Safety review of various Indian states and cities as a solo female traveller.
Bit of a back story, I am a mixed race (half Indian) woman, I was born and raised outside India but have been travelling here for the last 10+ years. As a whole its not possible to review the entire country as there are so many differences.
Kerala: 9/10 - Have been here about 6 times and felt safe most of the times, there were some awkward stares and some men trying to be "extra friendly", but as a whole it was good.
Tamil Nadu: 6/10 - Travelled here in 2024. Almost got groped in Chennai and a guy followed me around in Yelagiri. Left a sour taste but still not the worst experience.
Bangalore: 7/10 - Stares and people being extra friendly here as well. A guy kept trying to offer me lift to show me places despite my rejections to his offer. But I liked some places, they felt safer.
Mumbai: 8/10 - Mega city vibes, felt almost invisible. I accidentally walked into the middle of a busy road and almost got run over and the guy behind the car yelled at me for a full 5 mins (my bad). Overall pretty sweet experience, my fav big city in India.
Gujarat: 5/10 - Got followed around and groped at a temple.
Rajasthan: 5/10 - Shopkeepers kept hassling me, kept trying to sell me stuff while I kept saying no. A guy in a big car kept trying to "pick me up" and show me around. The hotel I stayed at had a weird staff member who kept asking to take pictures with me.
Delhi: 1/10 - I don't need to tell you why. The pollution and just the utter chaos of Old Delhi made me vomit. Got groped multiple times. The hotel tried to scam me for more money and then harassed me. Never again.
UP: 3/10 - Groped twice, got spit on by a guy chewing tobacco. It was unnaturally hot and was sweaty the entire time and people kept staring at me. Never again.
Uttarakhand: 7/10 - Shopkeepers kept hassling me here. A "guide" offered to show me places but then asked for way more money than initially agreed upon. But he backed off after I said no many times. Liked the mountain areas they were peaceful and safer.
Himachal: 10/10 - Possibly the safest I felt in my entire time. I have travelled here more than 10 times now. I took the local buses, talked to the locals and never felt uneasy. Shimla is beautiful but a bit overcrowded. But really liked Dalhousie and the calm vibes. My favourite place in the country. Definite recommendation.
Ladakh: 9/10 - The local cab driver tried to scam me a bit but other than that it was good. Felt safe except the time a tourist from the plains kept trying to talk to me despite my non interest.
Kolkata: 6/10 - Big city and very humid. I visited during the time of some elections. And the security was just super tight. Despite that a guy almost got his hands on me. I ran away.
These are the places I have visited in India. Tell me about your own experiences. Himachal was definitely a fun experience. These are just my experiences, others may have felt differently. I don't mean to offend anyone by this post.