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Join other brainy backpackers and receive 40 exclusive tips for responsible travel!

Is it dangerous to travel as a woman to India?

Is India on your bucket list, but with constant warnings about traveling there as a woman you are waiting to meet a man you can go there with? Have you experienced that every time you mention to a girlfriend that you want to travel to India, they tell you that you shouldn’t because it’s dangerous?

Is it dangerous to travel as a woman to India?

I have traveled to India twice. Both trips were girls’ trips. The first time I was backpacking India for a month with a friend, and the second time we were four girls. I also have a lot of girl friends that have traveled solo or with other girls in India. It worked out absolutely fine.

I have got so many warnings and worrying comments from family, friends, colleagues and whoever I told I was going to India without any male companion. Every single comment made me doubt a little bit if it was safe.

Even the second time I had a couple of minor doubts when people came with their danger warnings. I am glad I am a stubborn, persistent human being that lets the wanderlust win over fear.

Is it dangerous to travel to India as a woman?

I have been to several different parts of India and experienced a lot of cultural differences in the country. I love India, and will always go back.

For me, it’s the land of diversity. Good vs. bad, poor vs. rich, dirty vs. clean. I don’t feel it’s dangerous to travel as a woman in India, but you have to take some precautions, as always when traveling.

I have put together a list of advice for you with my experience in India as a female traveler and the experience of my girlfriends’ travels. Most of it applies to travel in general. I hope this can help you overcome the doubts and make your dream trip come true.

Two indian women chatting outside their door in Jodhpur, India

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Dress respectfully

In India most women cover up, so the best thing you can do to be respected and not stared at or touched at more than necessary is to cover your skin.

Some places there are more backpackers, and it is more normal to see skin, but for others, it is not so common. I always bring a shawl with me that I can wrap around my shoulders if I need to. It’s easy to carry and doesn’t weight much.

A woman shopping for clothes in Rajasthan, India

Interact with Indian women

If you mainly ask women for help and directions, you might avoid a male stalker which you later have to run away from.

The ladies are mostly stoked to get foreign friends and love to help you. I have even got my ferry ticket paid for by a woman that was so eager to help me getting safely over the pond.

A group of women I got to talk with in Munnar, India

Sunbathe near other tourists

Indians go fully dressed to the beach. Especially the women. You see that they go for a swim with their clothes on, so some guys might become overexcited by seeing women in bikini.

If you go to the beach, make sure you look for other tourists. Some places the beach is divided, and there is a dedicated tourist part. Go there.

Trust me. You don’t want some middle age local guy staring at you in your bikini while pulling up his package thinking that it is totally fine to use you as a live porn show. So, if you notice local men getting a bit too intense, cover up or even pack up and walk away.

A beach for women in Goa

Listen to the locals

If the locals tell you not to go somewhere, don’t go. They are usually right. If there are areas they tell you to stay away from, the wisest decision is to stay away. If they tell you not to go outside after dark, then go to bed early and get up with the sun the morning after to experience the given place.

It’s ok to change your mind even if you had planned to go somewhere. Better safe than sorry.

An Indian family that wanted to take selfies with us.

Talk to other travelers

Talk to other travelers and share your experiences. They might have experienced something you should be aware of, or maybe something marvelous that makes you change your travel plans.

Sometimes it is also good to talk with others that have felt the same way about certain situations, and that will give you more confidence.

Always travel 1st or 2nd class in train

Both 1st and 2nd class is seen as safe for tourists to travel in by train. It is more spacious, and chances you will be touched up or get into a too intimate situation are small. I have traveled a lot by train in both classes, and have only had good experiences.

Once we were on a 26 hours train ride without bringing food and had some of the best Indian food served by other train passengers that had brought their homemade food for the trip. This is an amazing way to connect with people on the way.

Also, if you make friends on the train, there is less chance that dodgy people will approach you.

Is it dangerous to travel as a woman to India?

Pre-book hotel when arriving at night

If you arrive at a new destination at night time, make sure you have booked a place to sleep up front. You don’t want to get into a situation where you don’t find accommodation and feel pressed to sleep a place where you get a bad feeling of the place or the people.

It’s smart to read the reviews of the hotel before you book, and keep the address and phone number of the hotel available for the rickshaw or taxi driver. Some hotels even offer to pick up, so it’s worth checking up in advance.

Always listen to your gut

If your gut says no, then walk away. All bad situations I have been in or I have heard others have been in while traveling has always started with a bad gut feeling. So listen to it.

It’s ok to go to a different hotel. It’s ok to say no to a rickshaw driver and look for another one. It’s ok to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. It’s ok to listen to your gut.

Because if your gut is wrong you are just as safe, but if it’s right, you just saved yourself from a freaky situation. Maybe you even saved your life.

At the largest camel market in India, Pushkar

I hope this bunch of advice was of any help, and that you will go on your dream trip. Remember, always take advice from people with the right experience and expertise. I bet none of the people telling you it’s dangerous to travel as a woman to India have actually been there themselves.

And last, always bring a smile, be humble and respect the locals and their customs. Don’t be afraid to talk to the locals and learn their stories. And most of all, don’t be shy for the camera, you will be on much more selfies with Indian families than your own.

Enjoying the view from our houseboat in Alleppey, India

Do you have any experience traveling to India as a woman? I would love to read your thoughts, experiences, and advice in the comments.

