What (not) to pack for India

I started writing a post on 'how to pack for India', but it very quickly became a post on what NOT to pack, so here you go... my recommendations on what (not) to pack for India...

Tips for women travelling alone in India

People often ask me if it's safe for a woman to travel alone in India, and I don't hesitate to say that there's no reason why a woman shouldn't. During my travels in India, I have travelled mostly alone. Yes, I have been groped, flashed, and harassed, but this has happened to me (and many other women across the world) not only in India... unfortunately these are hassles women face everywhere. You can stay safe by taking a few precautions, using common sense, and trusting your instincts, just like you would anywhere else.

Here are my 10 tips on how to stay safe:

1. Take your cues from Indian women by observing them. You’ll notice that Indian women do not smile at men they don’t know and keep any necessary verbal contact to a minimum. Though people in India do easily strike up casual conversations in public, this is less common between men and women. Don’t go out of your way to be friendly to a man you don’t know or smile at him because this can be misinterpreted. In some cultures being friendly is being polite, but in India public interactions are a lot more formal. Don’t worry about appearing rude but rather aim to act with respect instead of trying to be friendly.

2. Try wearing Indian clothes. As a foreign woman, you will stand out and attract curiosity. A good way to try to blend in and not attract more attention to yourself is by wearing Indian clothes. This doesn’t mean you have to wear a nine-yard sari… Again, observe how young Indian women dress. A kurta (tunic) worn over jeans, for example, is a popular look and one many foreigners are comfortable wearing.

3. Don't use headphones while walking. While walking on the street (especially at night), avoid using headphones or your phone which can distract you from your surroundings and what’s going on around you. If you need to make a call or send a text message, stop in a well-lit public place.

4. Save these numbers. Save the numbers for the police (100) and 24-hour Women’s Helpline (181) in your phone in case you need assistance.

5. Make sure your door has a good look. Sliding locks and ideal because they can’t be opened from the outside. Before responding to a knock and opening the door, ask who’s there. Once I was woken up in the middle of the night in a hotel in Bhubaneswar by someone rattling the door, trying to open it. Luckily he gave up and left, but I didn't sleep the rest of the night!

6. Don’t get into a taxi if the driver is accompanied by another man. If you have a weird feeling about a taxi driver, just take another cab. When traveling at night, it’s better to use a call taxi or app-based service since your name, phone number, and pick-up and drop-off locations are tracked.

7. Wear a wedding ring or another sign of marriage. Some women travellers pretend they’re married, even if they’re not. You can wear a fake wedding ring or even toe rings (a Hindu sign of marriage – second toe of each foot!) or something that looks like a mangalasutra, the Hindu wedding necklace. This is an old trick to ward off unwanted attention but I'm not sure if it works!

8. Consider the train for overnight trips. For overnight trips, consider taking the train instead of the bus. Buses often arrive at odd hours. Train stations are usually always busy and safer places to wait for daybreak than bus stations.

9. Ask to change seats. If you happen to find yourself in a train compartment of men (it's happened to me) and you don't feel comfortable, ask the conductor to move you to one where there are other women or families. He'll find some man travelling alone somewhere, and tell him to switch seats with you. On sleepers, you’ll be out of sight in the upper berth and can even cover yourself with a sheet to make yourself less noticeable.

10. Use the ladies’ seats on buses. If a man happens to be sitting in a ladies seat, don’t hesitate to ask him to give it up. Some trains have ladies-only train compartments and waiting rooms, and there are often women-only queues at train stations. During one of my first trips to India, I used to disregard ladies' seats on buses because it seemed silly... until I had a man next to me “falling asleep” on my shoulder. I had to keep “waking him up” by jabbing my elbow into his ribs! I now always squeeze in with the ladies!

India travel tip: How to deal with staring in India

When my sister-in-law and her young daughter came to visit us while we were living in Bangalore, I took the little girl for a walk around the neighbourhood. Two minutes into our walk, she asked me: “Why is everyone staring at me?” I told her that people are not used to seeing a little white girl and that they were curious and intrigued but that they didn’t mean any harm. She wanted to go back inside!

