This site is dedicated to women travelers.  Enjoy it and if you have any tips, ideas or suggestions, please contact me at the email below.

Some basic travel advice would include: 

The better prepared you are, the more enjoyable and safe your traveling will be. Try to acquaint yourself with the culture and customs of the countries you are visiting. Respecting local customs will help you avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Call home regularly. Take a photocopy of your itinerary, passport, credit cards, travel insurance documents and important phone numbers and keep them separate from the originals, in case of loss or theft.

Register with the nearest embassy or consulate. The registration information provided by you will also help to find you in an emergency whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family emergency.

If you are traveling alone, you face greater risks. If you decide to do so, you should take extra precautions. In some societies, men may take advantage of you if you have no obvious protector. This could take the form of hissing, pinching, passing comments, obscene gestures and so on. Retain your composure and do not react, but remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible, or go to the nearest police officer.

You could unwittingly find yourself in danger simply by accepting an invitation to go out with a man alone. In societies where this is not an accepted practice, just saying 'yes' to an invitation may give the wrong signal and expose you to the risk of sexual assault.

In some countries or cultures dress standards are stricter than home, and may be stricter for women than they are for men. The way you present yourself may affect the way the people you meet on your travels react to you. To help avoid unwelcome attention you should take care to be sensitive to local dress standards. For example: In some Islamic countries you must wear a coat or gown over your clothes so that your arms and legs are covered, and a scarf over your hair. If you don't, you could be harassed or even arrested.

T-shirts - which are the norm for America - can be offensive to some people in countries with more modest dress codes, like Burma, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

In some countries certain forms of dress are unacceptable at religious and other culturally important sites and some do not allow women in at all.

In South East Asia you cannot enter Buddhist temples or royal palaces in shorts or sleeveless shirts. Shoes are never worn in Muslim mosques or Buddhist temples.

Don't display expensive jewelry. Keep your valuables well concealed. Remember that 'bum bags' can also be a target for thieves.

Hitch-hiking is extremely risky - there are very few, if any, places left in the world where hitch-hiking is safe for women, particularly women on their own. 

Be wary of being alone in lifts as some thieves 'work' high-rise buildings waiting for victims. Don't get into train carriage compartments where you would be the only passenger, or stay in one alone if everyone else gets off - attackers are known to target women alone in trains.

Be careful on cruise ships and even luxury cruise lines - make sure that your door is firmly locked and chained. Crowded trains and buses can also provide unwelcome opportunities for harassment. Raise the alarm, you could scare the attacker off.

If possible, arrange your travel so that you arrive in an unfamiliar city during daylight rather than in the dark.

Be aware of safety standards in your chosen accommodation. For example, is your door secure? Portable inside locking devices are now available from most travel equipment suppliers. Avoid rooms with easy access from the outside. When on business, and you have a business appointment in an unfamiliar location, leave details of your destination with the hotel management and instruct them to raise the alarm if you have not returned by a certain time.

Don't give out your room number to associates too freely - this can give the wrong signal in some countries. If you are at a conference, leave your name badge in your room or purse - advertising your name could lead to unwelcome situations. A young woman attended a conference in a foreign city and went shopping downtown one afternoon. A young man approached her, greeting her by name and explained he was from the hotel where she was staying and would look after her. He took her to meet friends at another hotel and bought her a drink. When she woke in the morning she had been assaulted and robbed. She discovered she was still wearing her conference name tag - that was how the young man had known her name.

If you require regular or predictable medication while traveling, you should ask your doctor to arrange an appropriate supply. Care should be taken to observe the law in different countries with respect to possession of medications and it is advisable to take a letter from your doctor explaining your condition. In some countries, medications which may be readily available in America are illegal. If in doubt, check with the consulates or embassies of the countries you intend to visit to ensure that your medicines, and the quantities you will be carrying, are legal.

For convenience and peace of mind, take enough feminine hygiene products.

Avoid becoming dehydrated. This is a common cause of urinary tract infections - a painful affliction when traveling. Dehydration is a particularly serious risk in hot climates and you should drink plenty of bottled water - being careful to check the seal on bottles first.

You may be more vulnerable to thieves and pickpockets while traveling with babies and small children - for example, you may not have your hands free to hold onto your bags. Childcare Standards of childcare facilities overseas may vary considerably from those provided at home. Parents planning to use childcare facilities or employ the services of baby-sitters or nannies overseas may wish to research standards of childcare provided in their country of destination.

A final word Keep in touch! The more other people know about your movements, the better protected you will be.  Safety does not happen by accident.

A great site to find additional travel information is ConsumerGuideTo and you may want to check out some of their search products online.