Foreigners Are Travelling India Wrong
Here’s what you should do instead.
“India is the most intense country I’ve visited.”
“Try being a white woman in India.”
“I got food poisoning!”
I’m used to hearing mixed reviews about my country. Though I won’t lie, most are positive. I usually hear good things about the food and people.
I’m also active on Reddit travel subs as I’m an avid traveller. I’ve visited four countries this year so far and am planning my fifth this December.
I’ve visited over 25 countries and am 27 years old. I’m telling you this information, which sounds like I’m boasting only to establish credibility that I’m well-travelled enough to know what I’m saying.
After reading about travel experiences in my country frequently online, here’s what I feel foreigners do wrong.
I feel like there needs to be a distinction between wanting a local experience and being cheap in a way that compromises your safety.
I’m all in for local experiences. It’s the reason I do a walking tour in all European cities where it's available so I can know more about the place and its history. I almost always take local food and restaurant recommendations from the tour guide.
I’m also supportive of budget travel.
In fact, I solo travelled to 9 countries on a shoestring budget. I still buy groceries if we stay at an Airbnb so that money on one meal of the day is saved.
But here’s what I notice what foreigners do and what I recommend instead:
Take Third-Class Trains
A four-hour train journey will approximately cost you $10 here if you travel well, which I’m sure will be less than how much you pay for 4 hours at your home base.
But people travel third class for $3, and this particular box will be filled by those who can only afford this. These are the people who are really poor.
You’re an easy target here because you stand out and probably have money. Most of these people work on a meagre daily wage to earn their meals. Some don’t even get all meals a day.
How difficult is it to spend $10 and be safe? I’m not saying buy comfortable trains, which go up to $25, but $10 will give you more safety and will be as much of a local experience.
For many of you, even spending $25 on luxury probably isn’t a biggie. But let’s stick to the middle, and please spend $10 instead of buying the lowest level of the compartment.
Compromising With Your Uber
I find Uber expensive if it’s around $5, which is mostly for a 45-minute distance.
I’m taking one after writing this article and will pay $2 to go 23 minutes away to another end of the city.
I’ve also paid $150 for a 45-minute distance once from Toronto to Brampton! I was shocked at how expensive Uber can be in other countries, and I wish the public transport was as efficient so I didn’t have to spend so much.
Sometimes you’ll have an Uber driver who’s cheeky. I’ve never had, but have heard stories. But most of the time, you’ll do just fine.
I hear stories of foreigners taking autos and then getting scammed. Here’s what an auto looks like:
I understand it can be exciting!
So here’s what I recommend:
- take it during the day
- book it via Uber, so you stay safe and don’t need to haggle
Saving an extra $0.5 on transport to compromise for your safety is a very, very stupid decision. Yet most people do this.
Street Food Isn’t Just on Streets Now
Here’s something a German guy told me when I was staying at a hostel in Budapest,
“While you shouldn’t drink tap water here, even if YOU do, you’ll be fine. You’re from India and your gut is used to so much.”
He’s right.
I’ve played in a lot of mud and eaten a lot of ‘unhygienic food’ which involves people’s unwashed hands. This was as a kid.
I don’t do this anymore because our standard of living has improved, but I ate something made right on the street this summer. There were lots of cars and pollution next to this street, and I ate that food anyway.
I did that because I visited a new region and had never tried this particular street food.
Also because I’m pretty confident my system can take it.
It was so good, and I had it the next day too.
Okay, enough about our strong system.
When my cousins from abroad come, I always make them have yummy street food because, come on, I live in Delhi. We’re known for it.
But I make them have it in chains that are safe. Which means:
- sanitary conditions
- mineral water used
You can eat in these places and still get a flavour of India and pay $3.5 tops per person for a meal (instead of $2 outside).
Just because it’s indoor, clean, and air-conditioned doesn’t mean it’s not as local. The food is better than what you’ll find literally on the street.
I only have street food from here now. It tastes the same but is way more hygienic.
Interactions
I promise you we’re hospitable. We’re taught to be great to our guests and do everything in our capacity to help them.
In fact, the only country I’ve seen at par with their hospitality is Japan.
But we’re also a country where a woman walking up to a man is not usual. In the smaller cities, it’s fairly non-existent.
We also watch movies where stalking indicates a true expression of love, and the girl ultimately says yes.
So please, if you’re a woman, then seek help from women or shopkeepers. It’s better than going out to random folks. And don’t reveal your information no matter what.
Lastly
Trust your gut.
I don’t walk to dark and narrow lanes, even on the streets of Amsterdam or London. Why would I do that anywhere if it feels unsafe?
If it doesn’t feel okay, don’t do it.
If you’re from abroad, chances are India is a place you can get a lot for little. Here’s where you shouldn’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish by compromising on your safety and health.
Even normal middle-class Indians don’t travel on ultra-cheap trains or stay at locations and places that compromise their safety. Why should you?
We’re such a diverse country, and even if you stay at a 5-star, your experience will be just as local and, for some, even affordable (when compared to how much they spend back home).
And if you can, try to ask a local instead of travel forums that are filled with other foreigners.