One thing first time visitors to India can find very difficult to get used to is the almost constant staring they’re subject to. In Anglo-Saxon societies especially, staring is considered rude and can be interpreted as aggressive behaviour. For this reason, many foreigners are not used to being stared at, so this is a new experience which can make them feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable...

India travel tip: How to stay healthy in India

Many of the questions I get about travelling to India are about health issues. Should I only drink bottled water? Should I take anti-malarials? What if I get sick?

While travelling in India, you’ll need to take a few more health precautions that you would at home, but there’s no need to be paranoid. Do expect to get a stomach upset at least once and consider yourself lucky if you don’t!

You can stay healthy by following these tips:

Get your shots: Before leaving for India, make sure you're up to date with your vaccinations for diphtheria and tetanus (recommended every 10 years for adults). Shots for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid are also advisable. Some vaccines take time to ‘kick in’ so make sure you plan ahead before your trip.

Drink only bottled or filtered water: Tap water is not safe to drink in India so make sure you drink only bottled or filtered water. Most households in India (as well as hotels and restaurants) have a water filter system installed in the kitchen which purifies tap water. This is perfectly safe to drink, as long as the filter system is maintained properly. In a hot climate like India’s, you’ll have to drink a lot more water than you’re used to, to avoid dehydration. Aim for at least 2 litres a day. You’ll notice tender coconuts for sale on almost every street corner, especially in South India. Coconut water is an ideal drink to keep hydrated: it contains sugars, fibre and protein and provides vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.

Use mosquito repellent: Illnesses like malaria, dengue fever and chikungunya are prevalent in India, especially during the monsoon season (June to September in most parts of India). There are no vaccines for these illnesses which are all transmitted by mosquitoes. Anti-malarial drugs can be taken as a precaution against malaria, but long-term use of these drugs is not recommended. The best approach is to try to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible. While sleeping, use a mosquito net or a plug-in anti-mosquito device. Mosquitoes are also around during the day, so use a lotion repellent.  Local brands of repellents like Odomos are readily available, very cheap and often smell better than foreign brands. Mosquito nets and repellent devices are also easy to find locally. I would recommend buying all of these products in India instead of bringing them with you from home. If you develop a sudden high fever, seek medical attention immediately.

How to recover from Delhi Belly: Stomach upsets accompanied by diarrhea (or ‘loose motions’ in local parlance) and/or vomiting are very common among travellers to India and you’re bound to be hit by this sooner or later! It’s vitally important to replace any lost fluids by drinking a lot of liquids to avoid dehydration. Oral rehydration salts (Electral) are available in any pharmacy and when mixed with water, help the body rehydrate and recover quickly. (Coconut water is good too – see above.) Symptoms usually subside after 2 or 3 days – if this takes longer, seek medical help.

Watch what you eat: To avoid stomach bugs, you need to be careful about what and where you eat. Only eat in popular restaurants with a high turnover where you can be sure the food is made fresh. Avoid roadside stalls or food that has been sitting out for a long time. The other usual advice is to avoid ice, peel fruit and pass up salads. However, don’t stop eating fresh fruit and vegetables altogether, or you’ll be missing out on vitamins and anti-oxidants which strengthen your immune system.

Wash your hands: Good hygiene is also key to not getting sick. Though ‘hand wash’ sinks are found in every restaurant and eatery, soap is not always available. Carry your own, or a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Get insured. Some long-term travellers do not take out expensive travel insurance for a trip to India because the cost of healthcare here is cheap and the care given in private hospitals and clinics is of a high quality. But I have heard of heart-breaking cases of accidents (an Australian on a motorcycle had a night time collision with a cow and suffered serious head injuries; an American trekking in Ladakh fell down a cliff and needed facial reconstruction surgery) which involved long-term care and rehabilitation. You never know what can go wrong and for that reason, it’s best to get a good quality health and travel insurance which includes medical evacuation.

Do you have other tips? Do share them!

Safe travels!