As a woman, why do you want to travel alone to Saudi Arabia? Maybe, you wish to visit a nation that has been heavily criticised in the media and has only lately been made tourist-friendly.
Even if it is not on everyone’s list, it’s worth the journey. Nevertheless, I want to share my impressions of travelling in this conservative nation. Because of their stringent visa requirements, it was out of the question as a destination.
Any uneasiness quickly turned to surprise upon landing in a contemporarily designed airport with polite customs officers, no queues, and free Wi-Fi, who just gave a cursory look at my visa, which I received online.
Is Saudi Arabia Safe for a Solo Woman Traveller?
With over 35 million people, Saudi Arabia is a country with a range of cultures and socioeconomic groups. Learn more about Saudi Arabia’s culture and different customs, rituals, and traditions that vary from region to region to enjoy an extraordinary and memorable trip there.
Saudi Arabia now welcomes women of various ethnicities and nationalities who can travel and live independently. They do not require a permit or permission to commute into Saudi Arabia, where it is common to see men and women staying late nights without travelling in groups. People can commute or participate in a variety of activities daylong safely.
I took my solo flight to Riyadh, which is Saudi Arabia’s largest capital city. I did my flynas booking in advance for the lowest price. The airline offers more value for money with services like exclusive lounge access, pre-ordered meals, hire cabs, and extra cabin baggage at low costs.
What Can a Women Traveller Wear?
Men and women in Saudi Arabia have a variety of clothing choices as long as they abide by the Public Decency Law, pertinent to all in public. As long as you do not dress too conspicuously, you are not forced to wear an abaya.
As a female traveller, you can dress however you like. Nevertheless, keep in mind that Saudi Arabia is a pretty conservative nation by today’s standards. Avoid wearing anything too exposing and dress modestly. Alternatively, choose lengthy formal gowns that extend past the knee. Women travellers are not required to wear a headscarf or abaya in public, but not in Medina. However, I wore a black abaya every day to avoid the local people staring at me.
Saudi Arabia is not hot year-round, and it is advisable to pack warm clothing and an umbrella when travelling there during winter.
Things to Remember When Booking an Accommodation
There are times when you learn from experience or mistakes.
- There is a misconception that all websites give hotel rates uniformly, but in reality, the best method to organise hotel rates is to compare rates using organisations that specialise in providing hotel rates to important websites.
In my case, I explored the websites that look up hotel rates on other websites, since it gave me the chance to compare hotel rates on various hotel booking websites and locate the best hotel booking website for affordable accommodation.
- Look for a hotel that offers rooms at competitive prices and is situated at a reasonable distance from the attractions you want to see.
- To save during travel in Saudi Arabia, pick a cheaper mode of transportation. It is unquestionably vital to compare the costs of hotel rooms in the same place or area.
- I reached Riyadh in the morning and opted for a taxi at the airport counter to get me to the hotel room quickly. I made all of my hotel reservations before travelling to Saudi Arabia. Because the accommodation prices were so high, I searched for an affordable one, but the names of the hotel and rooms were in Arabic.
Since I couldn’t understand Arabic, I let the officials at the taxi driver see the address and name of the hotel on my hotel voucher. We looked for it for about two hours and were unsuccessful. As it was becoming late and time was running out, I instructed him to stop so I could use my phone to find another accommodation. For taking up his time, I had to pay him extra.
The Language Barrier
When visiting Saudi Arabia, you will run across a language problem, mostly with taxi drivers, and what’s more, the majority of street names were in Arabic. Throughout my trek, I frequently got lost.
Having Google Translate on your mobile and translating using the camera on the street is convenient. The numbers of buildings are also essentially non-existent in Saudi Arabia. If you book a stay, you will see that the hotel address just displays the road, making it challenging for cab drivers to locate.
Keeping in mind these points, you can plan to visit Saudi Arabia with flynas booking, offering low-cost fares, as well as great discounts to travel to top destinations.
