Here’s What 17 Black Women Have Said About The Safest Places To Travel Outside The U.S.
Whether they’re looking for a weekend girls’ trip, a short-term solo getaway, or a new place to call home, Black women are on the move.
The number of Black women searching for international travel options has risen since the recent election results were announced. However, the interest in experiencing what it’s like to live life outside of the “Land of the Free” has been on the incline for the past few years.
But now that life outside of the U.S. is a trending topic, I thought I would find out what Black women have said about the safest (and more affordable) places to travel for an international getaway.
Here's what they had to say:
1.“I have been to the following solo: Montreal, London, Spain, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Dubai, France, Amsterdam, and Puerto Rico.”
“Being Black wasn’t an issue, at least nothing that I don’t already experience as a Black woman in America. I actually find that people are super nice to me because I guess they don’t see a lot of Black women traveling alone, so they typically have a lot of questions for me or want to talk about American TV.
In terms of solo travel, I have never felt unsafe because I have lived in major U.S. cities, so I am used to keeping my head on a swivel, not talking to strangers, and keeping a neutral facial expression. My recommendation would be to start with countries where the majority speak English (such as England) so that you can get used to navigating on your own. Stick to cities with mass transit systems so that you are not relying on riding in cabs or Ubers, which can be shady depending on the country.”
2.“Japan. While they are very distinct in how they treat foreigners vs native Japanese, it's easily the safest, most hospitable industrialized nation to travel to imho.”
3.“If you're interested in South America and specifically, Brazil, go to Salvador, Bahia.”
“Brazil has the largest population of Black people outside of the African continent. You wouldn't know it looking at Brazilian media — the same way they think America is whiter than it is based on our media. Salvador is blackity black. They've kept the African culture more than we were able to. The Pelourinho area [has] brightly colored buildings and beaches that still bear the stamp of slave auction blocks but are now repurposed as colorful markets. Beautiful beaches. Odes to the orishas everywhere. (Fine men, too, if you're into that.)”
4.“I went to Thailand, Spain, Portugal, and Australia alone and had a great time!”
“Some other places that I've heard from my friends [are] solo Black women-friendly: Mexico (particularly CDMX), Peru, Belize, Colombia (most of South America except maybe Argentina), Iceland, Vietnam (most of S.E. Asia really), Ghana. All are relatively safe and easy to navigate!"
5.“Ireland, Thailand, Norway, or the Netherlands are all pretty safe to travel. Met a few Black female solo travellers in Ireland, they were having a blast.”
6.“My favorite place to visit in Costa Rica. SUPER cheap to visit, people are nice, and it's gorgeous.”
“I usually book trips with EF tours since they're all-inclusive (airfare, food, tour guide, accommodations, and some excursions), plus their payment plans aren't bad. The only catch is there's an age limit to signing up (I think it's 35).”
7.“I spent a week solo in Havana, Cuba, for my birthday a few years ago, and it was super affordable and easy to navigate.”
“My Spanish is very basic, but I didn’t run into any issues as most of the people I interacted with were used to English speaking tourists.”
8.“I'm always going to say Dublin is a great place to start as a solo traveler.”
“Everyone was so nice and helpful. I would take a walk at night because of jetlag, and I felt so safe.”
9."Portugal, Colombia, Sweden (I had a splendidly wonderful time there).”
10.“Thailand is easy and safe.”
“They get millions of tourists, so you'd just be another face in the crowd. Japan is an option, too, whilst it is more expensive than a lot of typical backpacker locations. The quality of accommodation is much better, meaning the cheapest option in town is usually pretty good.”
—dbxp
11.“I highly recommend Kigali, Rwanda.”
“It’s a lovely city and very safe. The people there are really proud to be Africans. Kenya is nice as well, especially the Great Rift Valley. Guadeloupe and Costa Rica, I recommend as well. Thailand is inexpensive — you can get great accommodations for an affordable price. Brazil is fine, but I find it a bit racist the less European you look. I haven’t been to Bahia, only Rio. I’ve been to 40 countries. I hope to visit Zanzibar, Seychelles, and Namibia in the future.”
12.“I’m a Black woman who travels solo from time to time.”
“Japan is a great option, from Tokyo to Osaka is what I did (phenomenal!) France is 50/50. They won’t necessarily treat you differently because you’re Black, but even group traveling in France isn’t always safe. (I’m talking pickpockets mostly.) Not sure if it’s in your budget, but Australia was a nice place to travel solo. I took trains from Brisbane to Gold Coast, no problem.”
13.“As a WOC, my first trip was also Malta, but in September 2021.”
“Today, I still have the best memories ever of the trip. Malta is such a beautiful country.”
14."Iceland, Turkey, Rwanda, or Namibia. All felt relatively safe and welcoming.”
15.“Come to the islands!”
“I’m speaking specifically about the eastern Caribbean islands + Anguilla. They’re small, safe, and predominantly Black, while also being close by. People also tend to be very friendly.”
16.“Go to Istanbul.”
“Your money would go a lot further since the Turkish lira has greatly devalued, you'll be able to get a hotel for a very affordable price, there's plenty to see/do and Turkish people are very hospitable people. This is my opinion as a Black woman.”
17.And finally, “Had a great experience in Singapore.”
“Very safe and diverse, and no language barrier since it’s English-speaking.”
H/T: /r/travel, /r/blackladies, and /r/femaletravels
