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Top 10 Tips for Women
Travelling in Central Asia: Top 10 Tips for Women
Written by: Johanna, Co-Founder and Guide @ Great Goat Expeditions February 25
Top 10 Tips for Traveling Central Asia as a Woman
Central Asia is an incredible destination—stunning landscapes, warm hospitality, and rich culture. And yet, admittedly, when I planned my first trip out there, the thought of going as a solo woman made me nervous. I’d traveled solo plenty of times before, and been to strictly Islamic countries. But I’d never been to Central Asia, and not knowing what to expect of it made me anxious. So, this blog post is for all my fellow women travelers out there! Whether you’re traveling solo, or in a group, here are my top 10 tips to help you navigate the region with confidence
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Let's go trekking in Central Asia!
1.) Safety & Solo Travel
First and foremost, let me take your mind off your biggest worry: Central Asia is generally safe for women to travel to, even solo. Though Central Asia is predominantly Islamic, there is freedom of religion, and for most people, religion does not dictate everyday life. The cities tend to be more liberal, with Western-style attitudes toward dress, compared to the countryside, where traditional dress and gender roles are still much more adhered to.
Attitudes also vary across the countries and different regions within the country, with for example the Pamiri people in Tajikistan being much more liberal compared to their countrymen and women in the more western parts of the country. Nonetheless, overall, even throwing in a lot of time spent in incredibly rural places and more religious-leaning regions, I have not had any more issues with unwanted attention, comments, or otherwise uncomfortable situations than, to be frank, I have had had traveling, for example, southern Europe. I wanna be real here: I can’t tell you that there’s absolutely nothing that’s gonna happen.
Given the world we live in, traveling solo as a woman, unfortunately, is never going to be 100% safe, and sometimes it can be a bit of a shitshow. That said though, I truly did not feel particularly unsafe in Central Asia as a woman, and I never ended up in any situation where I genuinely felt like this might get hairy.
Staying in a Yurt camp at Son-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan
2.) Kindness With Boundaries
​Though Central Asia in general is safe, more traditional gender roles still abide, especially in the countryside. On top of that, the travel community itself is still more male-dominated as well, with especially the far-off rural regions being less likely to be visited by female tourists. As such, a solo female traveler can incur a fair bit of curiosity from locals. Add on top of that a culture of hospitality, and it can sometimes feel overbearing to the point of being uncomfortable.
As women, we are traditionally more geared to be accommodating, and polite, and it can be hard to lose that habit. But it is important to remember that it is perfectly alright to set kind but firm boundaries. Sometimes simply saying “No I don’t need help, I got it. Thank you.” can be all it takes to take some of that pressure off.
Women on their way to and from the Osh Bazaar, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Dress norms are not much different to those you'd see in a western city
3.) Dressing For The Occasion
In the city, western-style clothes are common, and nobody will look twice wearing shorts, showing shoulders, or even wearing a dress. So, there’s no need to leave your favorite tank top behind. That said, once you reach the countryside, showing a lot of skin may no longer be appropriate. Especially when staying with local shepherds or in small rural communities, wearing long trousers, and clothes that do not show any cleavage is advised. When visiting a mosque or religious site, you’ll need to wear something loose with long sleeves (e.g. a light blouse) and cover your hair.
Outside of religious sites however not covering your hair, and also wearing short sleeves, as long as your shoulders are covered, is completely fine.
Central Asia tends to get very warm in summer, and the sun out there is intense. So in general it is advised that you bring clothes that protect your skin from the sun. Bring some lightweight long trousers, a lightweight blouse, and a scarf, in combination with a couple of solid hiking shirts, and you’ll be all set for every situation!
Typical "city-clothes"
4. Transport & Night Travel
Going for a long bus ride, shared taxi, or night train as a solo woman can feel daunting. Often though, these are some of the best opportunities to meet locals, chat with them, get invited to tea, or just have a fun, interesting experience! I’ve not experienced any issues with being harassed in public transport. That said though, I have been nervous about it plenty of times. If you are worried about this, there are some tips to help you feel safer:
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When taking a night train, look for women-only options
In Kazakhstan for example, the night trains often have a 2nd class, where the wagons are women-only.
