hey everyone!
I'm thinking of solo travelling from april 8-april 30 and thinking of places to go that are budget friendly for a grad school student (aka me).
where would you say in central/south america is "safe" and budget friendly (not including costa rica and panama since ive been there)
has anyone been to thailand or vietnam solo before?

Were you ever considering a group tour? Or strictly solo ?

Haha umh im open to that but i want to do my own thing too

Try Colombia! Santa marta

Nicaragua! So cheap, easy to travel, friendly. Skip the capital Managua, but all the other places are lovely

Yes, Granada is beautiful. Just be very alert when you travel alone (anywhere, not just Nicaragua). Always look like you know what you're doing and where you're going.

Can i message you paula

Agree. I did Nicaragua solo 5 years ago. I loved it.

Agreed. Nicaragua. You have to visit the Corn Islands. So beautiful!

Mexico

Can i message you?

Kulsummessaged you!

I went to Thailand solo for 3 weeks a year ago. It was my first solo trip ever and I was pretty nervous, but Thailand turned out to be so easy to navigate. I had an awesome time there and I actually can't wait to travel solo again. If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them

Belize is cheap in Central America and awesome! Thailand is a cheap as well but Vietnam and Cambodia are definitely cheaper. Both relatively safe and amazing.

Ecuador.

There’s also women hostels and and solo women travel support groups so look those up, I recommend Taiwan, Japan and Thailand because lots of English speakers that can help you out in a pinch, and street food is dirt cheap, food in Japan is shockingly cheap without too much effort in looking around

I’ve been to Thailand solo before, definitely recommend it! It was my first ever solo and I haven’t stopped since. It’s nerve wracking going but once you’re there it’s super easy to navigate and meet people! You meet people everywhere so you’re never truly alone. I would also recommend Peru, Colombia and even Belize/ Guatemala (just stay out of the capitals).

i just got back from thailand been going for the past 3 years i also just got engaged to a very lovely thai woman to any questions send me a message

I wasn’t solo but there was a lot of solo women travellers in Bali, locals and tourists we met along the way were very kind, friendly and helpful.

Cuba is cheap and safe. To travel around the country knowing Spanish would help.

Guatemala is very inexpensive, has Mayan ruins (Tikal), hot waterfalls (Finca Paradiso), hiking (Todos Santos), lots more to see and flights are not expensive.

I highly recommend Ecuador! It has been one of the best value places I’ve been. I was there for 3 weeks solo in Cuenca, Cotacachi, Manta and Salinas, including renting a car and driving down the coast.
Never had a moment where I felt unsafe, although I was less comfortable in Guayaquil. If I go again, I’ll probably use buses more, even cheaper and definitely less navigation anxiety.

Just got back from Bali for 2 weeks. Did the whole trip for $2100;$1250 of which was the flight. Some nights I ate full meals for 6$. Stay away from seminyak as it’s the most touristy and almost triple the price of Ubud, Uluwatu, gili T and lembongan ! Definitly worth it and cost friendly.

Bali? Wow. Now there's a place I need to research!

Peru

I went to Belize in December and it was safe, beautiful and cheap!!

I am in Cuba solo right now and it’s ok. Perfectly safe, but I’m glad I only have 5 days in Havana.
On weds I’m off to Oaxaca for two weeks, feel free to message me but I won’t know how it feels for another week or so.

I’ve done both Cuba and Japan solo and both were great.

Just came back from Ecuador! Anywhere on the coast!

Thailand is safe, inexpensive and wonderful. I am there now.

Portugal is a fantastic option for a solo traveller and cheap!

Thailand not as cheap as in the past But still budget traveler friendly. Lots of ‘travelers’ loads o info on line avoid Phuket over developed expensive. Plenty of small islands to research

Peru is safe and very cheap. There is so much to do and the food is the best

I am in Vietnam now. Super cheap. Lots of solo travellers. Did Bali as well. Also good value and they speak English.

I did three months backpacking solo (as my first solo trip) in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. I felt safe and it was one of the best trips ever. It was also very easy to meet other backpackers.
I did 5 months in South America. Chile and Argentina are a little pricier though there are a lot of cool things there. Bolivia was amazing and I highly doubt that any of the injustice and turmoil there right now would affect you. Peru, Ecuador and especially Colombia have a lot to offer and are very affordable. The distances are a bit tough but you get used to it.

Can’t go wrong with Southeast Asia. Bali may be a good start as it’s small, quite peaceful and super safe. The big cities in Thailand and Vietnam may be overwhelming, depending on how accustomed you are to crazy traffic and big populations. Laos is lovely but fewer people speak English there.