week.

My case only weighs 19kg was extremely out of shape, hubbies suit took a battering, and when plastic wrapped to guard against theft at OR Tambo it and most of that is in the form of toiletries, half bottles of stuff such as shower gels and shampoos to use up, although believe it or not, most hotels these days do provide things like this without additional charge.

There are a few things I can NEVER travel without and these are all hand luggage items. For starters it’s a ‘no, no’ to pack anything of value in hold baggage, especially coming out of South Africa.

•   Laptop, charger, Iphone and cables.

·         Plug adapter to convert from South African to British, Plugs in Dubai and at most airports use British plugs.

 Although I do have a laptop cable that has a British plug also.

·         Cable ties – for return to South Africa to use on the cases.

·         Luggage tags x 2. One used with destination and another with home address to use on return. (Don’t want people at the airport when you’re leaving to see where you’ve come from and that the property is going to be empty for a while)

·         Eye mask and inflatable pillow, not just to use on the plane, but whilst waiting for transfer, the bus and taxi ride to the hotel also.

·         Ear phones, preferably noise reduction for the plane, iphone etc.

·         Spare cell/mobile phone and charger, in case of theft and I also have 2 South African SIMS and 2 British SIMS, as I’ve discovered my SA SIMs on PAYG don’t work in Dubai. Roaming and cellular data switched off the second one boards the plane.

·         Bank cards, South African and British, already had one card declined when checking in at the hotel.

·         Local Currency, not a lot but at least enough to buy a coffee and tip the porter. I’ve always found a few pound coins help for tips, especially in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia and don’t be afraid to say ‘no thank you’ to someone offering to help with your cases at the airport. I chased a thief for hubbies passport, end of last year, who helped himself when ‘helping’ us.

·         Medical aid card or Insurance, don’t forget to inform your medical aid company before you travel.

·         I also pack a face cloth, change of top and under ware as well as a toothbrush and paste, facial wipes and a pair of socks to wear on the flight, a book and some sweets.

Differences between UK and SA

It doesn't look like anything has changed in the UK since I left in January, but my trip back last week did highlight the differences and all of them were negative...OK so I arrived back to the riots, seriously nothing to do with me.

I'll start with the media...all doom and gloom, newspapers and the TV describing Broken Britian,almost condoning the riots and the looting, with their explanations and reasons as to why these people were behaving the way they did...they have nothing...yeah so what...come to South Africva and see what NOTHING really looks like and the vast differences between rich and poor..you see here in South Africa if you don't have a job, you don't have money, therefore you don't have a house to sit in and watch SKY TV all day, complaining how the government and education system have failed you and absolutly no benefits...

People...How rude? and as for queing, the English say they're good at it...no they ain't..they're good at moaning about it, complaining if you're taking too long or if someone dares to push in...kids screachingin the supermarkets, parents ignoring them or screeching back, snide looks and heavy tutting, no patience, no waiting...here you have to queue for everything, for hours, only to be told to come back another day...very few tempers flare up.

Everyone in the UK feels they have a right to comment on everything, yet do nothing about it...mutter under their breath, snort and tut heavily but that's it...no offers of help when struggling with 3 cases, 2 hand luggage and a child with his arm in a cast, the bus driver and the passengers tutting as I try to get on the bus...I'm more than capable of lifting and moving the said luggage, just not in one bloody go.

South Africa is aclean place, I didn't realise how clean till I went back to the UK. I even tweeted Tesco with a picture of the mess outside the front of their store in Newport, all the public toilets weren't clean.

Everyone moans about the state of the roads in SA, the pot holes in particular, but the UK was just as bad, if not worse...the major roads in SA are 4-6 lanes, they resurface them regulary, they don't shut the whole road down and take several months, they resurface lane 2, you still drive on lanes 1, 3 and 4.

I don't know who it was but somesome said the 'whites in the UK were behaving like the blacks'..try being Black here...mind you if you're white it's just as hard...yes there are violent crimes, hijacking, armed robbery, but you don't see fights in the streets, drunken behaviour, people don't swear at you if you accidentially bump into them, kids don't hang round street corners scaring people and preventing them from walking past, the streets aren't full of litter, the toilets are always clean.

Racism is still an issue here, but there isn't an obvious class system, you're either black, white, rich or poor.