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Arrange to travel with other backpackers
You can put up a post on Facebook, or the Caravanistan forum. As long as you stick to the more common routes, you’ll also be able to spot other backpackers at the bus or train stop.
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Pay for the front seat in a shared taxi
When taking a shared taxi, being able to sit in the front seat and not be squashed in the back with other people may help you feel safer. However, you need to negotiate for that seat and pay extra. Beware that the front seats sell out quickly! If this is your tactic, make sure to be there extra early.
Taking a night train in Kazhakstan
5. Language & Communication
This is applicable in general, but learning a couple of words in the local language can go a really, really long way. In Central Asia, since Russian is widely spoken, learning a couple of words in Russian will get you even further than Uzbek, Kyrgyz or Tajik individually will. Even just “hello” or “thank you” can make a big difference in how people treat you, and get a feeling for the people you meet as well. Seriously. I once was part of an entire approach-reject-retreat cycle based on two words I knew in Russian. (Scene: 11pm, Almaty, Kazhkastan. Him: “Grasiwa” (Pretty). Me: “Niet” (No). Shrugs. End scene.)
6. Interacting with local men and women
In the cities again, behavioral norms are pretty close to what you’d expect from a typical western-style city (a conservative-leaning that is. Think more maybe… Oslo, not Barcelona.). There, no special rules that apply to interacting with men vs. women.
In the countryside, and especially in rural villages or with shepherd families, there are very clear gender roles. Often, one will be greeted by the male head of the house, whilst the woman or the women will keep to the background. The extent to which the women interact with foreigners or guests is heavily dependent on the region and the country. I have had meals in Shepherds homes in Kyrgyzstan where the women ate alongside us, and were active parts of the conversation. The wife of a local Kyrgyz shepherd in fact one time insisted I explain what I do for a living. Cue me trying to figure out how to, lacking the Russian vocabulary, mime the profession “PhD student”. I’m still taking suggestions on that, if anybody has ideas. In contrast, Ian and I managed to be invited to several meals in about four different villages in a remote corner of Tajikistan, without ever getting the chance to interact with any of the women who had cooked these meals for us.
When it comes to how to behave, the best strategy when uncertain is to just follow their lead. If the men come up to you to shake your hand, feel free to reciprocate. If they don’t or seem uncertain, a polite alternative for a greeting or to indicate your thanks is to put your right hand over your heart and nod.
Staying in the Yurt of a nomadic family in the Turkestan range, Kyrgyzstan. The girl is 11, and the main translator between us and the rest of the nomadic settlement
7. Homestays
Local homestays are for the most part perfectly safe to stay in. Officially homestays, such as the ones along the Pamir Highway for example, will often put the men and women up in separate rooms. When being invited to stay in a Yurt or a Pamiri house with a local nomadic family, more often than not there is only a single room or yurt to sleep in, and you’ll sleep alongside them. If there is more than one room or yurts, they’ll usually put you up with the women and children.
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If you do feel uncomfortable with a rooming situation, however, you can politely ask if you can stay with the women and children. Since ideas of propriety as they are common in Islam are widely understood, this would not come off as a strange request necessarily.
At a homestay in Barchidev, upper Bartang Valley, Tajikistan
8. Period Products and Hygiene
In the cities, you will generally be able to find tampons and pads in most stores. The variety of choice varies, and so does the quality, but stuff will be around. However, if you can, definitely bring everything you need from home. Nothing like the comfort of one's own trusted brand. On that note: this should be obvious, but if you are on birth control, bring whatever you need with you. When truly in a pinch, then birth control pills (and Plan B, for that matter) are available over the counter at least in bigger cities and the more progressive of the Stans, such as Kyrgyzstan. However, brands and types of birth control (or any type of medication for that matter) will be different than what you are used to at home.
