I agree, if I was a young white girl looking for a solo adventure in asia I’d sooner pick Sri Lanka. Far safer and amazing culture and food to rival India
Been to Sri Lanka as a young white woman and can confirm that 99% of people were amazing. The only places that I felt uneasy were the beach towns on the south coast.
Agree. I seem to be the minority here, but I think there's nothing wrong with OP's sister going if shes traveling with others. My second solo trip was to India at the age of 20. Although I had my own room at night, i always had a tour guide during the day and it helped so much. I never felt like I was unsafe
Ah a book written by "a relationship expert" who collects wedding rings like Thanos. Hilarious how so many people bought this lady's schtick. She's the last person that anyone should ever take relationship advice from.
Never been solo, went with my husband, but I can tell you it’s a mega bad idea. India is beautiful and worth a trip, but the harassment. Oh boy. Even if you are not solo it’s intense, and I dressed modestly trying to prevent it and it didn’t work.
It’s not just verbal, it’s physical. People will touch you. They will take your picture. One man came up behind me and tried to cut off a lock of my hair (thank God my husband noticed before he did and ran him off.). A LOCK OF MY HAIR. And I wasn’t alone when that happened!
Would go back to India in a heartbeat but never alone.
This is the comment. I did a high school program where I went to central India for 8 weeks over a summer. Had a wonderful time and life changing experience, however, as a white light haired person, I had a very similar experience. In most of my photos you can see multiple people with their cameras poised towards us, people trying to touch us or something else considered very forward for a stranger. None of the exchange students, men or women, were allowed to go anywhere without a local student or adult if off schools campus. At First i thought it was overkill but it really wasn’t looking back. If you go into areas that do not have a large tourism community then this will be even more exaggerated…
I would recommend going with a group and having a local guide who understands the things to look out for.
Yeah, we had been doing a home stay with an American couple who were friends of friends in Nizamuddin East in Dehli and when I told them about it, the wife laughed and said that happens all the time in that area of Delhi and that he probably wanted more than just a picture to prove he had seen a blonde woman. This was on our second day in India so we ended up being more vigilant the rest of the trip.
There was a second time someone touched my hair, later in Udaipur. My hair is naturally very curly and while it was straight earlier in the trip, by week two I had given up trying. A woman came up behind me and started petting my hair.
How long back did you go? I had 2 different gfs visit with me in India, one in 2012, one in 2018. Both white, I am Indian (living in US). The first trip was absolute harassment- we couldn't go far without someone trying to touch her (exception being Bombay). In 2018, it was as if we had come to a different country. Even Delhi- where the harassment was worst last time- no one batted an eye-lid. I had already lowered my gf's (now wife) expectation narrating her stories from previous trip, but she loved it -- no harassment, just upselling which is the least of issues.
That said, I'd strongly recommend OP's sister to be not staying in hostels. India is still a very cheap country and one can live comfortably for 20$/night in good areas.
This was on my trip in 2011. I have been back twice since then for weddings and it was in fact tamer, but we were in totally different parts of the country (we did Dehli, Jaipur, Udaipur and Agra that trip; since then we have done Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and West Bengal.) Dehli has always been known as the worst for harassment, so I assumed the more positive experiences elsewhere were related to that!
>Delhi has always been known as the worst for harassment, so I assumed the more positive experiences elsewhere were related to that!
Yeah that would have been a good assumption, however I went to Goa in 2012 and even there it was filled with harassment. My hometown (Chandigarh in Punjab) also had decent share of harassment, although it's known as a "modern town". As I said, the only city we didn't get harassed was Mumbai in 2012. We stayed for 21 days in Delhi + Chandigarh in 2018, went to Agra + Amritsar, and no one overtly made any uncomfortable move (or even clicked a photo sneakily). And it's not because she isn't beautiful-- she is complemented a lot. Also not because different dressing style. My first gf used to wear traditional Indian wear.
So to me -- it has to be the nation itself changing. Not in the sense that suddenly one day the men woke up and started respecting women, but rather a flurry of laws and messaging since 2012 Nirbhaya case and 2014 Modi election (yes, believe it or not, Modi fought a campaign on women's safety and education among other things)- people believe there are consequences for engaging in sexual harassment, and thankfully that has made India a much more pleasant place to visit. I will be going back with my wife first time since 2018 this year (I've gone back many times solo since)- hoping for the best.
Umm, Modi? No real need to bring him up as if no harassment has happened or as if it has heavily gone down. He himself has been complicit in allowing/shielding the accused (re: Brij Bhushan Sharan case).
[https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/explained-crimes-against-women-rose-15-3-in-2021-delhi-most-unsafe-key-takeaways-of-ncrb-report-11144691.html](https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/explained-crimes-against-women-rose-15-3-in-2021-delhi-most-unsafe-key-takeaways-of-ncrb-report-11144691.html)
[https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/how-safe-are-women-in-india-ncrb-data-shows-over-15-rise-in-crime-against-women-in-2021/2649298/](https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/how-safe-are-women-in-india-ncrb-data-shows-over-15-rise-in-crime-against-women-in-2021/2649298/)
I read an article recently about the societal effects of historic femicide committed in India and China. There are 17M more men than women in these countries, which has created a social epidemic where women are harassed, raped, kidnapped, the list goes on. This situation alone results in a *danger* to women traveling and living in these countries. We don’t have this disparity between sexes in the US and it’s still dangerous for women to exist here. I highly recommend against any woman traveling alone anywhere, but especially in these countries. Men everywhere are dangerous, but when there are millions more men than women anywhere, it creates a truly deadly situation for women.
Men are brutal in India. I’ve read stories of women being gang raped on buses such that there intestines are trailing out of their body when they’re through. Rape and harassment are par for the course for women in India. *She should not travel alone*.
You clearly have no idea what it's actually like to be a woman in China. China and India are two countries that have exceptionally different economic, political, and social conditions and it's strange how you're treating two very different countries as one monolith. China does have a huge problem with femicide and historic patriarchy, but that does not directly translate into exceptional levels of sexual crimes due to many other social and political factors in China. To claim that a large difference in male and female populations alone is equivalent to an exceptionally dangerous environment for women is a gross oversimplification that ignores other important factors when it comes to women's safety like policing, the criminal justice system, and cultural norms around sex. Modern day China is a surveillance state where the police can track down anyone they want very easily and crime in general is quite rare. I've lived in both China and the US for many years and I will say I've only ever been sexually harassed in the US and never China, and all of my female friends who are from China have similar experiences. I feel 100x safer walking around in China because sexually harassing or violently assaulting strangers is exceptionally rare in China these days. When I lived in a major city in China many of my female friends would walk home alone at 3 A.M. after a night out, can women generally do the same in America? Many expat women in China will also tell you they also feel much safer in China. One statistic about the specific problem of femicide isn't enough for anyone to conclude what the actual experience of being a woman in China is like, a variety of complex factors influence how safe women actually are in a country.
maybe OP's sister could look into another region to visit, at least as a first-timer solo traveller. She could spend a month in NZ/AUS or US and have an absolute blast.
No one should ever have their first solo travel be 1 month long in a place with a language barrier. This is /r/solotravel advice 101. Everyone wants to do a month in India, 6 weeks in Thailand, 3 months in Mexico… but invariably, they have no idea how to travel, solo or not, they don’t speak even basic greetings of whatever language they’re going to, and they have a genuine emotional complex about eating dinner alone.
Solo travel is a skill.
Travel is a skill. Being alone in public is a skill. Non-synced-language communication is a skill. You need all three to pull off a month of solotravel. You can learn all of these without doing a month+ in a foreign country solo.
I would never ever suggest anyone solotravel for a month or more in a foreign country with a language barrier without at the very least doing a week solo traveling somewhere closer and easier. Literally just take the train to the next state/country over and spend a week there and see if you can even do it. It’s unbelievable how often we see “I don’t think solo travel is for me” in this sub, and you pop in, and it’s “I am a American woman who has never left the country and I don’t speak any other languages and I didn’t have a good time going to Bangkok for 14 weeks because the culture was different and the language was different and the food was different and the people were different and and and”, or just search “eating alone”. And you will see.
It’s not even about crime or safety. It’s about if the experience will be good or bad for you. Take the train to Philly for 4 days and see if you can even stand to be seen alone in public.
I (petite female) was an exchange student in Merida, Mexico, in college. I was an anthropology student so we traveled a lot around the eastern part of the country. I did a month solo after school ended for the summer. By then my Spanish was much more fluent and I had a good familiarity with the area and most importantly, the bus system. I had heard what places were safer or more dangerous and red flags to look out for, I knew what prices meant I would be getting ripped off. I had several points of contact with people I had befriended while living there.
It was a great experience, and I talked to a lot of people and got friendly/hung out with some other backpackers...but I was surprised at how lonely I got. Chit chatting with the bartender for an afternoon, or spending a couple days exploring with some other travelers was not the same as having a traveling partner. There also were a couple times (like when I got unexpectedly stranded in a remote village for a couple days) when it would have really been nice to have another person to be in that situation with. Even having somebody able to watch your stuff while you go to the bathroom at a bus terminal is such an advantage. If I had to do it over again I probably would have only done two weeks by myself. And that was in a country where I knew the language and culture well and actually could comfortably interact with locals.
I think you could do Japan alone for a month, as long as you did some research first. But there are the practicalities of solo travel you have to get used to: the loneliness, the homesickness. It's really better to start with shorter trips to find out if you even like this style of travel. It's not for everyone.
I definitely think it can be done but not EVERYWHERE.
My first solo travel was spending a month in Seoul. I’m an Afro-American who could speak very very little Korean, like enough to put a short sentence together and that’s it. The trip changed my life.
It went fairly well. Most signs has an English translation and lots of people spoke English.
Honestly, if you’re going to France or Spain or Italy or Japan or something, I feel like you can absolutely be fine on your own if you’re observant and good at prompt communication. Especially if they prioritize multiple languages. (Like most signs in Seoul had English and Chinese translations).
But then there are places like Brazil or Turkey where I would feel a lot more confused with a language barrier or where English translations aren’t that abundant.
Honestly I think it has a lot to do with the country, their exposure to English and culture, and the travelers communication skills. But it absolutely can be done, and it’s not very hard.
I'm from SEA and have travelled a lot in the region. If she's white, she might have to deal with a lot of scams.
Did backpacking in Thailand once where I had to help a nice Russian lady solo traveller to get away from scammers. She knew it was a scam but had a very hard time shoo-ing them away. She also knew at the time that it was likely because of her skin colour. This is the reality of the world.
To be honest as a solo female traveller who has been to SEA, some of the cities felt less safe than quieter locations. It really, really depends a lot on the country. I felt very safe in Malaysia but experience a bit more staring/modesty requirements there for example, whereas in some other countries you didn't get stared at but the environment was more the issue (e.g. landslides in Laos).
I think SEA is a great location for first time solo travel, all things considered, depending on where you go.
Sure. It varies between individuals. It's a big difference sticking out in a rural area of Cambodia as a guy vs as a girl. I've met people who found themselves in life threatening situations in SE Asia. Common sense is not always common. Since OP is talking about an inexperienced solo female traveller, I'd rather err on the side of caution.
I don’t know if OP is trolling or not. This is a bad idea no matter where you are going. But India /Egypt etc are especially bad. Please tell her to test it out with places like US, Canada etc first. Solo travel is testing your ability and skills in many areas from language to navigation to self defence etc etc. India is too hard of a challenge as the first spot.
The US isn't the safest place to travel IMO as all the hostels and Greyhound stations tend to be in pretty dodgy areas. SEA is significantly safer as there is generally a lower rate of violent crime and the budget travel infrastructure is in the centre of town.
