Female traveling alone in India

S

Simmi

New Member
I am an Indian from origin and have been born and brought up in London. I have been to India a couple of times with my parents but only traveled to my native place in Gujarat, but there is so much more to see in India which needs to be explored with a lot of time. I love traveling only last year I went to explore Canada.

India being my native place I think it is vital for me to see and learn about the different cultures and customs (another topic which interests me), but the only thing that is bothering my parents and bothering me a bit is the safety in India for a single female traveler. I know basic Hindi so I suppose that is not an issue, my cousin maybe with me through some of my travels, but chances are low.

How safe is it for a female to travel across India on her own and in particular which places would you not recommend for me not to visit purely because of safety reasons.
 
India is pretty safe as long as you use common sense. It would be a lot more fun if you would find some one to travel with but if not I dont think it is a problem atall. I am assuming that you are not going to venture into remote areas on your own. There are lots of solo females tourists that come to India every year.
 
True... India is safe for females...i saw many foreigner woman travelling and trekking to remote areas where even mobile signals are not working... But its better to find some travel buddies to avoid boredom
 
The only chances I have of a travel buddy are my cousins and that too I am not too sure about.
@Admin - no I wont be traveling to remote areas. It would be the popular tourist areas. The only remote area I may visit will be my home village where I will be going with my cousin.

Is pepper spray legal in India?
 
You wont be needing any pepper spray if you use some common sense and know how to handle most of situations.. use pepper spray is legal ;)
 
Being a girl myself I would advise you not to travel in quiet or lonely areas on your own and try not traveling or being outside after 9pm or 10pm.
 
I understand that safety is an utmost concern of yours. You mentioned that you will be visiting popular locations and tourist destinations; I believe that you would be just fine going at it alone. You just need to do away from dark allies and avoid venturing off to places after 10 pm as you do not have anyone with you. I do suggest you find a travel buddy though. That could help a lot with your safety concern and it really helps to have someone with you who's familiar with the places you'd like to visit.
 
I'd imagine that India is as safe as any other country when it comes to a female travelling alone. I think if you use your common sense, not put yourself in any unnecessary risk you'll be fine, and I wouldn't let worrying about what might happen put you off going.

As others have already said though, not just for the safety aspect, but travelling is always more fun if there's a few of you, so is it not possible to get a few friends or family together and then you can all go? If your travelling across India, it's probably going to be a one off and a trip of a lifetime, and going with others I think you'll enjoy it more.
 
There are many female tourists in India, many of whom come alone. It's not a dangerous country, just you have to avoid things which are obviously not a good idea. You should definitely try and avoid going out after around 9pm, and visiting more deserted and remote areas may not be a good idea either. Try and stick to crowded areas during daylight, and it should be perfectly safe. It may be a lot more fun to take someone with you though: travelling is often a lot more fun when there's someone else to share it with :)
 
The question of female security has always been a burning topic. Every year many solo female tourists go around to explore India, and do they return back safely as well. The factor which may aim at your security is what you do, when you do, where you do, and how you do! Just question yourself these four questions before getting into anything, and it is a must to google about the place you are planning to visit including their language and attire. Jot down phone numbers of some tourist guide, a hospital and a police station, just to avoid any unfortunate trouble (God forbid). Other than that, be poise and keep exploring! :D
 
Like any other civilized part of the world, India offers good protection for female travelers and guests of India. Of course there are hazards and dangers to everyone, not just to the foreigner women, but with proper care, collecting security related information, and becoming a more cautious traveler in any foreign land, anyone can get a good protection. Before coming to India, and before visiting tourist places, get all the information from the internet. Find out which travel agencies give you extra protective services.

