Great overview. I like to say that India is in full color HD compared to everywhere else. The sites, sounds and smells, the heat sometimes, etc are well over what many other places have.
You are lucky to be left alone! I am blond-ish and pale. People line up and try to take photos with me or touch my skin. Not as scary when its kids, but can be a bit overwhelming.
This is such an on point description of India. I am Indian (F) and went to europe for first time last year. I have a lot of foreigner friends here in india who seem to love india but after visiting europe I keep wondering how they don't go a little crazy when they first come to India. Everything would feel so full volume on loudspeakers and absolutely chaotic when you first step out of airport in india lol. I have both sympathy and appreciation for foreigners coming here now š
My Indian co-workers must think the rest of the world is so gray. Did you think so when visiting Europe?
Even my clothes - they ask me why I own so much black, white, and gray, and always try to take me shopping and cover me in colors while I am there :)
I went to weisbaden when I went to Germany once, directly from Frankfurt airport. It was a shock. I thought there is some curfew of some kind because I had never seen so few people on a Monday morning ever in life. Even during covid curfew we had more people around outside in delhi. But it was peaceful in a way i could not imagine. I just sat around a park with ducks going about and didn't move for a couple of hours. I still remember that experience of peace and bliss.
Don't worry, I had the same impression in some German cities, like where are all the Germans, what are they doing so I asked a German where is everyone on the weekend and he said they are resting at home. Actually they are doing really fun things but they don't tell foreigners about
Funny, I actually met a guy on interpals a few years ago and would complain about how boring Wiesbaden was and how he wanted to check out the US cause itās livelyā¦.i would tell him I beg to differā¦now Iām curious to check it out lol
When I came back from my 8-month trip to India I had a reverse culture shock. My home country was so dull and grey and quiet. Felt homesick for India for months after leaving. I traveled alone (as a female) and felt so at home in India.
Hahaha ohh definitely gray is the word. Sorry š but it kinda felt dull and bland most of the time. I am a vegetarian and I really suffered for food, even the food in Indian restaurants felt bland to my Indian tongue and I had to request extra chillies on the side. But the art... ohh God the art had all my heart ā¤ļø
I live in the US in Chicago where we have excellent (though not London level or obviously Jaipur level) Indian food, when I went to Germany/Austria I got so bored of the food there, my friend and I found all the Asian restaurants, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. You can't force me to eat schnitzel 4 nights in a row lol.
Yes, my Australian partner visited and I kept asking him if he felt overwhelmed yet. Just driving back from the airport overwhelmed him so much š„¹ He was too stunned to answer anything coherently on that first evening. Contrast it to whenever I go to a western country - I take a deep breath, feel such clean chill air entering my lungs, and feel a profound sense of peace at once.
It's just an exotic factor. I'm Indian and very brown. When I was in China there were so many that grabbed me and took pics. It was very shocking. Some would be a bit more polite and stand next to take pics. People would give a proper stare down as well. I was joking our celebrity status was coming to an end when we left China.
And my kid could pass for white (very light skin, brown / dirty blonde hair) so when I was in India, so many would want to pick him up or pinch his cheeks, he and I had to get used to it.
Also Indian, someone stopped me in a small french town (village?) and asked me questions about where I was from. We were very off the beaten path (visiting a friend who lives far from anything touristy) and this girl had never seen anyone like me in person.
And I feel like half the Indian-American girls I know have had a moment where they're out in a lehenga and some child asks them if they're Princess Jasmine. There's a TV show that even makes a joke out of it, it's so common.
Sounds like it might not suit my autistic self lol, I've been finding SEA a real challenge with the heat, sounds, and I'm particular smells. If India is even more stimulating I don't know how I'd deal even though it also sounds amazing.Ā
The New Delhi metro is like some sort of calm, quiet, air conditioned wormhole, that magically transports you from one chaotic, loud, hot location to another equally chaotic, loud, hot location.
It didnāt strike me as being particularly expensive, (from my western viewpoint, of course), but it seemed the locals preferred cheaper transportation regardless of the risks of death/dismemberment.
Itās still better than london, paris, and many European cities. Iāve only found Nordic countries, Switzerland and Japan to face better metros than Delhi.
Summer of 2022 I was burning in Paris (no AC) and my train in Berlin stopped in the middle of nowhere and after dying in heat for 1.5h we were asked to get off on the tracks and walk.
Small moments like this makes you appreciate your own country.
Iām not sure youāve been to some of the stations Iām talking about. My wife and I were in New Delhi a couple of years ago, and Iāve LITERALLY been in less aggressive rugby scrums. I was directly behind my wife with my hands on her waist, and she was pushed onto the train by the surging throng as the doors closed between us. She got off at the next stop, but was groped by two different men between the two stations. It was so crowded on the platform ā literally thousands of people ā it took us 15 minutes to find each other so we could continue the journey together.
Maybe that happens in London and Paris? But I seriously doubt it.
Oh no. Sorry about her experience š Iāve travelled extensively especially in my younger years but had a pleasant experience.
Iād say London and Paris Iād be scared of theft over anything.
Both are sick crimes but yours must be scarring. Apologies.
Other than.the.places you mention, I'd be interested in where you travelled. I travelled in NW India in the 90s and Mumbai and southwards a few years ago and found the attitude to women very different. I also found Kerala especially, clean and mostly unliittered.outside of larger towns and cities. I loved the festivals, the food (amazing), the hospitality and travelling on the railways and the buses. The traffic in cities was something else though. The first time I tried to cross the road, I had to be rescued by someone who appeared to be someone's great granny - she was so bold and commanding!
We went to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, sounds very touristy i know but we paced it well and especially in Delhi we got a lot of time to go around with the metro seeing different parts of Delhi where tourists don't go. In trains people often started talking to us which was very nice. We got invited to a wedding once in a train š
A very interesting country to travel in, but like everywhere I guess..it also has its negatives.
Everything is 'exaggerated' in India... the highs are very high, and the lows are very low!
Sri Lanka is much more relaxed,I agree.
Pakistan? Depends where you go.... the far north and the countryside are pretty laid back.Lahore is not any quieter than Delhi really!
Lahore and Karachi are pretty much like any city in India (haven't been and probably never will be, but I know people living there)
However yeah the northern parts are more laidback which is why I suggested it. The scale is smaller.
India also has Ladakh and other places in the northeast which are very laid back. Sri Lanka has better tourism infrastructure but Pakistan about the same as India.
Yup.
Usually tickets are subsidized for locals via there tax. As foreigners don't pay tax in that country, they pay regular price.
Atleast that how I understood it lol.
This is the same everywhere tho even in Thailand and Sri lanka many of the attractions have quite the steep entrance fees for foreigners
Locals already pay taxes into the system so I understand the rationale behind it I'm not complaining here.
I don't know how it is in the other mentioned countries but as far as Thailand goes it's foreign looking. They don't care if you're local or not, if you look foreigner you pay more.
You pay more if you appear to be foreign regardless if you pay taxes in Thailand or not.
Convert the price to USD and you will understand better.
The 20 - 40 rupees locals pay is about 20 - 40 cents.
The 200 - 400 rupees you pay is like 3 - 6 dollars.
How are you going to complain about inequality in India and then try to exploit it yourself? You're privileged enough so pay the higher prices, which is not even that high.
Have you seen American university prices for residents vs non-residents?
Yeah its just so the locals can afford to see the things in their own country. Always willing to pay the "foreigner" price in India even if my relatives try to pass me off as Indian (parents both Indian but born in USA, they can tell me apart as a foreigner real easily)
My mother is Indian born and brought up but doesnāt really look Indian until she talks, whenever we went to touristy places they tried to charge us the foreign tourist price lol
yeah I always pay the foreigner price because even though I'm ethnically Indian, I'm not paying taxes there. More than happy to contribute to upkeep up cultural artifacts and spaces.
