The friends I made on my trip didn't react the way I'd hoped. "Luckily nothing happened, right?" While quite a bit had happened, and much more could have happened. I also found myself trying to downplay it; I felt stupid and didn't want to burden others with it. Online, people are taking action, which is good and important, but in practice, it's often a case of victim blaming and these kinds of events are trivialized. After I decided to share my own story on InstagramI received many responses from women with similar experiences. By listening to what someone says without immediately judging and simply asking what they need, we can create more understanding.

While it's important to change your surroundings, there are a few things that can make you feel safer on the streets. Always carry a small survival whistle with you to make a sound; there are also special SOS apps for this. Save the country's emergency numbers in your phone and check beforehand whether an eSIM plan is required to be reachable. Never stand alone at a bus stop and only use well-known taxi services like Uber and Bolt. If these services aren't available at your accommodation, ask your accommodation if they know any reliable drivers. Sitting diagonally behind the driver gives you the best overview.

While it's important to use your head, I believe fear should never be your guide. Traveling alone offers such fantastic experiences and encounters with people you'd never have with a partner or friend. Sri Lanka is unique because it's a relatively small country where you can do so many different things. Think of going on safari, surfing, visiting tea plantations and ancient temples, participating in yoga or booking Ayurveda retreats, driving around in your own tuk-tuk, and taking fantastic train rides. It's also a heaven for digital nomads. It is full of good cafes, restaurants and beautiful beaches and the price level is low.”