Staying Safe in India as a Solo Female Traveller

India is an exciting country, full of vibrant colours, steeped in spirituality, and abundant with incredible cuisines! However, as a solo female traveller, I was feeling apprehensive about how to stay safe in India.

Luckily I had a good friend who had explored India as a solo female traveller who reassured me that it was perfectly safe for women. Just needed to follow some extra precautions to feel and stay safe.

So here are my top tips for staying safe in India as a solo female traveller!

1. Start in the South

I was very apprehensive about travelling to India as a solo female traveller. However, I had a deep calling to go and so I sought guidance from my friend who had travelled there before.

One of her suggestions was to stay in Kerala, in South India as this is more calm and peaceful. I took her advice and was very grateful for starting in Kerala. The locals were friendly, helpful and kind. The women there are very inspirational, I often saw them bossing their husbands around, it was brilliant! Not at all how I pictured women to be in India. 

There is a calmness and peacefulness within Kerala especially around the Sivananda ashram, where I stayed. I felt incredibly safe in India here.

Once I was settled in Kerala I spoke to the local women who informed me that South India is a great place to start as a solo female traveller. They said that it is much safer to travel alone. Other areas I have been recommended that are safe for women travelling alone are Bangalore and Rishikesh.

Another recommendation I received if the Indian culture is completely new to you. Is to travel to Sri Lanka first, which is very safe for female solo travellers. The culture, climate and food are very similar to South India but much more Western.

Personally, I travelled to South India first and then went to Sri Lanka. It was a welcome treat when my driver took me to Pizza Hut on the way to my hotel! 

2. Wear appropriate clothing

This is my favourite and most important tip!

Before you go to India buy clothing that fits with the Indian culture. This will help you to fit into the crowd. And will help you to feel safe in India as a solo female traveller.

I am a big fan of Western clothing, we are lucky to have the freedom to wear whatever we like.

But when travelling, I like to respect the local culture and women in India. I found some very fetching bright pink harem trousers and only wore baggy trousers in India. I also bought baggy t-shirts and lightweight jumpers. 

Women in India do not show their body shape with tight-fitting clothes. They also cover up their legs, arms and shoulders as a sign of respect. 

Wearing these clothes meant Indian women looked after me as I looked more like them. This is really important when travelling as a solo female traveller. To be able to fit in with the culture. It also demonstrates a sign of respect for that country and culture.

This is especially important to research if you are planning to visit or stay at an ashram. Some ashrams have very strict dress codes.

3. Invest in a big, lightweight scarf

This was my favourite item of clothing and so, so useful! I bought 2 large scarves from an Indian market in London, but you can get these from many markets.

They are so handy to carry with you and if going outside I would almost always wear my scarf especially when the weather was too hot to wear a jumper but you want to cover up.

I draped mine around my shoulders so if I felt self-conscious from locals starring, it happens, you get used to it! I could cover myself with my scarf. Just makes you feel much more comfortable and safe in India as a solo female traveller.

4. Stay in an ashram

Living in an ashram is not for everyone I admit! But I lived in an ashram for 2 months and absolutely loved it. Read about my experience in my blog Living in an Ashram.

An ashram is a spiritual retreat where people can visit or live, usually for a small donation as long as ashram rules are followed. They normally include meditation and yoga practices to help improve your wellbeing.

Ashram living is a really great way to immerse yourself into the Indian culture in a safe and secure environment. It is also an amazing way to make new friends who you can then continue to travel with. 

Now there are hundreds of ashrams in India and they are all very different so finding the right ashram for you is vital.

Personally, I was looking to deepen my meditation and yoga practices and I really needed a strict schedule each day. Be sure to check out the rules and day schedule for the ashram before planning to stay there. 

Build your confidence living in India as a solo female traveller by staying in an ashram first. You then have the knowledge and support to explore more of India if you want to.

Another quick tip is to buy one of the ashram-branded t-shirts. Firstly you have a nice souvenir! And secondly, you will be surprised how it warms the perception of you to the locals.

My friend and I stayed at Amma’s ashram and the local women were so warm and loving to us when they knew we had stayed there. So amazing to witness.

5. Make plans for when you first arrive

Now I know a lot of travellers enjoy the thrill of just rocking up to a foreign country and finding a place to stay. But this is where I greatly differ, I am a serious planner!

I love planning and have definitely made the mistake of over-planning my trip. Missing out on the spontaneity that travelling can be all about. 

But when it comes to India, as a solo female traveller. I would highly recommend planning at least the beginning of your trip. 