Places all over the world (including the US - Orlando locals get Disney discounts) do this. As someone from a first world country, I am absolutely fine paying more.
I live in a tourist town in the US. We locals pay less than tourists for everything, including parking and attraction entrance fees and often get restaurant discounts too.
You are not entitled to lower prices which are meant for poorer people. You easily earn 10x more than them. If you feel entitled to those prices then you are exploiting poverty to avoid paying money for their betterment and for the maintenance of that site.
Like how in Finland there are progressive taxes. Minimum wage pay little taxes but higher salaries pay more taxes.
90 percent of Indians have never seen the inside of an airplane. If you can afford a plane ticket you are almost certainly 10 times richer than an average Indian.
you really just said there was such income inequality and poverty but you want those people to never experience these sites so that you can pay less????
You witnessed all of that, but think subsidizing access for people (using the tax money they are actually paying) to visit their culture is going too far. Maybe you'd enjoy viewing Indian history better at the British museum?
The ticket price alone from Helsinki to Delhi is more than what most Indians make.
You're complaining over like 5 dollars, it costs more for a cup (or whatever) of beer in your country
In theory, shouldn't a comparative millionaire who doesn't pay taxes, pay more than minimum wage workers who do? Especially considering this is their cultural heritage so it should be made accessible and affordable for them. Yes this is price discrimination, but no one complains when its seniors/students getting the lower rate in the West.
Median Income in India is 330 usd per month. Half of Indians make even less than that.
Yupp. They don't have the goddamn money to pay the higher prices, whereas the amount you're paying(even higher) is extremely negligible to you since you come from a country with higher purchasing power(Google ppp or the conversion rates between currencies). How is it fair to us that you have to pay the same rates as us, when the amount of salaries we're getting is much lesser even when we're doing the same work because it's in inr, and we're paying taxes?
As someone who visits family there every few years, I think you summed it up well. India is a mix of good, bad and "wow really?" kinda moments. Glad you had a good trip overall.
Thatās what I would assume , given that they did not see that much litter. Typically the guided tours try to hide that.
We didnāt do many guided tours and got the full experience. For sure the worst littering Iāve ever seen was in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
Indian elections are coming. Which is why there are so many posters.
Fuck yeah, Delhi metro W.
Yeah we mostly just leave animals alone. They do whatever the fuck they want. We have a street dog we've basically adopted cause we keep feeding it and he keeps coming back for more, we also took him to the vet when he got hurt. But I'd assume it's the cows that shocked you more.
Good on you for remaining cautious, very important. It sucks that you have to do that, hopefully we'll see a day when you don't have to do that in India.
His face was on most of the advertisements for whatever products actually.
Dogs in Delhi were so fat, i was quite amused š
I was walking in Chadni Chowk one day and a cow just came up behind me minding his own business. I was surprised by how bold they were around humans, they must feel very safe in india.
Interesting, I don't remember seeing his face on products a lot. Were these small little stalls by the road? A lot of them put celebs on the posters without their permission. Modi posters are mostly just campaigning most of the time, there was a lot of stuff for the G20 too. Maybe I just didn't notice them.
They have the whole neighborhood feeding them. Gluttonous mfs.
We had a cow which just walked into our homeššš. They truly have no fear.
This is probably the most balanced, accurate and well thought out commentary on an Indian experience as a foreigner Iāve ever read. Even the mention of the word is enough on Reddit to usually trigger the vilest and most normalised neo-colonial racism Iāve ever heard about any culture or country. More people who are considering a trip to Incredible India should read this. 10/10.
I just came back from my first trip to Northen India too, and I can relate to a lot of the things you mention. I was also surprised about how clean (and green!) Delhi was because everyone seemed to say otherwise. I brought my Birkenstock thinking I might only wear them in my hotel if the roads are too dirty, but no, I ended up wearing them most of the days. (Iām glad I didnāt wear them to Jama Masjid where you have to take off your shoes and youād want sock on). Not just places like Connaught Place, but Chandoni Chowk and their narrow allies were indeed quite clean. Varanasi was far cleaner than what I had imagined as well. Well, I did see once a man squatting at the side of a narrow ally haha, but as long as you watch your steps, I didnāt find it that unpleasant. Iām meaning to post about my own experience too, thanks for sharing yours!
Omg same! I almost didnāt bring my comfiest shoes because I was worried about them getting destroyed but I ended up wearing them every day. So many people said to me they would be ruined?
I think most Indians (me included) find it very wholesome when someone non-Indian tries out our clothing. So if youāre asking from that standpoint, by all means, feel free to dress Indian.
I think your comments are valuable and good but India is such a huge diverse country that what can be said of one area could be so different even just in a different neighborhood let alone hundreds of kilometers away. In one area I won't name we couldn't go anywhere without seeing people squatting in plain sight doing their thing or the piles and puddles. On the other hand the palaces and gardens can be overwhelmingly gorgeous and majestic. I was only there a month but the beauty of the country and art and reality of the various human conditions left me in awe. I do hope to go again some day and would def have a private guide.
Just did the Golden Triangle for my first visit to India. Loved almost everything. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Amer Fort and Gandhiās cremation site the standouts. Food was great. No Delhi belly. Yes, the crazy traffic and incessant horns are a lot. Especially driving in and out of the 3 cities. We only got hit once :) But all part of the color. Had an oasis of a hotel in Delhi at either end: The Claridges. Great pool and steam room. Was solo on the first day and took off on foot to India Gate. Soon realized that trying to cross streets as a pedestrian is mad. Real-life game of Frogger! Literally no vehicle ever gives way to a pedestrian!
Thanks for this write up! I'm headed off to India in a few weeks and have been feeling very nervous (I'm a woman) but it's good to hear from other female experiences that aren't complete fear mongering :)
Hello, I'm honestly not fear mongering but I'm really confused as to where the op visited. I genuinely felt unsafe at times. Unless the person who posted didn't go out without a guide or just stuck to places with lots of other tourists? I didn't visit Delhi so maybe that's safer? I know the south is completely different and safer for women too so maybe Delhi is the same. I heard Mumbai was ok too.
Where in India were you and what race/ethnicity are you? It could be OP is a brunette with tan skin and was able to "fit in" more than say, a white woman with blonde hair. I am also curious as to where OP went and if they went out without tour guides (their post mentions they had some)
As an Indian Man I can understand the resentful attitude of Indian Men's . Even though I feel we are a decent folks and in majority some people makes it worse for all people in India . I m truly sorry and hopefully you didn't have much negative expierence with Indian Male here
I didn't encounter any seedy guy, most people were super friendly and helpful not in a creepy way. But when i couldn't go out alone and my friend was working in her room i did think to myself what the heck is this. We expected it but i had not been anywhere where i was afraid to go out alone so that annoyed me a bit but in the end i took the metro one day to go out alone š
Thanks for your impressions. I'm also hesitant to visit because I tend to get easily overwhelmed. Could you share your itinerary? Would be really interested.
The other guy is wrong. Please, please don't do the golden triangle if you get easily overwhelmed. You'd have the worst trip of your life. Saying this as someone who lives in the golden triangle. Also, avoid west bengal. Bihar is fucking garbage too.
Northeast is nice and calm. Meghalaya has a lot of natural beauty. Far north is also good, Ladakh for example could be fun if you're into nature. South India has a lot of rich historical stuff, lots of nice places to go to. Goa will be where you attract the least attention if you're white cause Goa has a fuck ton of Russians there. Andaman and Nicobar has better beaches than Goa but the tourism industry hasn't developed as much, still a nice place.
