Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
zakuivcustom wrote:Having been to all those...
Singapore - Perfectly safe. Fair amount of expats there anyway.
KL - Just take standard precaution and you'll be fine...it's probably safer than Bangkok which itself is mostly safe.
Taipei - As safe as Singapore.
Japan - Other than those precaution from Aaron747, Japan is as safe as it can gets lol. Property crimes are insanely rare TBH. It's possibly the only country in the world where I won't fear leaving things unattended, something that I won't even do in cities like Hong Kong (and I'm born in HK...).
tl;dr: The part of Asia you're heading into is probably among the most "solo traveler friendly". Have fun!
af773atmsp wrote:Thank you for the responses!
I'm also considering taking the ferry from Singapore to Batam and the train from Kuala Lumpur to Padang Besar just to add Indonesia and Thailand to the list of countries I've visited. After a little research it looks like the ferry to/from Batam is easy and safe to do, but I'm unsure about crossing the Malaysia-Thailand border (not even sure if it's possible to do that as a day trip).
Aesma wrote:What is the scam with people inviting you for coffee ? I mean what are they trying to sell you ?
bluecrew wrote:Aesma wrote:What is the scam with people inviting you for coffee ? I mean what are they trying to sell you ?
I'm not aware of one. I met a very nice guy at the Sunday Walking Market in Chiang Mai one afternoon who invited me for coffee. We had a nice chat, he just wanted to meet an American I guess. Ended up going to Kafe 1985, having the tower of beer, and a ton of delicious food. Still stay in occasional touch.
Didn't ask for any money, nothing. I picked up dinner because it was US$25.
A lot of the friendliness in SE Asia is misinterpreted by some of our western brains as being inherently suspicious, a lot of the time it just comes from a good place.
af773atmsp wrote:In June and July I'll be traveling solo to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and various cities in Japan.
But does anyone have advice for staying vigilant while still enjoying myself even though I'm in places where I'll stick out?
Aesma wrote:What is the scam with people inviting you for coffee ? I mean what are they trying to sell you ?
sierrakilo44 wrote:Never wear flashy jewellery, expensive clothes or designer bags. It helps that I have no interest in wearing them and always dress plainly and never to stand out.
af773atmsp wrote:In June and July I'll be traveling solo to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and various cities in Japan. I'm white, so I can't exactly blend in like I can in Western Europe (until I start talking anyways). With those two factors it seems like it'll be difficult not to attract unwanted attention, including from people who take advantage of tourists through pickpocketing, scamming, etc.
I've been researching traveling solo in these places, and of course there's obvious advice like keeping valuables secure and not getting tricked into giving money. I already know that stuff, some of it learned the hard way like in Vienna in 2015 when a woman took 100 Euros from me. Since that experience I've been more confident saying no or just ignoring people asking me for money, but there are still times when my guard is lowered a little too much, like in Paris in 2021 when a woman kept aggressively asking me for money and reached for one of my pockets.
I'm sure the places in Asia I mentioned get tons of solo travelers including from Western Europe and the USA, and I'm sure I'll have a great time seeing these places. But does anyone have advice for staying vigilant while still enjoying myself even though I'm in places where I'll stick out?
zakuivcustom wrote:LOL in Singapore or Tokyo or even Taipei where people carry designer handbags all the time? Well, KL also but some of them are probably counterfeit .
zakuivcustom wrote:LOL in Singapore or Tokyo or even Taipei where people carry designer handbags all the time? Well, KL also but some of them are probably counterfeit .
sierrakilo44 wrote:zakuivcustom wrote:LOL in Singapore or Tokyo or even Taipei where people carry designer handbags all the time? Well, KL also but some of them are probably counterfeit .
But it’s a hassle, they’re expensive, unnecessary, you aren’t going to gain anything by wearing a designer handbag and just stand to have an expensive purchase lost or stolen if you aren’t careful.
I’ve traveled a lot and never have seen the need to travel with expensive items to look good. Simple, plain and practical is my motto when it comes to travel packing.
I also limit my packing to carry on luggage only, can easily pack for a multi month trip. The less stuff you bring the less you risk losing or having stolen of course.