Hope she didn’t cover the names of those trolls. They deserve accountability. Many of the most hateful comments also don’t carry a Filipino name. People might misunderstand.
Great video, lots of good points! I just got back from a solo 5 month trip to the Philippines making videos and it was amazing, I'm ready to go back : ) thanks for sharing
I believe that it's more curiosity and concern for the traveler's safety than anything else. Most Filipinos are very caring and generally get worried when they see a tourist, especially a female, traveling alone. Wether you realize it or not, these people do care about your safety. They may watch from a distance, but they will not think twice to come to your aid if they think you need it. So is Philippines a safe place for a solo female traveller? Absolutely! When in Philippines, you are among friends. All you have to do is open up, interact with the locals and not be too judgemental. Having said that, one should always be mindful of his or her surroundings regardless of where one travels.
Nice perspective bro! You just hit it! But you know when your friends ask you why you're traveling alone, your answer suddenly becomes a speech that they are convinced to try it as well. I think that's the magic of solo travelling, keepin 'em curious not only of who's taking the photos lo, but how the experience is.
Im a Filipino and i had a lot of experience being judged by tourist(esp women) being a bad guy when times that i offered them assistance when i thought they needed it...I think its a way of racial discrimination or something but anyway, very well said sir...saludos
I love traveling alone, as I have experienced it last year. Everyone should definitely do it. You discover so many things about yourself, it's very rewarding!
I just stumbled on your channel after looking up how safe is Philippines for solo women travellers, people keep telling me i am mad to do it, but after hearing what you have to say i have made up my mind I AM GOING to the Philippines.Solo middle aged 56 year old woman back packer and loving it
i totally agree that sometimes in life, we have to go out of our comfort zones and travel in liberty. Yes, traveling with friends is fun and memorable, but more often than not, we are confined to the group's plans. Otherwise, if we go alone, we all have the time and freedom to explore wherever we want and do whatever things we wanna do. Meanwhile, I am sure when you travel alone, you will still be able to meet new friends and explore different cultures along the way. That's freedom! That's to being solo. Doesn't mean your alone, but you have the luxury of liberty! Kudos to you for inspiring.
I tend to meet more new people especially the locals when I travel solo! I think people just find you more approachable when you are by yourself, and that often leads to the best travel memories
I love the honesty of your videos. The first time I watched "I didn't like the Phils." I got hooked and subscribed to your channel. Just be careful and take care of yourself when you travel and you'll be fine, solo or with someone. :)
I stumbled your channel when I click your vid. "I didn't like the Phils." I love your honesty and I subscribed. Looking forward for more vids. BTW, I'm from Cebu, Philippines and thank you for sharing! Take care! xxxx
What a positive message! It was also well presented. I appreciate that you included Verna's perspective. I like your videos. Keep up the good work, or rather, keep enjoying life without being restricted by other people's limits.
Your videos have elicited some of the longest comments I have read in youtube, you must be doing something right to get such a reaction from people who watch your vlogs. kudos and take care ;)
Loved your video!! I am going alone to Philippines in march and some people say the same to me: is not safe, dont go alone.. blablaa, but we are strong enough and philippines people looks sooo friendly, thanks for encourage woman to do it!
Good video. You raise a question I have thought about myself. Although I am a guy, even I have actually been cautioned about traveling in the The Phillipines from other male travelers. Keep up the great work with your videos. You are living a kind of life which I would love to try myself, and your videos make me exited about traveling again after a few years at "home".
I love that you got a locals perspective on solo travel too- something not many other vloggers do! Thankyou 😊 great video - going solo soon to PH and am so excited!
There's always risk traveling alone in any country, situation makes it not safe to travel by yourself. The only difference between Philippines and other countries is we're always curious about meeting other people and our culture are the basis of our hospitality. As for female traveling alone? People will take advantage of you no matter what gender you are in any part of this world, it's all about making smart decisions, research and how do you attract or approach other people. Nice Vlog, keep it up! Looking forward to the next one. Take care!
So well said! I think the key thing is to not do anything you wouldn't do back home, like walking alone in a quiet street late at night. It's true that genders shouldn't matter, I hope everyone sees solo travel this way someday!
