Safe Destinations for Black women to travel Solo | Ultimate guide & Safety Tips
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Last Updated on March 19, 2026 by Tiffany
Dear beautiful Black woman. It’s time to see all the beauty this wide world has to offer. It’s time for us to (safely) explore places for Black women to travel solo.
Yes, I’m talking to you, don’t ignore me! As a Black woman who has traveled solo to over 25 countries, we need to be traveling the world more. Whenever I check into hostels, I am always almost the only Black woman (or person!) there.
Sometimes I just think to myself, man I saved so much money by staying at this hostel and this country is gorgeous, I just know my people would love this place!
Well I’m going to spill all my secrets on how to safely travel the world alone as a Black woman. To inspire the brown skinned girl just like me who just needs a little kick of inspiration.
Why you should solo travel- Black women solo travel
Because sis, why not?! Aren’t you tired of the trip never making it out of the group chat? Or the friend that always flakes last minute. As a fresh high school graduate, I decided I wanted to see the world before getting back into school.
The only problem was I had to find the courage to see the world by myself.
Now in my mid twenties and almost a decade and 32 countries later, I can promise it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Yes, travelling with friends and family makes for unforgettable moments and memories.
So does the first time you board a plane alone, and checking into your first hostel. Oh, and going on your first solo tour knowing you didn’t have to argue with anyone on where to eat or the time to wake up.
You have complete jurisdiction over what you do with your days. As someone who hates arguing on vacation, that knowledge alone is so freeing.
The world can seem scary as anti-blackness is everywhere and this patriarchy obsessed world strives to make Black women feel so small.
My good sis, I’m here to say that you are not small. The fact you’re even reading this article means you have courage and a dream. It’s time to make that dream of traveling by yourself finally come true!
To be honest, when I travel solo, I’m never really alone. Most of the time I stay in a hostel and meet people almost immediately.
When I traveled to Panama, I met another solo Black woman at my hostel. We became instant besties and did all our activities together for the following week!
Safety tips for Black women solo travel
✈️Stay educated on the language and culture of the area you decide to go to
If you’re going to a place for the first time by yourself, make sure to research. Now don’t go all ham and overly worry about taking your first trip alone. Just remember a bit of research goes a long way.
See if the country is religious and if you’re able to dress how you want, what language the people speak, and if vegetarian food is hard to find, etc. Make sure to listen to what reviews Black women give on the country too!
✈️Don’t be too friendly, lie if needed!
The way I have five different names and 8 origin stories whenever I tell people about myself when I’m traveling. You never, ever want to tell people you are actually travelling alone. EVER! Especially not on the plane.
I remember when I landed in The Philippines and a lady was smiling and I said first time alone? I said nope I’m meeting my local friend! (I knew absolutely no-one in the country). Nobody is owed the truth when you’re travelling alone, your safety is the upmost top priority.
Plus I love lying about my name and country too heehee. One day I’m Tiffany from Jamaica the next I’m Jessi from Kenya you hear me?
✈️Have your apps ready
Google translate is an absolute MUST have when it comes to traveling while solo! I always have an array of apps to protect myself when Im traveling.
Translation, maps, and global convert (converts different currencies) are life savers.
✈️`Blend in with the crowd
Don’t wear your most expensive jewelery and a gucci bag when you’re walking amongst everyday streets. Just blend in with locals, wear a regular shirt, and you’ll fit right in.
Never make yourself look like a target with flashy items.
✈️Never post your location until after you leave
I feel like this one doesn’t need much explanation, especially if you have a large following!
✈️Share your location with friends back home
I always, always, ALWAYS let at least one person inside and outside the country I’m traveling in know my location at ALL times.
Even though I am most likely going to be exploring with people I’ve met at my hostel. Having people that care about my safety (whether the front desk or people at home) know my whereabouts can be life saving.
✈️Babysit your drink at ALL times
This includes non alcoholic drinks!
Your hair during solo travel
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to have get vacation braids if you don’t want to. The past year, I started traveling to places where I could see people with hair like me living freely, particularly Brazil.
To see Black people in all shades and hair textures wearing their hair how it naturally grows. Afros at the beach, afros at the park, afros in the pouring rain. It was spiritually freeing.
Of course, we all love a good braid session right before we go off on our trip- it makes us feel “ready” in a way. However, after traveling solo to multiple countries with my natural hair, it made me realize how easy travelling with natural hair was.
Just bring some leave in, your fave shampoo and conditioner in small bottles (though I tend to buy these when I land), and some oil and continue your usual routine! Plus, salt water makes your curls POP! (;
The stares and fetishization- Black women solo travel
As a 5’11 tall gyal with brown skin, I get stares literally everywhere I go. If you’ve got brown skin and thick kinky hair (which you probably do if you’re reading this), you’re probably going to draw a lot of attention in countries that don’t have high Black populations.
There will also be times where people try to take pictures of you or the scariest of them all, touch your hair without permission. Because why the hell are you touching me?! I would hope it is pretty self explanatory why someone shouldn’t touch another human without their permission.
Black bodies are not zoo exibhits and it is not your responbsibility or fault that someone may have never seen a Black person before. My first response and reaction to that way of thinking will always be “you have social media!”.
While there are many people that have no problem posing for a picture for a picture, I couldn’t give a damn about anyone’s feelings. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form or tries to fetishize you due to your skin color, you have every right to walk away.
