Is India safe for women? 🇮🇳 My honest travel experience
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the traveler recounts her solo female journey through India, highlighting both the good and the bad experiences. She discusses the scams and dehumanizing treatment she faced in Delhi, the sexual harassment in Jaipur, and the terrifying mob of men on the beach in Goa. Despite the challenges, she found solace and safety in Udaipur and Mumbai, where she met kind locals. The video serves as a raw and honest account of her experiences, aiming to inform and assist other women considering travel to India.
Takeaways
- 🧳 The traveler decided to visit India again after a previous positive group experience, despite some intense moments.
- 🚌 She chose to book a 13-day tour to ensure safety by having a driver and guide at all times.
- 💸 The traveler experienced financial scams, such as being taken to overpriced shops and restaurants where she was expected to tip despite negative experiences.
- 🏨 In Jaipur, she found her hotel room key outside her door, highlighting serious safety concerns.
- 📸 She faced unwanted attention and harassment from men taking photos without consent, escalating to being chased and mobbed on the beach in Goa.
- 🚫 The traveler had to be assertive and firm in refusing unwanted advances, but still felt her voice was not respected.
- 🏙️ She found relief in certain cities like Udaipur and Mumbai, where she had positive experiences with local guides.
- 🚷 The harassment continued even after she left India, with Indian men sending her inappropriate messages online.
- 🌐 Despite the harassment, she decided to share her story online to provide honest information for other women considering travel to India.
- ✈️ The traveler felt immense relief upon leaving India and returning home, emphasizing the psychological toll of her experiences.
Q & A
Why did the traveler decide to go back to India?
-The traveler decided to go back to India because of her previous experience in Carona in the south of India where she felt safe despite some intense moments.
What precautions did the traveler take before her solo trip to India?
-The traveler decided to book a tour which included a driver and a guide, and she spent 6 months gathering advice and stories from other women who had been to India to ensure her safety.
What was the itinerary of the 13-day tour the traveler booked?
-The 13-day tour was planned to take the traveler to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, and Goa, with everything arranged by the tour company.
Why did the traveler feel surprised when she arrived in Delhi?
-The traveler was surprised to find out that she was the only one on the tour, expecting to be part of a group.
What kind of scams did the traveler encounter in Delhi?
-The traveler was taken to a textiles 'museum' under the guise of supporting local artisans, only to find out it was a shop where she was pressured to buy items.
How did the traveler handle the situation when she was pressured to buy at the 'museum'?
-The traveler made it clear she did not want to be sold anything and left the place immediately when the sales pitch began.
What was the traveler's experience with restaurants during her trip?
-The traveler was taken to restaurants where prices were significantly increased for her as a tourist.
How did the traveler react to the sexual harassment she faced in Jaipur?
-The traveler felt scared and on high alert, and she started barricading her hotel room doors to ensure her safety.
What was the most positive experience the traveler had during her trip?
-The most positive experience was in Udaipur where the traveler had a great guide and felt safe and relaxed.
Why did the traveler decide to continue posting her travel videos despite the negative experiences?
-The traveler decided to continue posting her videos to be honest about her experiences and to help other women make informed decisions about traveling to India.
What was the situation like for the traveler when she was alone in Goa?
-In Goa, the traveler faced aggressive sexual harassment on the beach, with men chasing her and trying to take photos without her consent.
How did the traveler feel about her overall experience in India?
-The traveler had a mix of experiences, with some positive interactions, but overall she faced a lot of bad experiences, particularly with scams and sexual harassment.
Outlines
🧳 Solo Female Travel in India: Expectations vs. Reality
The speaker begins by expressing her nervousness about sharing her travel experiences in India candidly. She emphasizes her commitment to sharing both the good and bad aspects of her journey to help other women make informed decisions about traveling to India. She recounts her previous visit to the south of India with a large group, feeling safe despite some intense moments. This experience led her to plan a solo trip, during which she spent six months gathering advice from other women. She decided to book a 13-day tour with a driver and guide, expecting to be part of a group. However, she was surprised to find herself the only participant. Despite this, she remained optimistic, thinking the one-on-one attention could enhance her safety. The tour itinerary included several major Indian cities, with all arrangements made by the tour company. The speaker then shares her initial negative experiences, such as being seen as a 'walking wallet' and being subjected to scams, particularly in Delhi. She describes a visit to a supposed textile museum that turned out to be a sales pitch, and her subsequent refusal to participate in such activities. She also mentions being taken to overpriced restaurants, leading her to insist on choosing her own dining spots. The paragraph concludes with the onset of sexual harassment, starting in Jaipur.
