Hong Kong blogger’s Iran trip sparks travel debate: ‘if you don’t die, it’s an adventure’
Online community split over whether women travelling alone to ‘dangerous’ nations is reckless or eye-opening
A Hong Kong travel blogger’s brief disappearance during a solo trip to protest-hit Iran has triggered a heated online debate over the safety of women travelling alone to politically volatile nations.
More female solo travellers took to the internet on Sunday to share their experiences and feelings on visiting Iran for leisure, as the country became embroiled in social unrest and was isolated from the rest of the world.
Hong Kong authorities on Saturday night confirmed the missing blogger known as “Bing” was safe and urged her to leave the country as soon as possible.
The government recently issued a red travel alert on Iran, urging Hongkongers to avoid non-essential travel to the nation for security reasons. The Islamic Republic imposed a nationwide internet blackout to quell anti-government protests late last month.
Among those jumping in the conversation was a female traveller named “Prototype___k”, who returned to Hong Kong from her solo visit to Iran on January 5 and defended the country as one of her “unforgettable” destinations.
“I don’t usually emphasise being a ‘solo female traveller’, but given the current discussion, I’ll share my view,” she wrote on social media platform Threads.