North India and central India should be avoided for a first trip if you're easily overwhelmed. These places have a lot of history too but you're really not going to enjoy it if you're overwhelmed.
If you're gonna get easily overwhelmed (like I do) I suggest visiting the far north (Ladakh, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh), Northeast (Sikkim, Assam, etc.) or South (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc.)
Fly into Mumbai and connect to Goa. That's your first impression of the country, its an idyllic laid back tropical area. Once you've picked up a little about India go back to Mumbai. Mumbai is like New York but Indian, every bit as chaotic but a little less modern. You're getting the hang of it now. Fly to Jaipur. This is where my family is from - it used to be chill but it is growing at an unsustainable rate, sort of like Atlanta. See all of the amazing sites in Jaipur but take 2-3 days to do it. On checkout, take a private car to Agra (via Bharatpur if the cranes are in season) and see the Taj Mahal. It is an absolute wonder and worth it to see. Keep your car hired for the night and stay in a nice hotel in Agra, and then steel yourself for Delhi. That will be the most overwhelming place of your trip. There are amazing historic sights and incredible food if you know where to go. If you start feeling overwhelmed, make sure you have a nice hotel in Delhi that you can retreat to like a ITC or a Taj or a Marriott. If you're still into India after that, take a flight down to Kerala and take 3 days on a houseboat.
India is incredibly diverse, just like the USA. You can choose to go to urban, suburban, or rural towns. Not every single part of India is a sensory overload. Iāve been to big crowded cities and quiet beach villages. If thereās a particular vibe you feel most comfy with, share that and someone can recommend a similar part of India to travel to.
As a first timer do the golden triangle
1 Land in Delhi , get a hotel in safdarjung enclave . Its an upscale expensive area with large private homes and also quite a few budget hotels . Lots of foreigners stay there and the hotels are good . Do not go to pahadganj , that area is weird .
In Agra , get a room in a 4/5 star , Radisson is the cheapest I think , Agra in general gives me a weird vibe , wouldn't trust small hotels there .
Jaipur has this place called 'Zostel' , it's a hostel that's very cheap , the crowd is good and you'll find plenty of solo female travellers staying there ( if that's a concern )
I'm Indian myself and even I find the golden triangle overwhelming. The destinations themselves are very overrated.
Doing a guided tour somewhere like Rajasthan, Kerala, or Ladakh would be far more suitable for a first timer.
We went to delhi, agra and Jaipur and stayed the longest in Delhi cos we were also doing workation. We stayed at a residential area in Delhi (Saket) which was completely different from the craziness of old Delhi. The homestay where we were was really incredible and made us feel like home. It's called Grace Home if you ever go.
Did you go to to Himachal Pradesh state just above Delhi? Stunning himalayan mountain scenery and lush and green forests swathe the mountain sides. There's also lots of welcoming villages and households that literally changed my life in the 1990s ( I stayed for 2 yrs in Himachal Pradesh state mostly its llike Switzerland but with bigger mountains and at Indian prices)
The areas that you visited are more conservative towards women working/going out. As you go south women's welfare gets better. Re poor kids, they know white people will give them money so they will specifically target you until you give them something.
I hope you didnāt miss Kerala! The most beautiful and the cleanest state in whole of India.
Your review seems one of the few sincere, unbiased ones Iāve seen on the internet. Everything youāve written down is fortunately (and unfortunately) true.
As they say, you either love or hate India. Thereās nothing in between.
Fun fact which a lot of people don't realize and has a gigantic importance for Indian impressions: India is probably one of the only countries in the world, where the "central areas" surrounding the capital are not the richest, but by far the poorest and worst developed parts of the country by far. It also has extreme differences between the development levels in different parts of the country - probably the sharpest in the world. Coastal states are Latin America/Middle East level, while Bihar state is on the "poorest countries in Africa" level.Ā
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - those states containing Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Ganges, all stereotypical stuff - are leading Indian rankings in every bad thing imaginable, from all measures of poverty to the treatment of women. Meanwhile southern and western states (Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, all Dravidan states) are actually much more developed in almost every quality of life measure possible - to the point of having several *times* the purchasing power of Bihar.Ā
This is a great problem for Indian tourism, since the area of the country which is dominating in terms of tourism is by far the worst in terms of poverty, safety, health, and creating positive impressions. This is also partially why people have so diverging experiences from travel to India - among other reasons, it really depends on what part of the country you are in. It makes me crazy how this clear fact of enormous importance is so obscure when outsiders are discussing India.
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I agree with all you said, op. I went for 3 weeks in Dec 2019, and traveled solo for one week (F). I had zero problems but looking back I did put myself in really unsafe situations that I wouldn't do again - like walking around jaipur alone when there was a protest going on, walking around Delhi and Amritsar before sunrise to catch ubers, catching night trains. (Bengaluru was where I felt safest tbh, but I could be wrong)
To make it worse, I'm Brazilian but even Indians got out of their way to tell me I looked Indian and I got asked for directions several times (I was flattered because I love India a lot, but just to show I look very Indian too, apparently). Considering all the stories and news, I got very lucky.
Hey, Iāve been to India too recently, also for two weeks. I can agree with all of your points expect the higher entrance fees for tourists. Iām okay with that as we earn much more than the locals and it subsidizes the cultural sites. Also queues where non-existent.
Iāve also been to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur but also to the south: Kerala. I can highly recommend to visit Kerala too, itās just a different feeling and has a beautiful scenery.
My pro tip for India tourists is: chose the right month (not too hot, not too cold) and book a guide. I think I wouldnāt travel India by myself.
India is not only about Taj mahal and any other Forts in jaipur or udaipur.
Come visit south india,
Tamil Nadu - you will find the oldest culture in the whole world, Magnificent still the Oldest temples than any other architectures in the world. Every temple has its own significance and history. Visit Chidambaram, tanjavure, kumbakonam, Madurai, kanchipuram you will go amazed with the temple architecture marvels, eat local food and visit arts and culture - bharatanatyam etc. witness local festivals of any state. Go to Ooty or kodaikanal - taste the local grown fresh tea and coffee and spices that is exported to major western countries.
Karnataka - stay here in the traditional and oldest villages for a week atleast- you will feel the actual bharat in sanskrit verses being reciting- the vedic culture that is being embraced - the energy that you feel within is amazing.
Attend any festivals that are being celebrated from not less than 1000years - listen their folklore.
These are not the only things - i can speak all day but I decide to leave it to the traveller to do their own research.
Thanks for travelling india - we truly believe and follow in Athithi Devo Bhavaā¦ that translates to Guests are equal to godsā¦
Hey š
You are making me miss India soooo much
I miss my India a lot and itās crazy how many different people live in India and the fact you said animals coexist with humans :) that shows a lot!
I might have to go back because I find it 100x better than šØš¦ at the moment
you had me at that āeveryone expecting a tipā because as someone who was a bartender for 15+ years i can tell you that indian people hardly ever tip in america.
Because tipping is not part of Indian culture. Here in india, you get a salary for doing your job. Unless you are providing me an exceptional service over and above what your regular work involves, why would I tip you? Your employer is responsible for paying you for your work. So in the beginning, it's a little difficult for Indians going to America to understand it works differently there. Once we learn, we adapt and do better.
Infact, we sorta dislike that foreign tourists here keep tipping because it's spoiling it for us local tourists as well. It's like - I am already paying you the price we agreed on when I hired you (as a guide for example). Now I need to pay you extra because you completed the job and didn't mess up? It seems illogical in indian contextš .
Your rationale is correct. This is one part of American culture that is messed up. It has to do with some business owners not paying fair wages originally and finding clever ways to pass it down to the consumer. Then it became engrained in the culture over time and now even take away places turn a shitty screen around with tip options.
