Traveling as a Woman to Palestine: Traveling is incredibly rewarding, and it offers the opportunity to experience something new and exciting. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone, challenge ourselves, take the path less traveled, and enjoy the journey!
Travel offers the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally, and many people who travel, find that they can achieve something that they previously thought impossible.
Women travelers are generally familiar with the reality that often there are a few more things to consider when traveling abroad. A completely new culture may make traveling to a place like Palestine a bit more daunting for some women.
At Engage in the West Bank, Palestine, we have many female volunteers and Arabic language students. Our female volunteers and Arabic students stay with a host family, usually spending the evenings and sharing dinnertime with their host family.
Your Palestinian host family will take care of you and support you if you need anything during your stay. In some families, the older members don’t speak any English. Still, their children generally have English speaking skills, so it is usually easy to communicate with the parents through their children.
Before coming to Palestine
Before a trip to Palestine, many people don’t know what to expect from a safety perspective. Of course, it is a different environment from where many of our female volunteers and students come from, but generally, there is no reason to be concerned. You will discover that Hebron is a very dynamic city, and there are many fascinating things to see and experience.
We advise our female visitors to take the following necessary precautions while traveling to ensure a safe and comfortable experience in Palestine.
Walking in the street at night
The first precaution is to avoid walking on the streets alone in Hebron after dark. It is always safer to be accompanied by someone or use a taxi to get to your destination rather than walk alone.
During the day, it is perfectly acceptable to walk alone. Sometimes people along the way may stop and start a conversation with you. They are almost always friendly and usually just curious about you as a foreigner.
Where to sit on public transportation in Palestine
Cultural reasons mean women in Palestine ride in the backseat of the car when commuting. We advise travelers to sit in the car’s back seat when taking a taxi, rather than in the front seat next to the driver..
What to wear in Palestine as a woman?
Another simple rule to make your time in Palestine more comfortable is to dress conservatively, avoiding shorts and sleeveless tops or anything that may draw unwanted attention to yourself.
Are you still not sure if you can travel as a woman to Palestine? Maybe one of our volunteers can help you to make the decision. Our former participants can generally answer questions about their stay in Palestine.
Final Remarks
Palestinian people are overall accommodating and friendly people. Host families will welcome you into their homes and treat you as a member of the family.
If you should find yourself in a situation that may cause you any discomfort, Engage in the West Bank, Palestine employees will help you solve the problem and offer any support needed.
We suggest that if you are a woman traveling to Palestine for the first time, follow these simple guidelines, and you will find that you will be safe and treated with the utmost respect.
