How Women Can Stay Safe Traveling Alone

You may not want to post that beautiful selfie so fast.

A 38-year-old hairdresser from Arkansas is doing something that can be daunting these days — she's traveling alone.

"I'm kind of new at the solo travel," Andrea Weatherly told Inside Edition.

Most women travelers are now choosing to jet set alone, according to Booking.com. But more than ever those tourists have reason to be extra careful.

Last December, a 36-year-old Florida woman visiting Costa Rica alone was found stabbed to death in her holiday rental. And just last month, an American woman on safari by herself in Uganda was kidnapped and held for ransom before being released.

So on her own solo voyage to Hawaii, Weatherly isn't taking any chances.

"What I like to do is, I always try to get a room that is not on the first floor. I always make sure that my window locks," she said. "Another I like to do is make sure that they door has a proper lock. Makes me feel secure."

Weatherly also teamed up with eight other women visiting the island alone, and they all went on a surfing adventure together. For them, there's definitely safety in numbers.

Kelly Lewis is the founder of the women's tour group Damesly.com. She had some tips for women who want to stay safe on their grand adventure.

"Make sure you are aware of your surroundings. You are seeing who is near you ... where you are going. You have to be present in your surroundings," she said.

And Lewis added that social media users shouldn't be posting their beautiful selfies so fast.

"I think that you can post where you are — maybe wait a half an hour before you do it," she explained.

Another tip: Use that GPS tracker on your phone. Apps like Life360 allows users to share their location with friends and family, so the whole group knows where the traveler is at any time.

RELATED STORIES