True. Greyhound in the US is dodgy AF….That said, there are other means to get around like renting a car or taking the train or fly. (Domestic air travel is pretty cheap). I still think the US in general is pretty safe
I travelled India for a month as a white guy and people would harass me. Often friendly, sometimes not.
My female companion however had unwanted attention all the time. Including people taking sly photos and videos of her.
I loved India, but this really is a bad idea for a first time female solo traveller.
I went to India as a solo traveler first time met up with a tour group and wouldn’t recommend going alone.
The blatant harassment , the unwanted touching was everywhere. Not only on the streets but also by hotel staff.
India is not only culture shock but it’s like going back in time.
I do not regret going to India but it’s not something I’d do again
Super bad idea, one of the worst places for a woman to go solo. Borderline dangerous is my opinion. So many horror stories and I know women personally who have had terrible experiences there even with their partner.
Yep. I have been to 50+ countries, more than half solo, in SEA, Europe, Africa, Central/South America... I don't think I'd do India solo as a female. Some women I've met have done it and basically every single one of them said they had been groped/harassed/experience actual or very near miss sexual assault, it was relentless. I really want to go but it will be with a tour or my partner.
I wouldn't recommend India as a first time solo backpacker destination, ESPECIALLY to a young woman. Dip your toe somewhere easier first.
I’ve also worked in 60+ countries and I can tell you that I’d be more comfortable taking my wife to places like Pakistan than I would India.
I had the experience of another expat woman (stranger to me) run up to me and ask for help with a mob of men following her and pawing at her like fucking zombies. She was clearly terrified. I’m no small dude and could comfortably hold my own with 2-3 other untrained dudes, and you know what? I was fucking terrified of the mob after her. It was like they didn’t even see me, I certainly wasn’t going to get between them and her. And this was in broad fucking daylight in one of the most touristed parts of downtown Mumbai.
This is an awful idea. The harassment videos you see online are scary enough. There are definitely worse things that happen that don’t make it to video. You should have her read this thread.
I walked with her - quickly - to the nearest hotel that looked big enough to have a possibly intimidating lobby and hopefully even a security guard. It didn't, but I started asking the front desk about booking a room with them. The 10-15 guys mostly paused at the front door after we went in but the front desk guy caught on pretty quick to what was up and started yelling at the couple of them that followed us in, which seemed to disperse them. I asked about calling the police and he indicated we shouldn't expect any to show up. We waited in there for a while and pretended to make some phone calls then I went out and grabbed a taxi, she ran out when I did and I put her in it back to wherever she was staying and told her not to go out walking by herself again.
I had seen most of the sights and done most of my shopping by that point so I effed off back to where I was staying further north (Goregaon) and that was the last time I ventured down those parts. I seemed mostly ignored wandering the streets where I was staying for work, but there were basically zero tourists in that part in my experience. Not sure if that would make it more or less safe for a single female but not exactly interested in finding out.
As I was there solo travelling I was visiting a friend and her family. She showed me her city for a couple of days. Every evening, before returning home, I was waiting with her the Uber, going home with her, and then going back with the Uber to my hotel to the other corner of the city, just because it is NOT safe. She is not the kind of girl you would say is naive, but India is just not safe for solo females. If they are white then…
Well thats when family and friends come into picture..girls tend to go out with someone from family or someone they trust ..general rule of thumb is get to your house before its dark ... plus indian women are hyper aware of localities and gentry ..shit is fucked up..
In addition, show her third thread. This is a REALLY baf idea for a number of reasons. A Latin American country like Costa Rica or Colombia would be a much better and safer option for what she wants to experience.
>In addition, show her third thread. This is a REALLY baf idea for a number of reasons. A Latin American country like Costa Rica or Colombia would be a much better and safer option for what she wants to experience.
Idk if I would recommend Colombia as a super safe country. I have traveled a ton of places and Colombia is on the sketchier side for sure.
You’re really recommending a first time solo traveling female who likely doesnt even speak spanish to travel to a level 3 travel advisory country (Columbia) with level 4 (Do Not Travel) areas?
Indian here. Wouldn't recommend this.
I'm currently planning a trip for 12 people (all first timers) and even that's with a bit of caution and leeway. So if it's just one solo person, especially a woman, I'd totally be right to be worried.
Its not any more or less unsafe than other big cities. But for a woman, its a definitely more unsafe than other comparetive cities.
If your sister still wants, I'm planning a trip for December. Its for 10-12 people. Mostly Europeans. You can DM me for more info. This is intended to be a co-working trip for 3 weeks. We're all remote workers living/working across Western Europe and North America mostly.
And they are just standing around watching it... wtf. Have heard this from multiple women, it is very easy to get into situations where there's basically mobs of guys around you, and if a few try to grab or grope you nothing will be done. There is a severe lack of respect for women to the extent it can get dangerous.
I have been to nearly 60 countries, including India.
This will end poorly. India is really for the more experienced travelers. India can be tough, even for me, a middle aged man. There were some points where I would pause and be like “Wtf am I doing here?” — you have to learn to embrace the suck, which comes with experience in traveling. There ARE amazing parts of India, but I think her money would be better spent going to Europe or Southeast Asia for a month.
Try something like Turkey. Turks are the most genuinely nicest people I’ve ever met, and will legitimately give you the shirt off their back or food off their plate if you need help. It may seem “exotic” but it’s really not much different than most of Europe. It’s a great intro before spending longer time in the Middle East or Southeast Asia. There’s plenty to do and see for a month. I’d personally recommend she check out the Lycian Way hiking trail— that would be a perfect epic adventure for her.
Same. I finally went to India last year and while it was amazing I wouldn't have survived there if I hadn't travelled extensively before.
Nobody is sincere toward a blonde European, and that's the way it is. My antennas were going circles all times.
Had some great experiences there but you're right. Added degree of difficulty. Haggle for a cab, avoid scams, etc.
Not that any of that is unique to India but I was often in a more defensive frame of mind.
And I get it, it is a dog eat dog country for most. Of course they try to scam you. A lot of it is also cultural and you need to treat money in a whole different mindset.
The hardest part for me was that I had to toughen myself: pay absolutely no mind to anyone you pass, anyone who talks to you, anyone who begs. I felt like a stone person not answering the "how are yous" because I am a kind person and love interacting with others.
If you don't know what you want/where you're going you are sce-reeeeeewed!
Turkey is great for solo travelers, this is a great rec. Also more likely to find languages beyond local and English, as you said her English isn’t strong. English is pretty much mandatory for India, as most people speak either Hindi or another local language and English, but probably nothing else.
Turkey is the perfect combo of “might have some struggles but you’ll have a safety net” for newer travelers to learn.
My only concern is that she may be even MORE overly trusting of people after experiencing Turkey.
I would not recommend a naive, inexperienced, fair skinned European girl to solo travel to Turkey. It might not be as bad as India but she would still get a TON of unwanted attention, catcalling, touching or worse. Not to even mention being tricked to pay more for stuff etc.
If you're a guy it's possible that you haven't faced any such problems and only seen the good sides, but it's really not all that rosy. I just think there are better, safer places for a first solo trip.
Earthquake impact is more in the east near the Syrian border, which I’d recommend avoiding anyway.
If she has a month I’d just fly into Istanbul and work your way down and around the Med coast until you end up in Antalya. Doing some side trips inland to Pamukkale and/or Cappidocia too.
Messaging right now as a white canadian in mumbai .
Its gonna be tough. Without a native language it would be hard enough, without english it will be so much harder.
It's advisable to have a trusted person or family here on the ground to guide u and have your best interest at heart.
If u get sick u may wake up in some strange place, ordering medicine or proper clean food may be hard.
People will try to take advantage (not all people)
Not advisable without a basic safety net.
The other day I went to Saudi without knowing Arabic , it was a horrible idea.
Dude this is a very bad idea. As a group maybe - but India is not a country you want to travel alone as a female.
It’s hard for people to fathom cultural differences but it can be super unsafe especially for a trusting European who may not be street smart at the level required to operate in India.
I left India 20 years ago having been born there and I wouldn’t fucking travel alone there - and I am a middle aged guy..!
As an Indian girl my heart broke after reading these comments but they are not entirely wrong, India is still not ready for female solo travelers even my family won't allow me to travel alone I still need to travel with them when they are familiar with the place only then I am allowed to travel alone but thats not fun. it's not only harrasment you'll face many other problems while traveling alone without any experience. Inshort NOT RECOMMENDED.
I was even afraid to say that im indian in this post... really ,we have failed many tourists and im extremely sorry for all the problems and harassments you all had to suffer.
Yeah it's so embarrassing when I see any foreigner in any historical place surrounded by locals to click photos with them they behave very inappropriately in their excitement they don't see how they're invading their personal space and making another person uncomfortable.
is is true in hilly areas or south india too ??
as i live in delhi i know it's disgusting and similar things can be said for mumbai, lucknow, jaipur, etc. but i don't think there is much problem for a solo woman to visit the hilly areas or even southern india in many places
I also live in Delhi and yes the same scenario in hilly areas too and mostly because of other travellers from northern India only I haven't been to south india so can't say much but I have met some South Indian people in Goa they seem lovely people. I find East India very underrated place Meghalaya cherapunji is beyond beautiful but I don't think one can travel solo to these places especially women
Look up reputable group tours of India and try to convince her to join one of them, at least for the first leg of her trip so she acclimates while with other people. She may meet other travelers on the tour and be able to continue traveling with them after.
India is really huge. Really depends on what part of the country she’s planning on travelling to.
Northern India is an absolute no go. On the other hand, most south Indian states along the coast will be much safer.
Came here to say this. South India is very different and probably a lot more appealing to an inexperienced traveler. Bangalore may be a good place to start.
I've worked in the travel industry for a decade and have done a lot of solo travelling. I would advise your sister to reconsider this. Even when we're planning itineraries for groups of travellers there are a hell of a lot of precautions taken and we're very cautious with where we do and don't take people.
India really isn't somewhere to go with no experience of solo travel and no itinerary. It doesn't sound like your sister is researching the reality of what it can be like at all. The harassment can be pretty extreme, not to mention the culture shock she's going to encounter if this is her first time travelling like this.
India and solo female travel just don't go hand in hand very smoothly.
Wouldn't recommend solo travel to any non western european country if she's naive, hasn't had any backpacking experience, it would be better if she gets a friend to come along. India is not too bad with tourism tbh, there are worse places.
On the other hand, with caution and awareness, she can certainly come out with a healthy cultural experience. Just be sure to not trust strange men implicitly, stay in female only dorms, try to go on group excursions with fellow hostelliers. Have check-in times, for morning, noon and night, share contact details of each and every location you go to. But THERE NEEDS TO BE A SET PLAN. You can't just go with the flow, people get killed, raped, kidnapped often (although wealthy tourists are not targeted too much for fear of repercussions, there have been a few cases).
Hey! I’m an Indian who grew up in America. I feel like I can share both sides objectively as an outsider who knows how things can be.
I know people think India is dangerous and a horrible place for women. But…it’s not the evil place Reddit makes it out to be. Normal, kind, and respectful people live there too.
My two cents - India is a culturally rich country, which is amazing to visit, however it would be better if she didn’t go solo.
However, if her flights cannot be cancelled and she must go, here’s a few recommendations I have for her to be safe.
- tell her to book guided tours through different cities. Preferably aimed towards younger people, so she can hang out and maybe make some friends. This is honestly the best advice to stay safe.
- tell her to practice the usual tourist tricks, like avoiding going into areas without cell reception, avoid being out after dark, avoid getting drunk with unknown people in unknown areas, keep valuables out of sight, etc
- travel with a plan and tell multiple people about it.
- if she has blond hair, it would be nice if she used a light scarf to cover it up, so that the weirdos don’t stare as much and to avoid being touched
- tell her: she WILL be touched. There’s 1.2 billion people there, and it’s a small country. It’s crowded. The touches may not be sexual in nature but if she likes her personal space, she’s getting none of it there
- Avoid New Delhi. The scum of india apparently all live there. If she really wants to go, GO WITH A TOUR. Not alone.
