Have you ever wanted to go on vacation to a country you don’t know? You have determined the country you will go to, you have made your preparations, and here comes the day of travel, you are there now.

Your vacation has begun! You can tour the streets of this new city, and enter and exit the streets. But if you are a woman, you will think and worry more than a man about which streets you should not take and where you should stay away.

Aware of this, Tracey Storey and Sue Braddock established the Altınkum Ladies Travel Club to help women who spend their holidays alone feel safer together. We talked with Tracey about the problems of women on vacation alone in Didim and the group they formed.

Tracey is a woman who has been visiting Didim for 11 years and usually spends her holidays alone. She is very happy to spend her holiday here, even though they did not move to Didim.

However, when she saw that the relaxed attitude of the waiters, especially in restaurants could be uncomfortable for women traveling alone, she started to think about this issue.

When she talked to her friend Sue Braddock, whom she met in Didim, they created a Facebook group together. There are currently 176 members in the women-only group.

She says that since those have been in Didim for a long time, they knows which cafe or restaurant to sit in, where, and what to expect. “But someone new here doesn’t know that. She can be found in a place where she might be uncomfortable, and it shocks her.

“We don’t want that to happen,” she says. She adds this situation is not only valid for Turkey. “It’s not about men of certain nationality being irritating. As a woman traveling alone, you can encounter this anywhere, unfortunately.

Tracey says she’s in a position and character to react when faced with an uncomfortable situation, “but for a woman who can’t voice her discomfort, it’s important for us to be together. It gives that woman confidence and strength.”

In addition, the group knows what they have to do and where to consult when faced with any negative situation and how the process will work. So, women do not feel alone in this sense either.

It’s a shame and pity that a woman vacationing alone still doesn’t feel safe today, but Tracey and Sue’s group is a great example of seeing there is a powerfulness when women come together.

The group has created a space where women socialize, make new friends, and plan fun events together. When you want to join the group through their Facebook page, you can join the group if they are sure that you are a woman. You can get together for a drink or a meal and organize boat trips.