` the main reason why we filipinos always asking u guys out there is "why you travelling alone?" it's because, part of our lives or most of filipinos travelling with buddies or companions specially family, sharing great memories and quality time to each other ... pictures, videos, moments we filipinos do not forget each and everytime you've made good or maybe bad times even though we are in the 2nd life ^_^.. filipino people are the happiest thats why we do not want to travel alone and always wondering and asking question like "why alone?" spread the love
To be honest, solo travel in Manila was pretty tough. I had a hard time feeling confident and safe all the way.. especially being 1.80m tall and blonde haha.. so i avoided dangerous areas and spent some time in the malls and public places. BUT i went to cebu and boracay and had my best time ever there. met so many kind and respectful locals, made a lot of friends ans learned a lot about filipino culture :) coming back in a few months... definitely worth going there!! my rule no1 in general is to be open & respectful. there are so many good people out there, you are never alone. just go for it and believe in yourself!
There are definitely certain places that made me feel less safe than the other, but like you said, be open and respectful, and believe in yourself! My rule of thumb is don't do anything you wouldn't do back home.
For many years it had been left behind by south east asia neighbors.This because of corruption, safety issue, but current President is doing its outmost best to to improve life of its citizen and lead to economic progress that this country had been long craving for. Tourism is not dead, Philippines still alive strong and proud, experienced its diverse, bayanihan, hospitable culture
Yes its safe.. be wise and you know how to deal with local people, ☺ i'm a local girl from Palawan, and hoping to meet you here someday ...soon? 😆 Take care and Enjoy Life
My opinion maybe biased 'coz Im from Manila but I think a woman can travel alone in the Philippines. Just be aware though that 10% of the men might cat call you. Fortunately though, 90% of the men will defend you from said cat callers if you need them to. Peace!
I want to travel alone in January for the first time! First to Australia and then some other places. This video helped me a lot and made me beaver. Now my problem is where I should go Bali or the Philippine :p thanks!
I traveled to the Philippines solo for a week before my friends joined me a week later to travel alone. Even though I'm a guy, I got asked why I was traveling alone a lot as well. Around the very touristy areas like Palawan it wasn't so bad, but everywhere else, even when I was staying at a friend's family's place, the family and friends were also asking why I didn't bring anyone else along. It does seem to be a bit taboo to travel alone there, and if they can pick you out as a foreigner the locals will always be curious especially if you look like you're solo (other travelers just give you a thumbs up!) If I ever come back, I would do the same and would suggest others to try it as well, even if just for a couple days. Just know that traveling alone becomes 2-4x more expensive if you plan on doing things that could be done in groups.. I didn't plan my activities well so I always had a private boat, car, or a personal guide which was awesome but it meant spending a lot more than I planned in Palawan. So my advice when traveling alone is to plan a little bit ahead.. don't go full-on vagabond or completely wing it like I did thinking prices won't fluctuate too much. If your return flight is up in the air for a particular island, check actual flights everyday and decide asap; don't rely on travel apps like Hopper to give you accurate flight availability and prices. I had a domestic 2 hr one-way flight jump from $89 to $300 because I wasn't sure when I wanted to leave Cebu. Also, be smart and stay away from areas you don't feel safe in.
I even travel alone in UAE and Saudi Arabia. But then Filipinos around there also working.We are OFW's and there comes a time you must travel alone. The adventure in travelling alone makes you feeling so tough. I can tell myself that I made it by myself. Of course, Philippines is safe to travel.But not to go in the too remote parts like Sulu, Tawi Tawi where the Abusayaf and might the some extremitist, NPA's stay and very dangerousplace most especially for foreigners. Great video!
We don't know if you could read this. It is better for you to try travelling again in the country for the second time. You are already familiar with the touristy places. Your first experience might be challenging. But who knows, your second time around is the real thing that you are looking for?
I was so inspired. I do travel a lot but what hinders me from going to other places is that sometimes I have no company to be with. But I'll be considering solo travel soon. For a female you have the guts to go all alone. You are amazing.
Because Filipinos are innately friendly, family-oriented, and hospitable, they are typically inquisitive (usually personal) just to establish a conversation. Also, they ask because that is how they show you they care, especially when you are a foreigner, first-timer, or a female traveling alone.
Well, technically, it is more dangerous traveling alone vs with someone or with a group, male or female. Also, you have to remember Phil is catholic and a very religious country deeply rooted in tradition. If you talk to women (outside the big city) a lot prefer the role of the traditional female vs westernize progressive women, they are not oppressed or treated badly and it doesn't make them 2nd class citizens, a lot of filipina women love being a wife and mother and want big families with lots of kids. Traditional women in Phil holds a lot of power, they are usually in charge of finance and they are usually the patriarch that hold the family together. The "progressive" western values are not always the best values. You wont find a traditional married filipina with kids with loneliness problems. When someone ask you if you have a husband or you NEED a husband, dont take offense, there intention is good, it just means they wish you to have a complete life since wife+husband+ marriage= happiness in a traditional sense, they just want you to be happy like them.