📸 The Harrowing Reality of Public Harassment in India
The speaker describes her experience of being encircled by men with camera phones while trying to film the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, illustrating the lack of personal space and consent. Despite her clear refusal, the men continued to take photos, and even when she sought help from her guide, the situation escalated with the men arguing with him. She felt a sense of ownership over her by the local men, which was distressing. The harassment continued with a car full of men chasing her vehicle, further escalating her fear. The speaker also details her experience of having her hotel room key left outside her door, highlighting a lack of security and the potential danger for a solo female traveler. Despite reporting the issue to the hotel and her guide, she felt her concerns were not taken seriously. The paragraph ends with her expressing relief at leaving Jaipur for Udaipur, where she had a more positive experience with her driver and guide.
🏝️ A Mix of Fear and Beauty: Traveling in Goa
The narrative continues with the speaker's arrival in Goa, where she initially enjoyed sightseeing but later faced sexual harassment on the street and at the beach. She describes being chased by men demanding to take photos with her, despite her clear refusal. The situation intensified to the point where she felt trapped and terrified, with a large group of men surrounding her. This incident led her to retreat to her hotel room, where she remained for several days. The paragraph also includes an account of someone attempting to enter her hotel room, which further heightened her fear and distress. The speaker's experience in Goa contrasts sharply with her earlier positive experiences in Udaipur, and she expresses a sense of relief when her driver returns to take her to the airport.
🌐 Beyond Borders: Online Harassment Post-Travel
In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the aftermath of her trip, including the continued sexual harassment she experiences online from Indian men even after leaving the country. She discusses her initial hesitation about sharing her videos due to the harassment but concludes that transparency is essential. The speaker decides to share her experiences, both positive and negative, to provide a realistic view for other women considering travel to India. She expresses discomfort with the harassment she continues to face and her decision to moderate comments and block inappropriate content. The paragraph concludes with her commitment to honesty and her hope that her experiences can serve as a resource for others.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Authenticity
💡Safety Precautions
💡Scams
💡Dehumanizing
💡Sexual Harassment
💡Pack Mentality
💡Travel Itinerary
💡Cultural Sensitivity
💡Solo Female Traveler
💡Empowerment
💡Online Harassment
Highlights
Traveler shares her authentic experiences in India, both good and bad, to help other women make informed decisions.
The traveler's initial visit to India was with a large group and felt safe despite some intense moments.
After a 6-month decision-making process and gathering advice from other women, she decided to return to India.
She booked a 13-day tour expecting to be part of a group, but found herself the only participant.
The tour was fully arranged, including hotels, drivers, and guides, which initially seemed like a safety measure.
In Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, the traveler felt dehumanized and targeted for scams, often seen as a 'walking wallet'.
The guide attempted to coerce her into visiting a textiles 'museum' that turned out to be a high-pressure sales pitch.
She experienced a pattern of being taken to places where she was expected to spend money, with guides and drivers receiving kickbacks.
The traveler decided to stop eating at recommended restaurants due to significantly inflated prices for tourists.
Sexual harassment began in Jaipur, with men following her and taking photos without consent.
A key was left in her hotel room door, indicating a serious lapse in security.
In Jaipur, she was encircled by a crowd of men taking photos against her will near the Hawa Mahal.
The harassment escalated to the point where she was chased by men on the beach in Goa.
Despite being terrified, she felt compelled to continue her trip, questioning her own reactions.
In Udaipur, she found relief with a kind driver and guide, but harassment continued with an aggressive photo request.
Mumbai was a highlight of her trip, with a guide who made her feel safe and relaxed.
Goa was the worst experience, with harassment reaching a peak and her feeling trapped in her hotel room.
She experienced a break-in attempt at her hotel in Goa, further escalating her sense of danger.
Even after leaving India, she continued to be sexually harassed online by Indian men.
Despite the negative experiences, she chose to share her story to raise awareness and help others.
The traveler regrets editing out some of the more dramatic moments from her initial videos, as they were part of her真实的体验.
