Travel to India, Is It Safe? This is How I Feel

Hello everyone, Happy New Year! Last week I returned from my 14-day India trip, and it was incredible! ✨✨✨

Before the trip, I was very scared to travel to India because of the rape and murder news about some female travellers. However, India turns out to be safe.

Heck, I even wandered alone a few times and was completely fine!

When I returned to the office and shared about my trip, some colleagues (male and female) had the same perception as I had before – that the country isn’t safe.

So, this week, I want to share my experience of travelling to India. Hopefully, this could open your mind and perhaps, add the country to your bucket list 😉

Why I Decided to Travel to India

First, let me tell you the reason why I decided to travel to India: I was curious.

Despite some horrible rape and murder news, my best friend and colleagues raved about how they love the country, especially the food 👀 👀 👀

So, I was thinking to myself, “If they enjoy travelling in India, it mustn’t be as bad as what the news said!”

Then, I found a budget India group tour with an interesting itinerary. Also, since it’s easy to apply for a tourist visa, I decided to book the tour.*

*Indonesians can apply for an Indian tourist visa online – for free!

What I Did Before Travelling to India (Nervous Stage)

Usually, I feel excited before travelling, but India was an exception. I was very nervous!

What if something bad happens to me?
What if I get sick because of the food or water?
Who will support my parents if I die?

So, before travelling to India, I prepared myself (and my family) well, such as:

• I told my dad that I would travel to Thailand (sorry, Dad)
• I brought only sports bras (to further compress my small boobs)
• I wore my eyeglasses instead of contact lenses (clean water issue + so I look like a nerd)
• I packed loose-fitting clothes that covered my shoulders and knees
• I packed many tissues, wet tissues, hand sanitizers, and stomachache medicines
• I took off all of my jewelry (although the design is very simple)
• I forwarded my travel insurance information and my local tour guide’s contact to my sister
• I informed my sister where to find my will

Is It Safe to Travel to India? What Some People Think vs Reality

Since the roads in India can be chaotic and it’s not easy to use public transportation, I chose to book a group tour with One Life Adventures.

It wasn’t a luxury group tour, so I feel what I’m going to share with you could be more accepted in general.

During the tour, I stayed in nice budget hotels and Havelis (traditional Indian mansions). I also slept on a 2nd class sleeper train for one night.

For the transportation, it was a mixture of private buses, public inter-city buses, tuk-tuk aka bajaj, trains, and bicycles (for the cycling tour).

As for the meals, I had hotel breakfasts, packed breakfasts, and meals at the hotels as well as budget and fancy restaurants.

In this section, I’ve listed down a few perceptions that I had about India, based on what I heard or read in the news VS my personal experience when I was there.

What some people think: If I travel to India, there’s a high chance I’ll get raped and murdered

Reality: No

Some locals, regardless of their gender, will stare at you because you look different. However, they are not aggressive. They’re polite and friendly.

My European female friends (whether they were coupled or single), were approached by the locals to take photos together. But that’s it! 👋🤳📸

When it comes to travelling, I feel everyone (especially women) should respect the culture of the country they’re visitting and always use common sense, such as:

• Dress modestly (depending on the culture)
• Don’t wander alone at night
• If alone, better to use a pre-booked taxi or private driver
• Be careful with overly friendly strangers

What some people think: If I travel to India, scammers are waiting for me at the airport

Reality: Not sure about this, I booked a female taxi driver in advance

I remember reading news about how some taxi or tuk-tuk drivers scammed travellers, saying that the hotel that they booked was already closed.

Then, they brought the poor travellers to an expensive, dodgy hotel!

But I can’t confirm the reality because I’ve booked an airport transfer with the tour company before arriving in India.

All of the drivers of this taxi company are women. So, as a female traveller, I feel safer using its service – and it’s proven to be true!

The taxi drivers who picked me up and sent me to the airport were young and friendly 💁‍♀️🚕🙏

If you’re worried, when you travel to India, I recommend getting an official airport taxi or booking a private driver from a trusted tour company in advance.

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What some people think: The roads in India are smelly and full of cow dung

Reality: Yes in small cities, No in big cities

In small cities like Bikaner and Pushkar, you’ll find many cows roaming freely on the roads. You know what that means.

However, in big cities like New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, I didn’t see any cows on the road.

The roads in big cities are cleaner, although you’ll still see some piles of trash, street vendors, and homeless people sleeping on the pedestrian.

That being said, if you decide to go to India, a country where it’s illegal to kill a cow, please explore the country with an open mind 🙏🐮😊

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What some people think: If I travel to India, I must not take out my gadgets in the crowd or people will steal them

Reality: No

During my India trip, I walked on both crowded and quiet roads. Whether you’re in a big or small city, walking on the road, or riding a tuk-tuk, it is safe to use your gadgets in India.

My friends often take photos and videos with their iPhones. I always carried my Canon DSLR and phone when walking on the busy street.

When you travel to India, you will see many poor and homeless people on the road. But they’re still smilling, and they don’t harm you.

What some people think: If I travel to India, I must only drink bottled mineral water

Reality: Yes and No

If you want to drink mineral water, yes, make sure that it’s bottled and the seal isn’t broken.

However, you’ll miss the fun if you only drink mineral water!

Hot drinks are generally safe when you’re travelling in India because they’ve boiled the water – especially masala tea.

Oh God. The. masala. tea.

