Single female traveling alone and staying in a youth hostel in Shanghai: fun adventure or catastrophically bad idea?

July 29, 2009 9:52 PM

Single female traveling alone and staying in a youth hostel in Shanghai: fun adventure or catastrophically bad idea?

Do any women out there have any experience traveling alone to Shanghai and staying in a youth hostel? I've been thinking this would be fun, but don't know if I'd be better off waiting until my friends can join me some other time. Would Bejing be a safer choice?

All thoughts, ideas, and suggestions welcome-- thanks!

posted by aquafortis to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

I spent a day by myself wandering in Shanghai. I didn't have any problems with locals, they were all very nice and helpful. I had two kinda weird encounters, one with a westerner and one with an African. Exploration alone is doable, but you might feel more comfortable with someone else around.

Not sure about the hostels.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 10:18 PM on July 29

Fun adventure. Live.
posted by rokusan at 10:45 PM on July 29

I went the Shanghai alone in 1998, it was my first time in another country and my first time travelling, and it was fantastic. I stayed in a hostel which was pretty basic, but it was also the only one in Shanghai at that time - I suspect that there would be more now and they'd probably be nicer too.

I agree with silkygreenbelly that you'll probably feel more comfortable if you've got someone to explore with, at least part of the time - staying in a hostel is a good way to meet people. Don't be shy about approaching other people and asking if they want to join forces or meet for dinner or whatever.

From what I have heard from people who have travelled to Shanghai more recently it's now more cosmopolitan and and international than when I was there - there's a big expat community and the locals are more used to foreigners.

Have fun, look out for yourself, and enjoy the adventure.
posted by girlgenius at 11:26 PM on July 29

Never been to Shanghai, but I traveled alone on a shoestring budget through Asia (India, nepal, south east Asia). I was 23, and had a wonderful time. Do it!
posted by lunasol at 11:35 PM on July 29

Speaking from the perspective of a guy here, so adjust as necessary, but there should be nothing wrong with this. There are several perfectly good hostels in Shanghai that are at least as nice or nicer than what you'd find outside China, and the guests, while possibly irritating crunchy/trustafarian backpacker types, are almost certainly harmless.

The same is true of Beijing; I live there, so haven't stayed in any hostels in years, but I've noticed a bunch of new hostels opening up, and many of them look to be very nicely done. There's plenty of stuff to see in Beijing, and most of the hostels I've seen will help arrange day trips to the Great Wall (including unrestored stretches, which are way nicer -- check out the Jiankou or Huanghuacheng sections if you can), Ming Tombs, etc. Have fun!
posted by bokane at 12:38 AM on July 30

I think you'll be safe in either place. I'm a guy, but met a lot of female solo travellers, and none of them mentioned any problems - I've met many more women who've had trouble travelling in Europe.

That said, I think in terms of city choice, Beijing is a better choice. Shanghai is nice, but as a tourist, Beijing has a lot more to offer in the city, and nearby. If you're looking for a hostel in Beijing, I can highly recommend City Walls.

Have a great time.
posted by backwards guitar at 5:28 AM on July 30

Safe. Violent crime is not (much of) an issue in Beijing. There are the usual pickpockets, people looking to ripoff tourists -- just be very firm but polite, know what you want, and you should be fine.
posted by moiraine at 6:01 AM on July 30

Both cities are super safe and relatively tourist-friendly, esp if you've never been to China before. There isn't much of a "macho" culture here in terms of cat-calling and coming onto women aggressively. Just be on the alert for pickpockets and ripoffs (e.g. "art students" in Beijing). I would recommend 1. mixing it up with other youth hostel guests & combining their suggestions for cheap budget fun with the fantastic restaurant/bar picks in Time Out Shanghai, 2. don't spend too long in either city. Or else it'd be like someone traveling 15 hrs by plane to visit NYC and LA and calling it a day, thinking they've "done" the US. There's so much more to China!

Have fun :)
posted by amillionbillion at 6:40 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]

I just got back from Shanghai about 4 weeks ago and I sure do miss it. I went with a group of about 14, 10 of which were women. They never told me of any problems or dangerous situations that they encountered. Shanghai was very safe and locals are very helpful. I was amazed at Chinese hospitality. But you have to use common sense like you would in any large city.

Looking back, I can see a single female visiting alone with no problems. Although if you can wait for friends to go with, that would be a lot more fun.
posted by bobber at 6:49 AM on July 30

I spent a month in Shanghai 3 years ago (I'm male). It was a great experience--you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity to go.

I never felt unsafe, even while walking alone. None of the other travelers I encountered (including the female ones) seemed too worried about personal safety. Obviously, use basic common sense (it is a big city, after all), but you shouldn't have much to worry about.

Also, it's a easy place to meet people. It's a very cosmopolitan city, with a large foreign population and lots of tourists. You'll have no problem finding people to do things with, particularly if you stay in a youth hostel.
posted by frogpondian at 7:50 AM on July 30

My understanding from having spent some time there, is that Shanghai is particularly free of violent crime due to the "home town" pride of a lot of prominent political figures in the communist party. Don't shit where you eat, kind of thing. They come down hard on crime and older Shanghainese have little patience for young that would disrespect the town by preying on other people – so it's tough to get away with anything. Keep in mind that was told to me by a Dutch expat who had been living there for about 10 years, so take it with a grain of salt. Still, I wandered around all over Shanghai in the wee hours of the night and never felt uncomfortable. You should be more than fine, other than being harassed at the outdoor markets, but that's just because you're western and have money to spend.
posted by qwip at 8:48 AM on July 30

This June I stayed in the Ming etour youth hostel next to the tomorrow square marriott and would definitely have felt comfortable going it alone. It was my first time in Shanghai, but i did not feel unsafe at any point in the trip and can't think of any special safety tips that i wish someone had told me... I recommend staying in the private rooms. I'm sure the dorm style rooms are nice, too, but I thought the private room was a good deal for what it was (180 RMB/night) and I believe the dorms are mixed gender.
posted by mustard seeds at 9:26 AM on July 30

I stayed at the same hostel as mustard seeds! I really recommend it. I did stay in the dorms -- they're not glamorous but they're clean and have nice little shelves and lamps next to all the beds. They've also got a great outdoor courtyard area. The area it's in is also very accessible -- it's walkable to People's Square and the metro, and also to the Jing'An Temple area.

All told, I have spent 8 months in China. Much of that time was spent alone (I am a female). I think it's probably one of the safest places in the world for a woman to travel on her own -- but of course, do take care. And watch your belongings!!! While violent crime is extremely rare, being pick-pocketed is not.

I would say Beijing and Shanghai are about equally safe. One thing to look out for anywhere in China -- if a couple of "college students" come up to you, starts chatting you up, and the asks if you'd like to go to a tea-tasting or art exhibition (etc.) with them, do not go. It is a scam. You will be strong-armed into paying a ridiculous amount of money for some crappy tea. And you will not be able to say no.

Please pm me if you have any more questions.
posted by imalaowai at 2:05 PM on July 30

I think it's probably one of the safest places in the world for a woman to travel on her own -- but of course, do take care.
This sums up the experiences I've heard from female friends travelling here.
posted by Abiezer at 8:40 PM on July 30