Make sure you don't regret anything after your travels with these 40 tips for responsible travel!

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Comments

  1. Jyoti says

    05/10/2018 at 02:05

    It’s amazing to see your sound advice for traveling solo in India. I’m of Indian origin and I know I will never be able travel solo, ever… unless I want my parents, siblings, in-laws and everyone get sick with worry.
    In fact, it was pretty common (may still be) for a girl to always be escorted by a male, even if the male is a toddler.
    Your advice is excellent and I’m sure it’ll be invaluable for any solo female traveler.

    Reply
    • Linn Haglund says

      16/10/2018 at 21:38

      Thank you for your lovely feedback! I really appreciate that you see the value in my post and took the time to comment:)

      Reply

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Welcome to Brainy Backpackers! Thanks for stopping by! My name is Linn, and I’m here to help you explore this amazing world in a responsible way!

Brainy Backpackers - small footprints big difference - a responsible travel blog

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Make sure you don't regret anything after your travels with these 40 tips for responsible travel!

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Did you know that I used to work with whale watchi Did you know that I used to work with whale watching in Madagascar for a few months about 16 years ago? It was my first time seeing whales and I learned so much about ethical whale watching.🐳🐳🐳🐳🐳

I fell completely in love with these giants. Each time I see a whale it feels like it's the first! It's nothing but magic! Today, I live only an hour and a half from one of the best places in the world to see orcas!

Have you been to any of these places? Or have you gone whale watching somewhere different?🐳

Check link in bio for my latest post on best places to go whale watching in the world including ethical practices.

#responsibletourism #sustainabletourism #ethicalanimaltourism #wildlife #letwildlifestaywild #wildlifeconservation  #traveladdict #travelphotography #wildlifephotography #brainybackpackers
Before you make up your mind about these (not so b Before you make up your mind about these (not so beautiful) lemur selfies, let me tell you a story.

This is Makina (I might just spell that wrong, she is a Malagasy lady). My uncle (that's the owner of that blue shirt with squares) rescued Makina a few years back. From a life in captivity, in chains as a tourist magnet. The owner would take money from tourists to hold her and take selfies with her.

Now, she lives on a small island north of Nosy Be in northern Madagascar, in the rainforest. There are to groups of lemurs living in that rainforest. But they are different species than Makina. So she doesn't fit in 100%. She will never be able to have babies either, as there are no males of her species there. 

Despite that, she now roams free with the others as well as another rescue lemur my uncle took in, Marina. She's also of a different species than the two packs that lived there from before and from Makina.

But they both have a good life now, and they can be lemurs and do what lemurs do. 

When they want to, they come by the eco lodge that my uncle runs. It's the only place with humans on the island. I didn't see Marina much when I was there, but Makina came over a couple of days to hang out for quite a while. She isn't afraid of humans due to her past, but you can really see her affection for my uncle. And his for her. She jumps on your lap only if she feels like it and she leaves when she wants to. She can be gone for a couple of weeks in the forest without showing up, while other times she can come by daily for cuddles.

I feel blessed to have met Makina and that she had so much confidence with me that she wanted to sit on my lap as much as she did. Clutching those soft little fingers to hold on to me❤️

For me, Makina's story is a really sad story with a bittersweet ending. I don't think she will ever feel 100% like she belongs, as there are no other lemurs of her species there. And neither will Marina. But they are both in a safe place, and the only thing they have to worry about are fights with the other animals. And that's a good thing.

What do you think of Makina's story?

#wildlife #ethicalwildlifetourism #madagascar #rescuelemur #travel #ecolodge
Happy World Animal Day!!!!🦍🐒🐆🐏🐘🐁 Happy World Animal Day!!!!🦍🐒🐆🐏🐘🐁🦫 
Together with @expedition.wildlife and @explorewithlora I've selected a few organizations that we think do an amazing job protecting wildlife, habitat, and educating on ethical animal tourism. We will collect donations throughout the month for one of these incredible organizations. We just created a poll so YOU can choose which one you think deserve to get the pot at the end of the month! Check out my stories to find out which organizations we chose, how they work, and make sure you vote for the one YOU think deserves it the most!

#worldanimalday #makeadifference #wildlife #ethical #sustainable #responsibletourism #brainybackpackers
Did you know that more than half a million wild an Did you know that more than half a million wild animals are used for tourist entertainment?

We need to do something about that! This month is October. And it's (Un)Ethical Animal Tourism Awareness month. I partnered up with @expedition.wildlife and @explorewithlora to spread awareness about animal toruism. What to avoid, what to do, and how to take the right decisions. We're sharing expert advice on our blogs and social channels all month so make sure you follow along and help spread awareness and information too.

It's so easy to make a bad choice. Thinking it's the right choice. Because of lack of information. Let's do something about that and make a difference! Are you with us?

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Are you crazy about monkeys? My feelings about th Are you crazy about monkeys?

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When large numbers of tourists come and they all give the monkeys food, the animals (because, as I said, they are intelligent) learn pretty quickly that whatever human carries is for me. Especially if I can eat it. 

What happens when animals start eating human food? (Other than becoming scary!) They eat less of their natural food. This actually puts the whole food chain in unbalance. But seeing monkeys eating crisps and muffins makes me think that they might be subject to slight malnutrition too?

What do you think?

#responsibletourism #ethicalanimaltourism #sustainability #sustainabletourism #wildlife #brainybackpackers
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