Is it safe for a woman to travel on her own in India?

michelle33wales

Hi there, i just got back from Goa two weeks and absolutely loved it! I intend to go back at the end of this year for a couple of months at least and need to know if it is safe for me to travel on my own in South India. I'm a single female age 33....have just fallen in love with the place and desparate to get back out there...all safety advice much appreciated!!

SHIMLA

Yes, it is safe for a lady to travel on her own in India; more so in South India.

However, this does not mean you should throw caution to the winds - exercise your common sense at all times and you'll be perfectly fine.

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lotus blossom

i've been three times, each time solo and thrilled to be!

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Not all who wander are lost

traceyam

Yes, it's safe. Use common sense and dress conservatively according to Indian standards (not your own)! You'll be fine. Have a wonderful trip!

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K53

Am about to finish a 3 month trip around north & south, half of it on my own. I've felt totally safe most of the time: people around you will look out for you. Unlike my last trip 13 years ago I've had not one instance of sexual harrassment (just a few sleazy-up-a-bit-close-pressing-against type encounters with men squeezed next to me in buses). Of course I'm 13 years older & not as gorgeous as I once was, but from conversations I had with locals this unpleasant aspect of indian culture in the past seems to have changed for the better. Sometimes I wore salwar kameez, but other times when it was just too hot to bear & maintain conservative dress I wore sleeveless singlet-type tops & skirts or lose pants, & found no difference with how I was treated.

phobal

Safe? Yes.
Easier for a female to negotiate space? No.

Agreed with K53: eyes (are) on the street

aadil

Definitely possible on your own, just keep your wits about you and you will be fine!!! In the south it is definitely much safer than the north but if you take precautions like most people have mentioned here you should be fine anywhere in India. Have a nice trip wherever you go and enjoy this beautiful country.

Cheers,
Aadil.

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Chandra

Yes, it's safe if you use common sense. I'm sure Shimla's right about it being a bit safer in the South, but my experience is that it's easier to get in touch with people as a single woman in the North. When I travelled around Tamil Nadu by myself I was a bit lonely, because the men were too polite to talk to me, and the women too shy, I guess. (I had a great time anyway, though, and I DID meet people.)



Do it!

C

LauraMC

Yes, I did it alone and was perfectly fine though the next time I go back to India I'll drag a guy along with me.
I never got sexually harassed but countless number of men tried to chat me up and thrust their hands in front of my chest for me to shake. I read up on customs and normally men and women don't shake hands. I remember clasping my hands in prayer position and saying namaste plenty of times. If you do feel like shaking their hands, remember that most use their left hand to wipe and I don't think they use soap and water afterwards.

Nick-H

Oh dear; please read one of the great IM toilet threads. They don't wipe, they wash and of course hands are washed afterwards. You think Indian people walk around with crap on their hands?

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LauraMC

It's been awhile since I've been on this forum so I havn't actively been searching out the threads I've missed. In most of the public washrooms I encountered, I didn't see soap widely available nor paper towels. Perhaps the bathrooms I didn't encounter had soap and paper towels and perhaps people in the upper classes are educated on washing their hands with soap and water. But why then, is there a general societal stigma about not using left hands to eat with? I'm left handed and I got stares if I accidently used my left hand to eat with.

Nick-H

Maybe no soap... but at least washing

LauraMC

how sanitary is that really? There's even a sign at my work washroom that says rubbing your hands with water doesn't do a lot for sanitation.

Casey

I am left handed and was never stared when I used my left hand. The only time anyone mentione it was when they handed me an item from a temple and gestured I should not touch it with my left hand. Otherwise, there was no problem. I have travelled India alone and with a male. The only incident of harassment I received was a grab from a young (8 yrs old) boy and that was when I was standing beside my 6 foot 3 companion. While travelling alone I had no problems, in fact people tended to look out for me, especially on the trains.