6 Types of Weirdos Women Encounter, According to a Solo Female Traveller

I can’t speak for every woman who loves to travel but I’ve met quite a few of them. It’s not uncommon for us to discuss highlights from a holiday. But equally so - we all have met some obnoxious men on our trips who simply make us cringe. One of the biggest dampeners on a trip is coming across one of these unpleasant chaps who annoy us and have us screaming “Leave me alone, please leave me alone”!

So I thought I’d share some insights into just what women want - a collection of shared sentiments that I’ve come across from hostel rooms, to hotel rooms and even chat rooms with strangers who all seem to bond over these characters who add a creepy flavour to our travels.

1. The “Sanskari” one who plans a “business trip” to Pattaya

Thailand is a gorgeous place with so much to explore. Unfortunately it’s also a favourite brag for many men who claim to be frequent flyers to the destination because they love “partying” in Pattaya. Look, we’re all well aware of just what business your trip was about. If you feel like this is something to show off about - please don’t! The last thing we want to hear about are your creepy activities at a red light district.

PSA: These stories are usually sprinkled with details about massages and parties that were too wild - do us a favour and keep it in your pants. Warning: this behaviour can apply to some men who have travelled to Amsterdam too.

2. The fashion-enthusiast sporting his underwear on the beach

We women go through enough. But seeing men proudly flaunt their underwear (and what it contains) on the beach is an absolute torture to endure! To make matters worse these dudes flex their muscles while sporting shiny “goggles” and stand in your way trying to get your attention. When all you want is to be left alone with the sunset on the beach. If you’re assuming we’d be interested in your choice of underwear, you’re wrong.

PSA: Invest in some swimwear and respect women who want to just enjoy the view which might not include you.

3. The vulture who stalks a lone woman on a beach

This may surprise you, but women actually enjoy being left alone, especially on the beach. It may be a romantic setting but we might just prefer our solitude to an annoying man trying to impose his company on us. This typically happens at beaches where somehow a woman wearing a swimsuit, a bikini or even completely clothed is viewed as an open invitation to “hook-up”.

PSA: This applies to dance floors, ferries, treks and just about any place a woman might find herself in. Being alone doesn’t imply we want you to hit on us or hook-up with us.

4. The selfie-collector

Since the invention of phone cameras it seems that men think they can take pictures of you without your permission. Please stop approaching women travellers for selfies. We don’t understand why you’d want pictures of us. Please remember you’re a stranger who seems like you’re collecting trophies. This immediately makes us imagine the worst.

PSA: An invasion of privacy is not cool and we don’t want to be in your selfies. It makes us feel uncomfortable.

5. The one who thinks “no” means “yes”

When you’re a female traveller, it’s likely you’ve been followed, stalked and scared as you rush to make it to the safety of a crowded place. Too often men will stalk you only to approach you and offer to buy you drinks or insist on you going out with them. And as women we’ve developed coping mechanisms to get ourselves out of these sticky situations. But the truth is if we decline your advances, it means we’re not interested and you should stop bothering us.