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DrugstoreCowgirl
Joined: 08 May 2009
Location: Daegu-where the streets have no name
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 Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Do you think spending 2-3 days in India as a solo female traveler is a safe idea? I'm just planning to see the Taj Mahal on a stopover on the way home, but I don't want to get kidnapped or robbed! |
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jcan
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm a female and went to India for a couple of weeks in January. Didn't have any problems and felt pretty safe (stay away from the New Delhi train station though). Just use common sense and you'll be fine. |
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bbb0777
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| DrugstoreCowgirl wrote: |
| Do you think spending 2-3 days in India as a solo female traveler is a safe idea? I'm just planning to see the Taj Mahal on a stopover on the way home, but I don't want to get kidnapped or robbed! |
I think India is more a horrible horrible horrible dirty hassle, than actually physically dangerous (aside from food poisoning).
My female friend received a *lot* of starring, some lewd comments I'm told, and one kind of weird touching guy. But...kidnapping and the like, I wouldn't be worried about at all! I don't think violent crime is very common, certainly no against tourists. Theft in terms of pickpocketing is a risk, but I don't know if it is any higher for a female than a male. |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:37 am Post subject: |
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| bbb0777 wrote: |
| DrugstoreCowgirl wrote: |
| Do you think spending 2-3 days in India as a solo female traveler is a safe idea? I'm just planning to see the Taj Mahal on a stopover on the way home, but I don't want to get kidnapped or robbed! |
I think India is more a horrible horrible horrible dirty hassle, than actually physically dangerous (aside from food poisoning).
My female friend received a *lot* of starring, some lewd comments I'm told, and one kind of weird touching guy. But...kidnapping and the like, I wouldn't be worried about at all! I don't think violent crime is very common, certainly no against tourists. Theft in terms of pickpocketing is a risk, but I don't know if it is any higher for a female than a male. |
Yeah, don't think you have to worry about that type of serious crime, just pickpockets and lewd behavior. |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| jcan wrote: |
| I'm a female and went to India for a couple of weeks in January. Didn't have any problems and felt pretty safe (stay away from the New Delhi train station though). Just use common sense and you'll be fine. |
I ran into a few Western females travelling solo when I was there and none of them felt it was too dangerous. As another poster stated, use common sense and you'll be fine. The same applies to the area near New Dehli Station (Paharganj). |
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DrugstoreCowgirl
Joined: 08 May 2009
Location: Daegu-where the streets have no name
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| Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Glad to hear that! I'll have to go to the train station to get to Agra, but hopefully there will be no trouble. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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I don't understand the idea of 'disgust and filth' ??
India and Egypt are developing countries teeming with millions of people who are poor by any standards. I don't see how you can shield yourself from the reality.
India is awesome. Rajastan has no comparison and the Taj mahal is magical. I have seen wonders of the world and nothing tops the Taj Mahal in person ! Serious beauty. People are generally friendly and helpful in the cities, and the kids are adorable !
Egypt is next. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| travel zen wrote: |
I don't understand the idea of 'disgust and filth' ??
India and Egypt are developing countries teeming with millions of people who are poor by any standards. I don't see how you can shield yourself from the reality.
India is awesome. Rajastan has no comparison and the Taj mahal is magical. I have seen wonders of the world and nothing tops the Taj Mahal in person ! Serious beauty. People are generally friendly and helpful in the cities, and the kids are adorable !
Egypt is next. |
Staying in 5 star hotels and being chauffeured around would be a fairly effective shield. But what do you mean you don't understand the idea of disgust and filth? The pervasiveness of it? People's comments about it?
The Taj Mahal is quite magical and by far the most beautiful building I've seen. I'd put Petra above it, though, personally. The 'rose red city half as old as time is breath-taking. I literally gasped as I got a peek of the Treasury from the Siq. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Staying in 5 star hotels and being chauffeured around would be a fairly effective shield. But what do you mean you don't understand the idea of disgust and filth? The pervasiveness of it? People's comments about it?
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What I mean is: Why go to these countries at all if you can't stand poor people and the poor conditions they live in? You cannot shield yourself from it, no matter what you do if you wish to see the sights.
From my air-conditioned taxi I saw a dog cut in two by a vehicle, crawl its way across the street to die, i saw a bar fight from my window, four guys with sticks against one drunk, and from my very comfortable taxi going about 70 kms I saw street children caked in dust, living on the street with their families in the most reched conditions I've ever seen. I've even seen a group of women squatting and defecating on the ground for their morning bowel releases. They stared at me with indifference as I stared at them.
All very interesting. Nothing wrong with seeing life, but be prepared for that. |
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runthegauntlet
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Location: the southlands.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| travel zen wrote: |
| Quote: |
Staying in 5 star hotels and being chauffeured around would be a fairly effective shield. But what do you mean you don't understand the idea of disgust and filth? The pervasiveness of it? People's comments about it?
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What I mean is: Why go to these countries at all if you can't stand poor people and the poor conditions they live in? You cannot shield yourself from it, no matter what you do if you wish to see the sights.
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Because if you don't go you'll never know about the poor people and the poor conditions they live in. Are we not supposed to describe it for what it is? That being wretched, putrid, and disgusting? I don't think people can really understand what it's like without seeing it, but descriptions can certainly give an idea.
And apparently you can be shielded from it as I've had a similar discussion with a guy who raved about how beautiful and advanced everything in Delhi was while questioning my comments on the filth and poverty. Then he finally let on he was staying in 5 star hotels and rarely venturing out of those. Different perspectives. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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True.
I could not imagine staying in a Hotel and not going out to see the place. Possible, crazy yet possible.  |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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India. I'll Never Do It Again.
Varanassi = Very Nasty.
I have some really vivid memories of India:
(1) being trapped in a bus with no window panes, and having hundreds of screaming Indian taxi touts trying to drag the passengers out the windows.
2) Being pissed on by a cow in a very narrow alley.
(3) Food poisioning till near death.
(4) Friends having their packs/valuables stolen on trains.
(5) Indian police 'clearing a path' at a railway station (with their sticks).
(6) Three days watching the changes of light on the Taj Mahal (unbelievably moving).
(7) Bombs in Bombay restaurants.
( Seeing hundreds (probably thousands) of rats eating human excretement after a train left the station.
(9) Hitting a Varanassi 'tout' with my stick - hiding in a hotel for the night - and then being accosted by him in the morning - and completely losing the plot and chasing him through the market trying to beat the ..... out of him.
(10) Exhausted, sick, a nervous wreck - I took a train right across India and flew to Europe.
Egypt was full of shiesters and beggars, too - but nothing like India. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of what you said made India an unbelievable experience! India was so human and raw. The people have no pretense and show you their real selves!! I saw wicked beauty and raw ugliness....things I cannot see here in Canada.
I miss India and will go there again! I love the people. |
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bbb0777
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| oldfatfarang wrote: |
India. I'll Never Do It Again.
Varanassi = Very Nasty.
(1) being trapped in a bus with no window panes, and having hundreds of screaming Indian taxi touts trying to drag the passengers out the windows.
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Wow, that brings back memories...my friend and I also found Varanasi to be the worst, but we only went to Delhi/Agra/Jaipur/Mumbai/Varanasi. |
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DrugstoreCowgirl
Joined: 08 May 2009
Location: Daegu-where the streets have no name
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 3:38 am Post subject: |
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I've been looking online for a while and haven't found what I'm looking for.
I know you need a visa to enter India and you must have it before you go. Can you get the visa at the American embassy here in Korea or am I going to have to fed-ex my passport to America and back to get the visa? Or do I apply to the Indian embassy here in Korea? I'm confused. |
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