THIS UK Travel Vlogger Found Beauty in Indian Women But Her Experience with Men Told a Different Story

THIS UK Travel Blogger Found Beauty in Indian Women But Her Experience with Men Told a Different Story (Lisatravels_theworld)

India continues to be a dream destination for travellers across the world. In recent years, an increasing number of solo women travellers have been visiting our vibrant cities and cultural hubs, eager to experience the “India life.” But not every journey unfolds as imagined.

The next morning, I spotted her at breakfast asking the hotel staff for tips to remove the stubborn colour. As someone who avoids playing Holi but knows the usual hacks, I checked in on her. “Yes, it’s almost gone. Just a bit left in my hair,” she said with a smile.

That small exchange led to a longer conversation, about boutique hotels, the warmth of local hosts and how interactions like these rarely happen in high-end hotels where people tend to stay in their own bubbles.

When she learned I was from India, her eyes lit up. “I was just there before coming to Maldives!” she said. Curious and hopeful, I asked her how her experience was, though a part of me already feared the answer. It always disheartens me to hear solo women travellers call India unsafe.

Lisa’s experience was unfortunately not very different. Of the places she visited, Varanasi, she said, was particularly overwhelming. “The lanes were narrow, and beggars would suddenly appear and pinch us for money. It was uncomfortable and harrowing,” she said.

She called Indian men ‘intense’. On a train to Jaipur, a group of men kept staring at her persistently. “There was a lovely mother with a child who tried to make me feel comfortable by chatting with me. That was heartwarming,” Lisa said, “but I didn’t share my Jaipur plans aloud. I was scared the men would follow or find me.”

She described Indian men in a way that was both blunt and humorous. “They just don’t care. Bellies out, not a thought about what they are wearing. But Indian women? Oh, they are something else. Every woman I saw was beautiful, draped in colour, out with purpose. Their quiet grace really struck me, especially in contrast to the chaos around them.”

Lisa had started her trip in Kerala but had to cut it short due to storm warnings. Hoping to salvage her India experience, she quickly moved on to other states, but her encounters left her unsettled enough to end the trip earlier than planned.

I wish I could have shown Lisa the India I know, the one of warmth, resilience and beauty beyond discomfort. And I wish some of our men could simply let women exist, without the stares, the unsolicited attention or the need to invade their space. Because safety is about the freedom to walk, explore and experience without fear or discomfort. This simple shift can make our country a truly welcoming and inclusive India for travellers and for our own women too.