Obviously, the bathroom situation is not always ideal and least of all hygienic. Bringing a roll of toilet paper and some hand sanitizer along when you hit the road is always, always a good idea, and doubly so when you are on your period. Please be aware that when you are trekking, you need to carry all waste back out, including used period products.
Generally, my recommendation is to, if you have not already, switch to a re-usable product. There are plenty of options on this nowadays. I would not recommend period underwear, since opportunities to wash them may be limited, but a cup or a FemDisc are both solid options. Personally, I’d recommend the FemDisc, since that also allows for “hands-free” emptying (google it, it’s amazing), so less of a chance of accidentally ending up with a blood bath on your hands in a random Kyrgyz roadside bathroom. Cups or disk
c take some time to figure out and get used to, so make sure to practice for a cycle or two at home.
Lastly, though I have not done so myself, I have met women who have when traveling taken their birth control continuously to avoid having their period altogether. That is a fairly drastic option compared to the period-management options I have listed above, so if you do plan to go down that route make sure to check in with your OB or GP beforehand!
In the Turkestand range, just before crossing a challenging unnamed pass we later baptize "Sarumans Crumbs". I just started my period that morning and was dealing with cramps most of the way up
9. Dealing with unwanted attention
For the most part, I honestly can’t give you better advice here than you probably already know. That is: Don’t panic. Make clear in a firm voice that you are not interested. If the attention persists, try to remove yourself from the situation. If you can, go to a public place. You know the drill.
​There is one strategy however that has worked well for me in Central Asia: invent a husband. Seriously. It does wonders. Rope other backpackers into it too. That random guy you just met at the Hostel who happens to be standing over there? Yep, you’re totally married. A couple of years now, actually. No, you don’t have kids yet, but who knows maybe after this trip? Ian and I once came up with an entire backstory on the spot when pretending to be a married couple during a bus ride in southern Kyrgyzstan, complete with pets, future kids, a meet-cute, why we don’t bring our wedding bands along for travels like this, housing situation, etc. It’s a shitty situation, feeling like you need a guy to help out. You might as well try to wring every bit of fun out of it that you can.
10. Dealing with frustration
Beside the inherent unfairness of having to worry about your physical and emotional safety in that regard in the first place, even when safe the difference in how people will treat you as a woman vs. a man can be incredibly frustrating. Especially when in a group the fact that one can find oneself immediately discounted as a conversation partner in favor of the guy around is… just not a very nice feeling. Once, a guy so resolutely refused to address me rather than my (male) partner, even when I was the one who was holding the conversation, that I later remarked in frustration that I might as well have been a potted plant he’d brought along. In these moments, I often try to remind myself that as frustrating as this may be, more often than not, there is no ill will behind it. Many of these men who show this behavior were raised with the belief that it is disrespectful and inappropriate to address a woman in a more direct fashion, that not only your male companions (if you have any) but also you yourself might take offense at this. There is broad awareness in Central Asia that in the West, women do not live by these rules, that they live and work as men do, have the same standing, and be independent of their families or husbands. Nonetheless, they often lack the scripts on how to appropriately interact with such a woman. Their own way is all they know. That is not to say that this is right or to excuse this behavior. But at the very least I have found that looking at it from this perspective helps to take these occasions, when they inevitably come around, more easily in stride.
Also, I do want to stress that this is also not always the case. I have met many incredibly kind, inclusive, and welcoming men in Central Asia. It's the moments where this does not hold true that are challenging.
Moments like these are what makes it all worthwhile
Traveling as a women, especially solo, always comes with challenges. But overall, Central Asia is safe to travel to, even as a solo women
And not only that but it is also, I'd argue, absolutely worthwhile to do so. Not only for the beauty of the landscape, but also the experiences we make along the way! And if you ever do decide to get out there, let me know! You can reach me either via the contact form or shoot me a DM on my insta (@_joheeeee_). I'd love to meet you there!
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