Patience and Flexibility: Tips for Women Traveling to India

Here I am on a camel at the Pushkar Camel Fair, where 150,000 camels are traded and sold once a year in October. It takes place near the town of Ajmer in the state of Rajasthan, which is about six hours west of Delhi by train. This was my first time on a camel and I experienced a real rush as they are quite tall.

My advice to women traveling to India is to come with patience, flexibility, and an easy going attitude. I try to dress conservatively not because I have to, but because it cuts down on the staring and cell phone pictures. Foreign (white) folks in India get a lot of attention so it’s best to wear clothes that don’t bare a lot of leg or have scooping necklines.

My advice to women traveling to India is to come with patience, flexibility, and an easy going attitude.

Bring power bars or crackers to munch on as it is sometimes difficult to find dependable food while traveling. Never trust a street vendor with sanitary food because you will more than likely end up in the bathroom for the rest of the day. Pepto tablets are also a good thing to carry at all times to help with any digestive problems.

Travel by train if you get the chance, but stick to AC 1st class. It is likely that you will have your own cabin and will feel much safer. The trains are slow, but they are a great way to see the country. The Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Quitar Minar in Delhi, and the India Gate area cannot be missed.

India is not like Europe or the US where women can go to a bar and then wander home alone.

As a woman DO NOT wander around at night by yourself. The people in India are very friendly during the day and on the whole, crime is low, but the newspaper is filled with accounts of crimes against women at night. India is not like Europe or the US where women can go to a bar and then wander home alone.

Indian people are VERY friendly and always want to help out. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions or help. Sometimes they may not understand English, but they will find someone to help you.