So I finally left South East Asia, after over 6 months of traveling there. The last month or more of travel, I had been feeling a bit aimless, and like I was just killing time or going through the motions. So it became quite apparent that it was time to move on and accept the next challenge. Which was India! 🇮🇳
One of the absolutely gorgeous and exquisitely-decorated cargo vans you will see on the roads.
To be honest, I had been afraid to go to India. I’d been hearing a lot of things about safety, about how hard being a woman traveling alone there is, how you either love it or hate it, about how crazy it is, and that men would stare at me all the time (more on these items near the end of the post). I’m easily exhausted by overstimulation so I kind of expected to get to India, be overwhelmed, and want to go home.
But it’s been the complete opposite! I’m totally captivated and energized by India. I completely love it.
Here is the delish vegetarian food I had on my flight. I devoured it.
Getting to India
I flew to India from Bangkok via Air India which I was super pleased with. I’m quite afraid to fly, so I decided to buy a more expensive ticket with a more comfortable airline so I had a better chance of relaxing. And I was super relaxed! I would absolutely fly with them again. My favorite thing was the red and yellow grandma-style fabric they use for their cushions and carpet. I felt instantly cozy and safe. This cost $247. You can get flights from BKK to DEL for cheaper, but I chose my mental stability over money this time.
Indian Visa
This is very important, as you absolutely need a visa and a return flight to enter India. I used the advice of Hippie-in-Heels, and everything went very smoothly. I definitely recommend going with this website to get your visa just like she did, even though it’s a bit more expensive. And I ended up using bestonwardticket.com to book a “fake” return ticket. I did not end up having to show this in immigration, but others I know did, so make sure you have some proof of onward travel.
Although we normally ate at home, here’s a meal we had out. It was soooo good, and so fun to taste all of those different things. Also, Indians seem to be really big on dessert, so obviously I fit right in!
Family Life
I am so fortunate to have a wonderful friend named Sonali, whose family I stayed with in New Delhi! Sonali was born in India, but her family moved to the United States. Some of her family still resides in New Delhi, and even though I’d never met them, they welcomed me into their home for 5 lovely days. (Btw, check out Sonali’s amazing Indian-inspired fashion line here).
Anyways, I stayed with Sonali’s Aunt, Uncle, and Grandma and had the most wonderful time! Their hospitality is truly unmatched, and I’m so grateful for the time I spent with them. They introduced me to so much wonderful food, taught me some cooking basics, took me all around New Delhi, and overall gave me such a fun and homey welcome to Delhi. This helped me so much since I was a bit scared to adjust to India.
The food Sonali’s Aunt made every night was unbelievable. Even though she made it look so simple to cook. We pretty much had the same thing for every meal, but with variations. Lentils, a side vegetable, curd, and a type of bread. The parantha (shown below) was my absolute favorite bread (maybe ever), but more on that in another post! And we pretty much had dessert after every meal – my kind of people! Ice cream, rice pudding, gulab jamun, and more.
Delhi
Delhi is completely wild. It’s untamed, and energetic, and colorful. The clothing people wear is so stunning and beautiful, and their pattern-mixing abilities are top notch. Everywhere you look there are people, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, cars, cows, dogs, food stalls, clothing stalls, and more. There is constant motion and constant noise, but it’s all part of the fun. The honking here is incessant and it’s much more aggressive than in SE Asia. Also, there are these absolutely stunning cargo trucks (like the one at the beginning of the post) with gorgeous typography and symbols hand painted on them. I can’t get enough of them. Each is so unique.
As energizing and amazing as Delhi is, it can also be overwhelming in an emotional sense. There are many people begging for food, there are many animals and people in harsh living conditions, and there is trash everywhere. Maintenance of public areas is not very high.
I would definitely recommend exploring this city with a local or someone who has lived there for a while. Ignoring the fact that I’m a woman traveling alone, I think I would still like some help. Even walking down the street is overstimulating because you need to be alert at all times to make sure you don’t get hit by something, run into an unexpected person, or vehicle, or step in cow poop.
Old Delhi and New Delhi definitely have very different vibes, so make sure to check them both out!
A beautiful door at the Red Fort.
Things to do
Sonali’s Aunt and Uncle were so kind to take me to some amazing places in Delhi. My favorites were the Akshardham Temple, The Red Fort, two different shopping malls, and a local Gurdwara (Sikh temple). I really enjoyed learning about the Sikh customs, and when you leave the temple, they give you a Karah Prashad which is a small handful of this sweet cookie-dough like substance.
Speaking of food, I plan to do a whole post dedicated to food in India, but for now I will tell you that I’ve been completely blown away by everything I’ve eaten, and the huge variety of food that I never even knew existed. I’ve eaten a fair amount of Indian food back home in NC, and it just does not compare. And it is so easy to be a vegetarian here, which I did not find to be the case in South East Asia.
Safety
I have not been in India long enough to feel like I can really comment on the safety. But I will say a few things:
#1 is I’ve experienced zero safety issues so far, and have had a wonderful experience with everyone I’ve met, man or woman.
#2 I do think it’s of course better to be on guard, especially while you are getting to know the place you are staying. The family I was staying with made a big deal of my safety when I was traveling alone on the bus from Delhi to Rishikesh. They made sure I got on a state bus (not private), and took the most deluxe one offered. They said they didn’t feel it was safe for me to take a cab there alone (unless you get a driver recommended of course). After doing some research, I read that if you do take a cab or transit alone, and the driver says he wants to pick up a friend, do NOT allow this. Say no, and get a different vehicle. I didn’t go out anywhere alone in Delhi, and saw several tuk-tuks with signs that said “this driver respects women”… so there seems to be an obvious problem. But, again, I personally have not experienced any safety issues at all.
Here’s Sonali’s Uncle making sure I’m all good on my bus to Rishikesh!
#3 I know several women living in India who say it is safe as long as you are cautious, and don’t go out at night alone. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable going out alone anyways in Delhi (at least for a while) simply because it is so hectic. I could see how something could happen very easily just because you are so distracted.
And as for the staring from men, it does happen, but it’s not bad at all. And both men and women stare at me, but so far it has felt much more curious than threatening. And, anyways, often I’m accidentally staring right back taking in the beautiful clothing, or sometimes the different spiritual markings on their foreheads.
(P.S. I do dress in accordance with cultural standards here! Sometimes I was a quite casual in Southeast Asia, but here I think it’s important to cover shoulders, cleavage, and legs, especially if you will be venturing out from city centers.)
Another note on men is that it’s very normal for grown men to walk around holding hands here. And it’s fascinating how much less intimidating men in general seem when holding hands. I wish men in all countries would do this!
Moral of the story: I love India, I had the best stay with my Delhi family, and next I’m headed to Rishikesh for a month long yoga teacher training!🤞🏽