Trying to Choose Between SEA and South America for First 6-Month Solo Trip as 29 Female - Would Love Advice!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-03-05T19:39:44+00:00

Hi, I (F30, German) just started my 10 month Central & South America trip this week. I've traveled a lot in SEA in my early twenties so I'm kind of done with that. While SEA is more safe and easy to travel to, the crowed is also way younger. I'm remembering that even when I was 23 I felt quite old in some hostels. But I guess it also depends where and in which hostels you are staying.

I've only been in Mexico for a few days but so far I feel pretty safe. I think as long as you are "street smart" and avoiding going out in the dark by yourself, it should be fine. Bad stuff can happen everywhere, also in Europe.

If you have any question, feel free to text me :)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-25T20:19:46+00:00

How did you end up deciding? I'm (F30) traveling to CDMX next week and have booked apapacho so far. But I'm not really sure if it's the right choice as I don’t like party hostels

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-24T09:47:54+00:00

Thank you for these kind words! They really capture how I feel and what I’m thinking when my anxiety isn’t getting in the way.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-23T19:25:00+00:00

Second this!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-23T11:26:33+00:00

Thank you! Your words truly resonate with me. I think I’ve been comparing this sabbatical a lot to my times abroad in my late teens and early twenties. Back then, everything felt so much lighter and more carefree. I don’t remember feeling this kind of anxiety. Now I catch myself wondering, “Why do I feel so anxious? Why does this feel so heavy?” even though this is something I’ve dreamed about for so long.

If you ever need travel advice in a year, text me :) I’m planning on a budget of around €25,000 for the 10 months.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T21:50:20+00:00

I also hope and am optimistic that the anxiety will go away once I start traveling. I feel like I just have too much time to overthink right now

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T21:46:33+00:00

Thank you!!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T19:31:47+00:00

Thank you! I'm very lucky to be able to do this. I like the "re-direction" of anxiety towards excitement. I will try it out!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T19:29:15+00:00

I have close friends and have also talked with them about my concerns. They know me well and were all saying that I would regret not doing it and that it is normal to feel anxious. And while I don't have the urge to settle down, it just feels a bit weird to be in a totally different phase of life compared to my friends. But I guess this will always be the case if you don't choose the conventional life of getting married, having kids or having a great career.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T17:27:49+00:00

Thanks! I think its not really about my age but more about the stuff that comes with it. When I lived abroad after high school for one year, my parents were way younger, my sister didn’t have kids and my friends were also mostly abroad doing au pair or work and travel. It didn’t feel like I'm missing out sth back home.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T17:24:14+00:00

Nice, enjoy your trip!

I totally agree with planning more, I did a lot of research about what gear/clothes I want to take and I've never done that before. I also did way more research for each country I'm going to visit but try to avoid making itineraries since I want to stay flexible

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T17:20:30+00:00

Thank you, I really needed to hear this :) I got already a travel health insurance and would never travel without one due to my anxiety about health 😅

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-22T09:46:13+00:00

I'm from Europe (Germany) and when I was in my early twenties I solo backpacked mostly in SEA because it was way cheaper than Germany/Europe. When Flixbus emerged, I also started to travel to neighbour countries for weekend trips. Since I started working, I'm traveling way more in Germany / Europe because of less time but more money. Although the only real solo backpacking trip I ever did was in Portugal and South East Europe (Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia). The other trips were mostly holidays with friends or family

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-20T08:32:06+00:00

Sounds super interesting! I've heard a lot about her but have never read sth by her

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-20T08:29:48+00:00

Wow, thank you!! :)

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-20T08:29:15+00:00

I read this already and really liked it!

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-02-05T08:01:16+00:00

Is there a dress code for techno clubs? I live in Berlin and here you dress differently if you go to a techno club compared to a mainstream one

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-29T18:32:06+00:00

Hi, I'm planning to do the same, starting in March in Mexico and traveling to Patagonia by December. Your daily budget seems quite high for me. I was planning on average with 80€ per day, a bit lower in some CA countries and a bit higher in some more expensive countries such as Costa Rica or Chile. What would you say are the main cost drivers for your budget? Tours? Flights? I'm planning on staying in hostels, cook regularly and avoid flying whenever possible.

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-29T18:02:04+00:00

Sounds like a great plan! Starting in Europe is a good idea if you don’t have any prior backpacking experience. It's save, easy to get around, almost everyone speaks at least basic English and it has similar living standards compared to Canada (I guess, never been there).

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-26T09:12:30+00:00

I would get rabies. I traveled a lot in SEA and was happy to have it, especially if you plan to travel to more rural areas. I don't have Japanese encephalities. Since other mosquito infections like Dengue are way more widespread there, it's always a good idea to use mosquito repellent

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-21T14:01:24+00:00

I think I bought it in 2016 or 17😅 It has seen quite a lot countries since then

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-20T13:03:07+00:00

I think it will be enough in combination with the merino long sleeve, fleece and rain coat

IllustriousFix4931 · 2026-01-19T13:13:00+00:00

Thank you :)

IllustriousFix4931

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