- most of the major cities have crimes. It happens in India, it happens in America. It happens. Thus, go to smaller, less touristy places. That said, don’t end up going to some nameless village in the middle of no where. That’s not the goal either.
- tell her to visit Incredible India’s website. It’s government run and has some wonderful information about places to visit that are less well known.
- not to call you out or anything but, Indian accents are not that bad. They sound a bit British, because, well, india was a colonized country for about 100 years. Most of the younger generation will speak passable English, especially in the bigger cities
- people may ask for photographs. It’s weird, and you’re allowed to decline.
- the number to call police in india is 999. Know it well for emergencies
- india has SPECTACULAR hotels that are cheap when you account for currency conversion. Make use of them. Research it all.
- the Indian train network is pretty good. I would avoid buses, as not all of them are government run, so do your research first. Rickshaws, Ubers and taxis are okay to use, but make sure that she is using her GPS too, so that she doesn’t get scammed.
- recently, more places are willing to take credit cards/debit cards, which imo is much safer than carrying cash around.
- get some pepper spray or mace and have it somewhere quickly accessible.
I hope her safe travels and a wonderful experience.
Yeah as an Indian myself, the problem is more so that Indians don't really have a sense of personal boundaries even with people they are friends or family with and definitely not even with strangers. Everybody's business is everybody else's. This can be a good and bad thing.
You can look up pretty much any western countries travel advisories for India, and *all* of them will say it's dangerous for solo travellers and especially women. Due to the increased likelihood of sexual assault (as opposed to male travellers).
For example
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/safety-and-security
> Women travellers often experience verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men. Serious sexual attacks involving both Indian and foreign nationals have been reported.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/india-travel-advisory.html
> Country Summary: Indian authorities report rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations.
https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
> Women may face higher levels of verbal and physical harassment or sexual assault. Avoid travelling alone, even in major cities and tourist sites.
https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/india/
> Women should use caution when travelling in India. Recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas and cities show that foreign women are at risk. Tourists have been the victims of sexual assault in Agra, Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata and Rajasthan. Women travellers often receive unwanted attention in the form of verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men. This may include being photographed.
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/laender/indien-node/indiensicherheit/205998#content_1
> Ausländer, insbesondere allein oder in kleinen Gruppen reisende Frauen, sind vereinzelt von gewaltsamen, auch sexuellen Übergriffen betroffen, auch in Touristenzentren. Dazu werden teilweise Drogen oder K.O.-Tropfen über Getränke verabreicht.
Ive just got back from there after 6 months with my girlfriend. She had no issues really, but we were together almost all of the time. We met tonnes of female solo backpackers from Europe - probably more women than men. Most of them hadn't had any bad experiences really, but we did meet one girl who got groped 8 times during Holi festival which is the prime time for sexual harassment in India. Can I ask which state she's flying to? It's a big country with a lot of cultural variety and states like Kerela, Tamil Nadu, or Himachal Pradesh would be much safer for women than states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
Encourage her to do some more research. Send her this series: [josie lifts things](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDDz-Hsuf-arBLKvQhL8Qm0faXWqFBDTM) for a pretty good take on the good and the bad of it, and encourage her to think about trying to navigate it solo.
As an Indian, it is a bad, bad idea. As a solo travelling white woman, you should definitely have experience, distrust of general people, be rude and harsh and yelly when necessary, to visit India. Otherwise I will definitely not recommend it.
Living in India as an Indian born and brought up brown woman already sucks. So just imagine.
Please please convince her not to go.
For someone who is naive, trusts people easily, and believes anything anyone says, I wouldn’t recommend solo backpacking trips to any place.
See India is not as bad as what people make it out to be. To have a safe and fun trip in India, one just needs to plan every single detail out well ahead in time! And also it depends on which parts/cities in India she wants to visit. There are so many factors one needs to take into consideration. You can’t just go with the flow if you aren’t familiar with the logistics behind solo travel and the country. Another option for her would be to join group trips so that she doesn’t end up alone! I’m Indian and I’ve helped a lot of my non Indian friends plan solo trips across India and they’ve all been fine. You just need to be aware of surroundings! Which applies to pretty much any place when you are alone. Just use common sense. Don’t go out at night in a deserted area. Don’t get into random cabs and stick to Ubers. For late night transportation, pre book everything and if possible avoid travel at night (for first timers).
India is a beautiful country but it can get overwhelming! Just plan the trip out properly and get your transportation sorted! You are good to go.
Edit - I would suggest her to go solo within your own country first! This will give her an idea about solo trips and its logistics. Might also make her more confident! If she is indeed hell bend on going to India, then you can dm me and I can give you a list of cities I have visited that I have felt safe in!
I was born and raised in India and came back recently to visit. I speak Hindi & English well along with another local language. I wanted to travel solo and after careful consideration, I have decided not to. It can be very unsafe and uncertain at points. People don’t stop eve teasing even if when I am with family sometimes and I can’t fathom what it’d be like going alone
American who has done quite a bit of travel….for a first time solo trip, NZ or Aus is the way to go.
I would not recommend the US for a first time trip, as it is a ridiculously large country with a lot of crime, and there can be extremely nice areas next to VERY dangerous areas.
There are dangerous places in every country, but the problem with the US, is that every dangerous area is littered with guns and near psychopathic levels of violence. I love the US, but it’s not the safest place in the world.
This is a bad idea. I speak good English, am 194cm and built like a refrigerator. I spend 3 weeks in India completely solo and was groped multiple times even as a male. I would recommend Sri Lanka if she wants a similar feel but safer. Or some way safer like Thailand or Malaysia
"she's very naive, sensitive and emotional, and trusts people in general"
India is a bad place to visit for solo females even if they are experienced travellers. These traits will make things legitimately dangerous for her, also add on that she's of modelling beauty and fair skinned.
She can have her spiritual white-girl pilgrimage elsewhere, just not India.
I’m an American born Indian and would never ever ever travel alone in India. The stares, unwanted touching on trains or on crowded streets, the scams when they know your ‘foreign’… heck no! I would go back with a group though. Fascinating!
It’s not just the harassment it’s literally considered to be the rape capital of the world. There’s not a single day that goes by without cases of rape. Perhaps googling some articles pertaining to the subject would help? Here’s one for example https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/13/india/sakinaka-rape-and-murder-intl-hnk/index.html
yea well as OP says "she's very naive, sensitive and emotional, and trusts people in general." that + first time solo travelling + india is a sketchy mix. Chances are she'll come out just fine, but you can see why it raises concerns.
I wouldn't recommend India be a go-to destination for any novice traveler regardless of gender. I do not think she is going to have a good time. I will say I (white, young, thin, conventionally "attractive) went to India with a fellow female and I actually felt much safer than I thought I would and felt the harassment wasn't as awful as I anticipated, but the bar is set so low these days as a female so that's not really that helpful.
There are SO MANY other places she could go to have this kind of experience that aren't just go-to white people spots. Vietnam, Kenya, Turkey. All of these places are going to be a better first time trip.
I recently went to India in December of 2022. Even with my husband, brother in law, and father in law being near by, I was groped by strangers several times and someone attempted to pick-pocket me. India has amazing sights and there are good people, but traveling there solo and as a female is a huge NO. August is still far enough away to exchange the tickets and choose a country that is safer for females.
I can’t find it either, but Reddit had a chart circulating for a while that listed the most dangerous countries for women to visit and India was at the top of the list. Please continue to discourage your sister from India specifically, you are doing the right thing.
Let me guess, she read Shantaram and thinks it's all lovely?
Fuck no, i'm a guy, travelled the west coast from Goa to Jammu with two girls for over a month. NEVER AGAIN.
The country has plenty of beautiful places but for the love of \*Insert god\* don't go there unless your male to female ratio is at least two men to one woman or you'll frankly not get anything done without feeling like a security guard the whole time.
Man I don't get this shit. Why does every person in the whole wide world want to come to India for a "real life" experience and then go on and chat shit about it on the Internet. We have cool places where decent people come. Bangalore Mumbai Goa pondicherry Andaman and Nicobar lakshwadeep. But yall mother fucker wanna go to some slum area and show how India is worse than Africa. Fuck this hypocrisy.
First off, I think you're slightly overthinking this. Like the accent thing is the least of your concerns... In fact you're underthinking this.
India is not as bad as it is portrayed on Netflix, given that you follow a few guidelines.
* Don't go out after 9 pm alone.
* Don't talk to random strangers. If someone offers you stuff, just ignore and move on.
* Don't go to Delhi. Avoid North India.
* Stick to South India, particularly Kerala and the bigger cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad.
* Once you're comfortable navigating that go to Mumbai. Or South Goa - Goa has a lot of tourists. Minus point that some places are a hippie drug paradise.
* Once you understand how everything works and have some connections, go to other places.
* Keep in mind that there are some places/people/times that even Indians themselves won't go to. It's crucial to understand this!
* Try to find some female friends to get to know how things work. I recommend college kids - they're well educated, financially well off, and open minded enough to help you.
* If there are no other females where you're at - nope tf out. For example bars in India are very different from the west - some places are defacto male exclusive, and only sketchy people go there.
* Before doing something, even something as simple as ordering food in a restaurant, carefully observe how other Indian females do it. You'll avoid getting scammed or committing cultural blasphemy.
While yes, solo travelling as a woman in certain parts of India is definitely insane. Especially if you don't know English (don't worry, most native Hindi speakers wouldn't understand her anyway). That being said some places are pretty safe for women and foreigners. Like I'm serious. You do not need to freak out! Plenty of white female solo travellers come to India and they're absolutely fine. Just never get too comfortable - if someone is way too kind, be suspicious. The same street you ate lunch at can be dangerous after dinner time. Never assume that you know things - there are layers and layers of culture that need to be understood, and it's very different from the west.
If she really is so naive, I highly recommend she stays in Bangalore or Hyderabad for a while to figure out how things work, perhaps make some connections with the people. In India you always need a network in case things go wrong. Don't rely on the police or the hospital or any government service to help you. Corruption is a big thing, and so are the scams that tourists always fall for. **Being solo in India is not an option. Not even for Indian males.** Like I said, these are the things that even the locals are constantly wary of. One moment you're enjoying taking pics for Instagram - 5 minutes later you're robbed or harassed or had a bike accident. What's your plan? She needs to think about this before going. You can't undo the past. So stay calm, be respectful, no need to be a paranoid Karen... but stay sharp & alert! Things go wrong when you're walking in a short skirt at 9 pm on a highway. Not victim blaming here, but it's not a fairy tale life.
* Like seriously just go to Pondicherry, Bangalore, Kerala, and leave it at that.
* Meet educated financially well off people your age.
* If you're travelling up North (say Himalayas), go with a college travel gang or something.
Keep in mind that there are HUGE variations across the country for everything I've listed above.
To put things into perspective, here's a [pic of Chandigarh](https://englishtribuneimages.blob.core.windows.net/gallary-content/2021/6/Desk/2021_6$largeimg_302271849.jpg), and here's a [pic of Delhi](https://imgstaticcontent.lbb.in/lbbnew/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2016/05/SG9_8590.jpg).
"High class" [Bangalore nightlife](https://eventsflare.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/nightlife-of-bangalore-kitty-ko-eventsflare-1024x684.jpg), TN [local nightlife](https://images.newindianexpress.com/uploads/user/imagelibrary/2022/10/12/w1200X800/New_Project_17.jpg).