Transcripts
I feel a bit nervous I don't really
normally make videos like this I do
believe in Sharing all my travel
experiences honestly and authentically
and really that's all I can do so what
I'm going to do is tell you everything
that happened the good and the bad and
maybe give other women who were thinking
of traveling there my honest experience
so they can add that into their
decision- making as well I just want to
say up front it was my decision to go to
India and I take full responsibility for
that so I visited carola in the south of
India about a year ago now I was there
with a really big group of people and
there were some intense moments but I
felt very safe so I decided I would go
back and see more of India it took me
about 6 months to decide that I was
definitely going to go to India in that
6 months I was talking to other women
who had been there and Gathering their
stories and their advice I knew it was
important to be as safe as possible and
it was on me to take every safety
precaution possible so I decided to book
a tour to me this meant I would always
have a driver and a guide with me and I
assumed I would be part of a group of
people the tour I booked was a 13-day
tour taking me to Delhi Agra Jaipur udur
Mumbai and Goa and everything was
arranged by the tour company that's the
hotels the drivers the guides the
itinery absolutely everything when I
arrived in Delhi to start the tour I was
a little surprised to realize it was
just me on the tour but in the back of
my mind I thought that's okay that means
that the driver and the guides have less
people to worry about um and they'll be
a lot closer to me at all times so if
anything maybe it'll make it safer it
didn't let's start off easy and talk
about the money and the scams because
when I was in Delhi Agra and Jore I was
seen as a walking wallet and it was
dehumanizing I want to tell you about so
you can avoid them in Delhi the guide
started talking about Pas Minas you know
the scarf rap kind of things and he was
really setting the scene he was talking
about the people who make them and how
they live in poverty and all this kind
of stuff it's really hard for them to
make money shortly after that he starts
saying how we can support them by going
to this textiles Museum and I said to
him no I don't want to go there and he
kept on me about it and kept bringing it
up bringing it up and bringing it up and
I thought it's easier just to go and
leave so I said to him very clearly we
can go there you're telling me it's an
actual textile Museum but I'm telling
you the second somebody tries to sell me
something and I feel pressured to to
spend money in that shop I will leave
and he said no nobody's going to try and
sell you anything
and part of me is thinking I'll go and
I'll find out if he's telling the truth
or not and then I can tell you right so
you know what's going to happen and you
can really avoid it so we go to the shop
they take me straight down into the
basement it is not a museum there is no
cultural aspect bringing out all these
Pas meaners and lay them out in front of
me and as soon as the guy starts talking
about price I get up and I say to him I
told you I didn't want to be sold
anything and I start leaving up the
stairs at a rate of knots he's chasing
after me yelling at me now the problem
here is that when these things occur the
people that take you there they get a
kickback so any money you spend there
they will get a percentage of that in
their pocket so they have a real
incentive to take you to places you
don't want to go so they can get money
out of you so that they can earn extra
money off you anyway the shop guy is
yelling at me they're yelling at me we
get in the car we leave he still
expected a tip at the end of that I was
also taken to restaurants where the
prices were significantly increased for
me as a tourist so once this started to
happen and I started to see this pattern
of how much I was paying for food and
realizing this isn't right I said to the
guide um and the driver I'm not going to
anywhere you guys take me to eat anymore
you're not actually taking me to places
that are best for me as a visitor you're
taking me to places that are best for
you as somebody that wants my money now
unfortunately at this point the scams
have stopped the sexual harassment has
started and it only gets course I start
to notice men following me and taking
photos of me without my consent and
they're taking photos even when I Say No
by this time we're in jaipore I wake up
in the hotel open my bedroom door my
hotel room door to go downstairs and get
some breakfast and there is a key to my
room just hanging in the lock outside of
it anybody could have entered that room
at any point during the night and done
whatever they wanted to me that that
really scared me that really put me on
high alert and from that point on I
really started barricading doors and I'm
glad I did because something similar
happens again I'll tell you in a second
so I tell the guide and I tell the hotel
about it and I say this is unacceptable
you cannot do this I'm a woman traveling
by myself it's extremely dangerous I
don't I don't think that got through I
don't think yeah that doesn't feel like
it had any impact but what do you meant
to do so we make our way to the how
Mahal um it's in the old city and
jaipore it's a very popular place to
visit there were some other tourists
there but I was standing across the road
from the main structure and at this
