The things I wish someone had told me before I left. Not the generic "India is amazing!" advice. The specific, practical, sometimes uncomfortable stuff that actually prepares you.
Book Train Tickets in Advance
This is the number one logistics mistake travellers make. Popular routes fill up weeks ahead, especially during November to February (peak season). Trains from Delhi to Varanasi and Delhi to Agra sell out fast. Use the Indian Railways website or Cleartrip and book as soon as your dates are confirmed.
The website is clunky and the interface is confusing the first time. Push through it. You only have to figure it out once. Alternatively, book at a train station in person: find the "tourist booking office" (separate from the main booking hall, shorter queues, English-speaking staff). This exists in Delhi, Jaipur, and Varanasi.
Cash Is King
Uber and Ola work in major cities. ATMs exist. But carry cash for everything else. Street food vendors don't take cards. Small guesthouses often don't have card machines. Temple donations are cash. Auto-rickshaw drivers outside of app-based rides only accept rupees.
Exchange currency at the Delhi airport when you arrive. Rates are fair and you avoid the sketchy street money changers who'll short-change you or use sleight-of-hand tricks.
Prepare Your Stomach
Two weeks before departure, I started taking daily probiotics. I ate yoghurt constantly. The theory was building up gut bacteria to handle India's different microbial environment. Did it help? I don't know for certain. I still got sick on day 12. But I noticed other travellers who hadn't prepared got sicker for longer. Taking care of your digestion before you go is cheap insurance.
On the ground: eat from busy vendors (high turnover means fresher food). Avoid raw vegetables and salads (washed in potentially contaminated water). Drink only filtered or bottled water. Never accept ice in drinks. Peel your own fruit. And bring activated charcoal tablets. I keep saying it because it genuinely made the difference between 5 days of misery and 2.
Solo Female Safety: The Honest Version
India is a complicated place for solo female travellers. Stories range from "magical, completely safe" to "harassed constantly, felt threatened" and everything in between.
My experience: constant low-level attention and some uncomfortable situations, but nothing dangerous. Here's specifically what worked for me:
Dress conservatively. Long pants, covered shoulders, minimal skin showing. This isn't about modesty politics. It's about reducing unwanted attention in a culture where visible skin is interpreted differently. I wore lightweight cotton pants and button-up shirts every day and the attention was manageable. When I saw other female travellers in shorts and tank tops, the attention they received was noticeably more intense.
Avoid being alone at night except on trains (which are generally safe in 3AC class because you're surrounded by families). Walking through cities after dark as a solo woman invites more approaches. I ate dinner at my guesthouse or nearby restaurants and was indoors by 9 PM most nights.
Trust your instincts about people. If someone makes you uncomfortable, leave. You don't owe politeness to strangers who are pushing your boundaries. A firm "no" works better than polite deflection. Indian men who are testing boundaries will escalate if they sense hesitation but back off when met with directness.
Tell your guesthouse owner where you're going each day. This creates a safety net and also builds relationships. My guesthouse owners in Jodhpur and Udaipur were protective and helpful, recommending safe places to eat and offering to call auto-rickshaws for me.
The fake marriage strategy works. "I'm married" and pointing to any ring on your finger shuts down most approaches instantly. Marriage is deeply respected culturally and declaring it creates a boundary most men won't cross. I wore a simple ring on my left hand the entire trip.
I never felt in genuine danger during my 21 days. But I was always alert. India is worth the caution. Don't let safety concerns stop you from going. Just go prepared.
Timing: November to February Is Peak
I went in November specifically because weather is perfect: warm days (28-32 degrees Celsius), cool nights (15-20 degrees), no rain. Between May and September it's either monsoon season (June-September, heavy rain, flooding, transport disruptions) or brutally hot (May, 40+ degrees in Rajasthan). October to February is the sweet spot. November and December are ideal.
