txskygal

My husband will be working in Mumbai for 2 weeks in Oct. How safe would it be, for me a single Caucasian, older sight-see'er with great situational awareness to go traveling in and around the city?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Keyser

very safe....mumbai is one of the safest metropolitan cities in india....

txskygal

Thanks for your reply, Keyser. Any other information that can be provided is greatly appreciated!

Thanks again!

Darren

I felt safer in Mumbai than I have in any city in the U.S. I think most of my female colleagues would agree. Though things happen anywhere and you're not guaranteed they won't happen in Mumbai, good judgment, situational awareness, and common sense like you would use in any other large city go a long way.

Zulazai

I know Im going against the grain here and its bound to ruffle some feathers but being safe in India as a woman all comes down to luck, some situational awareness and your characteristics (looks, age etc). Sorry to be blunt but at the end of the day you are dealing with a patriachial mindset and some misogny and you are going to run into these people no matter if they work for the best hotels, or the most reputed cab companies etc. Expect some leering, cat calling, groping at some point of your travel. Sorry again.

Keyser

what are you basing this information on????

i've had clients, relatives & friends visit india over the last few decades & none of them have run into anything worse than some people staring at them....

last year a friend of mine visited india from paris & she went around the country for 6 weeks....riding in local buses & trains, taking auto rickshaws, etc....i'm talking about a drop dead gorgeous girl in her late 20s....all she got were a handful of stares wherever she went....she said it was not at all uncomfortable & she felt completely safe....

bad things can happen anywhere....i got mugged in new york many years ago....my cousin once had someone grope her on the tube in london....should i go ahead & declare new york & london as unsafe places to visit????

txskygal

Thanks to Zulazai for another perspective, and to all who have offered advice. I appreciate it!

skidooman

Unfortunately, there has been reports of severe misbehavior with women in India. These were widely reported in the press and caused quite a commotion. But the victims, to my understanding, were Indian ladies.

As a foreigner, you will most probably be safe. Sad to say, but your appearance will shield you if you are a Caucasian.

This being said, don't take this the wrong way. For 99.9% of Indians, you will never, ever have a problem. They are a welcoming bunch. The only problem is crossing the streets.

BlrGuy

My non-Indian wife (not white, but a very good looking 20-something East Asian at the time) has traveled around India over multi-week trips in the mid 2000s before we married. In fact she traveled overnight in unreserved railway coaches, something even I've not done. She's never encountered any issue. She has several white, black and Asian female friends who've all enjoyed traveling around India.

Stories about crime are anomalies that occur just as much anywhere else in the world, despite the sensationalized nature of the news. For the average tourist, common sense measures are more than sufficient to travel and enjoy themselves.