Safe for women to travel alone ?

juliamary

I am planning on travelling alone in India Delhi and surroundings, then to Mumbai and down the coast. I am hearing all sorts of horror stories about travelling alone in India and want to know if I am careful and do not go off the beaten track, generally as a english, young white woman will be I safe ? Any tips on anything to avoid.

Also what will the weather in May be in those above places, is it monsoon season and can I exect much rain ?

Indojingai

Indian women themselves are not safe in India... talk about SWFs.

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capt_mahajan

May will be hot everywhere, except the hills. Monsoon season is a month or two later.

As to the safety thing, browse this forum. There is a lot of information out there.

stardragon

I am a white female traveling alone, and I haven't felt unsafe once. I even was traveling in Bihar..the poorest state in India. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message!
:-)

indira

I have travelled alot in India, my worst expereince was in Delhi, so i would suggest avoid going out after its dark in Delhi. In mumbai,and goa, i have travelled in a taxi at odd times, no probs...

indira

forgot to mention that i am an Indien, and still felt unsafe in Delhi.

capt_mahajan

With respect, and because I see quite a bit of this sentiment on IM, a Scottish guy told me something in a different context which is pertinent here

Just because you feel safe doesn't mean there is no danger.

cyberhippie

Use common sense and you should be fine. Remember hundreds of solo women travelers hit India's shores every year, most return with nothing to tell!

machadinha

As noted, the subject is covered quite a bit on the board. There was this recent thread that people seemed to find helpful: Solo Woman on Overnight Sleeper Train?

On climate, try India climate chart, or see also Monsoon Map :9.

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girlone

Hiya,

I have spent quite a lot of time travelling India on my own. I have felt reasonably safe, although there have been plenty of times when I have felt uncomfortable.

I think the usual precautions solo women travellers take need to be applied here - don't go out after dark unless you know exactly where you are going, use your instinct - if something doesn't feel right, there's usually a reason, make sure you are in touch with family/friends on a regular basis and they know your travel plans.

And controversially according to the 'what is their problem' thread, I would suggest dressing modestly. A long tunic top, kurta or salwar kameez, or loose-fitting linen work well. A dupatta can be handy too.

In terms of weather, May in Delhi is bloody hot!

Girlone

mridula

I am an Indian living near delhi and yet do not feel too safe here and definitely I am not venturing anywhere at night alone.

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mridula

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phantom

Ahh... not the salwaar kameez solution pls... !!
Any girl travelling alone should realize that its not what you wear but the surroundings that you go to, is a problem.

If you wear SK and roam around at midnight then SK wont help you. Similarly you wear a mini skirt and go to a pub doesnt mean people will jump you.. a dress is for your convenience, not a safety solution.

The normal precautions should do, like not roaming around in night. Carrying a spray. Not hitch hiking your way around the city etc. etc.

Hope you have a safe journey. I would really want to know a place in the world where women feel completely safe

Percy

Hey juliamary,

Travelling alone in India is no different from travelling anywhere - your sense of judgement, how you carry yourself and your attitude towards your surroundings should not be different to how you would behave back home. Pending on what you mean by 'horror stories', yes, be prepared for some harassments, to be looked/gorked at and the lack of personal space. However, these 'inconveniences' are by no means dangerous, depending on how you handle the situation - just like how you would deflect them back home. If it helps, just think about these potential (bad) situations and make a decision how you would handle them, run them through in your mind so when these things do happen, you know what to do, rather than being shocked by the moment and be frozen on the spot.

Also remember, it is the bad stories that tend to get more attention. For every one bad story that you hear, I am sure there are twice as more good stories that people share as well.

Sometimes a 'bad' experience simply stems from mis-communication - not necessary because of the language barrier but lack of understanding of the culture - I made many silly mistakes and wasted many of my time and energy because I was using my 'western' mentality to tackle the situation, rather than accepting the 'when in Rome' package so there were times when I felt like I was a one-woman travelling clown show.

So please do some research - Indiamike has a wealth of information - this will def. eliminate many of your questions and worries.

As for the rest, just get off your couch and go! I just came back 4 weeks ago and I miss her already...

girlone

Phantom, if you read my post, you will find I don't recommend wandering around after dark!

And, yes, I agree with you that the surroundings are the problem. I think you will find that wearing a short skirt in India will attract far more attention than than it would in the west.

G1

phantom

Attention does not mean danger !!

And BTW, its the fair skin thats more attention seeking than the skirt. So I would recommend tanning the skin and coloring the hair black as the better options !!!!