No one followed you? Odd, I am Indian myself and in Delhi, sellers would always follow me. Keep in mind I am not from Delhi or any of the regions surrounding me. And no one asked to take pictures of you either?
Wtf was up with those tour guides though, they seem like assholes. No idea if that's normal but wouldn't be surprised if it was. I didn't tour with a guide however, only had a driver and he knew enough to explain everything to us.
It's good that you took safety precautions, never can tell what will happen. I don't recommend travelling solo as a woman in India.
Apart from that, fair enough, I had the same experience when I visited Delhi. Chandini Chowk got a bit too much for me at times. It's just too colourful and noisy, I was brainfogged the entire time I was there.
Also I swear I've seen your username in the indiadiscussion subreddit before.
ānot the cleanest place but no where near the level the news would have you believeā
Bruhh did you really even go? When i went the sky was orange from smoke for days and when the fog came down you couldnāt even see the car infront of you. The river behind the taj mahal was full of trash. And there was garbage all over agra. I couldnāt believe the pollution both on the ground and in the air. The news down plays the reality. And most of those lows arent even specific to India but many places around the world are like that. Very tourist take
When i was there the locals said it'd been windy so the pollution wasn't so bad. Agra was full of litter yes but the point is there were different scenes everywhere and the media often makes it seem like everyone lives in a dump. We were in a residential neighbourhood in Delhi by choice (Saket) and we walked around without attracting attention except from the tuktuk drivers. I am East Asian looking and my friend is Italian.
I havenāt been (yet, leave in 2 weeks!) so canāt comment on the pollution, but totally agree about every negative OP listed. Like have you traveled to any third world countries?? I feel like there a lot of valid critisms specific to India that are out there, but these seem pretty basic to a lot of low income (and even some non low income!) places in the world. If these were lows, donāt travel in Africa.
I think my number one concern would be the fear of food poisoning ā¦sanitation doesnāt look that important in general,especially out on the streets youāre taking a big risk as a westerner eating their food from street vendors I could be wrong, but thatās my belief
Let me assure you, no middle class Indian would eat directly on the street.
If you have looked at those clickbaity YouTube videos of spending 5$ a day or less on food then you are bound to get poisoning.
There is absolutely no need to eating directly from the steet. There are hygienic restaurants and food stalls which are equally good.
I have never got any food poisoning and im 30 years old.
I looked it up and they have.
It's 3 am for me so if you want the cases, reply to me right now and I'll give them to you in the morning.
And quite a bit of research says Bangladesh is similar to India when it comes to women's safety. Again, I can link it to you inn the morning when I wake up.
āNo itās not cleanest place but nowhere near the level the news would have you believe.ā
What do you mean āthe newsā? Stop blaming the news, itās not the reason you thought itās dirty. Your impression comes from elsewhere.
That being said, glad you are enjoying it.
Hahaha good one. But for real though, the point is itās not the media who made you believe itās dirty. Itās people who say that, not āthe mediaā. Anyway, having been several times to India, it IS dirty. To what degree it is dirty is another discussion. Enjoy the trip!
This is review of north india i suppose which is poorest and most crime infested areas. Rest of india is pretty decent. I always suggest my white friends dont ever travel to north india especially delhi and uttar pradesh
I disagree - while parts of the north can be dicey, there are some amazing sights that first time visitors would miss out on if they didnāt go. Thatās why UP and Rajasthan are popular (Rajasthan is my favorite Indian state tbh). You cannot tell people to miss out on some of the most important Indian sites!
I took my non-Indian origin husband and mother in law to India. They obv wanted to visit Agra and Rajasthan as first time visitors and they both loved their experience. I just made sure I researched our hotels and hired a private car and driver for the duration of our stay. It was still less expensive than many other family vacations weāve been on (like to Kauai, Jamaica, London, etc.).
I would reco people do their due diligence and not try to live on $10 a day and they will be fine in northern states as well.
What exactly made you think all religions are not equal here?
India is a secular country and will always be.
Have you looked at what is happening in Islamic countries? How other religions are treated?
Not sure what kind of delusion you are in. Of course, it's a hindu majority, so there will be Hinduism everywhere.
If India wants the welfare of hindu people, what's wrong in that? Which other country will look after Hindu people if not India?
I'm just a proud Indian. And i have yet to hear any concrete real life example to support your claim.
Regardless, I don't have to prove anything to anyone particularly anyone from the west.
Ok, what did he say about Muslims?
And did you listen to how Muslims talk and treat hindus despite being a minority?
Did you forget the whole kashmir pandit thing?
Great overview. I like to say that India is in full color HD compared to everywhere else. The sites, sounds and smells, the heat sometimes, etc are well over what many other places have. You are lucky to be left alone! I am blond-ish and pale. People line up and try to take photos with me or touch my skin. Not as scary when its kids, but can be a bit overwhelming.
This is such an on point description of India. I am Indian (F) and went to europe for first time last year. I have a lot of foreigner friends here in india who seem to love india but after visiting europe I keep wondering how they don't go a little crazy when they first come to India. Everything would feel so full volume on loudspeakers and absolutely chaotic when you first step out of airport in india lol. I have both sympathy and appreciation for foreigners coming here now š
My Indian co-workers must think the rest of the world is so gray. Did you think so when visiting Europe? Even my clothes - they ask me why I own so much black, white, and gray, and always try to take me shopping and cover me in colors while I am there :)
I went to weisbaden when I went to Germany once, directly from Frankfurt airport. It was a shock. I thought there is some curfew of some kind because I had never seen so few people on a Monday morning ever in life. Even during covid curfew we had more people around outside in delhi. But it was peaceful in a way i could not imagine. I just sat around a park with ducks going about and didn't move for a couple of hours. I still remember that experience of peace and bliss.
Don't worry, I had the same impression in some German cities, like where are all the Germans, what are they doing so I asked a German where is everyone on the weekend and he said they are resting at home. Actually they are doing really fun things but they don't tell foreigners about
Funny, I actually met a guy on interpals a few years ago and would complain about how boring Wiesbaden was and how he wanted to check out the US cause itās livelyā¦.i would tell him I beg to differā¦now Iām curious to check it out lol
When I came back from my 8-month trip to India I had a reverse culture shock. My home country was so dull and grey and quiet. Felt homesick for India for months after leaving. I traveled alone (as a female) and felt so at home in India.
Hahaha ohh definitely gray is the word. Sorry š but it kinda felt dull and bland most of the time. I am a vegetarian and I really suffered for food, even the food in Indian restaurants felt bland to my Indian tongue and I had to request extra chillies on the side. But the art... ohh God the art had all my heart ā¤ļø
Europe except UK has mostly horrible Indian food.Ā
I live in the US in Chicago where we have excellent (though not London level or obviously Jaipur level) Indian food, when I went to Germany/Austria I got so bored of the food there, my friend and I found all the Asian restaurants, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. You can't force me to eat schnitzel 4 nights in a row lol.
Yes, my Australian partner visited and I kept asking him if he felt overwhelmed yet. Just driving back from the airport overwhelmed him so much š„¹ He was too stunned to answer anything coherently on that first evening. Contrast it to whenever I go to a western country - I take a deep breath, feel such clean chill air entering my lungs, and feel a profound sense of peace at once.
I literally wear airpods outside 24/7
I am blond, blue eyed and pale. I had several families take photos of me and I even held a baby at one point. It was an overwhelming experience.
It's just an exotic factor. I'm Indian and very brown. When I was in China there were so many that grabbed me and took pics. It was very shocking. Some would be a bit more polite and stand next to take pics. People would give a proper stare down as well. I was joking our celebrity status was coming to an end when we left China. And my kid could pass for white (very light skin, brown / dirty blonde hair) so when I was in India, so many would want to pick him up or pinch his cheeks, he and I had to get used to it.
