What I Wish I’d Known Before Travelling SE Asia as a 19-Year-Old Girl
Nobody really prepares you. You watch a few YouTube videos, join a Facebook group, and then you’re standing in Suvarnabhumi Airport at 11pm wondering what you were thinking.
Here’s what I actually wish someone had told me:
1. Solo travel is safe — but trust your gut, always. I travelled partly solo and partly with a friend. Both felt safe the majority of the time. Thailand especially has an incredibly well-worn tourist trail with thousands of young women doing exactly what I was doing. That said — I always let someone know where I was staying, shared my location with family back home, and if something felt off, I left. No explanation needed.
2. Book your first two nights before you land. Just those two. After that you’ll have your bearings and can be flexible. But arriving in a new country tired from a long-haul flight without somewhere confirmed to sleep is genuinely stressful. Don’t do it to yourself.
3. Carry small notes everywhere. ATMs in SE Asia sometimes charge fees, and a lot of local stalls are cash-only. Keep a small float of local currency on you at all times.
4. The tourist price is often fine — but know when you’re being overcharged. A tuk-tuk driver quoting you double the local price isn’t offensive, it’s just business. Know rough prices before you get in, say a fair number confidently, and smile. Most of the time it works.
5. Pack less than you think you need. I overpacked embarrassingly. You can buy almost anything you forget in Thailand for cheaper than you’d pay at home. A light backpack changes everything.
6. The best moments are always off-plan. The Chiang Mai Secret Garden — I stumbled across it. The boat on Cheow Lan Lake — a recommendation from someone in a hostel. Rigid itineraries kill the magic of SE Asia. Leave gaps.
7. Get travel insurance. Seriously. I know it feels like an unnecessary cost when you’re trying to travel on a budget. It’s not. One hospital visit, one cancelled flight, one stolen phone — the insurance pays for itself ten times over. Don’t be the person who skips it.
