I know there are a lot of guidelines people give on how to be in india, what to bring, what not to bring, how to behave blah blah. Till now, I have been to almost half india, and being an indian and audience to tourists, I kinda can sketch out how foreigners should be in here. This article applies to all cities, all villages, all hotels, all malls everywhere.
1) Bargaining doesn't work everywhere : Yeah, before visiting india you are told, indians see tourists and they increase the rate, it goes to dollars but thats the case when you are in some street market where frankly most of the upper class population isn't found anymore. No indian with a upper middle class status visits these places and even if they do, they won't bargain. Still, if you are into street products, you can ask the vendor but please don't do it in the malls or shops where branded clothes are kept. I once saw a foreigner doing this and we thought, why would you ever do it in reebok shop.
If you want to bargain, do it on street not in the mall or stores with well known brands.
2) Stranger Danger : India is the kind of place where once you are taken or kidnapped or killed and noone ever comes to ask about, you will never be found. Your body would remain forever in the field or garden behind house. Tourists are super friendly and they are the targets most of the time. Don't invite people into your hotel room you just met at the beach or in a party, even if they are from your own country residing in india. Don't ever go after dark to stranded beaches or parking lots.
For your own safety, keep pepper spray and stun gun and please don't trust someone you met in india. They could be the nicest people or rapists. Even an indian won't step out to the beach after dark. Even gay rapes are pretty common here in marked places. If you are lost, call for cab, don't take lifts from random people.
3) Don't carry a lot of money : Money attracts thieves and then they go for the kill to remove traces, they don't mind cutting throat for 300 bucks. They could notice you taking money back from some shopkeeper and follow you till a point where you could be vulnerable or alone or drunk.
I am not saying india is not safe, just go by the rules, its a country with billions of people some of whom are majorly frustrated poor sick living like animals. And unfortunately most of the criminals know how to make a good conversation in english, they are kind of experts. You can keep money in hotel safe. Please choose a nice expensive hotel not some roadside motel,it could be dangerous.
4) Indian boys ain't cute : Keep teenagers safe and away from indian guys unless you know them well. I know its kind of bad to keep them under restrictions , just ask them to be in touch all the time. A friend's friend could be the bad guy. Don't trust in general, keep a distance from waiters or other employees, don't share any personal information with them. Mostly its the less earning people who have nothing to fear them and trust me they never got a girl, so a simple peck means love to them.
Maintain safe distance for your own sake. A little rendezvous could be fun, it just isn't worth your life. You can get drunk but just be careful, you don't want to land in a trunk on station or outside city.
5) Don't travel by train : First of all it takes time, secondly its not safe and hygienic even for indians, thirdly there are a lot of crooks there looking for soft targets.
Still in case you do, don't accept food or drinks from other people no matter how much nice they are. Don't exchange your numbers or hotel details with them, chain your luggage properly, don't get down on small stations, lastly keep your important documents and money bag with you on your berth. And that mineral water bottle, you better buy it from some shop outside station or you could be drinking the water filled from toilet in rail.
6) Temples : There are a lot of temples in india, first of all make sure the temple you are visiting allows foreigners or not, puri temple doesn't, some south indian temples take it seriously not to get the non vegetarians near idol. Don't do into these for any thrill, the could literally make a national news out of it.
Secondly, wear leggings, long t shirt or kurta and take a scarf with you. No part of your body should be revealed. For this small part, avoid skirts, shorts, skimpy clothes. Just be covered.
Thirdly, don't fall for those priest tricks where they try to give you something like a flower or thread in hand and start saying mantras. Thats just a way to take money. Don't pay attention to them unless every other person is taking from them.
Go to temple,leave your sandals in car, wash your feet hands, buy some coconut flowers if you want, go inside in line if there is, offer coconut to priest, he will give some part of it back to you. Thats it. Better if you take me along.:) Best option is to not visit crowded temples, its something even i won't do.
7) No drugs : Goa is known for weed availability in abundance. First of all, be careful with the drugs, don't carry them with you, if police catches you they could keep you for a long time asking questions about the whole gang of yours. Believe me, it could even take six months in jail to clear the issue.
If you are like too keen, take it in a safe place in some major sorority where its like top secret. Police frequents pubs time to time so that should be the last place. Otherwise if you are in safe reliable company who know what they are doing, you will be fine. Just don't get caught.
8) No mini skirts or pubs in south india : Recently there have been cases where some political parties went into the pub and started hitting girls in pub, all the poor girls did was drinking and partying. This happened in mangalore in kerala. Whenever you visit a pub, make sure its a posh club, frequented by high class people. Don't go into those cheap clubs or any clubs in small cities where the population is less and poor.
If you are in delhi or mumbai you are free to wear anything, just make sure you don't walk on street and always have a trustworthy cab arrangement or your own car. There have been instances where cab drivers raped women or women were picked from streets in middle of the night and raped in driving car and then thrown out in morning. Its pretty scary. There were security guards who raped women in parking lot, so just be careful not to be alone in night.
9) Don't pick girls or guys for sex : Yeah I know most of the foreigners do it but its not safe, there have been known gangs who operate in a group, deal with some gay guy and then when they have been in his house two or three times, they killed him and took all the cash.
Once you have seen the face, they won't leave you alive. Even girls are used as traps in many cities.
10) Don't do PDA : Yeah, india is a traditional conservative country from some stupid political police views. If cops catch you in action, you might have to pay a lot of money to get out. Normal fine is 200 bucks but heyy you are no indian. Don't wear bikini on every beach. Analyze then decide what to wear. Don't go into the water if noone else is going, there could be police waiting to nab you and fine more.
