Interview by Prime Sarmiento 
 
  While it might be PC (politically correct) to respect cultural diversity, some of us can't help but experience culture shock when traveling to other countries (or even other provinces or regions). Both newbie and experienced solo female travelers are prone to commit a faux pas which will not only offend the locals but might also endanger a gtraveler's personal safety.
 
  The key is to be culturally sensitive. Such sensitivity, notes travel host Anita Kapoor, stems from "awareness."     
"Awareness of the cultural territory you are entering. You are a visitor and as such you are not privy to the reality. Awareness of the perception of women from your country in another country, " Anita said.  She expounds more on this topic in this Q & A:
 
Q: You are a travel host, you interviewed a lot of people and went to a lot of places, is there still anything at all that still shocks you whenever you're in a new and strange place? How do you deal with “culture shock?”
 
A:  I ask questions. Respect the difference and work around or with it, but also know what your own limits are. If it's something I really cannot agree with: violence for example, mistreatment in any way, I will make it known.
 
You don't have to agree with everything, but be aware than anger begets anger and it can take you to a dangerous place, if you are in a situation alone.
 
Q: What do you do to prepare for your travels. Do you make it a point to get to know the place first before you even go there?
 
A: I like to give myself one liners and notes, whether I am travelling for work or pleasure. They are the beginnings of "stories" for me. Or, the ends, if it doesn't work out!
I always want to know what's different, off track, trendy or odd about a place. Where do local people eat, how do they pass the time. Where do they shop. Who is a local hero. Where are the banks, clinics and embassies. I have friends across the globe too, who offer invaluable local perspectives. I never read guide books for anything more than maps and starting points. The in depth information is rarely up to date.
 
Q: What can other travellers do to make sure that they don't offend the locals?
 
A:  Ignorance and ego are intertwined. Accept what you don't know, keep an open mind and learn as you go. Or don't leave home, seriously.
Read up on basic etiquette and no-no's before you embark. Don't make assumptions unless you are really engaged and aware. And please, don't spit out things you don't like the taste of (a certain local delicacy) and make those juvenile retching noises?
 
Q: Have you been to any place where you think you just can't survive because you think the way of life is just "too weird" for you?
 
A:  That's a tricky question. I've never spent long enough in one place to be able to answer that knowledgeably. But I am able to quite quickly get a sense of a destination. I do know that places where women are treated poorly, where survival is trumped up as tourism, and where there is an overwhelming sense of conservative religiosity, are all challenging for me to love past the initial glance.
 
Q: How can solo female travelers remain respectful of other people's culture? How can we learn to be tolerant of and respectful of differences?
 
A:  I think by and large the issue women really face when travelling is a lack of knowledge of how they may be viewed in another culture. I've heard too many stories about young English girls on the gap year holidays being raped on some remote island; or Asian women being assumed to be prostitutes – just because the front desk of a hotel is manned by idiots. Or how a smile to the wrong person can result in a knock on my door at midnight – true story.
 
The bottom line: self awareness. Awareness of the cultural territory you are entering. You are a visitor and as such you are not privy to the reality. Awareness of the perception of women from your country in another country.
 
  Utmost personal safety: don't drink or smoke anything you didn't buy yourself. Don't lose yourself into cultures more heady, provocative, and spiritual than yours. Eat. Pray. Love was a book and one woman's personal journey only.
 
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About Anita Kapoor:
 
  Mumbai-born and Singapore-based media personality Anita Kapoor hosts the hit reality series, Can You Serve? Season 2. You can also catch her at Lonely Planet Stressbuster.  She's a TV host, emcee, writer and activist.  She supports campaigns against sex trafficking of children and violence against women.  Anita is also a strong voice and advocate for gender, elder, transient worker and race equality.