It’s always a challenge for me to single out a favorite country, but one thing’s certain: India holds a spot in my top five. My six-week journey across Mumbai, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan still left me feeling like I’d merely skimmed the surface of its wonders. The country truly has it all—bustling urban sprawl, serene mountains, dense jungles, verdant tea plantations, arid deserts, and picturesque beaches. While it’s had its fair share of religious and political tension, in just one stroll, you can traverse Dravidian temples, centuries-old mosques, and grand Catholic churches. The diversity in cultures and landscapes woven throughout the country is absolutely captivating.
With that being said, India isn’t for the faint-hearted and navigating the country can sometimes be a major test of patience and resilience. Throughout my journey, I gained invaluable lessons, which I’m happy to share for those contemplating their own adventure.
1) It’s Probably Much Safer Than You Think It Is
India’s reputation for safety, especially for solo female travelers, often precedes it. Yet, I found the apprehension somewhat exaggerated. Yes, headlines can be daunting, but let’s put things in perspective: India is the world’s most populous country, comprising 28 states, each akin to a nation in itself.
Upon arriving in India, I admit I was initially overly cautious and wary of walking around alone. However, within 2 days of being in the city, I had to get over this when my jetlag had me awake and hungry in the middle of the night and I decided it was worth it to venture into the streets of Mumbai to find a meal. Guess what? I was completely fine, because as you know most people actually have lives and don’t think you are the main character in their city. Sure, dodging the occasional erratic tuk-tuk was a concern, but isn’t that a universal urban hazard?
Monitoring international news has always been a hobby of mine and has always been helpful when planning trips (e.g not visiting a country during elections period etc). If you read the news, you’ll likely notice a recurring trend of dangerous incidents in specific Indian states. I honestly think if you steer clear of these areas and embrace common-sense precautions for the region, cover up, act confident and keep a low profile, your safety is generally assured. During my 6 weeks of solo traveling through late-night bus stops, train stations, and Ubers, I seldom encountered situations that warranted genuine concern. While individual experiences may vary, I believe India’s safety reputation is somewhat inflated. If you begin the journey with a more open mind and sensible precautions, you’ll find your experience will be much more enjoyable.
2) Obtain a SIM Card at the Airport
Acquiring a SIM card in India as a foreigner can be quite the ordeal. Unless obtaining one registered under a local, your best bet is to prioritize getting one at the airport upon arrival. I normally avoid getting sim cards in the airport because they are usually cheaper in the city, but in India, this advice rings especially true if you’re not landing in Mumbai, as strangely, many e-SIMs that function elsewhere in India do not work in Mumbai. I don’t get it—I experienced it firsthand, as did other travelers I encountered. Consider this: You arrive in India through a different city and your e-SIM works seamlessly but upon reaching Mumbai, it suddenly goes out, leaving you stranded without connectivity, and you can’t acquire a SIM card as a non-Indian.
I arrived in India via Mumbai airport and after trying to grapple with its subpar Wi-Fi system, I found myself compelled to secure a SIM card, given my global e-SIM wasn’t working. There is only 1 Airtel stand, and if you’re unlucky as I was, you’ll have to wait around for an hour due to the operator’s malfunctioning computer. While the airport rates for SIM cards are inflated (but still under $12 for the sim card plus 1.5 GB daily for a month), once obtained, renewing your plan is in local rates ($2 for 1GB daily for a month). You can even enlist a random local’s help to help with online recharges and just reimburse them in cash, which is what I did. The moral of the story? Don’t overlook the urgency of procuring a SIM card upon arrival to avert the risk of being disconnected during your travels.
3) Opt for Buses Over Trains
Apologies to train enthusiasts, but in the great debate of buses versus trains in India, buses are the clear victor in my book. Granted, there are instances where, depending on factors like distance, price, and class, taking the train makes more sense. However, in my experience, buses beat trains on almost every count. Most long-haul buses in India offer commendable comfort. With reputable operators, the berths have clean bedding and cozy blankets and pillows as well as free water and sometimes food—far superior to my train experiences. Privacy is another plus; each berth comes equipped with curtains, a luxury not always afforded on trains, even in second class! While I primarily utilized second and third-class train compartments, I assume that buses might rival the comfort of first-class train travel but still at a fraction of the cost.
