This is the obvious one to start with and it especially applies when moving about in public places. I never forget traveling in Kerala with my cousin several years ago. We were getting ready to go to a music festival and she decided to wear a short mini skirt and crop top. I clearly remember warning her before we left the hotel to change into something less skimpy, especially because she was a British Asian girl and local guys were not used to seeing Asian girls dressed in such a way. She ignored my advice and within minutes of arriving a guy in the crowd had groped her and ran off! The best thing for women travellers to wear in India are loose and baggy garments that cover both legs and arms. It’s always advisable to dress like the local ladies and get a salwar kameez if you can.

It’s not uncommon for women (particularly foreign women) to be on the receiving end of whistling, name calling and relentless staring when moving around town. Or worst still accidental contact and groping in crowded areas.  Although annoying, this is something that can be shrugged off pretty easily if you just ignore the perportators and move on. If someone is being particularly persistent then the next best thing to do is to tell him directly to stop looking at you, or better still, say it loud enough that another passer by overhears and hopefully lends a helping hand. Indian people are usually very good at joining forces in public to rebuke any riff-raff, so use this tactic in your favour if necessary and never hesitate to seek a helping hand from strangers.

Many trains and buses now offer separate seating and ticket booths for women travellers, so be sure to take advantage of these when available. If you’re traveling long distance on a train then make sure you sit next to a family if possible. In most cases your tickets will be allocated beforehand, so if you board the train and realise there’s a bunch of guys sitting in your cabin, you should just move along the carriage until you find another cabin with other female travellers and sit here. When the ticket inspector (TT) comes along, simply explain the situation and he should be able to re-seat you somewhere else. If you’re travelling alone on public transport and see other foreign travellers on board, then it’s also a good idea to sit next to them if you can. This way you’ll look like you’re part of a group and less likely to stand out as being alone.

One big concern for women travellers is the lack of clean and hygienic public toilets available in India. This is not so much of an issue for guys (who can pretty much go anywhere!) but women really have to consider the toilet issue, especially when my advice in a previous section is to stay well hydrated and consume two litres of water per day! If you’re planning a trip which involves lots of travelling – long road trips and sleeper trains – then you might want to consider investing in a sheewee, which is basically a portable device that allows women to urinate comfortably when they don’t want to sit on an unsanitary public toilet. It might seem a bit gross (or even make you laugh a bit) but when you consider the alternatives, it actually makes a lot of sense investing in one of these gadgets. I’ve met several women traveller’s in India who have described their sheewee as the most important piece of travel kit for India! Another tip (particularly in the bigger cities) is to sneak into a five star hotel and use their clean public toilets in the lobby. Most of the big shopping malls in the main cities also have a selection of upmarket restaurants on the top floor, which usually means access to a half decent washroom.