When I arrived in Istanbul a few days ago, some of my friends were hesitant if it was easy to backpack alone in India as a girl. Especially, one person encouraged me to write about this topic, as she was curious and willing to know more about it. Thanks, Şebnem for your support!
In this article, I would like to show that backpacking alone in India is easy for a woman. Or at least, this is my opinion.
Why did I go to India alone?
I have no idea. I am in love with India since I don’t know when. Even before I step the country I was already feeling I had to visit it.
Maybe it was my curiosity or maybe my need of adventures, but I knew I had to go there and explore the country by myself.

Is it very difficult to be a girl backpacking alone in India?
It depends. For me, it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am a quite chill person (who sometimes gets super stressed; I know) and I adapt easily to new environments and cultures. I will not say there weren’t any hard moments, especially when my patience was almost over when it was the time to deal with sellers or tuk-tuk drivers. But you know it is part of the experience and it is up to you how to handle those moments. I saw a transformation on me: in the very beginning I was more opened and nice to almost everyone and, after a few months, I became rude to those people. This is not a secret: in India, if you are a woman and you behave too nice, some people might want to take advantage of you. And I have to add that some men misunderstand your friendliness. What are we left with? To be rude and sharp to make them respect your boundaries.
Is India a difficult country to move by public transportation?
What are the best memories of India?

What are the worst memories?
Is India a dangerous country to travel alone (for women)?
Where to go or stay in India as a solo female traveler?
In my case, most of the time I was just flowing. I knew some places I wanted to go until I reached Anantapur; once I arrived there I felt lost. I didn’t know where to go next. But the world always shows us our next destination. In Vicenç Ferrer NGO I met a woman who recommended me to visit Puttaparthi and so I did. At that moment, I decided to completely stop planning and let things happening.
