What is the safest Asian country for a 21-year-old?

by Renske
(Holland)

I'm a 21 year old girl from Holland and my dream is to go for a certain amount of time on my own to a very beautiful country.

Now my question is that I'm a bit confused about which country I want to visit. Last year I went to Japan with my ex boyfriend backpacking, which was amazing. Now I want to go again to Asia.

Which one is in your opinion one of the safest for a girl and one of the cheapest?

Thank you very much for helping, this site helps me a lot to make my dream come true :)

Answer: The good news is that if you're looking for cheap, beautiful and safe, you won't do much better than Asia so at least you're on the right continent.

Once upon a time I would have said Thailand instantly, without thinking. It was beautiful and safe and cheap. These days, it still is, but just a bit less so. Prices have crept up, though it's still one of the cheaper Asian destinations; huge tourist pressure means natural beauty is being crowded by tourism over-development, but not everywhere - you'll still find islands of breathtaking beauty; and the massive number of foreigners make petty crime (and at times not so petty) a lot more common that it used to be. Still, I wouldn't let that stop me - I'd just be more careful, that's all.

One country you might consider - and I do urge you to do your own research by reading what the forums have to say - is Laos. To many, it's what Thailand used to be 30 years ago. I've been half a dozen times and have always enjoyed the laid back pace. I have not visited in several years, though, so again, head to some of the better travel forums online (I would suggest you start with BootsnAll) and see what they're saying. Back then, some of the rural roads were unsafe (bandits!) but there was always widespread information about which ones these were and how to stay away. You'll probably enjoy the capital Vientiane, but Luang Prabang in the north has amazing character.

Lets see if anyone else weighs in with some suggestions!

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What is the safest Asian country for a 21-year-old?

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Consider Siem Reap
by: Suzanne

I travelled to Siem Reap by myself and absolutely loved it. I admit to being much older than 21 however it wouldn't matter what age you are. I felt very safe, ate meals on my own in restaurants, had a few drinks at the bar - at no point did I feel threatened or intimidated as a solo female traveller. Of course it's worth doing your homework before you go - I stayed in a lovely boutique hotel a short walk from the main town and fitted in very well.

As a destination it's amazing - Angkor Wat is well worth the visit, especially if you do your research and find a local guide who will take you to those temples that are off the beaten track.

The Cambodian people are amazing - so much brutal history yet they are some of the friendiest people I have had the good fortune to meet.

Safe travels to you!
Minnesota, USA
by: Kerry S

My vote goes to Laos, I've been there twice and it was beautiful, the people are so nice and friendly and you can find pretty good food and pretty cheap everywhere. It's a bit sleepy so if you're looking for some excitement maybe this isn't the right place but even along the Mekong they have bars and restaurants and they're good fun, lots of foreigners who work for charities hang out there and its easy to make new friends.
Loving Laos
by: Dianne Sharma Winter

SE Asia is the perfect destination for any young woman alone. Laos is just lovely if you have time to either get off the main tourist drag where things are becoming a bit of a drag these days...tourists behaving badly have seen the smiles slip from the faces of the locals which is such a shame BUT if you get off the path a bit there they are again. People love Laos for the people!

You can train to the border of THailand and Laos in one overnight trip to the border town of Nong Khai which is an unexplored gem in Thailand...stay at the Mut Mee guest house on the Mekong River, very helpful and friendly people.

Think also about Malaysia, you can easily train there from Bangkok (trains in Thailand are fabulously cheap and clean). Malaysia is still off the backpacking radar but prices are good, the beaches are superb, spotlessly clean and gorgeous, the people are lovely and speak good English and the shopping in KL is fab!

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