Travel with fellow travelers especially when moving around with expensive items like a SLR digital camera, or a high-end mobile phone, or wearing an expensive-looking wrist watch. Do not display your valuables and money wallet carelessly. Don't eat or drink anything offered by unknown people or unknown fellow travelers. Don't fall for an obvious scam, or traps. And be very cautious. Avoid staying out late, and dress like the locals. These are normal precautions that any one should take, and not just a foreigner. Nowadays, the mobile phone can be your best security guide, and you can get almost all the information you need on the mobile internet.

In India, you will find that the majority of the people here are very friendly, and will treat you with respect and kindness. There are only some elements in the society which you can also find existing in London. Act normal, and never be afraid of anything. Being always careful will help you avoid difficult situations. And, welcome to India! You will find us a to be a great civilized and a very cultured nation which you will love very much! It's one of the best places on Earth, if not The Best! :)
 
A few precautions and you should be fine:

1. Do not tell strangers that you are alone and definitely do not tell where you are staying.
2. Do not be alone with strangers
3. Do not accept food or drink from strangers
4. Do not get into cars with strangers
5. Do not stay out after dark if it means you have to walk back alone.

The very fact that you asked this questions, means that you will look after yourself. I wish you a wonderful adventure.
 
All good advice from @Selvie and advice that doesn't just apply to India, these golden rules should be followed no matter where in the world you are travelling.

India is just like any other country in the world, it as it's good parts and bad parts, good people and bad people, and travelling in India alone or with friends, is no more dangerous than anywhere else in my opinion.
 
Simmi said:
The only chances I have of a travel buddy are my cousins and that too I am not too sure about.
@Admin - no I wont be traveling to remote areas. It would be the popular tourist areas. The only remote area I may visit will be my home village where I will be going with my cousin.

Is pepper spray legal in India?
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India is a safer place for female travelers as long as you use your common sense and take care of basic things like avoid traveling at night especially in remote isolates places, avoid over friendly people and if you are traveling by train do not eat or drink anything from your fellow passengers. I think these are the basic security measures you should take anywhere in the world. Yes, you can carry pepper spray in India and it can be a confidence booster for you. As you already mentioned that you would be visiting popular tourist places, there is nothing to worry in fact. All the best for your trip to India.
 
India is very much safe for everyone not only for women , Here in India all person respect females , so any female can travel here anytime

Thanks
 
Having a trusted friend will always be beneficial. India is safer than before, to a certain degree. They are making great progress, but the progress is still shaky at best. You need to take care of yourself and realize that you may not be able to do things as freely as you may want to in your home country. Dress moderately, India is still based on traditional thought. Females have equal rights but you need to still be wary of your surroundings at all time, especially the time of day and location.
 
I think India should realize that the world is changing and the past traditions that don't make sense should be neglected and look for new solutions. Women have rights now. It's like in the past when they did not have any say at all on anything. For the world to become a better place, we need to treat each other equally regardless of gender.
 
moses said:
I think India should realize that the world is changing and the past traditions that don't make sense should be neglected and look for new solutions. Women have rights now. It's like in the past when they did not have any say at all on anything. For the world to become a better place, we need to treat each other equally regardless of gender.
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I agree with your comments to some extent. Yes, world is changing fast and India also need to keep pace with it. But as you can see, Indian traditions and customs always lookup on woman with great respect. I agree, there are bad things happening in India too, but it is happening everywhere in the world. India is relatively safer. There are insane people everywhere in the world and it is not practically possible to stop them all at once, but we can control it to a great extent.

I think uniformity in the midst of diversity is what makes this country different from others and we need to preserve our customs and traditions for our future generation to learn good things from it. This may be a significant factor why India is considered as one of the hot tourist destinations of the world. Nowadays, India is giving utmost importance to gender equality in almost all fields, be it politics, professional or social life.
 
I don't agree with some of what you have said about india treating women with great respect, the laws the government has placed over women and how crimes against them are handled are to say the least unjust, many things that happen in india do happen to women in other areas, but that does not excuse the manner that it does happen. Too many times I have seen people talk about the events and say it is normal, be safe and try to have a group of people travel with you at all times.
 
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