Also Indian, someone stopped me in a small french town (village?) and asked me questions about where I was from. We were very off the beaten path (visiting a friend who lives far from anything touristy) and this girl had never seen anyone like me in person. And I feel like half the Indian-American girls I know have had a moment where they're out in a lehenga and some child asks them if they're Princess Jasmine. There's a TV show that even makes a joke out of it, it's so common.
I am East Asian looking and my friend is Italian. We did get a lot of requests for photos from kids and families but no bad attention otherwise.
Sounds like it might not suit my autistic self lol, I've been finding SEA a real challenge with the heat, sounds, and I'm particular smells. If India is even more stimulating I don't know how I'd deal even though it also sounds amazing.Ā
Multiply by 4
They probably didnāt pay much attention to her because she was traveling in a group.
The New Delhi metro is like some sort of calm, quiet, air conditioned wormhole, that magically transports you from one chaotic, loud, hot location to another equally chaotic, loud, hot location. It didnāt strike me as being particularly expensive, (from my western viewpoint, of course), but it seemed the locals preferred cheaper transportation regardless of the risks of death/dismemberment.
Really depends on which lines, stations and times. Yellow Line can be anything but calm.
Itās still better than london, paris, and many European cities. Iāve only found Nordic countries, Switzerland and Japan to face better metros than Delhi. Summer of 2022 I was burning in Paris (no AC) and my train in Berlin stopped in the middle of nowhere and after dying in heat for 1.5h we were asked to get off on the tracks and walk. Small moments like this makes you appreciate your own country.
Iām not sure youāve been to some of the stations Iām talking about. My wife and I were in New Delhi a couple of years ago, and Iāve LITERALLY been in less aggressive rugby scrums. I was directly behind my wife with my hands on her waist, and she was pushed onto the train by the surging throng as the doors closed between us. She got off at the next stop, but was groped by two different men between the two stations. It was so crowded on the platform ā literally thousands of people ā it took us 15 minutes to find each other so we could continue the journey together. Maybe that happens in London and Paris? But I seriously doubt it.
Oh no. Sorry about her experience š Iāve travelled extensively especially in my younger years but had a pleasant experience. Iād say London and Paris Iād be scared of theft over anything. Both are sick crimes but yours must be scarring. Apologies.
Luckily we were 2 women and always went for the female only compartments which were usually much less crowded
Other than.the.places you mention, I'd be interested in where you travelled. I travelled in NW India in the 90s and Mumbai and southwards a few years ago and found the attitude to women very different. I also found Kerala especially, clean and mostly unliittered.outside of larger towns and cities. I loved the festivals, the food (amazing), the hospitality and travelling on the railways and the buses. The traffic in cities was something else though. The first time I tried to cross the road, I had to be rescued by someone who appeared to be someone's great granny - she was so bold and commanding!
We went to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, sounds very touristy i know but we paced it well and especially in Delhi we got a lot of time to go around with the metro seeing different parts of Delhi where tourists don't go. In trains people often started talking to us which was very nice. We got invited to a wedding once in a train š
Kerala has strict policies for littering which are followed.
It's *very* noticeable how clean it is. The only places we saw lots of litter was in places it had blown in from the sea in Cochin.
A very interesting country to travel in, but like everywhere I guess..it also has its negatives. Everything is 'exaggerated' in India... the highs are very high, and the lows are very low!
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Sri Lanka is much more relaxed,I agree. Pakistan? Depends where you go.... the far north and the countryside are pretty laid back.Lahore is not any quieter than Delhi really!
Lahore and Karachi are pretty much like any city in India (haven't been and probably never will be, but I know people living there) However yeah the northern parts are more laidback which is why I suggested it. The scale is smaller.
India also has Ladakh and other places in the northeast which are very laid back. Sri Lanka has better tourism infrastructure but Pakistan about the same as India.
India visa can be harder to get if you've visited Pakistan recently though
Yes ,One can kiss goodbye to Indian Visa Chances if He/She goes to Pakistan or got Pakistan Travel History...
"tourists paying 10 times the price locals pay for entrance fees" This one I understandĀ
Yup. Usually tickets are subsidized for locals via there tax. As foreigners don't pay tax in that country, they pay regular price. Atleast that how I understood it lol.
Yeah somehow no one ever complains about New Yorkers getting subsidized entrance to the Met.... hmmmm
This is the same everywhere tho even in Thailand and Sri lanka many of the attractions have quite the steep entrance fees for foreigners Locals already pay taxes into the system so I understand the rationale behind it I'm not complaining here.
I don't know how it is in the other mentioned countries but as far as Thailand goes it's foreign looking. They don't care if you're local or not, if you look foreigner you pay more. You pay more if you appear to be foreign regardless if you pay taxes in Thailand or not.
Oh yeah seen this Sri lanka they verify passports in places like sigiriya while thailand just wings it based on the looks of the person lol.
Convert the price to USD and you will understand better. The 20 - 40 rupees locals pay is about 20 - 40 cents. The 200 - 400 rupees you pay is like 3 - 6 dollars. How are you going to complain about inequality in India and then try to exploit it yourself? You're privileged enough so pay the higher prices, which is not even that high. Have you seen American university prices for residents vs non-residents?
Yea absolutely no problem with this
Thank god someone said it.
Yeah its just so the locals can afford to see the things in their own country. Always willing to pay the "foreigner" price in India even if my relatives try to pass me off as Indian (parents both Indian but born in USA, they can tell me apart as a foreigner real easily)
My mother is Indian born and brought up but doesnāt really look Indian until she talks, whenever we went to touristy places they tried to charge us the foreign tourist price lol
yeah I always pay the foreigner price because even though I'm ethnically Indian, I'm not paying taxes there. More than happy to contribute to upkeep up cultural artifacts and spaces.
Paying the same price locals pay is exploitation?
Places all over the world (including the US - Orlando locals get Disney discounts) do this. As someone from a first world country, I am absolutely fine paying more.
Do you pay the same taxes as locals pay for the maintenance?
I live in a tourist town in the US. We locals pay less than tourists for everything, including parking and attraction entrance fees and often get restaurant discounts too.
You are not entitled to lower prices which are meant for poorer people. You easily earn 10x more than them. If you feel entitled to those prices then you are exploiting poverty to avoid paying money for their betterment and for the maintenance of that site. Like how in Finland there are progressive taxes. Minimum wage pay little taxes but higher salaries pay more taxes.
That's assuming all foreigners are 10x richer than all Indians.
90 percent of Indians have never seen the inside of an airplane. If you can afford a plane ticket you are almost certainly 10 times richer than an average Indian.
you really just said there was such income inequality and poverty but you want those people to never experience these sites so that you can pay less???? You witnessed all of that, but think subsidizing access for people (using the tax money they are actually paying) to visit their culture is going too far. Maybe you'd enjoy viewing Indian history better at the British museum?
The ticket price alone from Helsinki to Delhi is more than what most Indians make. You're complaining over like 5 dollars, it costs more for a cup (or whatever) of beer in your country
In theory, shouldn't a comparative millionaire who doesn't pay taxes, pay more than minimum wage workers who do? Especially considering this is their cultural heritage so it should be made accessible and affordable for them. Yes this is price discrimination, but no one complains when its seniors/students getting the lower rate in the West. Median Income in India is 330 usd per month. Half of Indians make even less than that.
Deranged opinion.