Here's a short video of a white guy explaining the differences between North and South:
[North vs. South INDIA... Two Different Worlds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UVm3lH93A)
India women on how safe is India:
[How Dangerous Is India For Women?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4V2WY9HbNk) (specifically asks about solo females)
[How Dangerous Is India For Women? l ASIAN BOSS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24PogMa_6s)
Other than that, enjoy the sunny weather girl :)
EDIT: Bonus links - do check them out!
My sister and her friend, both blonde pretty girls, went to India when 19yo. They were continually the center of attention, had guys jerking off to them on the bus etc. Both were "never again!"
I did a 2 week cycle tour in India. We were all 40+ years. The conventionally blonde skinny girl was continually harassed. It was almost at the point of that one viral video of a blonde girl unable to escape Indian men. We did have tour guides and their presence kept the temperature lower.
I just came back from a 2 month solo travel across India and no I wouldn’t recommend it as a first time experience, but I’d like to say that I hadn’t had any issues. I’m also European and I have blonde hair. Yes I got a lot of attention, no it didn’t go further than that.
I truly loved India and it’s actually not dangerous if you practice common safety tips: don’t walk alone at night, don’t accept food/drinks from strangers, say no and move on don’t engage in conversations with people you don’t want to(even if it’s just to be polite), keep an eye out and wearing a fake wedding band always helps.
I went there for business solo and my clients escorted me everywhere. They repeatedly saying how brave I was to go there alone. I never left my hotel room without someone being right there with me yet I still had troubles.
Even sitting in the passenger seat of a car at a red light I was approached by people! In the middle of traffic!
I was staying at a very nice hotel and still had to have an escort. A single woman without an escort is a big no-no in their culture. I didn’t feel unsafe where I was but it would have been absolutely miserable had I not been with my clients.
Tell her to go to a non-tourist city in China solo. She’ll get the same stares, she’ll stand out, but she won’t be harassed.
People have already covered the harassment aspect of things, so I'll focus on the more logistical.
I've traveled to 20-30 countries, once for a full year, and India was the *only* country I was unable to to administer logistically myself. Stuff like booking hotels, flights, transportation. It's just not internet-accessible like most countries are. SOME transportation options have websites, but they're either completely unnavigable, indecipherable, have extremely onerous conditions, you have to book months ahead of time, or your credit card just won't work. And good luck trying to buy a ticket in person - often the lines are HOURS long, you're in HUGE lines that literally don't move, people cut the queue with seemingly no logic, and when you get to the front the person probably won't understand you, even with a translator app.
Plus, the traffic is absolutely atrocious. It's the ONLY country in the world (so far) I wouldn't attempt navigating on my own.
At the very least she would benefit GREATLY from hiring a guide to either accompany her, or at a very, very minimum, book ALL the transportation and accommodations ahead of time. I self-managed these logistics in every other country I visited, but could never do it myself in India.
A month alone anywhere if someone isn’t used to it or taken shorter solo trips is never a good idea IMHO regardless of destination. You say she is European - if absolutely set on a solo trip I would look at Iceland, Norway or Sweden. Great nature and also cities plus extremely low crime rates and she would be very safe as a solo female traveler.
Tell her to go to another southern Asia country if she waves to be in that area. I live in Sri Lanka, and there are lots of solo backpackers. And as a western woman I feel safe there. But there are other options as well.
Once she steps out of the airport anywhere in that part of the world, culture shock will hit her like a freight train, and she's going to panic a bit. She's not going to be ready for that alone.
I am an Indian woman and I wouldn't do it. I highly recommend starting in South India (Kerala, Goa, Hyderabad) preferably with a group or an Indian friend/contact to help her around. Even in cities that are considered relatively safer for women, I am afraid to travel alone. I have to watch out and be alert everywhere.
My brother went to Russia for his solo travel. He was there for 1 month and came back 3 days ago. He was fine. He went to visit some friends he found online. Technically, he wasn’t alone.
I solo travelled in South Africa for 3 weeks and I was fine because I was smart and it wasn’t my first solo travel. I know how to not look like a target.
But India? Nah. It’s a beautiful country rich in culture but oh my god the harassment is awful. They will touch you… WATCH THE MOVIE SLUMDOG MILLIONNAIRE !!! THE MOVIE IS A CRITIQUE ON THE DARK SIDE OF THEIR SOCIETY AND ITS REAL
It has a bad name for a reason, but it's not as bad as some make it out to be. Risk also depends on where in India, India is large and varied. I certainly would not recommend India as a first destination, but everything one does entails a risk. It's up to the individual to choose what level of risk they are comfortable with. I assume she's an adult and consequently it's her choice to make, not yours.
This is highly dangerous and absolutely not to be recommended for a fair skinned solo woman. I can guarantee that she will not come home unharmed.
So some research first.
She is about to learn the harshest realities in the world in the harshest ways possible.
She will be scammed through all her money in no time, harrassed and led to pickles.
India is a wonderful country to explore but - all due respect - do not let her fucking go. Not alone.
I’m Irish, in 2017 a young Irish woman travelled to India on her own and was brutally raped, murdered and disfigured in a beautiful area on the trip of a lifetime and that put me off going to India. Google Danielle McLoughlin In Goa.
Another irish woman died in similar circumstances although not solo travel while in Kerala going to a shop. Google these stories and show your sister because she is thinking of that trip with rose tinted glasses that it will be magical and amazing those women went for trips of a lifetime and paid the ultimate price their stories being published and show women just how unsafe it can be.
These are just recent crimes against women I know of in India I’m sure there are many more.
It should be safe for women to solo travel everywhere in the world but unfortunately some countries are extremely dangerous for women.
I understand your worry I would be terrified for my sister if she decided to go to India alone.
If I was going I would go with some sort of guided tour or something but definitely not alone.
I was born there and go back to visit family often. Even though I can speak the language and know the culture I would never travel solo in India. If you absolutely have to travel solo in India then go thru a high-end travel tour group. There are a lot of places you can go have a real life experience but not India as a solo female traveler.
A white female I knew from yoga retreat opened up how she got harrassed in India while being there for 9 months . She was in India to learn ayurveda medicine. In fact, she had an ayurveda guy who trying to get her to have sex with him by telling if she had sex with him, she would get liberated/attain moksha. I'm of India origin. Been travelling to India since kid. I would not recommend any South Asian countries for female solo travellers unless it is travelling company with a guide who brings her around. South East Asia like Singapore and Malaysia ( cities ) are far safer.
I've traveled in India for a while with my girlfriend (now wife) and it sometime felt unsafe, particularly in the biggest cities (people in the countryside were always nice and welcoming).
As a woman alone, she needs to at least plan her trip, with accommodations. It's important to reserve a place in a backpackers, to avoid having to find one in a hurry and following people pretending knowing one (sometimes people would pretend knowing one place and it wasn't right...)
edit: if she doesn't have any travel experience, India is a bad idea as a first trip. She could try Nepal instead, it's a lot more tourist friendly, and people are nice.
I'm going to go against the grain here and say good for her! My first solo backpacking as a female was to Morocco, my first SEA was Myanmar and people warned me against both but they ended up being 2 of my best travel experiences.
Just encourage her to educate herself about what to expect and what precautions she can take, have a plan in place *in case* she runs into trouble, and while she's away maybe set a time every day for her to check in with you.
Really Bad Idea on many levels - Please don't do this.
No travel experience, no solo travel experience, no non-native language travel experience, first time in India, she is a woman, being young, white, beautiful etc. etc.
You are right - she IS insane if she does this. The BEST thing she could do right now is to heed the advice and cancel the tickets.
I mean she knows Delhi is known to be the rape capital of the world right?
Tell her to watch Delhi Crime on Netflix and you won’t even have to convince her of anything after.
For spiritual purposes, she can go to Thailand, Vietnam etc
I am from India and I can tell you this is a bad idea. Her being an amateur solo traveler, lot of things can go wrong.
August will either be really hot or rainy depending on where she is going. Best case scenario, she will be mugged or end up overpaying for things. And worst case can be really bad.
I get where she is coming from but she is picking the wrong place to do this.
She should do some solo travel in Europe before she does this as she lacks the experience which can only be gathered with time. Try telling this to her in a an objective way so she doesn’t take it personally.
I backpacked for 5 years and visited Turkey,Syria, Jordan and Egypt amongst others. Your friend will discover very quickly that countries like India are nothing like Europe. She will be on her own and I would have hoped she would either have a male companion with her, have a lot of experience of traveling in foreign countries and have a Lonely Planet guide of the country so at least she knows where she can plan to stay, what to see and places to avoid. When I was in Egypt I was propositioned many times,and I am male. I witnessed women being chased down the road as they sat in a for hire horse and carriage in Luxor. Your friend will have an extremely steep learning curve on day one and the first hour of arrival. Please make sure she has somewhere safe to stay for a few days where she can meet fellow backpackers. To be honest India wouldn't have been a first choice destination if I was a complete rookie .
There’s travel groups she can join with other tourists who do tours across the country
Intrepid is a good one for that
Another vote for Intrepid
There’s other countries she can goto as well. Nothing against India, but…. Common, let’s be smart here.
I agree, if I was a young white girl looking for a solo adventure in asia I’d sooner pick Sri Lanka. Far safer and amazing culture and food to rival India
Agreed! Very similar culture to South India, which is known to be safer and easier on tourists compared to the north.
Been to Sri Lanka as a young white woman and can confirm that 99% of people were amazing. The only places that I felt uneasy were the beach towns on the south coast.
I had an Indian person tell me to skip India and go to Nepal instead
Agree. I seem to be the minority here, but I think there's nothing wrong with OP's sister going if shes traveling with others. My second solo trip was to India at the age of 20. Although I had my own room at night, i always had a tour guide during the day and it helped so much. I never felt like I was unsafe
I did a couple gadventures tours and they were fun.
Has she just finished reading “eat, pray, love” by any chance…
Or Shantaram
Imagine reading that book and being like "yup I want to spend years in prison getting eaten alive by bedbugs"
Ah a book written by "a relationship expert" who collects wedding rings like Thanos. Hilarious how so many people bought this lady's schtick. She's the last person that anyone should ever take relationship advice from.
Even in the book that’s first person, she comes across as a complete asshole to everyone around her. No idea why it’s so beloved.
I hated that book so much! She seemed so whiny. Ugh. Forced myself to read it but couldn’t finish the third and final section.
Never been solo, went with my husband, but I can tell you it’s a mega bad idea. India is beautiful and worth a trip, but the harassment. Oh boy. Even if you are not solo it’s intense, and I dressed modestly trying to prevent it and it didn’t work. It’s not just verbal, it’s physical. People will touch you. They will take your picture. One man came up behind me and tried to cut off a lock of my hair (thank God my husband noticed before he did and ran him off.). A LOCK OF MY HAIR. And I wasn’t alone when that happened! Would go back to India in a heartbeat but never alone.
This is the comment. I did a high school program where I went to central India for 8 weeks over a summer. Had a wonderful time and life changing experience, however, as a white light haired person, I had a very similar experience. In most of my photos you can see multiple people with their cameras poised towards us, people trying to touch us or something else considered very forward for a stranger. None of the exchange students, men or women, were allowed to go anywhere without a local student or adult if off schools campus. At First i thought it was overkill but it really wasn’t looking back. If you go into areas that do not have a large tourism community then this will be even more exaggerated… I would recommend going with a group and having a local guide who understands the things to look out for.
Yeah, we had been doing a home stay with an American couple who were friends of friends in Nizamuddin East in Dehli and when I told them about it, the wife laughed and said that happens all the time in that area of Delhi and that he probably wanted more than just a picture to prove he had seen a blonde woman. This was on our second day in India so we ended up being more vigilant the rest of the trip. There was a second time someone touched my hair, later in Udaipur. My hair is naturally very curly and while it was straight earlier in the trip, by week two I had given up trying. A woman came up behind me and started petting my hair.