Good news for you honey is that majority of the countries I’ve listed below have high Black populations! If you’re tall like me, you’re more than likely going to get stares no matter what (because tall girls rule and they’re probably in love with you) but starting off in countries with people that look like us makes it that much easier.
Destinations to visit- Black women solo travel
While there are hundreds of countries in the world, all extremely beautiful in their own right, not all places are created equally. When it comes to racism that is. As a gyal who has been to 5 of the 7 continents, I’ve had some pretty and super ugly experiences.
The countries recommended down below are all places where I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt extremely welcomed as a Black woman traveling alone.
Isla San Andres, Colombia
Coming hot first on the list is Colombia, Isla San Andres to be specific. What an immense cultural immersion this visit experience was! I celebrated my 23rd birthday on this island (completely solo) so it is a trip I surely won’t forget.
With a majority Black population, the people of this island consider themselves more Caribbean than Colombian/latino, and they speak a creole similar to Jamaican patwa so I felt right at home!
I was constantly mistaken as a local and fit right in as a Jamaican-American and a Black woman in general. The views are breath taking and the beach was beyond relaxing!
Costa Rica- Black women solo travel
With seemingly endless lush green land, kind people, and lots of nature based activities to do, Costa Rica is a gorgeous picturesque destination! I went straight to Limon, a city on the Caribbean side with a high Black population and lots of Caribbean culture.
Hiking, surfing, and ziplining through the jungle, Costa Rica is perfect for the Black girl who loves adventure and nature. I skipped the hostel experience and stayed at an airbnb with a local and I felt extremely safe!
Thailand
My, my, MY what an experience Thailand was! I spent one and a half months traveling the country and my mom even flew to spend my 22nd birthday with me, Thailand was a trip for the books.
I traveled through the mountainous region of Chiang Mai in the north down through the island vibes in the south of Phuket and Krabi. Thailand is the perfect budget trip and one of the best first time solo female travel destinations as well!
What I loved about Thailand was not just how kind the people were, but also that many people shared my same skin color! In the south, there are many people who are extremely dark skinned. The one sad thing is that most of them have “lower class’ jobs which hurt my heart to see.
Portugal- Black women solo travel
By far my favorite country in Europe! From their delicious desserts and stunning beaches, to their jawdropping sunsets, Portugal is definitely a must visit destination for Black solo female travellers.
Portugal holds a very special place in my heart because the first time I travelled here solo was for a music festival where I ended up meeting so many amazing people! Lisbon is one of the most charming capital cities I’ve ever visited.
The country has a huge Black population because many people from the former colonies (Angola, Sao Tome & Principe, Brazil, etc) reside in Portugal.
In Lisbon, I ate so much good food there and traveled just an hour uber away for gorgeous beaches too! If you visit Portugal, it’s a must to head south to the Algarve for relaxing beaches and head up North to Porto for aesthetic city vibes too. Just make sure you don’t leave the country without stuffing your face full of pastel de nata!
Curacao
An island that holds such a special place in my heart for its unbelievable beauty and crystal clear beaches, Curacao is a must visit! Out of all the many beaches I’ve been in my life, Curacao was unforgettable.
Striking crystal blue waters, I rented a car and was able to see so much of this beautiful island. I felt extremely safe as a Black solo female traveler as the population was majority Black and I blended right in with locals!
I spent only one week on the island but it felt like my life was a movie. As I stayed in a hostel, I met people and always had buddies to do activities with and people to take my pictures.
Peru- Black women solo travel
As someone who is in love with hiking and always finds herself on the side of a mountain no matter what part of the world she’s in, Peru has my heart. With a very reliable and safe overnight bus system, I was able to see so much of the country for an affordable price.
Peru also has some of the best food I’ve had in my entire life, and that’s saying a LOT as a Jamaican (we have incredible food, hello!) I would travel to and back from Peru multiple times a year for the food alone, definitely the best latin food I have enjoyed by farrrrrrrrrrr.
I do have to say, as a tall Black woman, the staring was endless and it was pretty annoying. When I was hiking in a canyon, one guy even pointed to me and said “Africa” and just kept ealking. I responded with “I guess?” No one was rude (except that one guy) and I still ended up falling in love with the country. Peru has some of the prettiest sights I have seen in my entire life.
Ghana
Ghana is a highly cultural experience and perfect for Black women from North/South America/ The Caribbean who want to embrace their African roots!
As the adventure seeker I am, my favorite park of Ghana wasn’t Accra, but the Volta region. There I did a tour and actually hiked to the tallest part of the country!
Accra was way too overstimulating for me so for all my girlies that want to travel to Ghana alone, I would highly recommend to checkout the rural and coutnry areas (on a tour) as they are so beautiful!
London, England
London was such a viiiiiiiiibe, innit! I absolutely adored my time in England. Most of this was because I met up with my mom and also met with some online friends I had already known.
Despite the fun I had with people who happened to be in the city, I have been to London quite a few times by myself and it’s one of the best places to explore and meet new people. There is always some event going on and a (stinky and expensive LOL) train that will take you anywhere you want in the city.
This destination is definitely for my gyals who want more of a city vibe with no English language barrier. London’s vibe definitely gives New York and is far from a budget destination, but it’s a must visit city for sure.
To sum it all up
Go experience that Black girl joy! It’s better to do it scared than to look back twenty years later regretting why you never did it at all. Travel has highly enriched my life and made me make friends from all over the world.
Even to this day, 32 countries later, I still get the chills and am scared from time to time. But I sure as hell am gonna do it regardless!
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