For Filipinos, being safe is letting people know a little bit who you are, where you come from, where you want to go, why do you go there which for foreigners it would seem like an invasion of privacy. Spend some time talking with the people so they get immersed into what you look like, how you're dressed, your physical features, etc. Then what would happen is the one you talked to gets to talk about you with others in the community. The effect is a lot of people would know you've been there. Lol. It's like gossiping but in a positive way. It's possible other people would later come looking for you. They would be known too by the locals as newcomers because everyone knows everyone in town. They might ask the locals whether a person of your description had passed in their community. With the information you provided in your conversations with the locals, they could double check these newcomers whether they really know you or not. If they give dubious answers, then the locals would decide they're not your friends at all and tell them you have not been there or point them in the wrong direction. If the locals know where you went and you're accessible, they could even inform you that there's some people of questionable character looking for you and might ask you for advice how they would handle similar situations in the future. This is one way of being safe in the Philippines.
I am in the Philippines right now, doubting about solo travelling due to all the people that told me that it was dangerous. I can tell that after seeing your video I dont want to keep waiting. Thank you very much, you truly inspired me
Verna was great! I enjoyed hearing her perspective on traveling solo which frankly matched your viewpoint in nearly all aspects. Also, you mentioned "I traveled every continent except Antactica" and how you are still here. I may be wrong, but in the time I have been following you, you have traveled in some rough terrain, challenged yourself physically and have not only come out "okay" but stronger than before and never injured other than some stings, scratches, bruises and mozzie bites. You are practical yet adventurous, quite special. In case you are wondering she conducts great travel tours now. I would trust her in a second to go anywhere, whether as a travel buddy or tour guide, you can't argue with results, I would feel safer with her than most people, male or female! You hit on several good points here. First, a woman from the East and a woman from the West echo the same viewpoint, so this is not an "Eastern" or "Western" issue. Women across the world are embracing the empowerment and benefits of solo travel. It unites people, not divides for sure! Second, how to turn a turbulent situation like your last video into a learning opportunity not only for you, but for others. I think many people here cover a lot of the world will benefit from this. Third, as you describe in your blog and other videos, common sense, preparation, and awareness are skills needed at home as well as when traveling, and these things apply to both men and women. Forth, using the "should" word more appropriately, women "should' ideally be able to do what they want, not dictated by others, particularly men based on recent history. Even if you mean well guys or a loved one just worries, it still can be demeaning. Men shouldn't be dictated by women either though, people should be allowed to pursue their dreams, take responsibility for their actions, reflecting on them. This is the reward for being a responsible person and allowing people of all races, faiths, genders etc. to exercise their right to live the life that they choose (and fail and succeed), travel alone, with a spouse, family, tour, whatever. Last thing, by connecting West and East here we can resolve comments as well that were directed related to race. Best wishes and enjoyed the video thoroughly Kristen. Keep them coming if you enjoy doing them too!
One additional thing: Along the lines of safety and coming out okay and being stronger: I meant not just avoiding hurting herself, but also gaining experience and confidence in dealing with others including protecting oneself and property (and being a good guest and being a good steward of the environment in the country you are visiting). There are some who make the same mistake over and over again and then those who grow and she is the latter.
I meant Ferna Mae, sorry about that. To get more of her perspective one should look at her video page provided above after clicking "SHOW MORE". I took a quick peek.
It's okay to have a travel buddy though, with the same interest about travelling. Flyin' & travelling solo is fine too but always keep up that positivity & most importantly safety. Friendly locals can be your guide to some of the great spots. Just travel with caution in some remote places in Mindanao. But kudos to Kyle Jennermann a.k.a Kulas for pointing some positive views & didn't mind the negative side of the places he has been to when he did an adventure trip in some of the places in Mindanao especially here in our City of Zamboanga. He have fun & enjoy spending time with the locals in Sta.Cruz island, the pink sandy white beach.
40 years ago, I traveled the Philippines on my own from Ilocos down to Patikul! This was in 1982 when there was still some unrest with the government and NPA (New People’s Army, a communist rebellion group ) It was the best thing I’ve ever done way much more valuable than any other thing or experience. Wherever you are people are more open to you! Because I am Filipina, I had to make up a cover to avoid being he same annoying inquiry. I said I was traveling working on my thesis. At the time, I was considering getting my masters in Social Work. Some thought, I was a CIA or part of NPA! This was way before internet, cell phones and social media! Now you have tons of info at your fingertips which should help you get around. So, if you have a chance to go places and no one to go? Do it! You’ll not regret. I am going home for my 50th HS reunion in Manila in March and am planning on going to the Romblon islands probably alone again.