And beware of transgenders, they dress like females in saree, once they catch you , they will ask for money and sing and could even go nude. Just walk away or give them 20 bucks.
1) Bargaining doesn't work everywhere : Yeah, before visiting india you are told, indians see tourists and they increase the rate, it goes to dollars but thats the case when you are in some street market where frankly most of the upper class population isn't found anymore. No indian with a upper middle class status visits these places and even if they do, they won't bargain. Still, if you are into street products, you can ask the vendor but please don't do it in the malls or shops where branded clothes are kept. I once saw a foreigner doing this and we thought, why would you ever do it in reebok shop.
If you want to bargain, do it on street not in the mall or stores with well known brands.
2) Stranger Danger : India is the kind of place where once you are taken or kidnapped or killed and noone ever comes to ask about, you will never be found. Your body would remain forever in the field or garden behind house. Tourists are super friendly and they are the targets most of the time. Don't invite people into your hotel room you just met at the beach or in a party, even if they are from your own country residing in india. Don't ever go after dark to stranded beaches or parking lots.
For your own safety, keep pepper spray and stun gun and please don't trust someone you met in india. They could be the nicest people or rapists. Even an indian won't step out to the beach after dark. Even gay rapes are pretty common here in marked places. If you are lost, call for cab, don't take lifts from random people.
3) Don't carry a lot of money : Money attracts thieves and then they go for the kill to remove traces, they don't mind cutting throat for 300 bucks. They could notice you taking money back from some shopkeeper and follow you till a point where you could be vulnerable or alone or drunk.
I am not saying india is not safe, just go by the rules, its a country with billions of people some of whom are majorly frustrated poor sick living like animals. And unfortunately most of the criminals know how to make a good conversation in english, they are kind of experts. You can keep money in hotel safe. Please choose a nice expensive hotel not some roadside motel,it could be dangerous.
4) Indian boys ain't cute : Keep teenagers safe and away from indian guys unless you know them well. I know its kind of bad to keep them under restrictions , just ask them to be in touch all the time. A friend's friend could be the bad guy. Don't trust in general, keep a distance from waiters or other employees, don't share any personal information with them. Mostly its the less earning people who have nothing to fear them and trust me they never got a girl, so a simple peck means love to them.
Maintain safe distance for your own sake. A little rendezvous could be fun, it just isn't worth your life. You can get drunk but just be careful, you don't want to land in a trunk on station or outside city.
5) Don't travel by train : First of all it takes time, secondly its not safe and hygienic even for indians, thirdly there are a lot of crooks there looking for soft targets.
Still in case you do, don't accept food or drinks from other people no matter how much nice they are. Don't exchange your numbers or hotel details with them, chain your luggage properly, don't get down on small stations, lastly keep your important documents and money bag with you on your berth. And that mineral water bottle, you better buy it from some shop outside station or you could be drinking the water filled from toilet in rail.
6) Temples : There are a lot of temples in india, first of all make sure the temple you are visiting allows foreigners or not, puri temple doesn't, some south indian temples take it seriously not to get the non vegetarians near idol. Don't do into these for any thrill, the could literally make a national news out of it.
Secondly, wear leggings, long t shirt or kurta and take a scarf with you. No part of your body should be revealed. For this small part, avoid skirts, shorts, skimpy clothes. Just be covered.
Thirdly, don't fall for those priest tricks where they try to give you something like a flower or thread in hand and start saying mantras. Thats just a way to take money. Don't pay attention to them unless every other person is taking from them.
Go to temple,leave your sandals in car, wash your feet hands, buy some coconut flowers if you want, go inside in line if there is, offer coconut to priest, he will give some part of it back to you. Thats it. Better if you take me along.:) Best option is to not visit crowded temples, its something even i won't do.
7) No drugs : Goa is known for weed availability in abundance. First of all, be careful with the drugs, don't carry them with you, if police catches you they could keep you for a long time asking questions about the whole gang of yours. Believe me, it could even take six months in jail to clear the issue.
If you are like too keen, take it in a safe place in some major sorority where its like top secret. Police frequents pubs time to time so that should be the last place. Otherwise if you are in safe reliable company who know what they are doing, you will be fine. Just don't get caught.
8) No mini skirts or pubs in south india : Recently there have been cases where some political parties went into the pub and started hitting girls in pub, all the poor girls did was drinking and partying. This happened in mangalore in kerala. Whenever you visit a pub, make sure its a posh club, frequented by high class people. Don't go into those cheap clubs or any clubs in small cities where the population is less and poor.
If you are in delhi or mumbai you are free to wear anything, just make sure you don't walk on street and always have a trustworthy cab arrangement or your own car. There have been instances where cab drivers raped women or women were picked from streets in middle of the night and raped in driving car and then thrown out in morning. Its pretty scary. There were security guards who raped women in parking lot, so just be careful not to be alone in night.
9) Don't pick girls or guys for sex : Yeah I know most of the foreigners do it but its not safe, there have been known gangs who operate in a group, deal with some gay guy and then when they have been in his house two or three times, they killed him and took all the cash.
Once you have seen the face, they won't leave you alive. Even girls are used as traps in many cities.
10) Don't do PDA : Yeah, india is a traditional conservative country from some stupid political police views. If cops catch you in action, you might have to pay a lot of money to get out. Normal fine is 200 bucks but heyy you are no indian. Don't wear bikini on every beach. Analyze then decide what to wear. Don't go into the water if noone else is going, there could be police waiting to nab you and fine more.
And beware of transgenders, they dress like females in saree, once they catch you , they will ask for money and sing and could even go nude. Just walk away or give them 20 bucks.