Remember when you first arrive in a new country, it is easy to feel quite disoriented, especially after a long flight. And this can make you feel very vulnerable. Planning ahead will help you feel confident and safe in India which will allow you to make better decisions. 

Personally, I am happy to pay a bit extra at the beginning of a trip by pre-booking taxis to my accommodation. Booking more luxury hotels in more popular areas so I have time to get my bearings and build confidence.

Most luxury hotels will organise a taxi from the airport to their accommodation. So someone is waiting for you at the airport. This prevents you from hanging around the airport looking lost. 

If the driver is good and reliable you can ask for their contact details and always use them. I did this in Sri Lanka and he became my personal driver for my whole trip!

He even waited an hour for me when I was delayed on a bus.

On my first trip to India as a solo female traveller, I booked the first few nights at a nice hotel close to the ashram. The hotel organised the driver to pick me up from the airport. So I was able to easily visit the ashram in the day to see if it was somewhere I wanted to stay.

6. Avoid travelling at night

Now I know a lot of confident travellers do travel around at night as fares are usually cheaper and it makes things easier. But if this is your first trip to India as a solo female traveller, I would recommend avoiding night travel. 

Yes, it can be a bit pricier but you will feel so much safer. Even in my hometown in England, there are incidences that happen at night that feel far scarier than they would in the day. 

Firstly make sure you book flights which land in daylight. I ended up staying in Bangalore airport for 6 hours (from midnight) to wait for my hour flight to Trivandrum so I arrived at 7am.

It is really safe in Bangalore airport by the way! I was even watching some episodes of Vanderpump Rules on my laptop, I felt that safe. 

When travelling to new destinations in India by bus or train, I always set off in the morning. That way if there are any delays, it is India, expect many delays! I know I will still arrive at my final destination in the daylight. Bear in mind it gets dark around 6pm. 

7. Stay close to families

Another good tip I received before travelling as a solo female traveller. Stay close to families when using public transport. 

This is a great tip! You will be surprised how mothers with their children will look out for you. Also quite often there are a few mothers with children who hang out together. It seems to be common in Indian culture for women to travel together. 

Even if you end up standing in a more busy carriage. I prefer to be close to families rather than be on my own in a carriage. 

Another watch-out for travelling on public transport that I learnt the hard way! Always get off buses and trains quickly, preferably in the middle of the crowd.

The Indian culture can be pretty pushy. Waiting to be the last person to disembark is cutthroat! I’m not sure how I got off some buses and trains!

The people getting on will not wait patiently for you to disembark like they do in England. This is a big difference between Indian culture and English culture.

Also, just waiting at the platform as a solo female traveller. It is better to wait with families of mothers and children. 

8. Do not walk around after dark

This may feel quite limiting as a solo female traveller. I understand, as a Western woman, I do not like being told what I can and cannot do based purely on my gender. But when in a new country, it is best to follow the local customs. 

As a general rule, women in India do not tend to travel alone after dark, which is from 6pm.

This is one of the perks of staying in an ashram. Some ashrams will organise group trips so you can explore after dark safely with the teachers and fellow community. 

At Sivananda ashram, they sometimes organise a sunset trip up one of the mountains to meditate. It’s a truly magical experience and beautiful to experience India safely after dark as a solo female traveller.

9, Travel in groups if possible

I know this is an obvious point and defeats the point of travelling as a solo female traveller!

However, if possible to travel as a group, it is safer. This is another reason I loved living in an ashram. I made some great friends who travelled with me to the next beach town and other ashrams. 

I was told that it is safer as a solo female traveller to explore South India. However, in North India, it is better to travel as a group. 

10. Download the local map

This will really help you feel safe in India as a solo female traveller. I was recommended an app called MAPS.ME which was a lifesaver! 

Any maps app will work well including Google Maps. If you download the local map before going to India, then you can use your GPS on your phone to locate where you are. 

Personally I like MAPS.ME because it is straightforward to use. You can easily pin places of interest like your hotel or temples. It also shows you bus stops which is useful when using public transport. 

This map which works offline is especially useful when navigating public transport. As they don’t announce the stops in India. And it’s not always easy to read them.

Using a map means you can track where you are on your journey. And get off at the right stop!

Hope you enjoyed my blog on Staying Safe in India as a Solo Female Traveller. I would love to hear your comments on staying safe in India! 

Have you travelled India as a solo female traveller? Where's your favourite places to go? Any tips for travelling as a solo woman?

Let me know in the comments below and I will get back to you.

As always, happy travelling my friends 🙂