Get Vaccinated
Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis: talk to your GP about what makes sense for your itinerary and health history. I got all three boosters plus made sure my standard vaccinations were current (tetanus, measles). Cost: $80-120 AUD total through my GP, partially covered by Medicare.
Don't skip vaccines thinking you're tough. This isn't about machismo. It's about being intelligent about preventable diseases.
Cultural Etiquette That Actually Matters
Remove shoes when entering temples (watch others and follow their lead). Don't touch people casually or cross your legs pointing feet at someone (considered deeply rude). Eat with your right hand only (left hand is traditionally associated with bathroom purposes). Don't touch cows (they're sacred, and they can also bite). Don't photograph people without asking. Dress respectfully in religious spaces: no shorts, covered shoulders, head covered in Sikh temples.
The etiquette learning curve is steep but forgiving. Indians are generally patient with foreigners who are clearly trying. A genuine smile and "namaste" opens more doors than perfect cultural knowledge.
Common Scams
These aren't dangerous, just annoying and costly if you fall for them:
Fake guides who approach you randomly offering "help" at monuments. They'll give you a tour, then demand 500-1000 INR. If you want a guide, arrange one through your guesthouse at an agreed price.
Broken-meter taxis. The driver claims the meter doesn't work and quotes a flat rate (always inflated). Solution: use Uber or Ola only, or agree on a price before getting in.
Street money changers. They'll offer better rates than the airport, then short-change you with sleight-of-hand. Exchange at official places only.
The shoe-spit scam. Someone spits on your shoe, then a nearby "cleaner" offers to clean it for a fee. Just walk away.
Fake student beggars asking for school supplies (pens, notebooks). They resell them to shops and pocket the cash.
The "my shop is just here" redirect. You ask for directions to a landmark and get directed to someone's cousin's jewellery shop instead.
Just maintain awareness. These aren't sinister plots, they're people trying to make money from tourists. Knowing about them in advance means you brush them off without stress.
Hydration: The Silent Trip-Killer
Dehydration hits faster in India than you expect, especially in November when it's warm but not oppressively hot, so you don't feel like you're sweating much. But you are. Walking 10-15km a day in 30-degree heat, you need minimum 3 litres of water daily. More if you're sick, more if you're doing physical activities like the zipline or fort climbing.
Buy bottled water (10-20 INR per litre, under $0.30 AUD) at every opportunity. Carry a refillable bottle and top it up whenever you see filtered water at guesthouses or restaurants. If you have a filtered bottle like the LifeStraw, you can fill from any tap. Avoid dehydration headaches by drinking before you feel thirsty. By the time thirst hits, you're already behind.
When you get sick (and statistically you will), dehydration becomes dangerous fast. That's when the Hydralyte packets earn their place in your pack. One packet in a litre of water, drink it slowly over an hour, repeat. It replaces the electrolytes your body is losing and helps you recover significantly faster than water alone.
Photography Etiquette
Indians love being photographed and will often ask YOU for a photo (especially with fair-skinned foreigners). But always ask before photographing someone, especially at religious sites. Don't photograph cremations in Varanasi without explicit permission (most families prefer you don't, and it's deeply disrespectful to do so without asking). Don't photograph military or police installations. Don't use flash in temples. These aren't rules that get you arrested, they're about basic respect for the people and places you're visiting.
The One Thing Everyone Gets Wrong
People ask me "what's the one thing people get wrong about India?" and the answer is always the same: they plan too much. They have every hour mapped, every accommodation booked, every train pre-purchased. Then India does what India does: the train is 3 hours late, the guesthouse you booked doesn't exist anymore, the monument is closed for a religious festival you didn't know about. And they panic.
The travellers who have the best time in India are the ones who hold their plans loosely. Book your first night's accommodation and your first train. After that, let each city tell you how long you want to stay. Ask other travellers what they've loved. Follow recommendations from guesthouse owners. Say yes to things that weren't on your list. India rewards flexibility more than any other country I've visited.
Last updated: March 2026. All costs from November 2017. The Wild Logs Team.
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