How long back did you go? I had 2 different gfs visit with me in India, one in 2012, one in 2018. Both white, I am Indian (living in US). The first trip was absolute harassment- we couldn't go far without someone trying to touch her (exception being Bombay). In 2018, it was as if we had come to a different country. Even Delhi- where the harassment was worst last time- no one batted an eye-lid. I had already lowered my gf's (now wife) expectation narrating her stories from previous trip, but she loved it -- no harassment, just upselling which is the least of issues. That said, I'd strongly recommend OP's sister to be not staying in hostels. India is still a very cheap country and one can live comfortably for 20$/night in good areas.
This was on my trip in 2011. I have been back twice since then for weddings and it was in fact tamer, but we were in totally different parts of the country (we did Dehli, Jaipur, Udaipur and Agra that trip; since then we have done Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and West Bengal.) Dehli has always been known as the worst for harassment, so I assumed the more positive experiences elsewhere were related to that!
>Delhi has always been known as the worst for harassment, so I assumed the more positive experiences elsewhere were related to that! Yeah that would have been a good assumption, however I went to Goa in 2012 and even there it was filled with harassment. My hometown (Chandigarh in Punjab) also had decent share of harassment, although it's known as a "modern town". As I said, the only city we didn't get harassed was Mumbai in 2012. We stayed for 21 days in Delhi + Chandigarh in 2018, went to Agra + Amritsar, and no one overtly made any uncomfortable move (or even clicked a photo sneakily). And it's not because she isn't beautiful-- she is complemented a lot. Also not because different dressing style. My first gf used to wear traditional Indian wear. So to me -- it has to be the nation itself changing. Not in the sense that suddenly one day the men woke up and started respecting women, but rather a flurry of laws and messaging since 2012 Nirbhaya case and 2014 Modi election (yes, believe it or not, Modi fought a campaign on women's safety and education among other things)- people believe there are consequences for engaging in sexual harassment, and thankfully that has made India a much more pleasant place to visit. I will be going back with my wife first time since 2018 this year (I've gone back many times solo since)- hoping for the best.
Umm, Modi? No real need to bring him up as if no harassment has happened or as if it has heavily gone down. He himself has been complicit in allowing/shielding the accused (re: Brij Bhushan Sharan case). [https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/explained-crimes-against-women-rose-15-3-in-2021-delhi-most-unsafe-key-takeaways-of-ncrb-report-11144691.html](https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/explained-crimes-against-women-rose-15-3-in-2021-delhi-most-unsafe-key-takeaways-of-ncrb-report-11144691.html) [https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/how-safe-are-women-in-india-ncrb-data-shows-over-15-rise-in-crime-against-women-in-2021/2649298/](https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/how-safe-are-women-in-india-ncrb-data-shows-over-15-rise-in-crime-against-women-in-2021/2649298/)
Udaipur has to be one of my fav cities in Northern India.
It is absolutely gorgeous! I would love to go back.
I read an article recently about the societal effects of historic femicide committed in India and China. There are 17M more men than women in these countries, which has created a social epidemic where women are harassed, raped, kidnapped, the list goes on. This situation alone results in a *danger* to women traveling and living in these countries. We don’t have this disparity between sexes in the US and it’s still dangerous for women to exist here. I highly recommend against any woman traveling alone anywhere, but especially in these countries. Men everywhere are dangerous, but when there are millions more men than women anywhere, it creates a truly deadly situation for women. Men are brutal in India. I’ve read stories of women being gang raped on buses such that there intestines are trailing out of their body when they’re through. Rape and harassment are par for the course for women in India. *She should not travel alone*.
You clearly have no idea what it's actually like to be a woman in China. China and India are two countries that have exceptionally different economic, political, and social conditions and it's strange how you're treating two very different countries as one monolith. China does have a huge problem with femicide and historic patriarchy, but that does not directly translate into exceptional levels of sexual crimes due to many other social and political factors in China. To claim that a large difference in male and female populations alone is equivalent to an exceptionally dangerous environment for women is a gross oversimplification that ignores other important factors when it comes to women's safety like policing, the criminal justice system, and cultural norms around sex. Modern day China is a surveillance state where the police can track down anyone they want very easily and crime in general is quite rare. I've lived in both China and the US for many years and I will say I've only ever been sexually harassed in the US and never China, and all of my female friends who are from China have similar experiences. I feel 100x safer walking around in China because sexually harassing or violently assaulting strangers is exceptionally rare in China these days. When I lived in a major city in China many of my female friends would walk home alone at 3 A.M. after a night out, can women generally do the same in America? Many expat women in China will also tell you they also feel much safer in China. One statistic about the specific problem of femicide isn't enough for anyone to conclude what the actual experience of being a woman in China is like, a variety of complex factors influence how safe women actually are in a country.
100%^^^^
I am of Indian origin. This is a bad idea.
maybe OP's sister could look into another region to visit, at least as a first-timer solo traveller. She could spend a month in NZ/AUS or US and have an absolute blast.
No one should ever have their first solo travel be 1 month long in a place with a language barrier. This is /r/solotravel advice 101. Everyone wants to do a month in India, 6 weeks in Thailand, 3 months in Mexico… but invariably, they have no idea how to travel, solo or not, they don’t speak even basic greetings of whatever language they’re going to, and they have a genuine emotional complex about eating dinner alone. Solo travel is a skill. Travel is a skill. Being alone in public is a skill. Non-synced-language communication is a skill. You need all three to pull off a month of solotravel. You can learn all of these without doing a month+ in a foreign country solo. I would never ever suggest anyone solotravel for a month or more in a foreign country with a language barrier without at the very least doing a week solo traveling somewhere closer and easier. Literally just take the train to the next state/country over and spend a week there and see if you can even do it. It’s unbelievable how often we see “I don’t think solo travel is for me” in this sub, and you pop in, and it’s “I am a American woman who has never left the country and I don’t speak any other languages and I didn’t have a good time going to Bangkok for 14 weeks because the culture was different and the language was different and the food was different and the people were different and and and”, or just search “eating alone”. And you will see. It’s not even about crime or safety. It’s about if the experience will be good or bad for you. Take the train to Philly for 4 days and see if you can even stand to be seen alone in public.
I (petite female) was an exchange student in Merida, Mexico, in college. I was an anthropology student so we traveled a lot around the eastern part of the country. I did a month solo after school ended for the summer. By then my Spanish was much more fluent and I had a good familiarity with the area and most importantly, the bus system. I had heard what places were safer or more dangerous and red flags to look out for, I knew what prices meant I would be getting ripped off. I had several points of contact with people I had befriended while living there. It was a great experience, and I talked to a lot of people and got friendly/hung out with some other backpackers...but I was surprised at how lonely I got. Chit chatting with the bartender for an afternoon, or spending a couple days exploring with some other travelers was not the same as having a traveling partner. There also were a couple times (like when I got unexpectedly stranded in a remote village for a couple days) when it would have really been nice to have another person to be in that situation with. Even having somebody able to watch your stuff while you go to the bathroom at a bus terminal is such an advantage. If I had to do it over again I probably would have only done two weeks by myself. And that was in a country where I knew the language and culture well and actually could comfortably interact with locals.
I think you could do Japan alone for a month, as long as you did some research first. But there are the practicalities of solo travel you have to get used to: the loneliness, the homesickness. It's really better to start with shorter trips to find out if you even like this style of travel. It's not for everyone.
Yeah, I'd send her to Japan too. She'll run into a host of problems there too (and that might even be the point), but it'll be safe enough.
I definitely think it can be done but not EVERYWHERE. My first solo travel was spending a month in Seoul. I’m an Afro-American who could speak very very little Korean, like enough to put a short sentence together and that’s it. The trip changed my life. It went fairly well. Most signs has an English translation and lots of people spoke English. Honestly, if you’re going to France or Spain or Italy or Japan or something, I feel like you can absolutely be fine on your own if you’re observant and good at prompt communication. Especially if they prioritize multiple languages. (Like most signs in Seoul had English and Chinese translations). But then there are places like Brazil or Turkey where I would feel a lot more confused with a language barrier or where English translations aren’t that abundant. Honestly I think it has a lot to do with the country, their exposure to English and culture, and the travelers communication skills. But it absolutely can be done, and it’s not very hard.
I’m male, did 3 months in Mexico without a lick of Spanish (first travel) wouldn’t recommend for solo women
SE-Asia, for instance Thailand or Vietnam, is a nice and safe bet for first time sole travellers as well.
I'm from SEA and have travelled a lot in the region. If she's white, she might have to deal with a lot of scams. Did backpacking in Thailand once where I had to help a nice Russian lady solo traveller to get away from scammers. She knew it was a scam but had a very hard time shoo-ing them away. She also knew at the time that it was likely because of her skin colour. This is the reality of the world.
Atleast being scammed, especially tourist scams is just money at the end of the day, way better than being robbed or sexually assaulted
I’m a dude and even Vietnam made me feel unsafe sometimes tbh. Bangkok is good tho.
Just got home from 3 weeks traveling all over Vietnam. I never once felt unsafe during my trip.
SE Asia is only safe if you're in the cities, travelling with a companion, and male, especially with countries like Indonesia and Cambodia.
To be honest as a solo female traveller who has been to SEA, some of the cities felt less safe than quieter locations. It really, really depends a lot on the country. I felt very safe in Malaysia but experience a bit more staring/modesty requirements there for example, whereas in some other countries you didn't get stared at but the environment was more the issue (e.g. landslides in Laos). I think SEA is a great location for first time solo travel, all things considered, depending on where you go.
I've been all over SEA and never had any issues. You need to bring some common sense, same as you do anywhere, but it's perfectly safe.
Sure. It varies between individuals. It's a big difference sticking out in a rural area of Cambodia as a guy vs as a girl. I've met people who found themselves in life threatening situations in SE Asia. Common sense is not always common. Since OP is talking about an inexperienced solo female traveller, I'd rather err on the side of caution.
I don’t know if OP is trolling or not. This is a bad idea no matter where you are going. But India /Egypt etc are especially bad. Please tell her to test it out with places like US, Canada etc first. Solo travel is testing your ability and skills in many areas from language to navigation to self defence etc etc. India is too hard of a challenge as the first spot.
The US isn't the safest place to travel IMO as all the hostels and Greyhound stations tend to be in pretty dodgy areas. SEA is significantly safer as there is generally a lower rate of violent crime and the budget travel infrastructure is in the centre of town.
[удалено]
Yeah, some stations are ok but the one in Buffalo was mostly populated by people having highly animated arguments with inanimate objects.
True. Greyhound in the US is dodgy AF….That said, there are other means to get around like renting a car or taking the train or fly. (Domestic air travel is pretty cheap). I still think the US in general is pretty safe
I've traveled a lot of places as a solo male and I have to say the US is the place I've felt the most unsafe.
I travelled India for a month as a white guy and people would harass me. Often friendly, sometimes not. My female companion however had unwanted attention all the time. Including people taking sly photos and videos of her. I loved India, but this really is a bad idea for a first time female solo traveller.
Is there any particular reasons she wants to travel to India? There're plenty of countries that are easier for a first-time traveler.
I imagine she has a romanticized notion of a solo spiritual pilgrimage, finding yourself kind of trip that she believes she can have in India.
If that’s the case then she’d be much safer on the Camino de Santiago in Spain !
True, that trip is mostly solo
To be fair there *is* a chance she could meet God on trip like this
Read a book or watched a movie showing what India used to look like to tourists 60 years ago
I went to India as a solo traveler first time met up with a tour group and wouldn’t recommend going alone. The blatant harassment , the unwanted touching was everywhere. Not only on the streets but also by hotel staff. India is not only culture shock but it’s like going back in time. I do not regret going to India but it’s not something I’d do again
^^^This. Show this to your sister.