point I'm just trying to take some
photos of it and film it a little bit
for my Vlog I'm trying to make and a
crowd of men form around me all with
camera phones out I'm just encircled by
them and everyone's just doing whatever
they want they're getting closer and
closer and they're photographing
photographing and I'm don't want this
I'm saying no no no no like this trying
to make hand gestures in case they can't
understand it's clear in my body
language I don't want this I am
hiding and I just I I look at the guy
and I'm like help me and he comes over
and the men are arguing with him now and
it feels like he owns me my voice saying
no doesn't mean anything so they just
conversing with him and I know they
understand English because they're
speaking English to him saying come on
why not just one she can take a photo
she can take a photo just one and
they're being really aggressive we get
in the car I lock the doors I say can
you please just drive let's just go go
we take off and I just kind of noticed
something to my left I look at the back
left window over my shoulder and there's
a car full of men chasing us I don't
know if the driver saw I don't think he
did they were hanging out the windows
phones out yelling at me driving really
recklessly and I thought they they're
going to crash into this car the best
thing I can do what can I do just look
ahead and ignore them maybe if they
think I can't hear them they'll just
leave me alone so we take off through
the traffic they go away and we just
keep going by this stage I was having
daily constant thoughts of you should
just leave why aren't you leaving but
when you are in these situations by
yourself your mind starts to do funny
things and you tell yourself oh maybe
it's not that bad maybe I'm being
dramatic maybe I'm being self-centered
and egotistical maybe they are just
curious maybe it's okay maybe it'll get
better so I just keep going I was so
relieved to leave Jaipur and get to UD
Paul and as soon as I got there I just
felt myself relaxed and it made me
realize how tense I had been over those
first three or 4 days now my driver in
udor soan he was amazing he made me feel
so safe right away the hotel stuff they
were all men I was the only woman there
it could have easily been very
intimidating again they were incredible
I had the best guide sing he was amazing
I just want to make this clear that that
my experience wasn't all men in India at
bad it was just I did have a lot of bad
experiences and they were all with men
so one of the last activities for me to
do in udai Paul was a Sunset Cruise on
this lake so they dropped me off there
um sing said his goodbyes he was done
for the day the driver soan was waiting
for me um I felt safe because there were
a lot of other tourists in the waiting
area and there were security guards I
sat down just waiting quietly by myself
and a man approached me he started off
so polite he said excuse me Madam do you
mind if we take a photo together and I
said I'm sorry but no and I was very
polite but firm with him he didn't want
to hear no and he didn't take no for an
answer so he started reaching for his
phone just pulling it out already going
no come on why not you can just take one
photo and I start trying to hide and
cover myself I'm sat on a chair I feel
very cornered I'm feeling very
uncomfortable he just keeps going and
he's pulling out this phone and he's
going come on come on just one photo you
can do a photo and he's shoving the
phone so aggressively in my face I start
screaming I figure I need to cause a
scene surely security or one of the
other tourists will come over I know I
would so I kept yelling I said no I told
you no and I'm screaming and yelling and
covering myself he got the hint and
stopped but during that time when I was
yelling not one person did anything
security didn't do anything no other
tourist there did anything I thought to
myself that night just get out of here
but again those same thoughts play
through your head head maybe it's not
going to be so bad when I get to Mumbai
so I get it together pack my stuff and
make my way to Mumbai and I'm so glad I
did because Mumbai was without a doubt
the highlight of my trip I realized
again that I was just so tense I'm sure
when I met Anand I was the worst version
of myself he was so lovely and so kind
and just such a good man that he allowed
me to relax completely in Mumbai he is a
girl dad he has two beautiful daughters
and I think when you're a woman you can
sense that in a man and he just made me
feel so it EAS I had the mess time in
Mumbai looking back I wish I had left in
Mumbai because when I got to GOA that
was when it just got worse this is when
it was really bad so we had some
sightseeing around Goa in the morning
just exploring some Churches and some
old parts of the town and things like
that and then they drove me back to my
hotel and at this point they drop me off
and they say okay we'll be back in a
couple of days to pick you up and take
you to the airport and I'm completely by
myself and I didn't realize that was
going to happen and I wouldn't recommend
ever being by yourself so I thought I
would just go to a cafe that was right
next to my hotel it was so close um on
the way back I was carrying an umbrella
I always carry an umbrella with me it
gives me some shade and some cool but
more importantly it actually gives me a
sense of control there was some men
coming towards me on the street and I
saw them I was already hiding under the
umbrella it didn't stop them they