Hell yeah ! No doubt about that. No need for tour guide. Just be friendly around and be jolly, Filipino are fun people. If they found you a boring person or too serious they will hate you. And if you like something in the fPhilippines, tell them that you like it. If you need help, ask them because 98% people around will help you. Because travelling solo in the Philippines is just like buying some veggies and meat/fish in a public market... yeah you are travelling solo, right?
Hello. I just want to share 2 incidents that happened to an American female blogger traveling in the Philippines and my uncle in the Philippines. The American girl went to a Starbucks in the province and ordered a coffee drink. When she drank her coffee she all of the sudden started feeling dizzy and was about to pass out. The good thing was she was with another female friend outside in the car waiting for her. She staggered going out and told her friend she feels like passing. She got in the car right away and drove back to their hotel. She passed out in the car and had to be carried to their room. What happened? Someone put something in her coffee to make her pass out hoping to rape her once she passes out. Another incident happened to my uncle when he was driving on the road in the province with a female friend in the car. They had a flat tire on the way. When my uncle pulled over on the side of the road and step out of the car to change the tire, 2 guys ran out of the bushes and started hitting him with metal pipes. When he tried to fight off the 2 guys he screamed to his female friend 'get the gun'. The 2 guys ran away thinking she had a gone. My uncle run to the car to try to drive away. Because his car was a jeep which had no door, one of the guys who attacked him ran to hide side and stabbed him on his side. He was able to drive away even with a flat tire and a stab wound on his side. They 2 guys were planning to kill my uncle and rape his female friend. I'm not sharing this to scare you but just to let you know that even though most Filipinos are friendly and hospitable, there are some who are just waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of naive travelers who assume all Filipinos can be trusted. There have been cases of rapes that were not reported by the media because it would be bad for the tourism industry if they did. So enjoy your travels and be safe.
Im a filipino that's scary i grew up in manila at night time we dont really go outside cos it's dangerous we didnt know what will happen i agree with you most of filipinos are friendly and hospitable but there are also bad i feel like the law aint scared people we have a corrupt government we always say it's safer in the province than in manila but where ever we go we should be careful recently this 2022 someone was killed in their hotel in boracay an australian woman and her filipina friend i mean thats true those crimes are not always in the news here which is disgusting i hope one day foreigners will enjoy the ph w/o having fear 🥺😔
sometimes they just ask you . why are you travelling alone? is just to break the ice and start a conversation ... it is a natural thing for us here .. dont be bother by it :D
@@Bemytravelmuse honestly if they ask you that majority of the people just really care but ofcourse dont always trust a stranger where ever you go in the world
If those are Filipinos who were advising you to not travel alone to enjoy, then just understand or don't mind them because our "enjoyment" is different from Westerners vacationing to our country. Like we Filipinos can tolerate Crowds haha. Many filipinos forget that Western peps wants peace and quite and the more native or rural environment the better. Unlike us because we came from not so well off or poor area and got used seeing native stuff, we like something modern and convenient during vacation. And many want to have a festive vibe to make our money worth it.
Of course you can travel in the Philippines by yourself.Philippines is not Middle East.if you are concern of your safety.95 percent of the country is safe.Just avoid the small areas in the southwest area near Malaysia.
Loved your video. I totally agree; people who would say you need a man are narrow minded people. To add the video of the Filipina woman who travels solo was excellent! Travel is liberating and empowering. Men and women would do well to travel solo once in a while as part of their journey in becoming their best authentic self Me and my wife will go to the Philippines for the first time in November for 3 weeks. We will do some bicycle touring meeting a lot of non-monogamous people along the way and doing what we can helping people be more aware of what an ECNM (Ethical and Consensual Non-Monogamous) lifestyle is all about. ECNM people in the US are a larger group of people than LGBT and yet they are in the same place LGBT people were 40 years ago for all the same reasons; in the closet. Want to come along on our trip in November?