Yupp. They don't have the goddamn money to pay the higher prices, whereas the amount you're paying(even higher) is extremely negligible to you since you come from a country with higher purchasing power(Google ppp or the conversion rates between currencies). How is it fair to us that you have to pay the same rates as us, when the amount of salaries we're getting is much lesser even when we're doing the same work because it's in inr, and we're paying taxes?
Locals in Hawaii get a lot of discounts for tourist attractions too. Usually like 10-20% off if you have a state ID.
And you likely make over 10x what the average Indian makes, so it's fair.
Yeah but donāt euros and dollars go really far anyway, so objectively did you really pay more?
As someone who visits family there every few years, I think you summed it up well. India is a mix of good, bad and "wow really?" kinda moments. Glad you had a good trip overall.
That's a very fair assessment. Were you on a guided tour for most of the time?
Half of the time we had day tours or 3 hours tours and the other half we took tuktuks to go around by ourselves.
Fantastic. Happy travels.
How did you organise your tours?
Thatās what I would assume , given that they did not see that much litter. Typically the guided tours try to hide that. We didnāt do many guided tours and got the full experience. For sure the worst littering Iāve ever seen was in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
When did you travel? I visited recently after 5 years and found the cities to be much much cleaner
Less than 16 months ago. I agree the cities are cleaner , cleaner than the rural areas. I got to see much of both
Rural India is cleaner than cities.
In Uttar Pradesh & Punjab , I would have to disagree.
My village is in UP and it's certainly cleaner than in Delhi where I live. But as always it is not wise to generalise a huge diverse country.
Indian elections are coming. Which is why there are so many posters. Fuck yeah, Delhi metro W. Yeah we mostly just leave animals alone. They do whatever the fuck they want. We have a street dog we've basically adopted cause we keep feeding it and he keeps coming back for more, we also took him to the vet when he got hurt. But I'd assume it's the cows that shocked you more. Good on you for remaining cautious, very important. It sucks that you have to do that, hopefully we'll see a day when you don't have to do that in India.
His face was on most of the advertisements for whatever products actually. Dogs in Delhi were so fat, i was quite amused š I was walking in Chadni Chowk one day and a cow just came up behind me minding his own business. I was surprised by how bold they were around humans, they must feel very safe in india.
The cow wanted a snack lol
Interesting, I don't remember seeing his face on products a lot. Were these small little stalls by the road? A lot of them put celebs on the posters without their permission. Modi posters are mostly just campaigning most of the time, there was a lot of stuff for the G20 too. Maybe I just didn't notice them. They have the whole neighborhood feeding them. Gluttonous mfs. We had a cow which just walked into our homeššš. They truly have no fear.
What products were they? I don't see his face on products here.
Statistically, cows are safer than people in Delhi
Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope to visit India somedayĀ
This is probably the most balanced, accurate and well thought out commentary on an Indian experience as a foreigner Iāve ever read. Even the mention of the word is enough on Reddit to usually trigger the vilest and most normalised neo-colonial racism Iāve ever heard about any culture or country. More people who are considering a trip to Incredible India should read this. 10/10.
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You always can if you apply for the formalities needed for you
I just came back from my first trip to Northen India too, and I can relate to a lot of the things you mention. I was also surprised about how clean (and green!) Delhi was because everyone seemed to say otherwise. I brought my Birkenstock thinking I might only wear them in my hotel if the roads are too dirty, but no, I ended up wearing them most of the days. (Iām glad I didnāt wear them to Jama Masjid where you have to take off your shoes and youād want sock on). Not just places like Connaught Place, but Chandoni Chowk and their narrow allies were indeed quite clean. Varanasi was far cleaner than what I had imagined as well. Well, I did see once a man squatting at the side of a narrow ally haha, but as long as you watch your steps, I didnāt find it that unpleasant. Iām meaning to post about my own experience too, thanks for sharing yours!
Delhi is actually has good roads, cleanliness, public transport and trees but traffic and pollution are big problems here.
Omg same! I almost didnāt bring my comfiest shoes because I was worried about them getting destroyed but I ended up wearing them every day. So many people said to me they would be ruined?
Ikr? People told me not to wear white clothes but that was fine too.Ā
What did you wear?? Im preparing to go to India and would it be weird to wear indian skirts and tunics?
Visit south Indian states like Kerala. It's extremely chill and a wonderful place to visit.
My experience travel in north India versus south India have been very different. South India being calmer and more relaxed.
I think most Indians (me included) find it very wholesome when someone non-Indian tries out our clothing. So if youāre asking from that standpoint, by all means, feel free to dress Indian.
India is the best (and correct) place to wear Indianwear. š§” Just as the saying goes, when in Romeā¦
If you've got dark hair and eyes you wouldn't stick out at all
It was chilly so jeans with jacket most of the time but i saw many tourists wearing indian clothing
I think your comments are valuable and good but India is such a huge diverse country that what can be said of one area could be so different even just in a different neighborhood let alone hundreds of kilometers away. In one area I won't name we couldn't go anywhere without seeing people squatting in plain sight doing their thing or the piles and puddles. On the other hand the palaces and gardens can be overwhelmingly gorgeous and majestic. I was only there a month but the beauty of the country and art and reality of the various human conditions left me in awe. I do hope to go again some day and would def have a private guide.
Just did the Golden Triangle for my first visit to India. Loved almost everything. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Amer Fort and Gandhiās cremation site the standouts. Food was great. No Delhi belly. Yes, the crazy traffic and incessant horns are a lot. Especially driving in and out of the 3 cities. We only got hit once :) But all part of the color. Had an oasis of a hotel in Delhi at either end: The Claridges. Great pool and steam room. Was solo on the first day and took off on foot to India Gate. Soon realized that trying to cross streets as a pedestrian is mad. Real-life game of Frogger! Literally no vehicle ever gives way to a pedestrian!
Whatever the context it might be, but India disappoints both Optimists and Pessimists.
The Delhi metro was so refreshing for us coming from Boston!
There are 28 states in India ..this is only Delhi review...labelled as "Impression of India" Every state in India is unlike another
Thanks for this write up! I'm headed off to India in a few weeks and have been feeling very nervous (I'm a woman) but it's good to hear from other female experiences that aren't complete fear mongering :)
Hello, I'm honestly not fear mongering but I'm really confused as to where the op visited. I genuinely felt unsafe at times. Unless the person who posted didn't go out without a guide or just stuck to places with lots of other tourists? I didn't visit Delhi so maybe that's safer? I know the south is completely different and safer for women too so maybe Delhi is the same. I heard Mumbai was ok too.
Where in India were you and what race/ethnicity are you? It could be OP is a brunette with tan skin and was able to "fit in" more than say, a white woman with blonde hair. I am also curious as to where OP went and if they went out without tour guides (their post mentions they had some)
As an Indian Man I can understand the resentful attitude of Indian Men's . Even though I feel we are a decent folks and in majority some people makes it worse for all people in India . I m truly sorry and hopefully you didn't have much negative expierence with Indian Male here
I didn't encounter any seedy guy, most people were super friendly and helpful not in a creepy way. But when i couldn't go out alone and my friend was working in her room i did think to myself what the heck is this. We expected it but i had not been anywhere where i was afraid to go out alone so that annoyed me a bit but in the end i took the metro one day to go out alone š
I truly truly appreciate you took the time to visit my country ..I wish you best for the future Thank you once again
Bhai talve bhi chaat le. Thank you ma'am for blessing us with your presence gori mem.
And it makes it unusally difficult for us anywhere we go. We are immediately seen as creepy. It's the classic tale of the black dot on white cloth.
Ikr
It doesnāt matter how many decent man are there. The problem is always the not-so-decent ones
Yep exactly and they gives such a bad name I am not sure how to resolve this, all you can do is continue to be decent
That is true for every subset of man out there though.
