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Original poster

To be desperate to go to India?

134 replies

malificent7 · 14/02/2022 07:01

I went to Nepal as a teen and was besotted and so am used to the culture/ poverty.
I am now 43 and am desperate to travel to India. We gave 2 teen girls...13/14 and i would love to take them too.
This is more of s tell me your stories of travelling round India but posting here for traffic. Post pandemic...is it safe atm?

OP posts:

User112 · 14/02/2022 07:02

Poverty !? Seriously!??

EishetChayil · 14/02/2022 07:02

What a bizarre post. Sounds like you're a poverty tourist.

If you want to go, just go.

MartinMartinMarti · 14/02/2022 07:08

I’m not sure that spending time in a different country 20 years ago makes you ‘used’ to India. And I’m not going to get into your comment on poverty.

Regardless, travelling in India is amazing. No post- covid experience to share I’m afraid, but I suggest you do plenty of research.

KaptainKaveman · 14/02/2022 07:09

Good luck with the poverty search. You won't be disappointed.

DrunkUnicorn · 14/02/2022 07:13

Oh so you visited a neighbouring country 20 years ago as a teen, and that's familiarised you with the culture of all of India, when India itself differs so much from North to South to East. But the common theme of poverty helps you tie it all together? Oh ffs!!

SisterCellophane · 14/02/2022 07:14

I think her comment on poverty is clarifying that she is aware of and can cope with the situation in developing countries and that she's mentioned it because a lot of people find it distressing if not prepared so she's making it clear she doesn't need to be warned about it/is not put off by it, not that she actively wants to see the poverty so I don't know why everyone's jumping down her throat about it
Can't really help OP, I have been to India but it was about 10 years ago so very much pre-pandemic...

GingerScallop · 14/02/2022 07:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GingerScallop · 14/02/2022 07:18

almost 20 not 29 years later

littleblackno · 14/02/2022 07:18

I spent some time travelling around India about 20 years ago.
Not a chance in hell I'd take my teenage daughters. I was groped, flashed at and generally sexually harassed literally everywhere we went. I was travelling with my boyfriend at the time.
I think you have some romantic view of India which isn't a reality at all.
A 2 week holiday in goa would be great- but be aware of the men who come to stare at the white women in their bikinis.

My mum went to Nepal 3 years ago after going 20 years previously and came back early as she said it had changed beyond all recognition and the pollution and poverty was heart breaking.
Do your research, especially if you are going with young girls.

ShavingTheBadger · 14/02/2022 07:21

Her point about poverty is a good one, although maybe poorly put. I went back in 2010 and had Indian colleagues warn me about it before I went. Seeing people living in little camps right outside the airport and an elephant walking down the street as I drove out of the airport gate was one hell of a culture shock.

FrancescaContini · 14/02/2022 07:25

“I’m used to the culture/poverty”

Motherofgorgons · 14/02/2022 07:25

India is not post-pandemic yet.

I am of Indian heritage. I travel there and yes, my young adult DD also travels there. Alone. Like millions of other Indian women. Depends on where and how you travel. It can be amazing, or it can be horrible.

tara66 · 14/02/2022 07:29

I went to Bombay (not alone) a while ago but was so shocked and overcome by the crowds and poverty that i stayed in the hotel all the time which was huge and very luxurious.

hattie43 · 14/02/2022 07:31

I think some people on here are being unnecessarily mean about your reference to poverty . Coming from a western society it is shocking when you see the hugely affluent living along side tents on the river banks and I'm sure OP referenced it because of her teens and what they may feel about .
India is an overwhelming assault on the senses and I love it. The culture , wonderful people and sheer colour and vibrancy are amazing .
If I had the chance to take the kids I'd do it .

PrinceParry · 14/02/2022 07:33

I was there 2 years ago with my primary aged children and husband. We spent 3 weeks travelling around. I'd recommend using a tour company to plan your itinerary. Ours was very detailed in terms of knowing exactly where we'd be and what we'd be doing each of the days, tickets bought in advance etc. We also had an assigned guide and driver for the entire time. It was amazing. I don't think I'd be able to do it "ad hoc".

GingerScallop · 14/02/2022 07:35

Op, I was quite reactionary in my response and I apologise. Nepal and India are very different in many ways. The religious and political issues that drive the culture there are quite different. And the poverty you were "used" to almost 20 years ago will be different from now. There will probably be more inequality which is different from almost everyone being poor. Even India pre Modhi is a very different India from Modhi's India (but perhaps not so visible to a tourist?). That shouldnt deter you. Neither should the pandemic if travel is open and you are jabbed and boosted. If anything the pandemic has shown us life is unpredictable so live it up while you can.

Your post did come off weird and perhaps naïve (I don't want to accuse you of anything more than bad grammar. May be you wanted to say I am familiar with the culture and poverty and not deterred by that)

AlexaShutUp · 14/02/2022 07:36

I’m not sure that spending time in a different country 20 years ago makes you ‘used’ to India. And I’m not going to get into your comment on poverty.

This.

Nepal and India have much in common but there are also many differences, and travelling in them is a very different experience indeed. Also, things have moved on a lot in the last 25 years.

I'm not sure what being "used to poverty" actually means in this context.

Ridingthegravytrain · 14/02/2022 07:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Motherofgorgons · 14/02/2022 07:41

I am going to lose my temper on this thread. I can tell.

Anyway, yes, don't go to India if seeing poor people distresses you. Or if you can't handle crowds. Maybe go to Sri Lanka or Bhutan. India lite. Though Bhutan is very expensive for foreigners.

Prescottdanni123 · 14/02/2022 07:44

OP probably made the comment about poverty so she doesn't get a load of comments warning her about how poor some people are over there and how difficult it is to see.

Oblomov22 · 14/02/2022 07:44

Can't believe I'm reading this. My boss just went to India recently to deal with his fathers passing and the estate. Got covid out there, was so ill, so was delayed returning, has only just been allowed to return to the UK and is still very unwell.

Brainstorm21 · 14/02/2022 07:45

My ex is from India so I have travelled there a lot. Personally I wouldn't go and try to travel independently as without speaking the language it would be very difficult. By all means go on an organised tour but to travel independently without speaking Hindi would be very difficult.

It is an amazing place - I have been to New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jaisalmeer, Vaishno Devi and it was amazing. But travelling with a local is completely different than travelling on your own.

Motherofgorgons · 14/02/2022 07:46

@Oblomov22

Yes, almost everyone in India has covid now. Though luckily this wave appears to be mild, unlike the last, and hospitals are not overwhelmed. I would wait a while.

BottleBrushTree · 14/02/2022 07:47

I’d love to travel offshore too, but post pandemic travel insurance is very problematic wherever you go from what I can see. Policies tend to cover you for medical costs, but too bad if you or a traveling companion end up with covid because if you have an extra week or two in hotel quarantine your extra travel £££ costs aren’t covered, extra lateral flows or pcrs in the country often aren’t either, if border rules change too bad how sad etc.

BIWI · 14/02/2022 07:48

I think you would get more of the kind of response you wanted @malificent7 if you'd posted in the holiday section rather than in AIBU.

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