Female solo traveller questions

AmyInIndia

Hi there everyone -

I'm really looking forward to my upcoming trip to India.

I am travelling with companions for the first 5 weeks of my trip but my final 8 days will be solo and I must confess that along with my excitement comes a lot of apprehension.

I travelled alone for 3 months in Costa Rica and did really well but I knew the language and from what I understand India is much more hard-core in terms of the types of situations I'll find myself in - especially as a woman

I will have done a lot of exploring in the North and also in kerala with my travel companions. ONce they leave I really want to make sure that I get to Goa and Dharamsala.

My travels with my friend will have me in Mumbai and I'll start my solo travel from there. Can anyone educate me about the best way to travel between these places. I'm OK taking flights even though they cost more.

How much DO they cost and how can I figure out which cities connect to other cities? Can I fly Mumbai to Goa and then Goa to Dharamsala and then Dharamsala to Delhi to get my return flight home?

Is Goa a safe place to be alone? I have heard that Dharamsala and Goa are both good places to be a traveller... lots of people backpackers are there.

Does anyone have suggestions about places to stay? And what to expect?

I was reading the thread and articles about the Australian traveller who just disappeared and suddenly my confidence about travelling alone in India started to diminish.

I'm ready for any advice that anyone can offer me - please!

Also - because of other parts of my trip, I am thinking I might be travelling with a suitcase instead of a backpack. is this gonna be the biggest pain in the a$$ ever?

Thank you kindly in advance,
Amy

Casey

Welcome to IM. Travelling solo should not be a problem, especially after 5 weeks of being with friends. You should have already adapted to Indian travel. I was in Goa (as well as Mumbai, Hampi, and Udaipur) on my own for several weeks and never felt uneasy.You can fly from Mumbai to Goa for about 100.00. You can always book a ticket through a travel agent in Mumbai, they are everywhere. Travelling in Costa Rica by yourself should have prepared you well for the experience of doing things on your own, and there are plenty of other travellers about. While I was travelling, I often never managed to get my backpack on my back. It just went into the rickshaw or taxi and then into the guesthouse. Unless you are planning on walking a distance with your stuff, it shouldn't be that big of a problem. You can also use the search feature to do some research on more specific questions you might have. Enjoy your trip!

Nick-H

First eight days might have worrying, but after five weeks I'd guess you'll be feeling at home and answering everyone else's questions!

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navinkurian2002

Goa's an extremely safe place alone and if you visit Palolem(refer LP) you would mainly meet tourists and feel right at home.You can fly down to goa or you can take a train about 500-1500 Rupees depending on if you are going to travel Ac or non ac .My pal from Chicago took a train from Victoria terminus (V.T now calls C.S.T) to goa .The booking was straight forward take your passport and credit card to counter no 52 at the reservation center at V.T station (do not listen to anyone along the way ) and get the tickets booked (Refer LP for the trains) .

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sudheer poppa

I would however be a bit vary on the suitcase being used for long walks. It is much easier to snatch and get away with it in crowded places and train/bus stations than a backpack. So you may need to be mindful of it.

Also if it was me, I would have sent my suitcase home with my buddies (if from same city) and travelled light with for the last few days.

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passingby

you will be fine traveling in India by yourself. I've done it, and so many other hundreds of females have done it too.
it is no big deal. you will get used to telling Indian men off and you will do it quite often..

as for the missing ausie guy, apparently he was the one looking for it. just read the thread carefully and you will find out that he was looking for something else than just a regular trip in India. I think he went off to search for more spiritual stuff.

as long as you do not do anything extreme in India, like going off with babas, or taking harsh drugs, etc, you will be fine.
just practice common sense, what you don't do at home, don't do in India and you will be fine.

have a wonderful safe trip!

Katya

The best advice I could give as a female traveller is to where local clothes! A cotton or synthetic Salwa Kameez will only set you back R400-800 and it will vastly change the way you are treated. Most of the solo female travellers I met who had problems were spending their trip in shorts and low cut tops, and wondering why Indian men were always harrassing them.
I'm not justifying the behaviour of the men - like anywhere in the world, men who do this are creeps! - but if your first aim to enjoy your trip in India, wearing Indian clothes will make a big difference.
Besides this, there is profound logic in Indian dress - Kameez are very comfortable to wear and the dupatta has 101 uses - from keeping you warm if the temperature changes, to covering your head when you are getting too much attention, to covering your mouth and nose when you are sitting in traffic in a rickshaw! Indian women know what they are doing! And if you choose a really nice material you can turn the kameez into a dress when you get home, plus you get a really nice scarf to boot!

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AmyInIndia

thank you everyone for your advice! i'm looking forward to continuing to hear from anyone who wants to chime in!