To the commenter who said "The Philippines is a man's country." LOL? We've had 2 female presidents. We have the HIGHEST gender equality rate in the entire Asia-Pacific (on par with New Zealand). Yes, the entire continent of Asia AND Oceania. Women are common as CEOs, politicians, soldiers, cops, security guards, and so on. Female children aren't seen as lesser by their parents (unlike in most of East Asia and the Middle East). That's not even mentioning LGBT acceptance. We're also among the highest in Asia, higher than the US even, despite not having a legal framework (which is surprising for foreigners who think Catholics are bigots or something). Also just to clarify: a man traveling alone in the Philippines ALSO get asked the "where's your girlfriend?" and the "where's your wife?" type of questions. In our culture, vacations are either a couples thing or a family thing, so a solo traveler (male or female) is a strange sight.
You are so right if you travel with someone you did not get along with during your travel...that is the worst kind of travel...you will never find any enjoyment ....better be alone...ha.ha.ha...you will find someone if you are open and willing to accept others...cannot be selfish but just get along...
What you've experienced is actually genuine concern for your safety, not because the country is dangerous, but because Filipinos as a collective consciousness have just begun getting out of the over-protective patriarchal mindset and have just become aware of the Goddess energy. Just take everything you hear with a grain of salt, you'll be just fine. There's a whole lot more to see in the country and we hope you take the time to explore.
Some ppl are a bit shocked and surprised that a woman is far away from her home country and traveling alone by herself, yea some cultures are not used to that. They don't know that freedom to do what you want regardless of sex, age, social status, etc. is a trait that is celebrated in the west and western culture (*and now women from all over the world are catching up). So yea some of 'em would def. question someone who has made traveling alone a lifestyle (*especially if she's a woman). Think just some intelligent scouting of a particular place (*with the help of info. from the internet, the tourism dept., and the locals themselves) can help as well. So can a woman travel in filipins alone, yes it is..... P.S.,.....if u have time check out 'nother yt vlogger who's in the filipins r.n. (*think she was there when u were there as well), just click on this link (*if not clickable, just copy and paste in your URL address bar)..... ru-vid.com/show-UCe3k_de7Lc-_h8lDpD6CAHg .....like you she went to the filipins first time a few yrs ago and enjoyed her experience, came back last yr. (*for her 2nd trip), and now think she's back there on a third tour and creating vids.,.....explore her vids. and give me some feedback once u've seen some of her vids. (*especially her filipins series)
Your an adult ...do what you want I say ! I will be going to Philippines in Jan alone ..there is crime in every part of the world. No need to let it stop us from enjoying life ! Screw the Haters ! Life is Short!
Love the humor about people telling you to find a man. And what are guys thinking offering to travel with you? A ridiculous offering for a rando on the internet to make considering they could be boring, annoying or creepy never mind the danger risk if you spur their advances (which of course they would make). Hell, people have friends they wouldn't want to travel with let alone strangers.
We have our new Law here~ if a guy will cat calling you or doing sexual harassment you can sue them. The government protect the women and children for sexual abuse. So if someone will harass you then put them in jail~ Filipinos whether male or female are aware of this new Law so maybe it will lessen the cat calling and sexual abuse especially in the streets.
Unfortunately that only applies in qc they are the first city who implemented that law im from qc thats why i know someone got arrested for cat calling a woman if only the victim will complain in the police station
I agree, you are genuinely brave and adventurous young woman. Your majesty, I'd would love you to be mah lady if you don't mind. Anyway your not gonna get in trouble in there, filipinos are very simple and compassionate people on Earth 🌎. They always had that smiles and good vibes around. Although wish you a luck and have a wonderful trip in the Philippines.
at 1:00, she mentions having a man to travel with for her safety -- > sure, but there will never be sex and I'm not feeding him. Most women are killed by a current or former significant other anyway.
Because travelers now in the Philippines i mean local traveler are gays because straight filipino men dont travel....they just drink around beaches when there is ocassion or picnic.
Officially a fan, just love the diplomacy towards the BV's. No wonder you and my friend, whom you met on a plane to siargao, jived well with each other even for that short stolen time on the plane. Lol. To more inspirational contents, keep that genuinity we rarely see on RU-vid lol. Hope to cross roads with you soon! If you need tips, i'm a DM away at @pinoytravelhacker (Instagram). Would love to help!
Hahaha dont you love how the answer to all our problems when we are a single woman to get a man! God!!! Such bullshit! And You are such an inspiration for women to not buy into this crap and following their dreams! 🤗💓
Chooong7 What? Most places in mindanao is actually a lot safer compared to metro manila alone where there are many crimes happen in there. You should see it for yourself here there is no pickpockets or holdapers its all because you have been manipulated by the media.
