As a female travelling to India, it’s essential to have your wits about you. While rape articles feature in newspapers daily, what’s more commonly experienced by tourists is sexual harassment i.e. stray hands, men getting too close, being stared at, or men masturbating in public.
You need to careful anywhere in the world while travelling but it’s of vital importance in India. If you’re prepared and know what to look out for and avoid, then you’ll have no trouble travelling in India.
Here are 10 tips for staying safe in India and avoiding unwanted attention.
Street smart safety tips for India
- Do not wear revealing clothing, dress modestly. Visit a FabIndia store and buy some local clothing. Wearing Indian clothing allows you to blend in better and stay covered.
- Don’t wear expensive jewellery, clothes, or bags.
- Don’t assume it’s safe to trust women.
- Purchase a safety whistle, alarm, or pepper spray (available in India).
- Avoid going out late at night, especially alone. If possible be accompanied by a male.
- Keep a confident and assertive attitude when dealing with strangers.
- Carry your phone with you at all times.
- Have a personal safety app on your phone. When you open the app, it sends an SOS message plus your location to a group of your friends.
- If alone, before getting into a taxi or rickshaw take a photo of the license plate and send it to a friend.
- Share your daily travel plans with someone.
Get the 8 other tips and more advice on avoiding all sorts of travel issues in India with my book, the India Survival Guide (Quick-Start Safety Guide). It’s a short read and will fully prepare you to have a fantastic (and safe!) trip to India.
