Days before I flew to India, there were at least 5 people who told me to be extra careful when traveling around India, 3 more who told me not to go to India, and one who told me I was out of my mind to even think about solo traveling to India.

I knew where they were coming from. They must have read it online since, when I look it up myself, search results advise women not to travel alone to this Country. As publicized rape stories have been told and scamming incidents have been shared, some female travelers tend to back off and skip India. 

Despite these, I pushed through India with no fear. As a Spanish saying goes, "Si no lo intentas nunca lo sabrás" (If you don't try, you'll never know). And truly, I had the best time doing it.

I never really treated India different from the rest of the countries. Let's face it: crime happens all over the world. Anything bad can happen wherever you are and you just have to be prepared.

New Delhi, for instance, was just like any other busy capital in the world. I walked on its streets with presence of mind, similar as to how I’m cautious when walking around Manila where I live. Likewise, even when I walked in Tokyo, the caution was just the same. The point is, travelers should not judge a country by its economic status.

Admittedly speaking though, solo backpacking India isn’t meant for a newbie traveler yet. It isn’t like a Vietnam or a Thailand that's backpacker laden. At times, going solo can get real; that in a swarm of locals, you're the only foreigner in the pack. As India is the second most populous country in Asia (next to China) and the seventh largest in the world in terms of geography, scamming is rampant. So new lads who aren’t used to the clues of scamming just might not know how to avoid it.

Nevertheless, I think India just need to be understood. After a while, I got it why that vendor overpriced the souvenir that I wanted to buy, or why every act or favor had to be compensated with money.

For one, poverty is all over the place. People sleep in temples in New Delhi, people beg for food in Jaipur, and people are thin in Agra. Life is tough for the many. In fact, of all the locals I talked with, asked if they have gone outside India for leisure, they all said that it's too expensive for them. 

But that's not always the story. Sometimes, it's better to think about the good and positive side of India. The people smile. They enjoy taking selfies with foreigners. And they are nice to talk with. For when you believe there’s goodness in every place, every person, you feel more secured and less worried.

So to all women with India in their bucket list, go on and fulfill the dream. Just keep in mind to do the right things and you're good to go.

If you can, blend in. Female travelers get easily noticed as foreigners since Indian women wear colorful saree, kurti, and punjabi. Dressing like a local is a good way, not only for the cultural experience, but also to get away with what I fondly call as “the stare.” When Indians see foreigners, they tend to stare at them from head to toe. I experienced this a couple of times. However, I noticed that when I wore a saree in Agra, I didn’t get much stare anymore and felt more like a local.  

At first, I couldn’t help but compare because it’s not like that in my country. Soon enough, I realized that it was just one of the differences in culture that every traveler should respect.

Truly, India has a lot to offer. It's a beautiful country gifted with colorful history, amazing architecture, and interesting culture. So never let being a solo female backpacker get in the way for you to marvel at its wonders.