Deliberating over Delhi

Hey everyone,

Was having a bit of an old root around on Thorn Tree earlier today and I came across the following post from a female traveller in relation to Delhi

"am in delhi right now,, 3rd trip to india, total of about 8 months travelling. most of this trip i wore my salwaar karmeez,, and yet i was still grabbed by men, on my chest, my backside, my genital area,, short of wearing a burka,,, how do i stop this harassment..,, i dont want to lump all indian men as bastards,, but i'm totally over being touched up like this,, i was in MG rd with an indian lady and she got the same treatment and pushed back, as i do now,, but still it doesnt sit right with me... but what i find just as amazing is the tourists here in "western" clothes , midriffs, shoulders, backs etc exposed,,, dont they get this offensive treatment or are they totally unaware... i just dont know. desleigh "

Samsara here again: I'm starting to feel a bit apprehensive about Delhi and India in general. It's very high of the list of countries that I dont want to miss but I keep hearing that it's just worth the hassle to travel alone there.

I dont want to be dissuaded by a few bad reports but at the same time I dont want to be groped and mauled for 4 weeks!! i just couldnt handle that!!

I should say that I've also heard a lot of positive reports of the Indian people being extremely helpful and polite but these were generally from people who stayed in tourist resorts, etc.

Are there are women who have travelled alone in India who can advise? I'd be grateful to hear what you think.

Thanks,

E

Hi,
I live in New York now but I have lived for about 14 years in India. I met a bunch of female travelers when I was in India 3 months ago. They did mention instances of harrassment but they were mild as compared to some of the stuff you have quoted. The thing is, this does not happen all over the country. It happens only in some parts. If you gave me a list of places you plan to visit, I could tell you where you might encounter problems of that sort. As a guy of Indian origin, I have to admit I am ashamed of guys that have such low control over their hormones to the point that it extends to a total lack of respect thus dissuading female travelers from traveling to one of the most striking travel destinations in the world.

Let me know where you plan to visit, and I might be able to suggest areas that you probably should avoid. I do agree. It can be a nuisance to have to deal with something like that. It is cheap, disrespectful and absolutely disgusting.

Pranav

i second that. overall india's as safe as any other place in the world. im someone whos lived in Mumbai, India all my life and trust me on the fact that incidents like this are the exception rather than the norm.

post a tentative list of places you intend to be and i'll help you out with places that you should be careful

Regards,

Gurdeep

Hi guys,

Well the reason why I'm even posting this in the first place is because I've heard such amazing things about India and the Indian people in general that I dont want to miss it on my travels. I'm am hoping that India will be one of the highlights of the trip. Of course, there are bad eggs in every society and perhaps Indian women who come to Ireland have similar experiences - I dont know.

But I am a bit apprehensive about this so any advice that you can give would be fantastic.

The tentative plan at the moment is to fly into Delhi and see Jaipur and Agra. I had planned to spend a month in India so I thought I might try to see Goa as well. I aware that these are main tourist spots in India so I should be relatively safe. However, a friend of mine went to India a few years ago and cut her trip short there because she attracted so much unwanted attention in Mumbai.

What do you guys advise? Do you think I'd be safer just joining up with a tour group or something. I'd rather not do this but if I have to then I will. Thanks to both of you for your posts

E

Ever wondered why it's referred to as "smelly Delhi"?

I have a couple of friends who are in India at the moment - a guy and a girl. In Pondicherry the girl got 'violently groped' by two men even with her boyfriend next to her. Some locals called the police and I think my friends pressed charges. I don't know the full details. They have had a mostly hassle-free time everywhere else (Goa, Mumbai etc.) but this was a pretty troubling experience and I think it has affected the girl particularly badly.

From what I hear, it really helps if you're ugly...
;¬)

Az

Lol! Well, I'm not really a knockout so I might be okay. Hahaaa

Found this in an old thread from a few months back...thought I would post it here.

"Hi everyone,

Well, finally we have arrived in India. After spending a fantastic few days in Taipei we have hit India and are embarking on a 12 month journey of who knows what!. We intended to quickly move from Delhi as had heard it was quite full on and dificult to handle after a while. But, we have been here for 5 days and are in no rush to leave. I love this place! We have spent majority of our time in Paharganj and Connaught Place area and have found these places to be fascinating.

Cheers,
Jodie"