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For Mai Linh, traveling independently in India as a woman is quite safe. Most of the people she met throughout her trip were kind, good-natured, and very helpful to the group. If you are a woman, the Indians are even more welcoming and helpful.
However, according to Indian custom, women usually do not fully expose their legs or shoulders. Therefore, women who want to travel independently should wear modest clothing.
"Indians pay a lot of attention to clothing, and they often stare at Vietnamese women walking down the street," Mai Linh laughed.
first day in India
Mai Linh chose June 2022 as the ideal time for her trip. She selected two regions with vastly different hot/cold climates. The state of Himachal Pradesh in North India only reached 4 degrees Celsius, while the capital New Delhi was a scorching 42 degrees Celsius. Therefore, Mai Linh believes there is no single best time for a trip to India. Tourists should choose the time of year that best suits the weather conditions of the region they wish to visit.
"If you want to go to New Delhi, wait until September or April of the following year, when the temperature will be much more pleasant and mild," Mai Linh shared with Travellive.
Mai Linh spent her first three days in Himachal Pradesh. After landing at Chandigarh airport around 3:30 PM, her group took a bus to Manali town. The distance from Chandigarh to Manali is about 310km, and due to the mountainous terrain, transportation was quite difficult. It took Mai Linh approximately 11 hours to reach Manali. Unfortunately, a landslide occurred on the way to Manali, leaving Mai Linh and her friends stranded.
"We couldn't reverse the car, nor could we open the doors and run out because huge rocks were still rolling down from the mountain, creating a thick cloud of dust and smoke, and the road ahead was completely blocked by rocks," Mai Linh described.
The bewildered girl asked the Indian driver in English if they would survive, to which the driver burst out laughing, "We're not going to die yet." Afterward, Mai Linh and her companions arrived in Manali at 4 am and prepared to visit the Old Manali.
"Indians are very kind, not negative like in the media. We took a taxi to our destination despite the traffic jam, and the driver didn't accept any money. Even if it was going in the opposite direction, they were willing to give us a ride home," Mai Linh excitedly shared.
Traveling through the harsh North Indian region.
For the next two days, Mai Linh traveled along the Rohtang Pass – Chandra Tal Lake route. This is a winding, rather dangerous mountain road. On one side is a cliff, on the other a deep abyss. Although the road is only 80 km long, the driver had to drive very carefully; some sections were so narrow that one lane had to stop to let the other pass.
The main difficulty most people face when traveling in India is the long distances between places. For example, one day on her itinerary, Linh had to travel from Manali to Chandra Tal. From 9 am to 5 pm, Linh had to traverse a dangerous route with a sheer cliff on one side and a deep ravine on the other. At times, Linh wondered if this was a road for buying and selling lives, not for tourism.
"I kept asking the driver how much longer it was, and all I got was 'two hours.' But many of those two hours passed, and the journey seemed to stretch on," Mai Linh said.
Without having had time to explore further, after arriving at the Mai Linh rest stop, instead of camping overnight, she continued by bus to Chandra Tal. The weather was too harsh, so Mai Linh only stayed to sightsee for 30 minutes before taking a bus back to Manali.
The total travel time for Mai Linh that day was nearly 20 hours, a full day, but it involved a lot of travel time. Furthermore, Mai Linh and her group suffered from altitude sickness and oxygen deprivation. Therefore, the North Indian region is only truly suitable for those with excellent health or who have already trained physically.
Essential items to pack for a trip to India.
Leaving North India, Mai Linh took a bus from Mandali to the capital New Delhi (a 13-hour journey). There, she and her travel companion continued their tour, visiting the National Museum, the Jama Masjid, and the Lotus Temple.
Mai Linh believes that finding direct flights to India is not difficult at the moment. Many international and domestic airlines offer various classes of tickets and operate numerous flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Chandigarh. Mai Linh spent approximately 12 million VND on round-trip airfare and checked baggage. Furthermore, India has eased its quarantine policies to welcome foreign visitors. Applying for a visa online is also easy through the website indiavisaonline.
According to Mai Linh's research, she didn't spend too much money on accommodation and food in India, as prices there were somewhat cheaper than in Vietnam. Therefore, Mai Linh only spent 1.5 million VND on accommodation and around 4.5 million VND on transportation, entrance fees/entertainment, and food.
"You should bring your own toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, etc., because these items are rarely provided in India. Additionally, tourists should bring medications such as effervescent vitamin C tablets, cough syrup, nasal decongestant, and headache medicine to protect their health," Mai Linh advised.
In particular, tourists should bring a plug adapter, as most hotels only use three-prong plugs. For mountainous areas above 43,000m, warm clothing such as wool hats, gloves, socks, and puffer jackets are essential to cope with the harsh weather.
