A woman who has travelled the world as a solo backpacker has revealed the countries where she felt unsafe as a woman navigating a new place alone.
The TikToker named Nora, who goes by the name Nora the Explorer on the social media platform, posted a video sharing her advice with other female travellers who might be considering visiting such nations.
At the beginning of the video Nora, who is originally from Hungary but now lives in Australia, insists that the countries are still worth visiting and she is only speaking from her experience.
She went on to list the nations where she did not feel safe while travelling around – and revealed some frightening anecdotes as she did so.
After watching her video, other people revealed the countries where they had felt unsafe travelling – while one person pointed out travellers could face uncertain conditions anywhere in the world.
At the beginning of her video, Nora told viewers she was going to list the countries where she didn’t feel safe as a woman backpacking alone.
However she added: ‘I still had a wonderful time in all these places. It could have happened anywhere.
‘It doesn’t mean the whole country is unsafe and you shouldn’t visit it.’
The countries she lists are: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
As she discussed Vietnam, Nora recalled a frightening experience in which she and a friend believe they were drugged at a bar in Hanoi.
She recalled her friend ‘acting strange’ after finishing her drink – and soon realised the young woman was in trouble.
Nora said she and some other friends from the hostel took the young woman, who could barely speak, back home – but before leaving the bar, Nora said she also finished a drink.
When they returned to the hostel, Nora said she also began to feel unwell and soon fell unconscious after fainting in the shower.
She warned female travellers to be wary when they are out and about in bars abroad after her frightening experience.
In later videos, Nora went on to explain other experiences she’d had in countries she now considers less safe.
After visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka, she claimed: ‘These were the top two countries where I experienced men being extremely pushy and not really taking no for an answer.’
She recalled a couple of occasions on which she was encircled by men while out in bars with her friends, leaving them feeling intimidated.
However, despite experiencing this ‘a few times’ in Sri Lanka, Nora said it is still her ‘favourite country in the whole world’.
Although Nora now lives in Australia, she revealed that she spent 10 years in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she began to feel unsafe as time passed.
‘The last one or two years, I don’t know what happened but I did not have a night where someone did not touch my butt inappropriately in a club or in a bar,’ she said.
Nora added that Denmark is ‘one of the safest, happiest countries in the world’, and she does not believe her experiences should deter anyone from visiting.
Responding to her videos, many people shared their own experiences of feeling unsafe in countries around the world – with many making the point that such experiences can happen to women in any country.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