To be fair, buses tend to be bumpier and less punctual than trains, adding a dose of unpredictability to your journey. Navigating bus stations can also be more harrowing than their train counterparts. However, for long overnight trips, I’d choose buses over trains any day, given the overall superior experience.
Booking trains via the official IRCTC website is cumbersome considering their poor interface and the necessity of an Indian phone number to create an account. This often results in missed opportunities to secure good seats on popular routes. Redbus and MakeMyTrip offer alternatives for booking both buses and trains. Redbus has a very user-friendly interface but payment limited to only Indian accounts. As a workaround you could ask a local for assistance for payment. Additionally, these sites provide company ratings to help in deciding the best bus to go with, and some buses offer live tracking to find your bus in the chance of a delay. If you value your own space and a cleaner environment, you should definitely opt for the bus over the train if there is a route available.
4) Opt for Unreserved/Lower Class Train Seats for Short-Haul Trips
For journeys under three hours, choosing seats in the cheaper tiers of Indian trains can be a practical choice. Navigating the carriages on a train to find your designated seat can prove challenging, particularly for those with less-than-perfect eyesight like myself. There is a website that shows you the order of carriages beforehand if you put in your train number. A local showed it to me once, and it was really helpful in finding my seat quickly. However, I forgot the name of the website later and couldn’t use it for my subsequent train rides. On numerous occasions, I found myself wandering the train for over 15 minutes, unable to locate my reserved seat and ultimately settling for an unreserved one. This switch, however, led me to discover that unreserved seats aren’t as dreadful as they had seemed, especially for short trips where getting good sleep isn’t your priority.
Despite the chaos associated with unreserved carriages—especially jostling for space to board—there’s often ample room during daytime journeys, and the temperatures aren’t as stifling as anticipated. For example, my journey from Kishangargh to Jaipur, originally intended with an air-conditioned seat, unexpectedly landed me in an unreserved carriage when I gave up on finding my seat. Surprisingly, the open doors and windows ushered in a cool breeze, making the ride far more pleasant than expected. Despite the annoying musical interludes provided by buskers, the ride was not only easily bearable for less than 2 hours but also would have only cost less than $1. For context, I had paid over $10 for my original seat—equivalent to three hearty meals in India. For short travel scenarios like this, lower class train seats offer a budget-friendly alternative to buses.
5) Less People Will Speak English AND Hindi Than You Expect
I never expect every country to cater to English speakers but given that India was a former British colony and has so many cities that are global hubs, I was not expecting to run into as many language barriers as I did. Even more surprising was the fact that many people did not speak Hindi as well. Even in major cities like Mumbai and Delhi, encounters with taxi drivers or store clerks who did not speak English were not uncommon. However, communication issues were easily surmounted with the help of translation apps or good old-fashioned gestures.
To highlight how vast and diverse India is, there were multiple days I would spend in the country without ever hearing Hindi. I had made the false assumption that everyone knew Hindi in addition to the local language of their region. On the other hand, in Karnataka, signs were in English or Kannada, while in Kerala, people would tell me like “we don’t say that here. We speak Malayalam,” when I tried to use Hindi. I think it’s best to adapt by picking up region-specific phrases upon arrival and embracing moments of linguistic dissonance with patience and humility. You’re in their country, so they have no obligation to speak your language. It’s usually not that hard, and things will probably work out in the end. While my assumptions were proven wrong, the experience taught me valuable lessons about learning to be very comfortable in situations when I can’t directly communicate with people.
So there you have it…
Every traveler’s experience in India will obviously be unique, and my observations and recommendations are but a fraction of the opportunities or shortcomings that the country offers. Part of the fun of India was figuring these things on the way in my own way. I observed and learned so many more things during my time there so make sure to also read Part 2 and Part 3 to get a more comprehensive view of I wish I knew about India before visiting. Feel free to comment on anything you found useful or you don’t agree with from these reflections.
