Quoting GatewaytoTR: Tips for Women Traveling in the Muslim World
By Rose Aslan, Freelance Writer
Traveling as a single woman has its advantages and benefits, but as always, there are drawbacks if one doesn’t go prepared. Various Muslim countries in the Middle East and nearby are still very conservative in their customs and traditions and foreign women should be careful to follow certain etiquette. This is not only to respect the local culture but more importantly to avoid harassment. I have heard way too many horror stories from solo women traveling in Muslim countries, so here are some tips to avoid getting into any embarrassing or even potentially dangerous situations.
1. Bring appropriate clothes
Apart from tourist resorts such as the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey, Red Sea resorts in Egypt or beach resorts of Bali, it is advisable to follow a more conservative dress code. Shorts and tank-tops are definitely a no-no, as are mini-skirts and tight clothes. While wearing a loose jacket and headscarf in places like Iran is mandatory for all female citizens and travelers, similar dress codes of a lesser scale should be observed in other Muslim countries even if there is no government imposed laws. In a country like Egypt, you will find most local women dress in clothes that cover everything except their face and hands, but you needn’t go this far. A loose long sleeve shirt (which is much more suitable for hot weather anyway) along with a flowing skirt and sandals is the best way to go. You will receive less stares and more respect from locals. Also, don’t forget to carry a headscarf at all times to wear when entering mosques and some Christian churches.
Just as an example of the importance of wearing the right clothes, once, in a famous tourist area of Cairo, I saw two Russian women sporting very short shorts and halter-tops. There must have been a hundred men staring at them in amazement, following after them as if in a parade. On the other hand, in my modest long sleeve shirt and skirt, the men hardly batted an eyelash at me.
2. Wear a wedding ring
This is a necessary step one must take to avoid men getting too close or proposing to you (before I learned this trick, I must have gotten at least twenty proposals of marriage from men in the various Middle Eastern countries I traveled to). Before setting off on your trip, conjure up a believable story about your ‘husband’. You can tell people something along the lines that your husband is waiting for you in the next town over and you are just visiting some good friends in the area. It’s always good to make sure people know that you are on your way to meeting your husband. Also, if you are traveling with a man who is not your husband, wear a wedding ring anyway and tell people you are married. Dating before marriage or even having friends of the opposite sex is looked down upon in Muslim societies.
3. Don’t get too close to men in the hotel or in the tourism business
A lot of these men are used to foreign women and like to think that they can get them to bed with a few smooth words. Of course western women are used to mixing with men in purely friendly conservations and innocent nights out, yet beware most men in Muslim countries don’t think this way. By accepting an invitation from a local man, you have just agreed to sleep with him (in his view). A simple dinner or walk by the beach may be a big deal for the man since women in his country would never think of doing this. He may even propose to you before nightfall if you are really unlucky.
4. Never make eye contact with men in the street
If you observe local women, you will not see one of them looking around at people or walking slowly, they always appear to walk briskly to an apparent goal. If you want to take a look at the surrounding scene, then sunglasses are a must so men cannot attempt to make eye contact. Eye contact is a serious move in Muslim countries, and making contact with a strange man is your invitation to some annoying comments or even worse, an unwanted stalker.
5. Set-up a makeshift door alarm in your hotel room
There are many ways to set up a fool-proof alarm in your hotel room. This is sometimes necessary for single females as hotel managers, clerks, or ordinary thieves might decide that they have the right to pay you a night visit since, after all, you look just like those foreign women in movies who sleep with any man they meet. So what you can do is push a desk or table against the door, and then place an object such as a glass on the edge of the table. If anyone attempts to open the door, they have trouble opening the door because of the table, and then the glass will fall, which will most probably scare away any potential intruder and wake you up.
6. Carry a pocket knife and pepper spray with you
It might sound a little drastic, but I always keep these in my pocket or shoulder bag at easy reach. Even though I have never had to use them, I have definitely made use of them to threaten possible potential attackers. If anyone attempts to get near you or hurt you, just pull out the pepper spray, hold your place and threaten to spray it in the person’s eyes. This has worked for me on several occasions.
7. Try to befriend local women
Local women, especially students, will often be fascinated by you, a strange looking foreigner and will try practicing their English on you. Take advantage of your female status and go into a world where most foreign men can never enter. It’s really fun to hang out with the ‘gals, you can learn a bit of the language, culture, and cooking too.
Most of all, if you learn to respect local customs and traditions, your trip could be immensely richer and more pleasant and you will return home with warm memories with not a complaint to be heard.
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now that's what i call weird, i never realised the difference is that big... makes me wonder if it's worth going there in the first place 