Masala tea (aka chai latte) with fresh cow milk, extra ginger and no sugar… I had it at least twice a day when I was in India ❤️❤️❤️

If you want to get cold drinks, at least order them from nice cafes or restaurants. In my case, I had a shake from a store that my tour guide recommended.

The owner of the store even wrote that he only used mineral water for the ice cubes!

What some people think: If I travel to India, I will get sick easily because the tap water is dirty

Reality: No

It’s okay to take showers or wash your face and your hands with tap water when in India.

However, when showering, you must always close your mouth so the water doesn’t get into your mouth. You must also use only mineral water when brushing your teeth.

If you wear contact lenses, you must wash your hands with mineral water before putting them on/taking them off.

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What some people think: I will get a stomachache from the food in India

Reality: Nobody knows

You can get sick because of the tap water, street food, hotel food, restaurant food, having a low immune system, etc…

To say that the food in India will cause a stomachache isn’t a fair generalization. You can be very careful and still get sick – just like when you’re travelling to other countries.

What some people think: If I travel to India, I have to eat curry every day

Reality: No

There are many varieties of Indian curry that you can try, like butter masala, masala, curry, dahl, etc.

You can order non-curry-based ala carte too, like tandoori chicken, chicken biryani, fish tika, and honey chilli potato.

One may need a break from curry, but believe me, you’ll never get bored of their bread. Oh, the glorious garlic butter naan! 😍😍😍

If you need a break from Indian food, many restaurants also serve Western, Chinese and Mediterranean dishes. I ordered salad a few times when travelling in India.

My friends didn’t dare to order salad because they weren’t sure if the restaurants washed the vegetables with mineral waiter.

In my case, I only order salad when eating at fancy restaurants. I had to eat vegetables to get enough fibre!

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What some people think: If I travel to India and eat curry every day, I’ll get sick

Reality: No, but it depends

Curry powder is packed with health benefits, such as helping to prevent cancer, reducing inflammation, treating diseases including Alzheimer, good for your heart, etc.

However, please take note that Indian curry is very rich. The curry is very creamy and oily, so it’s better not to finish the gravy to avoid stomach upset.

When I travelled to India, I had butter masala chicken with garlic butter naan almost every day. I dipped my chicken and naan into the gravy, but not too much (remember, it’s not soup).

Then, when I reached my hotel room, I would drink a cup of hot black tea to ‘wash away’ the oil and fat.

If you come from a Western country, your body may not be used to the spices. So, take it easy with the curry 😉

What some people think: If I travel to India and eat street food, I’ll get sick

Reality: Nobody knows

All of my European and Sri Lankan friends had samosas, lassi, etc during our street food tour. I chose not to eat any of the street food because I was scared.

I didn’t get sick, and neither did my friends!

I’m not sure if they didn’t get sick because the street food that they had was from the sellers that our local tour guide, Anuj, recommended.

To be honest, the stalls didn’t look clean to me. But my friends turned out to be fine!

If you want to play safe, you can always order Indian snacks at decent restaurants.

What some people think: If I travel to India, I must stay only in 4 and 5-star hotels to be safe

Reality: No, but it depends on you

When it comes to travelling, usually staying in 4 and 5-star hotels is almost a guarantee that we will receive great hospitality + a safe environment.

For this point, let me share with you three real-life scenarios:

#Scenario 1 – A friend once shared her experience travelling to India with her mother. She made the itinerary and booked the hotels herself.

She told me that on the hotel booking website, the budget hotels that she booked looked okay. But when she reached there, the hotels were located in small alleys and were far from her expectations.

#Scenario 2 – A group of friends stayed only in 4 and 5-star hotels and Havelis, they were happy with the accommodations.

#Scenario 3 – I stayed in budget hotels and Havelis which the tour company chose, and I was happy.

Maybe it’s because the tour only uses the accommodations that they have personally stayed at before, so I had no bad experience.

When it comes to facilities and location, generally the chosen accommodations are good. I even love some of them because of their beautiful interior design!

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What some people think: The trains in India are super-duper crowded

Reality: In my case, no

Before I travelled to India, the image of the trains in India that I had in mind was… not pleasant.

I remember I saw it on the TV – the dirty train was so packed like canned tuna. Some people burst through the door and barely hung there, holding the door handle tightly.

It was so packed that some people had to sit on the train’s rooftop 😱😱😱

When I told my sister that I would even spend a night on a sleeper train in India, she was horrified. “Good luck!” she said to me.

However, the reality is far from what I saw on the TV. I don’t know if it’s due to the destination, season, train class, etc… My train rides were okay.

Yes, the toilets are dirty. Yes, the cleanliness is just okay.

But the trains weren’t jam-packed. They weren’t super crowded or noisy, and I could even sleep during the four or five-hour journey.

Conclusion – Yes, It’s Safe to Travel to India!

So, is it safe to travel to India? Based on my experience, YES!

India is a beautiful country rich in culture, stunning architecture, and amazing food.

If you want to travel to India, it’s better to come during winter (December – February) because summer in India can reach up to 40 degrees.

Crowd + heat = 🥵🥵🥵

However, if you aim to take great photos, especially at the Taj Mahal, then avoid coming during winter as it will be very foggy.

Wow, what a long post! Thank you for reading, I hope this blog post answers your burning questions about India.

I also hope many people will travel to India, especially Asian travellers since most travellers that I saw in India are Westerners. Have an amazing week ahead!

Disclaimer: The cities that I visited were New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. My experience may be different from yours.

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