My friend who travelled extensively there (and all over the globe) took many different prophylactic antibiotics and meds with him. His brother is a doctor and advised him on what he should take and when. It’s not a matter of “if” it’s a matter of “when.”
Or they can visit the real Golden Triangle, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
One has to be careful about theft in Laos and Cambodia, but I didn’t feel threatened physically as I did in India.
Wherever your daughter and her BF goes, tell them not to venture outside the tourist spots. These are not the countries to explore on your own safely.
For Thailand, all the touristy spots are quite safe, again one has to use common sense everywhere, in San Francisco, New York, Paris or Chiangmai. My D was robbed in the daylight in Trafalgar Square because she took a shortcut while jogging back to her LSE dorm.
That’s actually a good point, @surfcity. In addition to never drinking the water, and avoiding uncooked veggies,etc., I always take probiotics for at least 10 days before leaving (acidopholous, available at Whole Foods) for a place like India. But I eat the food, both served at home and in restaurants. Since taking probiotics, I haven’t had a traveler’s stomach anywhere in the world.
@Vladeschlutte, on my last trip to Asia (India, Cambodia and Thailand) my credit card was hacked. I was amused to find out it wasn’t hacked in that dangerous India or impoverished Cambodia – but rather at that civilized, safe place that is Norita Airport in Tokyo where I had a layover.
These things can happen everywhere. Granted, some places are riskier than others.
My S went to India at Chinese NY when teaching in China, Calcutta and Varanasi. This was a few years back. Calcutta, despite poverty and crumbling infrastructure, he found fascinating. Varanasi, with the never ending touts exhausted him and he ran off to Nepal, which is a bit of a gentler place. But he was alone, and alone is hard in India. Conditions vary a great deal depending on the city, and I think making blanket statements regarding safety in general is difficult. Alone, I traveled a bit in India in my 20s, and found ways to keep safe, women’s compartments in trains, staying in at night, etc.
Dehli happens to be one of the most unsafe cities in India–and this is coming from an Indian-American (my old dance teacher told me about an experiment that involved his friends sitting in the back of a closed truck with a tape that played a girl screaming for help; after quite a while, only one person came to help). She definitely should not go into the slums there–or really, Dehli as a general thing is unsafe; it’s known to many Indians as well (for example, my dad, who grew up in India, made my sister promise to stay in the Dehli airport when she had a stopover there from a flight). But Agra should be fine, as it’s a popular tourist destination. Jaipur, as far as I know, is pretty safe as well. I’ve mainly stayed in west India (Gujarat and Maharastra); it’s pretty safe there as well.
Food is also important. Don’t drink the water. It’ll make you violently sick. My sister, who grew up here but is now finishing medical school in India, got very sick her first year of living in India; her body acclimatized to the water later, but it’s definitely not a good thing. Antibiotics, malaria medicine–lots of medicine.
I agree with the earlier posters–modest clothing is probably good. Nothing too showy and don’t wear shorts that are very short (bermudas or longer are probably fine). India is a pretty conservative place.
People will try to scam you in India. It’s a fact of life. She should be very, very careful about that.
Overall, though, she should be fine.
I’ll say my comments were geared mainly towards Calcutta (Kolkata), I can’t speak at all to the regional differences but I assume the safety concerns will be similar through most of India.
Anyone have thoughts on Pune?
Sorry haven’t been. Anyone?
@vladenschultte, actually, southern India is considered safer – and more mellow than Calcutta, Delhi & the north overall. Sadly, I prefer the north - it just seems more exciting somehow - but DH likes the south more. It’s a matter of preference.
I have been to Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur- among many other destinations in India. Here is something to keep in mind for Delhi- as a woman, she should avoid travelling alone. I hate to say it, but women really cannot travel alone in Delhi. The same applies to Agra and Jaipur too, but especially Delhi. There are many beautiful places to visit. The fact that she will be with her boyfriend is reassuring. My family has traveled to all these places, and we have had no bad incidents to report. Make sure she travels with a group, preferably with someone she knows.
Disclaimer I am a high school student (senior).
India is a big place, like the United States. Within the United States (or any state within), there are varying levels of safety with respect to crime and other hazards. It would not be surprising to see similar variation in India or most other countries.
In any country, thieves and scammers are probably attracted to visitors, since visitors are less likely to be familiar with how local thieves and scammers operate, and may be less likely to be able to help the police catch suspects. I have heard similar warnings about thieves and scammers when visiting various countries.
Of course, that also means that you are washing your hands, etc. in unsafe water… brushing your teeth would have to be done with boiled or otherwise decontaminated water.
Vladenschutte, didnt you say your info was secondhand?
And what experience did these folks have? What was their mindset before they declared such a inflammatory thing?
I daresay they would say the same about Hong Kong, or Bangkok or London.
They wouldn’t say the same about London, and they haven’t been to Hong Kong or Bangkok.
The things I’ve heard are shops charging more for tourists or short changing/refusing to make change, pickpocketing, or people trying to force some service on you then trying to charge you for it afterwards. Or for things that are mainly bought by tourists selling fake stuff, like fake gems or saying something is made of gold when it’s not or stuff like that.
I have been in Delhi and Agra, and QMP has also been in both cities. I would recommend a trip to India only for people who are very well informed about India, or who are traveling in the company of people who are very well informed about India. Being an experienced traveler elsewhere is not enough, in my opinion.
The inequalities in India and the level of poverty that is obvious in many places can be heart-breaking. QMP and I both experienced this. QMP worked briefly in a slum sector in Delhi, with no other Westerners present. However, it is very hard to deal with the difficulty of accomplishing anything that would help poorer people in India, and the level of need is very high.
Stuff like that is hardly unique to India. People say the same things about lots of countries.
OP here. I will say that I am not worried about them getting pickpocked or scammed. She has dealt with a stolen passport before years ago. I am more worried about physical threats. I really appreciate everyone’s comments and I am continuing to send them to her. If nothing else, it should make her and the boyfriend more vigilant and on alert if they end up going.
OP here. DD and her boyfriend are back in China after ten days in India. They had an incredible time. They saw many historical places, slept in the desert, rode camels and even had a quick trip to a hospital. Nothing serious, just gastro issues. My dd sent me a text that said “Just so you know Mom, India’s hospitals are easy to use.” They had no other trouble and are really glad that they went. Thank you all for your advise, even if it did make me nervous. I shared your wise words with my dd and I think it got her and the boyfriend a little more on alert. They did hire drivers and guides ahead of time (thank you, tripadvisor). So again, thanks!
Terrific!
Yeay!
Glad to hear that things worked out, and that they DID see India. A feast for the senses, one they’ll never forget.
I always like it when someone takes the time to come back and provides an update in threads like this. Thanks OP.