Struggles of a female traveller in India

The main thing I wasn’t expecting to be so strict, was the clothing. Of course when you travel it is essential to see what clothes would be appropriate to wear – especially for women, and I thought I was very well prepared. Most of the time my outfit choices were fine. That was until I decided the heat was too much and opted for a long-sleeved playsuit instead of my usual baggy trousers and t-shirt. This was a big mistake. As my arms and chest were covered and the playsuit was loose fitting I didn’t expect this to be a problem, but it turns out I was wrong. Although I encountered no issues with the majority of the locals, some of the older women in Rishikesh definitely did not appreciate my clothing choice and I received a lot of ‘tut tuts’ as I walked by. It was not my intention to create this reaction and I can safely say I learnt from my mistakes and dealt with the soaring heat in trousers from that point on. Mumbai was the first place we were told that western fashions were more widely accepted as this lively city was much more modernised. I agreed to an extent, but only dared to bring back the playsuit when we went for dinner one night.

When we first arrived in Delhi we were greeted by the friendly hostel workers who told us where was best to go for food and where the markets were. When we ventured out as a group of five girls, of course there were stares and the occasional stop for pictures by those that were particularly fascinated by us but one man approached us and told us to turn back around immediately. Of course we were shocked at the abrupt demand for us to leave the area but the man went on to explain that we had actually been heading in the wrong direction which could have been ‘dangerous’. This actually turned out to be a reoccurring situation as we wandered around Delhi, but of course we were grateful for the concern of the friendlier locals. This is not to say Delhi is extremely dangerous, it just turns out that we seemed to be wandering further out than was necessary.

This issue doesn’t just apply to females, but it’s a real issue nonetheless – keeping your money safe. Before we set off on our travels we bought money belts which was definitely one of our wisest decisions. The money belt is easily concealed, it buckles around your waist or your hips and can be hidden underneath your top, so your money is close to you at all times. As well as your money, the belt can also fit your phone or any other small items you may want to keep close. Of course, if you are smart and sensible with your money and valuables, fingers crossed you won’t run in to any trouble. We were travelling India for six weeks and none of us had any of our things and all used money belts whenever we were out and about. Please don’t let any of these small issues we encountered put you off your travelling goals. Although I am sure you can learn from my mistakes, I know I will.

For more info on what it's like to travel Asia as a woman, have a read of this: https://globalgirll18.wixsite.com/mysite/blog/travelling-south-asia-as-a-woman