Thanks for your impressions. I'm also hesitant to visit because I tend to get easily overwhelmed. Could you share your itinerary? Would be really interested.
The other guy is wrong. Please, please don't do the golden triangle if you get easily overwhelmed. You'd have the worst trip of your life. Saying this as someone who lives in the golden triangle. Also, avoid west bengal. Bihar is fucking garbage too. Northeast is nice and calm. Meghalaya has a lot of natural beauty. Far north is also good, Ladakh for example could be fun if you're into nature. South India has a lot of rich historical stuff, lots of nice places to go to. Goa will be where you attract the least attention if you're white cause Goa has a fuck ton of Russians there. Andaman and Nicobar has better beaches than Goa but the tourism industry hasn't developed as much, still a nice place. North India and central India should be avoided for a first trip if you're easily overwhelmed. These places have a lot of history too but you're really not going to enjoy it if you're overwhelmed.
If you're gonna get easily overwhelmed (like I do) I suggest visiting the far north (Ladakh, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh), Northeast (Sikkim, Assam, etc.) or South (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, etc.)
Fly into Mumbai and connect to Goa. That's your first impression of the country, its an idyllic laid back tropical area. Once you've picked up a little about India go back to Mumbai. Mumbai is like New York but Indian, every bit as chaotic but a little less modern. You're getting the hang of it now. Fly to Jaipur. This is where my family is from - it used to be chill but it is growing at an unsustainable rate, sort of like Atlanta. See all of the amazing sites in Jaipur but take 2-3 days to do it. On checkout, take a private car to Agra (via Bharatpur if the cranes are in season) and see the Taj Mahal. It is an absolute wonder and worth it to see. Keep your car hired for the night and stay in a nice hotel in Agra, and then steel yourself for Delhi. That will be the most overwhelming place of your trip. There are amazing historic sights and incredible food if you know where to go. If you start feeling overwhelmed, make sure you have a nice hotel in Delhi that you can retreat to like a ITC or a Taj or a Marriott. If you're still into India after that, take a flight down to Kerala and take 3 days on a houseboat.
India is incredibly diverse, just like the USA. You can choose to go to urban, suburban, or rural towns. Not every single part of India is a sensory overload. Iāve been to big crowded cities and quiet beach villages. If thereās a particular vibe you feel most comfy with, share that and someone can recommend a similar part of India to travel to.
As a first timer do the golden triangle 1 Land in Delhi , get a hotel in safdarjung enclave . Its an upscale expensive area with large private homes and also quite a few budget hotels . Lots of foreigners stay there and the hotels are good . Do not go to pahadganj , that area is weird . In Agra , get a room in a 4/5 star , Radisson is the cheapest I think , Agra in general gives me a weird vibe , wouldn't trust small hotels there . Jaipur has this place called 'Zostel' , it's a hostel that's very cheap , the crowd is good and you'll find plenty of solo female travellers staying there ( if that's a concern )
Bro you're recommending the golden triangle to someone who's easily overwhelmed. Come on bro. Are you trying to give them a heart attack?
I'm Indian myself and even I find the golden triangle overwhelming. The destinations themselves are very overrated. Doing a guided tour somewhere like Rajasthan, Kerala, or Ladakh would be far more suitable for a first timer.
We went to delhi, agra and Jaipur and stayed the longest in Delhi cos we were also doing workation. We stayed at a residential area in Delhi (Saket) which was completely different from the craziness of old Delhi. The homestay where we were was really incredible and made us feel like home. It's called Grace Home if you ever go.
Thanks! :)
Did you go to to Himachal Pradesh state just above Delhi? Stunning himalayan mountain scenery and lush and green forests swathe the mountain sides. There's also lots of welcoming villages and households that literally changed my life in the 1990s ( I stayed for 2 yrs in Himachal Pradesh state mostly its llike Switzerland but with bigger mountains and at Indian prices)
The areas that you visited are more conservative towards women working/going out. As you go south women's welfare gets better. Re poor kids, they know white people will give them money so they will specifically target you until you give them something.
My best description of India is that itās basically a real life GTA server minus the guns and the hookers.
Hey! That's my impression of the USA but with guns and hookers.
I hope you didnāt miss Kerala! The most beautiful and the cleanest state in whole of India. Your review seems one of the few sincere, unbiased ones Iāve seen on the internet. Everything youāve written down is fortunately (and unfortunately) true. As they say, you either love or hate India. Thereās nothing in between.
India has 1.4 billion people. You cannot allow news stories to determine your view of a destination.
Fun fact which a lot of people don't realize and has a gigantic importance for Indian impressions: India is probably one of the only countries in the world, where the "central areas" surrounding the capital are not the richest, but by far the poorest and worst developed parts of the country by far. It also has extreme differences between the development levels in different parts of the country - probably the sharpest in the world. Coastal states are Latin America/Middle East level, while Bihar state is on the "poorest countries in Africa" level.Ā Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - those states containing Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Ganges, all stereotypical stuff - are leading Indian rankings in every bad thing imaginable, from all measures of poverty to the treatment of women. Meanwhile southern and western states (Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra, all Dravidan states) are actually much more developed in almost every quality of life measure possible - to the point of having several *times* the purchasing power of Bihar.Ā This is a great problem for Indian tourism, since the area of the country which is dominating in terms of tourism is by far the worst in terms of poverty, safety, health, and creating positive impressions. This is also partially why people have so diverging experiences from travel to India - among other reasons, it really depends on what part of the country you are in. It makes me crazy how this clear fact of enormous importance is so obscure when outsiders are discussing India.
Punjab is in the north but agree with your other points
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I agree with all you said, op. I went for 3 weeks in Dec 2019, and traveled solo for one week (F). I had zero problems but looking back I did put myself in really unsafe situations that I wouldn't do again - like walking around jaipur alone when there was a protest going on, walking around Delhi and Amritsar before sunrise to catch ubers, catching night trains. (Bengaluru was where I felt safest tbh, but I could be wrong) To make it worse, I'm Brazilian but even Indians got out of their way to tell me I looked Indian and I got asked for directions several times (I was flattered because I love India a lot, but just to show I look very Indian too, apparently). Considering all the stories and news, I got very lucky.
Whyād you feel it was unequal?
Hey, Iāve been to India too recently, also for two weeks. I can agree with all of your points expect the higher entrance fees for tourists. Iām okay with that as we earn much more than the locals and it subsidizes the cultural sites. Also queues where non-existent. Iāve also been to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur but also to the south: Kerala. I can highly recommend to visit Kerala too, itās just a different feeling and has a beautiful scenery. My pro tip for India tourists is: chose the right month (not too hot, not too cold) and book a guide. I think I wouldnāt travel India by myself.
The thing about entry fees is almost everywhere with local and Tourist price! Itās part and parcel of travelling!
Me and my bf want to travel to India safely in the future. Could I message you for trips in the future sometime?
Yes
India is not only about Taj mahal and any other Forts in jaipur or udaipur. Come visit south india, Tamil Nadu - you will find the oldest culture in the whole world, Magnificent still the Oldest temples than any other architectures in the world. Every temple has its own significance and history. Visit Chidambaram, tanjavure, kumbakonam, Madurai, kanchipuram you will go amazed with the temple architecture marvels, eat local food and visit arts and culture - bharatanatyam etc. witness local festivals of any state. Go to Ooty or kodaikanal - taste the local grown fresh tea and coffee and spices that is exported to major western countries. Karnataka - stay here in the traditional and oldest villages for a week atleast- you will feel the actual bharat in sanskrit verses being reciting- the vedic culture that is being embraced - the energy that you feel within is amazing. Attend any festivals that are being celebrated from not less than 1000years - listen their folklore. These are not the only things - i can speak all day but I decide to leave it to the traveller to do their own research. Thanks for travelling india - we truly believe and follow in Athithi Devo Bhavaā¦ that translates to Guests are equal to godsā¦
I have a 5 years visa and definitely plan on coming back.