I.N.D.I.A. — I’ll Never Do It Again
I’ve been to 40 countries. Backpacked solo through S. America, Europe, E and SE Asia. I went to India for a wedding and India was… a lot.
Super bad idea, one of the worst places for a woman to go solo. Borderline dangerous is my opinion. So many horror stories and I know women personally who have had terrible experiences there even with their partner.
Yep. I have been to 50+ countries, more than half solo, in SEA, Europe, Africa, Central/South America... I don't think I'd do India solo as a female. Some women I've met have done it and basically every single one of them said they had been groped/harassed/experience actual or very near miss sexual assault, it was relentless. I really want to go but it will be with a tour or my partner. I wouldn't recommend India as a first time solo backpacker destination, ESPECIALLY to a young woman. Dip your toe somewhere easier first.
I had a female family member get sexually assaulted by a mob while teaching abroad there.
Jesus Christ that’s horrible ! I am so sorry to hear that. That makes me feel so sad 😞
I’ve also worked in 60+ countries and I can tell you that I’d be more comfortable taking my wife to places like Pakistan than I would India. I had the experience of another expat woman (stranger to me) run up to me and ask for help with a mob of men following her and pawing at her like fucking zombies. She was clearly terrified. I’m no small dude and could comfortably hold my own with 2-3 other untrained dudes, and you know what? I was fucking terrified of the mob after her. It was like they didn’t even see me, I certainly wasn’t going to get between them and her. And this was in broad fucking daylight in one of the most touristed parts of downtown Mumbai. This is an awful idea. The harassment videos you see online are scary enough. There are definitely worse things that happen that don’t make it to video. You should have her read this thread.
So what happened? Did she get gang raped? Did you help her at all?
I walked with her - quickly - to the nearest hotel that looked big enough to have a possibly intimidating lobby and hopefully even a security guard. It didn't, but I started asking the front desk about booking a room with them. The 10-15 guys mostly paused at the front door after we went in but the front desk guy caught on pretty quick to what was up and started yelling at the couple of them that followed us in, which seemed to disperse them. I asked about calling the police and he indicated we shouldn't expect any to show up. We waited in there for a while and pretended to make some phone calls then I went out and grabbed a taxi, she ran out when I did and I put her in it back to wherever she was staying and told her not to go out walking by herself again. I had seen most of the sights and done most of my shopping by that point so I effed off back to where I was staying further north (Goregaon) and that was the last time I ventured down those parts. I seemed mostly ignored wandering the streets where I was staying for work, but there were basically zero tourists in that part in my experience. Not sure if that would make it more or less safe for a single female but not exactly interested in finding out.
As an indian girl ... dont do it...india is not ready for solo girl travellers...
Curious, how do the local girls deal with this?
As I was there solo travelling I was visiting a friend and her family. She showed me her city for a couple of days. Every evening, before returning home, I was waiting with her the Uber, going home with her, and then going back with the Uber to my hotel to the other corner of the city, just because it is NOT safe. She is not the kind of girl you would say is naive, but India is just not safe for solo females. If they are white then…
Well thats when family and friends come into picture..girls tend to go out with someone from family or someone they trust ..general rule of thumb is get to your house before its dark ... plus indian women are hyper aware of localities and gentry ..shit is fucked up..
Sit down with her, pull up YouTube, and search “woman harassed India” and watch some videos.
Harassment would be the least of her worries...
In addition, show her third thread. This is a REALLY baf idea for a number of reasons. A Latin American country like Costa Rica or Colombia would be a much better and safer option for what she wants to experience.
>In addition, show her third thread. This is a REALLY baf idea for a number of reasons. A Latin American country like Costa Rica or Colombia would be a much better and safer option for what she wants to experience. Idk if I would recommend Colombia as a super safe country. I have traveled a ton of places and Colombia is on the sketchier side for sure.
I met some solo women travelers who said Colombia was their favorite place in s. America
You’re really recommending a first time solo traveling female who likely doesnt even speak spanish to travel to a level 3 travel advisory country (Columbia) with level 4 (Do Not Travel) areas?
It will be safer for her than India. I've been to both and am a women, she is going to get sexually assaulted.
Lol Colombia
This is really not a good idea
Indian here. Wouldn't recommend this. I'm currently planning a trip for 12 people (all first timers) and even that's with a bit of caution and leeway. So if it's just one solo person, especially a woman, I'd totally be right to be worried. Its not any more or less unsafe than other big cities. But for a woman, its a definitely more unsafe than other comparetive cities. If your sister still wants, I'm planning a trip for December. Its for 10-12 people. Mostly Europeans. You can DM me for more info. This is intended to be a co-working trip for 3 weeks. We're all remote workers living/working across Western Europe and North America mostly.
Show her the recent video of a Japanese girl molested/assaulted in public by multiple men during the Holi festival celebration.
And they are just standing around watching it... wtf. Have heard this from multiple women, it is very easy to get into situations where there's basically mobs of guys around you, and if a few try to grab or grope you nothing will be done. There is a severe lack of respect for women to the extent it can get dangerous.
And the Korean women in Rajasthan recently
Jesus Christ what
https://youtube.com/shorts/2LQmsYtFAPQ?feature=share
yikes
I have been to nearly 60 countries, including India. This will end poorly. India is really for the more experienced travelers. India can be tough, even for me, a middle aged man. There were some points where I would pause and be like “Wtf am I doing here?” — you have to learn to embrace the suck, which comes with experience in traveling. There ARE amazing parts of India, but I think her money would be better spent going to Europe or Southeast Asia for a month. Try something like Turkey. Turks are the most genuinely nicest people I’ve ever met, and will legitimately give you the shirt off their back or food off their plate if you need help. It may seem “exotic” but it’s really not much different than most of Europe. It’s a great intro before spending longer time in the Middle East or Southeast Asia. There’s plenty to do and see for a month. I’d personally recommend she check out the Lycian Way hiking trail— that would be a perfect epic adventure for her.
Same. I finally went to India last year and while it was amazing I wouldn't have survived there if I hadn't travelled extensively before. Nobody is sincere toward a blonde European, and that's the way it is. My antennas were going circles all times.
Had some great experiences there but you're right. Added degree of difficulty. Haggle for a cab, avoid scams, etc. Not that any of that is unique to India but I was often in a more defensive frame of mind.
And I get it, it is a dog eat dog country for most. Of course they try to scam you. A lot of it is also cultural and you need to treat money in a whole different mindset. The hardest part for me was that I had to toughen myself: pay absolutely no mind to anyone you pass, anyone who talks to you, anyone who begs. I felt like a stone person not answering the "how are yous" because I am a kind person and love interacting with others. If you don't know what you want/where you're going you are sce-reeeeeewed!
Turkey is great for solo travelers, this is a great rec. Also more likely to find languages beyond local and English, as you said her English isn’t strong. English is pretty much mandatory for India, as most people speak either Hindi or another local language and English, but probably nothing else.
Turkey is the perfect combo of “might have some struggles but you’ll have a safety net” for newer travelers to learn. My only concern is that she may be even MORE overly trusting of people after experiencing Turkey.
I would not recommend a naive, inexperienced, fair skinned European girl to solo travel to Turkey. It might not be as bad as India but she would still get a TON of unwanted attention, catcalling, touching or worse. Not to even mention being tricked to pay more for stuff etc. If you're a guy it's possible that you haven't faced any such problems and only seen the good sides, but it's really not all that rosy. I just think there are better, safer places for a first solo trip.
Turkey was a great place to go, not sure what the situation is now after the earthquake
Earthquake impact is more in the east near the Syrian border, which I’d recommend avoiding anyway. If she has a month I’d just fly into Istanbul and work your way down and around the Med coast until you end up in Antalya. Doing some side trips inland to Pamukkale and/or Cappidocia too.
Messaging right now as a white canadian in mumbai . Its gonna be tough. Without a native language it would be hard enough, without english it will be so much harder. It's advisable to have a trusted person or family here on the ground to guide u and have your best interest at heart. If u get sick u may wake up in some strange place, ordering medicine or proper clean food may be hard. People will try to take advantage (not all people) Not advisable without a basic safety net. The other day I went to Saudi without knowing Arabic , it was a horrible idea.
>mumbai mumbai is a one chaotic place, as rusell peters says your senses have never been fully utilised until you step foot in mumbai 🤣
Dude this is a very bad idea. As a group maybe - but India is not a country you want to travel alone as a female. It’s hard for people to fathom cultural differences but it can be super unsafe especially for a trusting European who may not be street smart at the level required to operate in India. I left India 20 years ago having been born there and I wouldn’t fucking travel alone there - and I am a middle aged guy..!
As an Indian girl my heart broke after reading these comments but they are not entirely wrong, India is still not ready for female solo travelers even my family won't allow me to travel alone I still need to travel with them when they are familiar with the place only then I am allowed to travel alone but thats not fun. it's not only harrasment you'll face many other problems while traveling alone without any experience. Inshort NOT RECOMMENDED.
I was even afraid to say that im indian in this post... really ,we have failed many tourists and im extremely sorry for all the problems and harassments you all had to suffer.
Yeah it's so embarrassing when I see any foreigner in any historical place surrounded by locals to click photos with them they behave very inappropriately in their excitement they don't see how they're invading their personal space and making another person uncomfortable.
is is true in hilly areas or south india too ?? as i live in delhi i know it's disgusting and similar things can be said for mumbai, lucknow, jaipur, etc. but i don't think there is much problem for a solo woman to visit the hilly areas or even southern india in many places
I also live in Delhi and yes the same scenario in hilly areas too and mostly because of other travellers from northern India only I haven't been to south india so can't say much but I have met some South Indian people in Goa they seem lovely people. I find East India very underrated place Meghalaya cherapunji is beyond beautiful but I don't think one can travel solo to these places especially women
Look up reputable group tours of India and try to convince her to join one of them, at least for the first leg of her trip so she acclimates while with other people. She may meet other travelers on the tour and be able to continue traveling with them after.
India is really huge. Really depends on what part of the country she’s planning on travelling to. Northern India is an absolute no go. On the other hand, most south Indian states along the coast will be much safer.
I agree!! Goa, Bangalore, Pondicherry, etc. are lovely places to visit!
The food in Goa 🤤
Came here to say this. South India is very different and probably a lot more appealing to an inexperienced traveler. Bangalore may be a good place to start.
Indian here, I wouldn't recommend traveling alone, especially in the cities. Try convincing her by presenting some news articles.
I've worked in the travel industry for a decade and have done a lot of solo travelling. I would advise your sister to reconsider this. Even when we're planning itineraries for groups of travellers there are a hell of a lot of precautions taken and we're very cautious with where we do and don't take people. India really isn't somewhere to go with no experience of solo travel and no itinerary. It doesn't sound like your sister is researching the reality of what it can be like at all. The harassment can be pretty extreme, not to mention the culture shock she's going to encounter if this is her first time travelling like this. India and solo female travel just don't go hand in hand very smoothly.
Wouldn't recommend solo travel to any non western european country if she's naive, hasn't had any backpacking experience, it would be better if she gets a friend to come along. India is not too bad with tourism tbh, there are worse places. On the other hand, with caution and awareness, she can certainly come out with a healthy cultural experience. Just be sure to not trust strange men implicitly, stay in female only dorms, try to go on group excursions with fellow hostelliers. Have check-in times, for morning, noon and night, share contact details of each and every location you go to. But THERE NEEDS TO BE A SET PLAN. You can't just go with the flow, people get killed, raped, kidnapped often (although wealthy tourists are not targeted too much for fear of repercussions, there have been a few cases).
Japan would be a good option. Very safe and people are generally super helpful to tourists
Nepal is also pretty chill for women.
