She goes. Built by the women who do.

The most important rule you should follow is to follow your gut no matter what. Don't ever doubt it and don't ever ignore it — it's always right. Even the slightest thing that's off can save your life because you said no and changed it to something more comfortable for yourself.

Wore a fake wedding ring through some of the countries I travelled to. It swayed people from coming up to me and being seedy — most guys will respect if there's a husband. Good little deterrent.

Look like you're walking with purpose, like you're heading somewhere — even if you're lost. Stopping inside a cafe, store, or restaurant to check maps rather than on the street is a great trick to avoid pickpockets, people trying to sell you things, and harassment. People have the perfect opportunity when you're standing in the street looking confused.

Travelling Vietnam and Sri Lanka by myself was so rewarding but hard. Walking alone at night is always scary even at home — let alone in a foreign country.

Stash two wallets with different cards in separate locations. Nothing worse than losing your only way to access your account abroad when you get pickpocketed.

University areas = your best friend. Young, often English-speaking locals, with friendly bars, cafes, and restaurants. Stayed around the uni area in Napoli and didn't feel unsafe once, even walking home alone at night.

Be friendly and curious to other women who look like they're travelling too. I was on my way to Morocco — through LA, then Lisbon, landing in Marrakesh. I met two twins from California on the same flight, got chatting, exchanged Instagrams, made loose plans to do something together in Morocco. The plane to Marrakesh landed late and I missed my bus to Taghazout. It was late evening, I was 40 minutes from the town centre, and it was Ramadan so transport was tricky. I reached out to the twins and ended up staying with them for two nights while I sorted my onward travel. If I hadn't made friends with them in LA, I would have been completely lost in Marrakesh late at night.

I'm 22 and had never solo-travelled before — not even in Australia. Did Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia. Started visiting friends in Chile then ventured off on my own. It was a massive adjustment but so much easier than you'd think. If there's any advice I'd give: do it. Solo travel is now my favourite thing ever. I stayed only in private hotels, no hostels. I made friends through group activities — GetYourGuide for day trips, G-Adventures for multi-day. They organise the tickets, transport, and all the random things you don't think about. I also did plenty on my own. Always trust your gut. People who weren't trustworthy, I just didn't interact with. The people I did interact with were so kind. Don't go down dark alleys at night, if it seems dodgy it probably is, just book an Uber and change plans. Knowing some local language helps. Airports are way easier to navigate than you'd think — English signs and staff almost everywhere.

It's not as scary as people make it out to be. Being solo in a new country opens you up to some of the most amazing experiences you'd never have back home. You meet people from all walks of life, all cultures. You also run into Aussies wherever you go, so you can always feel the safety of home if you're feeling unsure. Travelling solo as a woman can be one of the most amazing things you ever do.

I'm 48, been travelling solo on and off for 8 years. CHINA — download a VPN, Alipay and WeChat BEFORE you land (Alipay has a great translator built in). China is very safe, but of course taxi drivers will take the piss if you don't know exactly what a fare should cost. EGYPT — pay for a private guide, but be strong enough to stand up to them if you don't want to go somewhere, buy something, or eat where they're taking you. Airbnbs are fantastic — do your research. Don't be afraid to walk around in the morning; you'll find some absolutely amazing people. SRI LANKA — rent a tuk tuk and drive yourself around. Fantastic people, fantastic food, fantastic experience.

I just spent five weeks solo-travelling through Central Asia and had literally no issues as a woman. Just go, be brave — most of the world are genuinely good people. It was way easier to navigate than I expected.

1. Never say you're travelling alone — say you're visiting friends or with a group. 2. Pay a little extra for hostels with reviews saying they're in a safe area. 3. Have taxi drivers drop you on your street, not at your accommodation. 4. Walking at night, stay on main streets as much as possible. 5. Make friends in hostels so you can do some travel together. 6. Share a rough itinerary with a family member back home. 7. Trust your instincts — if something feels off, it probably is. 8. Learn the emergency number of the country you're in.

Once you start solo travelling, be the one to LEAVE REVIEWS on hostels you stay at. Other female travellers get honest opinions on the places they're staying.

Overnight bus from Iquique to Salta had me changing in Calama at 4am with a two-hour gap before the connection. Jet-lagged, alone, and even the bus company office was locked at that hour. A kind Chilean man waiting to pick up his family from the same bus flagged that hanging outside at that hour wasn't particularly safe and pointed me at the lobby of the town's 24-hour Ibis Hotel instead. Uber over easily enough. The night-shift receptionist — clearly a girl's girl — invited me to make myself comfortable for a few hours. I charged my phone, used a clean bathroom, brushed my teeth, and even managed a wet-wipes shower. Honestly, it felt like a travel-day spa experience. Would I do back-to-back 10-12 hour bus rides again? Probably not anytime soon. Would I use a 24-hour hotel lobby as a safe haven during an awkward transit? Every day of the week. Big shoutout to the bin chicken.

Before heading to Brazil for Carnaval, I'd listened to enough backpacker tales that I was half convinced I was destined to become one. Took the basic precautions — switched to my burner iPhone 11 for the high-risk cities, bought a phone lanyard that clipped to my bag with a carabiner (very easy to find in Rio; wonder why). But after hearing yet another story about someone getting their phone nicked in Ipanema, I had a real Blues Clues moment. Every single story seemed to start the same way: 'I was walking home from the club at 2am,' or 'I was walking between bars.' Girls, it's pretty simple: always 👏 catch 👏 an 👏 Uber 👏 at 👏 night 👏. The same rules you'd follow at home generally apply overseas — the consequences can just be a lot more expensive. Every country and city is different, so ask the staff at your hostel what the local vibe is like before heading out. Women tend to have this risk-assessment hardwired; men, not always. If you're with a group, be a good mate and suggest splitting an Uber rather than running the gauntlet on a late-night walk home.

Second big overseas trip: Greek island hopping with friends, then four weeks solo through Turkey. Snagged a ridiculously cheap flight from the islands back to Athens with just enough time to connect to Istanbul. When I boarded the first flight, my checked backpack didn't. 'No worries — we'll have your bag in Istanbul in two to three days,' the airline assured me. Easy for them to say. Hostel receptionist pointed me at a local market for cheap clothes. Walking in felt like being dropped into the deep end of the cultural-immersion pool — people yelling across stalls, bargaining at full volume, every vendor insisting they had more stock 'out the back' (no thanks, I've seen Taken). I found a couple of outfits suitable for visiting mosques and an XXXL men's T-shirt that looked large enough to function as both sleepwear and emergency accommodation. Then I still needed underwear. First stall owner enthusiastically produced what can only be described as a 'naughty nurse' costume (to be fair, the woman on the packet did vaguely resemble me). 'Something a little more everyday,' I explained. Option two: sexy schoolgirl. Before option three emerged from wherever he was sourcing these, a nearby female stall owner noticed my growing panic and motioned for me to follow her. Within minutes she'd found me comfortable underwear and bras — the exact things I'd been trying to buy all along. After the day I'd had, those undies felt like a warm hug.