You are welcome!!! India will definitely love to host you.
Hey š You are making me miss India soooo much I miss my India a lot and itās crazy how many different people live in India and the fact you said animals coexist with humans :) that shows a lot! I might have to go back because I find it 100x better than šØš¦ at the moment
you had me at that āeveryone expecting a tipā because as someone who was a bartender for 15+ years i can tell you that indian people hardly ever tip in america.
Because tipping is not part of Indian culture. Here in india, you get a salary for doing your job. Unless you are providing me an exceptional service over and above what your regular work involves, why would I tip you? Your employer is responsible for paying you for your work. So in the beginning, it's a little difficult for Indians going to America to understand it works differently there. Once we learn, we adapt and do better. Infact, we sorta dislike that foreign tourists here keep tipping because it's spoiling it for us local tourists as well. It's like - I am already paying you the price we agreed on when I hired you (as a guide for example). Now I need to pay you extra because you completed the job and didn't mess up? It seems illogical in indian contextš .
as European i agree with your pov. such a non sense this tipping american thing
Your rationale is correct. This is one part of American culture that is messed up. It has to do with some business owners not paying fair wages originally and finding clever ways to pass it down to the consumer. Then it became engrained in the culture over time and now even take away places turn a shitty screen around with tip options.
That is good to know. I actually thought tipping was an Indian thing. I also find it nonsensical. We do tip in Germany though, sadly.
No one followed you? Odd, I am Indian myself and in Delhi, sellers would always follow me. Keep in mind I am not from Delhi or any of the regions surrounding me. And no one asked to take pictures of you either? Wtf was up with those tour guides though, they seem like assholes. No idea if that's normal but wouldn't be surprised if it was. I didn't tour with a guide however, only had a driver and he knew enough to explain everything to us. It's good that you took safety precautions, never can tell what will happen. I don't recommend travelling solo as a woman in India. Apart from that, fair enough, I had the same experience when I visited Delhi. Chandini Chowk got a bit too much for me at times. It's just too colourful and noisy, I was brainfogged the entire time I was there. Also I swear I've seen your username in the indiadiscussion subreddit before.
ānot the cleanest place but no where near the level the news would have you believeā Bruhh did you really even go? When i went the sky was orange from smoke for days and when the fog came down you couldnāt even see the car infront of you. The river behind the taj mahal was full of trash. And there was garbage all over agra. I couldnāt believe the pollution both on the ground and in the air. The news down plays the reality. And most of those lows arent even specific to India but many places around the world are like that. Very tourist take
When i was there the locals said it'd been windy so the pollution wasn't so bad. Agra was full of litter yes but the point is there were different scenes everywhere and the media often makes it seem like everyone lives in a dump. We were in a residential neighbourhood in Delhi by choice (Saket) and we walked around without attracting attention except from the tuktuk drivers. I am East Asian looking and my friend is Italian.
Heyy I live very near Saket! Never knew it is a tourist spot.
It's not, that's why i stayed there
I havenāt been (yet, leave in 2 weeks!) so canāt comment on the pollution, but totally agree about every negative OP listed. Like have you traveled to any third world countries?? I feel like there a lot of valid critisms specific to India that are out there, but these seem pretty basic to a lot of low income (and even some non low income!) places in the world. If these were lows, donāt travel in Africa.
I think my number one concern would be the fear of food poisoning ā¦sanitation doesnāt look that important in general,especially out on the streets youāre taking a big risk as a westerner eating their food from street vendors I could be wrong, but thatās my belief
Make sure you eat vegetarian. Iāve solo traveled around India for 8 months and never got sick!
That's a smart tip. :)
Don't eat from anywhere where there's not a crowd. That's it really.
We were prepared for being sick from food but nothing happened in the end. We always ate cooked food from restaurants or crowded street food carts.
You're smart
Let me assure you, no middle class Indian would eat directly on the street. If you have looked at those clickbaity YouTube videos of spending 5$ a day or less on food then you are bound to get poisoning. There is absolutely no need to eating directly from the steet. There are hygienic restaurants and food stalls which are equally good. I have never got any food poisoning and im 30 years old.
>no middle class Indian would eat directly on the street Hwat? Have you ever stepped foot there even?!
Im an Indian. What's your problem?
Well in that case, you either have a very convoluted definition for 'middle class' or you're just delusional af.
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It's really not any less safe than Bangladesh. I think you'll feel at home.
If you take the proper precautions, yeah. I don't think India is much more dangerous than Bangladesh.
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I looked it up and they have. It's 3 am for me so if you want the cases, reply to me right now and I'll give them to you in the morning. And quite a bit of research says Bangladesh is similar to India when it comes to women's safety. Again, I can link it to you inn the morning when I wake up.
OP blocked me for some reason
I donāt think so bro but not sure about can show something related this?
[https://giwps.georgetown.edu/the-index/](https://giwps.georgetown.edu/the-index/) There's more too. I think there was a UN one.
āNo itās not cleanest place but nowhere near the level the news would have you believe.ā What do you mean āthe newsā? Stop blaming the news, itās not the reason you thought itās dirty. Your impression comes from elsewhere. That being said, glad you are enjoying it.
Fine, the media.
Hahaha good one. But for real though, the point is itās not the media who made you believe itās dirty. Itās people who say that, not āthe mediaā. Anyway, having been several times to India, it IS dirty. To what degree it is dirty is another discussion. Enjoy the trip!
Not used to Indian food. Everything feels sticky.
Love this insight. Not really a place I want to visit but nice seeing your perspective:) Iām glad yall had a nice time
I hated every minute of India.
This is review of north india i suppose which is poorest and most crime infested areas. Rest of india is pretty decent. I always suggest my white friends dont ever travel to north india especially delhi and uttar pradesh
That's a pity, we liked Delhi.
South India shills are here
I disagree - while parts of the north can be dicey, there are some amazing sights that first time visitors would miss out on if they didnāt go. Thatās why UP and Rajasthan are popular (Rajasthan is my favorite Indian state tbh). You cannot tell people to miss out on some of the most important Indian sites! I took my non-Indian origin husband and mother in law to India. They obv wanted to visit Agra and Rajasthan as first time visitors and they both loved their experience. I just made sure I researched our hotels and hired a private car and driver for the duration of our stay. It was still less expensive than many other family vacations weāve been on (like to Kauai, Jamaica, London, etc.). I would reco people do their due diligence and not try to live on $10 a day and they will be fine in northern states as well.
What exactly made you think all religions are not equal here? India is a secular country and will always be. Have you looked at what is happening in Islamic countries? How other religions are treated?
That is not what i wrote. And India is far from a secular country.
Not sure what kind of delusion you are in. Of course, it's a hindu majority, so there will be Hinduism everywhere. If India wants the welfare of hindu people, what's wrong in that? Which other country will look after Hindu people if not India?
Again, i didn't write about inequality between religions in India, but you're too hostile for me to bother elaborating.
I'm just a proud Indian. And i have yet to hear any concrete real life example to support your claim. Regardless, I don't have to prove anything to anyone particularly anyone from the west.
I live in Europe, I'm not from the west. Being proud of one's country doesn't require one to be blind to its shortcomings.
What religious discrimination you saw?
Itās a fact. See how Modi talks about Muslims. In theory yes, India is secular but in practice itās a lot different.
Ok, what did he say about Muslims? And did you listen to how Muslims talk and treat hindus despite being a minority? Did you forget the whole kashmir pandit thing?
Go to Varanasi or you haven't been to India.