If you like to wear dresses, especially the longer lengths, try wearing a pair of cotton bike shorts to which you have sewn pockets on the outer leg. They need to be large enough to hold your passport and extra documents or money. Secure the pocket with some Velcro, and you should have a safe place to keep your things. The same can be done with a camisole or regular slip.
Ladies, when travelling to Buddhist countries such as Laos and Thailand, please pack with you an awareness of monks. After an experience in Laos, I would like to make fellow female travellers aware of the potential dangers of association with monks. As we understand it, monks are reputable people with a highly commendable goal. Being a monk in these countries carries much virtue and respect. However, a minimum service as a monk is part and parcel of being born a son in many of these countries. In order to give thanks to his parents for being born a boy, a boy must serve a minimum of two months in a monastery before the debt is repaid (this figure varies cross-culturally). Let it be said then, that a monk could be anyone. Many monks are ex-convicts. So, ladies, give credit where it is due, but remember that monks should NOT associate with women, regard it wearily if they do, and travel smart. After all, they are only human.
A small roll of electrical tape has a myriad of uses for the female traveller. Does A skirt hem come down? Tape it up in a pinch. Leaving your luggage at the hostel for a few days? Tape everything closed so nothing can be slipped in or out. Shipping a box home, want to put souvenirs into your journal, need to take fluff off a black sweater? Hurrah for electrical tape!
Because airports can be an easy place for others to prey on unsuspecting travelers who are unfamiliar with their surroundings, money/credit cards that will not be immediately needed should be secured until you leave your destination airport. Cut off a leg of an old pair of pantyhose, put the money/credit cards in the leg, and tie the leg around your waist underneath loose-fitting clothes. Keep a small amount of money in your pants/skirt pocket for necessary expenses or in the hopefully unlikely event that a stranger demands money.
When packing makeup for your trip, think about the items you use. Honestly, if you never use that cute turquoise liner at home, are you going to use it in Singapore (or Paris or wherever)? Bring the basics in compact form – a GOOD foundation (especially a compact), a stick eyeshadow, a lipstick, and a highlighter is about all you need. If you don’t know what a highlighter is, it’s a shimmery substance that comes in either stick, gel, or powder form and usually comes in silver, gold, and bronze. It’s especially good for giving you that ‘holiday glow’ when you don’t want to wear makeup (blend around the cheekbones, brow bones, and eye sockets. Also remember that your skin doesn’t change when you’re on a trip – you’ll still need your cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. You should probably lay off the exfoliation. You’re likely to be stressed from travel, and using a mechanical exfoliant can only stress your skin further.
Bras with removable demi-pads are great for carrying money. Just remove the pads and slip the money inside the pockets. The money may move around with strenuous movement (it won’t fall out, but the contours may show under a tight t, op), but keeping it in place requires no more than the usual daily bra adjustments. I travelled alone through remote parts of Russia recently and felt perfectly secure.
To instantly calm down static-electric flyaway hair, slide a dry fabric softener sheet over it.
Ladies, two reasons to carry tampons that don’t have an applicator (plastic or pa.per). They take up half the space. Customs may open each applicator up (and then they are useless), looking for drugs. Not a big deal until YOU are the one standing in line while they tear them all apart!
Women traveling alone, whether on long or short drives, should ALWAYS take a cellular phone or car phone. You can always find cheap prepaid phones that are good for traveling at most retail stores. If you don’t have time to get a phone before your trip, take something that LOOKS LIKE a cell phone. If you ever feel that you are being followed by a stranger or if anyone, especially a strange man, on the highway attempts to flag down your vehicle, DO NOT PULL OVER! Instead, get out your phone and call someone, or even PRETEND to call someone. This is a major deterrent to would-be attackers who think you are able to call the police. Also, NEVER pull over to help a hitchhiker or a person with car trouble. Instead, call the police from your cell phone or a phone in a safe BUSINESS in the next town.