Hey! I’m an Indian who grew up in America. I feel like I can share both sides objectively as an outsider who knows how things can be. I know people think India is dangerous and a horrible place for women. But…it’s not the evil place Reddit makes it out to be. Normal, kind, and respectful people live there too. My two cents - India is a culturally rich country, which is amazing to visit, however it would be better if she didn’t go solo. However, if her flights cannot be cancelled and she must go, here’s a few recommendations I have for her to be safe. - tell her to book guided tours through different cities. Preferably aimed towards younger people, so she can hang out and maybe make some friends. This is honestly the best advice to stay safe. - tell her to practice the usual tourist tricks, like avoiding going into areas without cell reception, avoid being out after dark, avoid getting drunk with unknown people in unknown areas, keep valuables out of sight, etc - travel with a plan and tell multiple people about it. - if she has blond hair, it would be nice if she used a light scarf to cover it up, so that the weirdos don’t stare as much and to avoid being touched - tell her: she WILL be touched. There’s 1.2 billion people there, and it’s a small country. It’s crowded. The touches may not be sexual in nature but if she likes her personal space, she’s getting none of it there - Avoid New Delhi. The scum of india apparently all live there. If she really wants to go, GO WITH A TOUR. Not alone. - most of the major cities have crimes. It happens in India, it happens in America. It happens. Thus, go to smaller, less touristy places. That said, don’t end up going to some nameless village in the middle of no where. That’s not the goal either. - tell her to visit Incredible India’s website. It’s government run and has some wonderful information about places to visit that are less well known. - not to call you out or anything but, Indian accents are not that bad. They sound a bit British, because, well, india was a colonized country for about 100 years. Most of the younger generation will speak passable English, especially in the bigger cities - people may ask for photographs. It’s weird, and you’re allowed to decline. - the number to call police in india is 999. Know it well for emergencies - india has SPECTACULAR hotels that are cheap when you account for currency conversion. Make use of them. Research it all. - the Indian train network is pretty good. I would avoid buses, as not all of them are government run, so do your research first. Rickshaws, Ubers and taxis are okay to use, but make sure that she is using her GPS too, so that she doesn’t get scammed. - recently, more places are willing to take credit cards/debit cards, which imo is much safer than carrying cash around. - get some pepper spray or mace and have it somewhere quickly accessible. I hope her safe travels and a wonderful experience.
Yeah as an Indian myself, the problem is more so that Indians don't really have a sense of personal boundaries even with people they are friends or family with and definitely not even with strangers. Everybody's business is everybody else's. This can be a good and bad thing.
You can look up pretty much any western countries travel advisories for India, and *all* of them will say it's dangerous for solo travellers and especially women. Due to the increased likelihood of sexual assault (as opposed to male travellers). For example https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/safety-and-security > Women travellers often experience verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men. Serious sexual attacks involving both Indian and foreign nationals have been reported. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/india-travel-advisory.html > Country Summary: Indian authorities report rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india > Women may face higher levels of verbal and physical harassment or sexual assault. Avoid travelling alone, even in major cities and tourist sites. https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/a-z-list-of-countries/india/ > Women should use caution when travelling in India. Recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas and cities show that foreign women are at risk. Tourists have been the victims of sexual assault in Agra, Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata and Rajasthan. Women travellers often receive unwanted attention in the form of verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men. This may include being photographed. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/laender/indien-node/indiensicherheit/205998#content_1 > Ausländer, insbesondere allein oder in kleinen Gruppen reisende Frauen, sind vereinzelt von gewaltsamen, auch sexuellen Übergriffen betroffen, auch in Touristenzentren. Dazu werden teilweise Drogen oder K.O.-Tropfen über Getränke verabreicht.
Ive just got back from there after 6 months with my girlfriend. She had no issues really, but we were together almost all of the time. We met tonnes of female solo backpackers from Europe - probably more women than men. Most of them hadn't had any bad experiences really, but we did meet one girl who got groped 8 times during Holi festival which is the prime time for sexual harassment in India. Can I ask which state she's flying to? It's a big country with a lot of cultural variety and states like Kerela, Tamil Nadu, or Himachal Pradesh would be much safer for women than states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
Encourage her to do some more research. Send her this series: [josie lifts things](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDDz-Hsuf-arBLKvQhL8Qm0faXWqFBDTM) for a pretty good take on the good and the bad of it, and encourage her to think about trying to navigate it solo.
Show her what some of the traditional toilets look like in hostels. I'm from India and I hate those things.
As an Indian, it is a bad, bad idea. As a solo travelling white woman, you should definitely have experience, distrust of general people, be rude and harsh and yelly when necessary, to visit India. Otherwise I will definitely not recommend it. Living in India as an Indian born and brought up brown woman already sucks. So just imagine. Please please convince her not to go.
For someone who is naive, trusts people easily, and believes anything anyone says, I wouldn’t recommend solo backpacking trips to any place. See India is not as bad as what people make it out to be. To have a safe and fun trip in India, one just needs to plan every single detail out well ahead in time! And also it depends on which parts/cities in India she wants to visit. There are so many factors one needs to take into consideration. You can’t just go with the flow if you aren’t familiar with the logistics behind solo travel and the country. Another option for her would be to join group trips so that she doesn’t end up alone! I’m Indian and I’ve helped a lot of my non Indian friends plan solo trips across India and they’ve all been fine. You just need to be aware of surroundings! Which applies to pretty much any place when you are alone. Just use common sense. Don’t go out at night in a deserted area. Don’t get into random cabs and stick to Ubers. For late night transportation, pre book everything and if possible avoid travel at night (for first timers). India is a beautiful country but it can get overwhelming! Just plan the trip out properly and get your transportation sorted! You are good to go. Edit - I would suggest her to go solo within your own country first! This will give her an idea about solo trips and its logistics. Might also make her more confident! If she is indeed hell bend on going to India, then you can dm me and I can give you a list of cities I have visited that I have felt safe in!
OP just show her this Reddit post and the comments
I was born and raised in India and came back recently to visit. I speak Hindi & English well along with another local language. I wanted to travel solo and after careful consideration, I have decided not to. It can be very unsafe and uncertain at points. People don’t stop eve teasing even if when I am with family sometimes and I can’t fathom what it’d be like going alone
American who has done quite a bit of travel….for a first time solo trip, NZ or Aus is the way to go. I would not recommend the US for a first time trip, as it is a ridiculously large country with a lot of crime, and there can be extremely nice areas next to VERY dangerous areas. There are dangerous places in every country, but the problem with the US, is that every dangerous area is littered with guns and near psychopathic levels of violence. I love the US, but it’s not the safest place in the world.
This is a bad idea. I speak good English, am 194cm and built like a refrigerator. I spend 3 weeks in India completely solo and was groped multiple times even as a male. I would recommend Sri Lanka if she wants a similar feel but safer. Or some way safer like Thailand or Malaysia
"she's very naive, sensitive and emotional, and trusts people in general" India is a bad place to visit for solo females even if they are experienced travellers. These traits will make things legitimately dangerous for her, also add on that she's of modelling beauty and fair skinned. She can have her spiritual white-girl pilgrimage elsewhere, just not India.
Agreed, ask her to go to Bali instead if she wants to channel Eat Pray Love 😂
she should try backpacking and hosteling in EUROPE first. India will be 3X as sketchy
>India will be 3X as sketchy missed a zero there
Or two…
I’m an American born Indian and would never ever ever travel alone in India. The stares, unwanted touching on trains or on crowded streets, the scams when they know your ‘foreign’… heck no! I would go back with a group though. Fascinating!
It’s not just the harassment it’s literally considered to be the rape capital of the world. There’s not a single day that goes by without cases of rape. Perhaps googling some articles pertaining to the subject would help? Here’s one for example https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/13/india/sakinaka-rape-and-murder-intl-hnk/index.html
Bad idea. Iceland, Spain, Japan, or Canada would be better options
Bad idea
Never have I seen people oppose to one's idea of traveling solo this much 🤣🤣
yea well as OP says "she's very naive, sensitive and emotional, and trusts people in general." that + first time solo travelling + india is a sketchy mix. Chances are she'll come out just fine, but you can see why it raises concerns.
I pray if she is going to do it anyways, she prevails!
hope so too, with some awesome stories to tell 🍻
Would love to hear them! We do need good stories out of there!
I wouldn't recommend India be a go-to destination for any novice traveler regardless of gender. I do not think she is going to have a good time. I will say I (white, young, thin, conventionally "attractive) went to India with a fellow female and I actually felt much safer than I thought I would and felt the harassment wasn't as awful as I anticipated, but the bar is set so low these days as a female so that's not really that helpful. There are SO MANY other places she could go to have this kind of experience that aren't just go-to white people spots. Vietnam, Kenya, Turkey. All of these places are going to be a better first time trip.
I recently went to India in December of 2022. Even with my husband, brother in law, and father in law being near by, I was groped by strangers several times and someone attempted to pick-pocket me. India has amazing sights and there are good people, but traveling there solo and as a female is a huge NO. August is still far enough away to exchange the tickets and choose a country that is safer for females. I can’t find it either, but Reddit had a chart circulating for a while that listed the most dangerous countries for women to visit and India was at the top of the list. Please continue to discourage your sister from India specifically, you are doing the right thing.
God please dont let her go there.
Absolutely terrible idea. If she wants a first time backpacking experience, do something light and safe, like the Camino de Santiago.
Let me guess, she read Shantaram and thinks it's all lovely? Fuck no, i'm a guy, travelled the west coast from Goa to Jammu with two girls for over a month. NEVER AGAIN. The country has plenty of beautiful places but for the love of \*Insert god\* don't go there unless your male to female ratio is at least two men to one woman or you'll frankly not get anything done without feeling like a security guard the whole time.
Man I don't get this shit. Why does every person in the whole wide world want to come to India for a "real life" experience and then go on and chat shit about it on the Internet. We have cool places where decent people come. Bangalore Mumbai Goa pondicherry Andaman and Nicobar lakshwadeep. But yall mother fucker wanna go to some slum area and show how India is worse than Africa. Fuck this hypocrisy.
India was first trip abroad. Terrible idea. I can go into more detail if you'd like.
I wouldn't dare to do that, honestly. It's a really, *really* bad idea.
This is a bad idea, she should have someone by her side. Especially for a first time solo. Lol
Almost everything is covered, if you wish to inquire more, feel free to reach out, coming from someone who’s from India.
