Everything You Need To Know Before Backpacking India!

For the past 7 weeks I have been backpacking through the most populated country in the world - INDIA as a female budget traveler. Please find below everything that you need to know before heading and keep in mind that this is all coming from my peresonal expereince and opinion.

Cash is King

Be prepared to be paying for EVERYTHING in cash - hotel and hostel stays, meals, clothes, water everything is with cash. That being said the most I have been able to get out of an ATM is 20,000INR (US$230) which does go far but depending on the length of your trip the fees can really start to add up! I recommend getting a card with no ATM fees. When you get money out of the ATM it will typically give you all 500 INR notes which is insanely annoying so try and break those up when you can.

Apply For A Visa

As an American passport holder, I needed to get a visa before reaching India which I found on the government website, I chose the 6 month visa that is valid for on year and cost US$40. This was a bit of a process so give yourself time before you start booking a last minute flight and note that it takes roughly 3-5 business days seeing that everything is filled out correctly.

Consider Burning Season and Air Pollution

When I flew into Amritsar, it was apparently burning season. I coughed for 7 hours straight and did not sleep one night so please please please check when burning season is and take precautions with the pollution. I bought surgical masks and wore one in Amritsar, Delhi and Varanasi.

Pay Tourist Price

Yes, people here are hiking up the price because you are a tourist. Yes, instead of 50 cents it might be $1. Yes, bargaining is normal but remember what it means to you vs what it means to them.

Scarves and Pashminas Are Your BFF

From a female perspective I had a scarf or pashmina with me at all times in the North - in the South I didn't normally bring one. This is so I could cover up my hair, shoulders or arms when I felt necessary. There are so many shops here I would just wait until you arrive. I got 3 in Jaisalmer for 450 INR!

Know The Price Before

Do not ask for prices after you have taken a tuktuk, after you have eaten a meal or after you have slept at a hotel. ALWAYS ASK THE PRICE BEFOREHAND! It is not rude, it doesn't make you look cheap.

Pictures and Staring

My travel mate and myself are both relativley tall, very blonde, white women which is not something that many Indians see all the time. This meant that we receive a LOT of attention from locals wanting to take photos, videos and chat with us. Personally, I am always up for a chat but I do typically decline taking photos for my own safety/privacy and to not perpetuate a white superiority complex. People are incredibly respected when I decline taking photos and rarely push back.

Staring is also very common here and just something to get used to. I have found it sometimes difficult as a "WTF are you looking at" and "can I help you?" snottiness that I ususally go for back in the United States. But here, I have learned to ignore it or throw a little smile. I find it inexplicable but many stares feel out of curiosity and not sexually charged.

Toliet Paper

Here in India, I have only found toliet paper where I have found a lot of tourists. Carrying around TP might be a good idea until you are used to the bum gun - which can be found in every toliet.

Set Boundaries and Say No

In this country, the locals are hustlers! They always have a way to make money and can get you whatever it is you need. With that being said, they will also ask you and try to get you everything you need even if you don't really want it. If you are not comfortable with a price, tour itinerary, pashima color or honestly whatever do not be afriad to speak up and say no politely of course.

This is very important because had I done this, I would not have given 2000 INR To random men in Pushkar... that was on me honestly I still dk why I did that.

Domestic Tourism vs Foreigners

Because Indians do not have that strong of a passport, domestic travel is what they resort to. Online I have seen many advertisments that say "if you can't go to x, go to this place in India" which is crazy that India has so much diversity but also means that they have the most domestic tourists that I have ever seen. For the first 2 weeks of my trip, we did not run into another foreign tourist at our hostels in Amritsar or Shimla.

Domestic travelers are absolutely lovely but I have also found that they are coming in groups and stay with their group which can make it difficult to branch out and meet people.

Hostel Etiquette

Should I say hostel etiquette or the lack therefore. JESUS CHRIST there is no hostel etiquette in this country. I think each hostel I have stayed at I have been woken up at an ungodly hour by either 1) people talking at normal volume 2) every light being switched on.

Street Food / Food In General

Knock on wood I have yet to get sick from the food here in India. I wouldn't say that I have been careful but I also am not eating the street food like I would in Thailand. Trust your judgment, read restaurant reviews and bring immodium. Most importantly, remember that the videos you see online are probably ragebait, clickbait and push a racist anti-Indian rhetoric that internet incels love (I said what I said).

I've gone veg while being in India which I think is a huge reason why I've had such luck with the food!

My Route + Where To Stay

Amritsar, Punjab // Madpackers Hostel // 3 Days

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh // The Hosteller // 3 Days

Delhi // Zostel // 2 Days

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh // Moustache Hostel // 3 Days

Agra, Uttar Pradesh // Joey's Hostel // 3 Days

Jaipur, Rajasthan // Madpackers Hostel // 3 Days

Pushkar, Rajasthan // Banana Hostel // 3 Days

Jodhpur, Rajasthan // Zostel // 2 Days

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan // Little Prince Hostel // 3 Days

Udaipur, Rajasthan // Mantra Hostel // 3 Days

Fort Kochi, Kerala // Cherish Homestay // 2 Days

Alleppey, Kerala // Peace and Love Homestay // 3 Days

Varkala, Kerala // House of Surf (Women Only) // 3 Days

Places I Missed

You will find out very quickly that India has millions of trillions of cool places to visit and it is difficult to get everywhere in such a short period of time. In the future, I would like to visit...

• Dharmshala

• Rishikesh

• Hampi

• Chennai

• Bangalore

• Mumbai

• Kashmir and Jammu

• Munnar

Last Thoughts

Many people have asked me if I have felt safe while backpacking India and honestly I have but at the same time, I dress very conservatively (in the North at least), rarely smile at men and take precautions that I typically do not have to do. Just as any country, there are bad things that happen here but there are also so many good, hospitable, kind people that love their country and want you to love it as well.

India is honestly not as difficult as I prepared myself for it to be but at the same time I am not dying to stay by any means. Come to this country with an open mind and decide for yourself what to make of it.