started sexually harassing me on the
street cat calling me saying some really
uncomfortable things to me I told them
to stop I said no I'm not interested
stop and I just kept walking made my way
back to my hotel as quickly as I
possibly could I tried to calm down a
little bit because I was trying to film
this video right about Goa and I thought
you have to get out there and do your
job you know so what some men said some
stuff to you on the street that happens
anyway grow up get over it so I thought
I'll head down to the beach at Sunset as
soon as I step foot out of the hotel
onto the sand about four or five Men
start sprinting towards me photo photo
Madam Madam photo photo photo and it's
so aggressive and I figured just ignore
them they will go away don't even
acknowledge them and they just keep
running and chasing me so I spin around
and I'm trying to hide because they're
already taking photo go and I say no no
no they don't stop so I pick up the pace
and just a little bit down the beach I
see this hot house thing I don't know
what it is um and I figure if I can just
get around the corner there there'll be
something between them and I and I can
just keep moving around that house and
just get away from them but as soon as I
turn the corner I run into a group of
about I want to say about 30
men and as soon as I see them my heart
drops and as soon as they see me they
start screaming
and the phones all come out so now I've
got four or five guys chasing me from
one side I've got about 30 men here
they're all yelling at me starting to
move towards me starting to crowd around
me phones out and I just think I I do
not want this to happen how do I say no
any louder how do I stop these photos
being taken of me how do I stop these
men from forming a crowd around me
because that's when the touching starts
they want to put their arm around you
they want to get close to you if you
just comply and say yes all of a sudden
you're getting passed from man to man
taking photo photo photo I don't want
any part of this and I'm trying to get
away from them so now I'm trying to get
away from all of these men I I turn the
corner again there's one man sprinting
from this way there's another three
sprinting from this way by this stage
there's about 40 men chasing me on the
beach and I am terrified I am so scared
it is a pack mentality and it just takes
one to start is the thing so I just run
I just run I I take off sprinting as
fast as I can with men chasing after me
and I make it back to the hotel I go
upstairs to my room lock myself in
barricade the door and I stay in that
room for 2 or 3 days and later that
night someone tried to get into my room
um I was so so messed up I was just in
my bed just watching TV on my laptop and
I heard the key card sound sound and
somebody turning the the the handle on
the door and trying to push the door I
had stuff in front of it I had it dead
bolted from the inside I immediately
picked up the phone and called the
reception yelling at them someone's
trying to get into my room you need to
help me come up here and stop them I
need help um they hung up and then a
couple of minutes later somebody called
me and said oh sorry it was a
misunderstanding my amazing driver came
back a couple of days later and took me
to the airport and I cannot tell you how
relieved I was to be leaving India you
know a really strange part of all of
this is that I'm being sexually harassed
online I'm not even in India anymore and
Indian men are still sexually harassing
me I feel like I can't escape from it I
feel like it is still happening now
because it is still happening now um I
moderate the comments on these videos so
if anybody says anything inappropriate
those comments are deleted and the
people leaving them are blocked it
doesn't stop people and the worst ones
get caught by the YouTube filters um and
they're really disgusting men send me
the most disgusting things on DM and
email and it's awful you're in your own
home being sexually harassed by these
men so at the end of the trip I thought
wow a lot of bad things happened um
maybe you shouldn't post these videos
and after I posted the first couple I
started to be sexually harassed online I
thought you shouldn't you should
shouldn't post you shouldn't post
anymore or you should delete them why
would you keep putting them up if you're
getting sexually
harassed and then I realized that that's
exactly why you have to do it because
it's the truth it's what's happening
what is the point in trying to hide it
trying to conceal it trying to alter the
truth of what happened so for me I I
just feel like the best thing to do is
be really honest about the
experience I hope that that is helpful
to other women right
I this just feels weird I just feel
weird feel really uncomfortable I will
put as many links to as many resources
as I can in the video description for
you anything that I think you need to
know or might help you um I'll also have
some links to all the other videos I
made if you want to watch those and see
what the experiences were like the good
and the bad um I didn't know it at the
time what was going to happen the rest
of the way so I did edit some things out
of the first Agra Deli jaipore episode
um but
yeah I wish I had left them in there now
I just had thought maybe I was being
dramatic and so I cut them all out I
shouldn't have done that
anyway um so there you have
it that was my experience in India
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