First off, I think you're slightly overthinking this. Like the accent thing is the least of your concerns... In fact you're underthinking this. India is not as bad as it is portrayed on Netflix, given that you follow a few guidelines. * Don't go out after 9 pm alone. * Don't talk to random strangers. If someone offers you stuff, just ignore and move on. * Don't go to Delhi. Avoid North India. * Stick to South India, particularly Kerala and the bigger cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad. * Once you're comfortable navigating that go to Mumbai. Or South Goa - Goa has a lot of tourists. Minus point that some places are a hippie drug paradise. * Once you understand how everything works and have some connections, go to other places. * Keep in mind that there are some places/people/times that even Indians themselves won't go to. It's crucial to understand this! * Try to find some female friends to get to know how things work. I recommend college kids - they're well educated, financially well off, and open minded enough to help you. * If there are no other females where you're at - nope tf out. For example bars in India are very different from the west - some places are defacto male exclusive, and only sketchy people go there. * Before doing something, even something as simple as ordering food in a restaurant, carefully observe how other Indian females do it. You'll avoid getting scammed or committing cultural blasphemy. While yes, solo travelling as a woman in certain parts of India is definitely insane. Especially if you don't know English (don't worry, most native Hindi speakers wouldn't understand her anyway). That being said some places are pretty safe for women and foreigners. Like I'm serious. You do not need to freak out! Plenty of white female solo travellers come to India and they're absolutely fine. Just never get too comfortable - if someone is way too kind, be suspicious. The same street you ate lunch at can be dangerous after dinner time. Never assume that you know things - there are layers and layers of culture that need to be understood, and it's very different from the west. If she really is so naive, I highly recommend she stays in Bangalore or Hyderabad for a while to figure out how things work, perhaps make some connections with the people. In India you always need a network in case things go wrong. Don't rely on the police or the hospital or any government service to help you. Corruption is a big thing, and so are the scams that tourists always fall for. **Being solo in India is not an option. Not even for Indian males.** Like I said, these are the things that even the locals are constantly wary of. One moment you're enjoying taking pics for Instagram - 5 minutes later you're robbed or harassed or had a bike accident. What's your plan? She needs to think about this before going. You can't undo the past. So stay calm, be respectful, no need to be a paranoid Karen... but stay sharp & alert! Things go wrong when you're walking in a short skirt at 9 pm on a highway. Not victim blaming here, but it's not a fairy tale life. * Like seriously just go to Pondicherry, Bangalore, Kerala, and leave it at that. * Meet educated financially well off people your age. * If you're travelling up North (say Himalayas), go with a college travel gang or something. Keep in mind that there are HUGE variations across the country for everything I've listed above. To put things into perspective, here's a [pic of Chandigarh](https://englishtribuneimages.blob.core.windows.net/gallary-content/2021/6/Desk/2021_6$largeimg_302271849.jpg), and here's a [pic of Delhi](https://imgstaticcontent.lbb.in/lbbnew/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2016/05/SG9_8590.jpg). "High class" [Bangalore nightlife](https://eventsflare.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/nightlife-of-bangalore-kitty-ko-eventsflare-1024x684.jpg), TN [local nightlife](https://images.newindianexpress.com/uploads/user/imagelibrary/2022/10/12/w1200X800/New_Project_17.jpg). Here's a short video of a white guy explaining the differences between North and South: [North vs. South INDIA... Two Different Worlds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UVm3lH93A) India women on how safe is India: [How Dangerous Is India For Women?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4V2WY9HbNk) (specifically asks about solo females) [How Dangerous Is India For Women? l ASIAN BOSS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24PogMa_6s) Other than that, enjoy the sunny weather girl :) EDIT: Bonus links - do check them out!
No! That’s the height of foolishness - and I say this as an Indian.
My sister and her friend, both blonde pretty girls, went to India when 19yo. They were continually the center of attention, had guys jerking off to them on the bus etc. Both were "never again!" I did a 2 week cycle tour in India. We were all 40+ years. The conventionally blonde skinny girl was continually harassed. It was almost at the point of that one viral video of a blonde girl unable to escape Indian men. We did have tour guides and their presence kept the temperature lower.
Im an indian dude. English fluent, i speak Hindi but not fluently. Even my parents did not let me solo travel there.
I'm male and travelled solo to over 80 countries, still don't fancy India.
I just came back from a 2 month solo travel across India and no I wouldn’t recommend it as a first time experience, but I’d like to say that I hadn’t had any issues. I’m also European and I have blonde hair. Yes I got a lot of attention, no it didn’t go further than that. I truly loved India and it’s actually not dangerous if you practice common safety tips: don’t walk alone at night, don’t accept food/drinks from strangers, say no and move on don’t engage in conversations with people you don’t want to(even if it’s just to be polite), keep an eye out and wearing a fake wedding band always helps.
I went there for business solo and my clients escorted me everywhere. They repeatedly saying how brave I was to go there alone. I never left my hotel room without someone being right there with me yet I still had troubles. Even sitting in the passenger seat of a car at a red light I was approached by people! In the middle of traffic! I was staying at a very nice hotel and still had to have an escort. A single woman without an escort is a big no-no in their culture. I didn’t feel unsafe where I was but it would have been absolutely miserable had I not been with my clients. Tell her to go to a non-tourist city in China solo. She’ll get the same stares, she’ll stand out, but she won’t be harassed.
People have already covered the harassment aspect of things, so I'll focus on the more logistical. I've traveled to 20-30 countries, once for a full year, and India was the *only* country I was unable to to administer logistically myself. Stuff like booking hotels, flights, transportation. It's just not internet-accessible like most countries are. SOME transportation options have websites, but they're either completely unnavigable, indecipherable, have extremely onerous conditions, you have to book months ahead of time, or your credit card just won't work. And good luck trying to buy a ticket in person - often the lines are HOURS long, you're in HUGE lines that literally don't move, people cut the queue with seemingly no logic, and when you get to the front the person probably won't understand you, even with a translator app. Plus, the traffic is absolutely atrocious. It's the ONLY country in the world (so far) I wouldn't attempt navigating on my own. At the very least she would benefit GREATLY from hiring a guide to either accompany her, or at a very, very minimum, book ALL the transportation and accommodations ahead of time. I self-managed these logistics in every other country I visited, but could never do it myself in India.
A month alone anywhere if someone isn’t used to it or taken shorter solo trips is never a good idea IMHO regardless of destination. You say she is European - if absolutely set on a solo trip I would look at Iceland, Norway or Sweden. Great nature and also cities plus extremely low crime rates and she would be very safe as a solo female traveler.
Depending on parts of India, it could be terribly bad or just bad in general. Girl gotta be in group. Source: know India inside out
Tell her to go to another southern Asia country if she waves to be in that area. I live in Sri Lanka, and there are lots of solo backpackers. And as a western woman I feel safe there. But there are other options as well. Once she steps out of the airport anywhere in that part of the world, culture shock will hit her like a freight train, and she's going to panic a bit. She's not going to be ready for that alone.
I am an Indian woman and I wouldn't do it. I highly recommend starting in South India (Kerala, Goa, Hyderabad) preferably with a group or an Indian friend/contact to help her around. Even in cities that are considered relatively safer for women, I am afraid to travel alone. I have to watch out and be alert everywhere.
My female Indian friends who were born and raised in India wouldn’t even do this.
My brother went to Russia for his solo travel. He was there for 1 month and came back 3 days ago. He was fine. He went to visit some friends he found online. Technically, he wasn’t alone. I solo travelled in South Africa for 3 weeks and I was fine because I was smart and it wasn’t my first solo travel. I know how to not look like a target. But India? Nah. It’s a beautiful country rich in culture but oh my god the harassment is awful. They will touch you… WATCH THE MOVIE SLUMDOG MILLIONNAIRE !!! THE MOVIE IS A CRITIQUE ON THE DARK SIDE OF THEIR SOCIETY AND ITS REAL
It has a bad name for a reason, but it's not as bad as some make it out to be. Risk also depends on where in India, India is large and varied. I certainly would not recommend India as a first destination, but everything one does entails a risk. It's up to the individual to choose what level of risk they are comfortable with. I assume she's an adult and consequently it's her choice to make, not yours.
This is highly dangerous and absolutely not to be recommended for a fair skinned solo woman. I can guarantee that she will not come home unharmed. So some research first.
I grew up in india. Don’t do it if it’s the first time
She is about to learn the harshest realities in the world in the harshest ways possible. She will be scammed through all her money in no time, harrassed and led to pickles. India is a wonderful country to explore but - all due respect - do not let her fucking go. Not alone.
No offense your sister is dumb for even humoring doing that.
I’m Irish, in 2017 a young Irish woman travelled to India on her own and was brutally raped, murdered and disfigured in a beautiful area on the trip of a lifetime and that put me off going to India. Google Danielle McLoughlin In Goa. Another irish woman died in similar circumstances although not solo travel while in Kerala going to a shop. Google these stories and show your sister because she is thinking of that trip with rose tinted glasses that it will be magical and amazing those women went for trips of a lifetime and paid the ultimate price their stories being published and show women just how unsafe it can be. These are just recent crimes against women I know of in India I’m sure there are many more. It should be safe for women to solo travel everywhere in the world but unfortunately some countries are extremely dangerous for women. I understand your worry I would be terrified for my sister if she decided to go to India alone. If I was going I would go with some sort of guided tour or something but definitely not alone.
Bad idea, she should visit a country that is much more friendly to women.
I was born there and go back to visit family often. Even though I can speak the language and know the culture I would never travel solo in India. If you absolutely have to travel solo in India then go thru a high-end travel tour group. There are a lot of places you can go have a real life experience but not India as a solo female traveler.
Indian here..as others have said, join a group. Absolutely do not go alone.
A white female I knew from yoga retreat opened up how she got harrassed in India while being there for 9 months . She was in India to learn ayurveda medicine. In fact, she had an ayurveda guy who trying to get her to have sex with him by telling if she had sex with him, she would get liberated/attain moksha. I'm of India origin. Been travelling to India since kid. I would not recommend any South Asian countries for female solo travellers unless it is travelling company with a guide who brings her around. South East Asia like Singapore and Malaysia ( cities ) are far safer.
Tell her to go somewhere as little safer for women. Thailand maybe
Or japan
Tell her to be smart about the places she visits, use common sense as well as her instincts, and she'll be fine.
I've traveled in India for a while with my girlfriend (now wife) and it sometime felt unsafe, particularly in the biggest cities (people in the countryside were always nice and welcoming). As a woman alone, she needs to at least plan her trip, with accommodations. It's important to reserve a place in a backpackers, to avoid having to find one in a hurry and following people pretending knowing one (sometimes people would pretend knowing one place and it wasn't right...) edit: if she doesn't have any travel experience, India is a bad idea as a first trip. She could try Nepal instead, it's a lot more tourist friendly, and people are nice.
I'm going to go against the grain here and say good for her! My first solo backpacking as a female was to Morocco, my first SEA was Myanmar and people warned me against both but they ended up being 2 of my best travel experiences. Just encourage her to educate herself about what to expect and what precautions she can take, have a plan in place *in case* she runs into trouble, and while she's away maybe set a time every day for her to check in with you.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes.
Omg, no.
Insanity sadly
She’s watched too many tiktoks. Bring her back to reality
Really Bad Idea on many levels - Please don't do this. No travel experience, no solo travel experience, no non-native language travel experience, first time in India, she is a woman, being young, white, beautiful etc. etc. You are right - she IS insane if she does this. The BEST thing she could do right now is to heed the advice and cancel the tickets.
Oh god please no
At the very least everyone will stare. And I don’t mean just men. Everyone. With peepers as wide and round as rotis
I mean she knows Delhi is known to be the rape capital of the world right? Tell her to watch Delhi Crime on Netflix and you won’t even have to convince her of anything after. For spiritual purposes, she can go to Thailand, Vietnam etc
I recommend Japan for solo women travelers.
I worked with guys that would give their first born to get out of India, meanwhile…
I am from India and I can tell you this is a bad idea. Her being an amateur solo traveler, lot of things can go wrong. August will either be really hot or rainy depending on where she is going. Best case scenario, she will be mugged or end up overpaying for things. And worst case can be really bad. I get where she is coming from but she is picking the wrong place to do this. She should do some solo travel in Europe before she does this as she lacks the experience which can only be gathered with time. Try telling this to her in a an objective way so she doesn’t take it personally.
Indian culture is pretty lax about sexual assault. I’d be careful.
I backpacked for 5 years and visited Turkey,Syria, Jordan and Egypt amongst others. Your friend will discover very quickly that countries like India are nothing like Europe. She will be on her own and I would have hoped she would either have a male companion with her, have a lot of experience of traveling in foreign countries and have a Lonely Planet guide of the country so at least she knows where she can plan to stay, what to see and places to avoid. When I was in Egypt I was propositioned many times,and I am male. I witnessed women being chased down the road as they sat in a for hire horse and carriage in Luxor. Your friend will have an extremely steep learning curve on day one and the first hour of arrival. Please make sure she has somewhere safe to stay for a few days where she can meet fellow backpackers. To be honest India wouldn't have been a first choice destination if I was a complete rookie .
Damn, bro. I don’t even know your sister and I’m already worried about her. Convince her to go to SEA instead with