How can domestic and foreign female tourists make their trip safe in Pakistan?
Be it Pakistan or any other country you have to accept that this world is not female friendly.
Saying this Rabia Maqbool tone was a concern for many female travelers & that is why she started a group called Travel Girls to help women stay safe while traveling.
In the last few days news related to tourism in Pakistan has-been doing rounds but unfortunately it has not-been good news.
Earlier the news came out that a Jirga in Bajaur has banned women tourism. It was during this discussion that the news of the alleged rape of a German American tourist came to light.
Now while the incident is being condemned on social media advice is also being given to women tourists about the red flags that they need to be careful of.
 |
How can domestic and foreign female tourists make their trip safe in Pakistan? |
Travel with those you trust as much as your parents
We spoke to Rabia Organization the organizer of the Travel Girls group & Mr Bilawal Abdullah the organizer of the 1 Fifty Eight Travels agency to discuss the same. But before that I contacted an American tourist who had visited Pakistan twice in the last 2 years & asked her what she was thinking about while coming to Pakistan.
On condition of not revealing her name she said that she has come to Pakistan in 2021 & 2022 for the purpose of tourism.
He said My biggest problem was ignorance of local language & culture. In such a case it becomes very difficult to travel anywhere. Things that are normal in my country can be a big problem in Pakistan because I do not know language & culture or what is appropriate & acceptable in a woman for the people here.
As a foreigner it was even more important for me to travel with a group or agency that I trust completely as much as I trust my parents she says.
She says that before coming to Pakistan she was looking for a group where most if not all of members were women.
According to her she is lucky to have- services of a traveling group that is also run by women.
I also researched the group thoroughly on social media looking at reviews from people who were in the thousands & from trusted travelers she says. It was not difficult to imagine that a trip could be planned with this group. It benefited me a lot.
Since the administrators of this group are also women the biggest advantage is that there was a special culture of mutual respect in the group. Second being women they know our needs what we need-even a seemingly small matter like going to the toilet during a long journey or setting up centripadas for women.
How can female tourists make their trip safer?
Being a female travel guide or group organizer has its advantages but before going to any other country city & planning a trip with a travel agency group or guide there are several tips to keep in mind. Rabia Maqbool gave some tips on how a female tourist whether Pakistani or foreign, can make her trip safer.
Most important piece of advice both Rabia Bilawal give is to do your homework before going to any tourist destination : Make sure your family knows where you are going what hotel you are staying at their What are the phone numbers what areas & places you have visited.
Most important thing is where you want to stay which hotel to book. If you feel that a hotel is suspicious then do not go there. Or if someone is offering you less money then do not accept such an offer otherwise it can lead to a big risk.
Choose a hotel that someone has recommended for accommodation says Rabia any try not to stay in home stays as they are not reliable. Especially local people say to stay at our house rent a room never do it. Hotels in a registered & busy area have a reputation and are usually careful about it. Also if you going abroad & think you have friends there to stay with you putting yourself at risk.
Another important point is transportation, always arrange transportation with reliable people or companies and try to get it through a reference that someone has recommended you. And if you can go for local vehicles, that is also a good option for a solo tourist.
Who is your Travel guide?
According to Rabia it is important to ensure that travel agency you are traveling with is registered and licensed. Choose an agency that your friends have traveled with.
It is very important to see who your guide is. Do they-have a guide license ? Is he a well known & well known person? Does he have his own tour company or is he with a tour company ? It is important to ask 02 or 04 people before taking the services of a tour guide or company.
Rabia explains that you do not necessarily-have to face harassment going out alone it can happen with women in groups too.
Caution when traveling with groups
Nowadays it is a common trend that tourists join various travel groups on social media and go on tours within the country & even abroad. 01 of the advantages of this is that the travel expenses are less & the other is that you are accompanied by citizens of your own country while the complete arrangement of accommodation & other travel details is also the responsibility of the group organizers. But before becoming a part of any such group it is important to confirm who these people are & what their past tourist experience has-been like.
According to Rabia Maqbool it is important to read reviews on social media.
According to him the first thing is to turn on the option of review on Facebook. Most people turn it off which means they want to hide something. There are travel groups on Facebook you go there & ask questions what is such & such a group like. People also give reviews in these groups. If you don't find reviews after researching, it is better not to go with such a company. Ask people how their experience was with any company. Remember that your safety is more important than money.
 | |||
The Hard Knot Pass: Britain's most dangerous road at which even a mistake at a bend can be fatal
|
 |
| Islamabad to Swat Travel on Bike |
According to Bilawal Abdullah manager of Travels Agency on social media especially Facebook people share their experiences which can provide information about this group. But in any case it is important that your research includes the culture of the area as in every country whether women or men are the examples of disguise they have to take care of certain things.
But despite all this the American tourist who spoke to us & the group organizers Rabia Maqbool & Bilawal Abdullah give the same advice:
Try not to travel alone. Form a group of 02 or ⁰³ girls & then travel. Traveling alone in our environment can be difficult.
0 Comments