Indian tourists‘ behaviour abroad and how we treat foreigners when they visit the country have been a point of discussion online for the past few weeks. Amid this, a Japanese woman’s video ranking Indian cities by how unsafe she felt is creating quite the buzz on social media.
Hanna, a Japanese solo traveller, recently visited India and, in a June 10 video, recounted her experiences and ranked the most unsafe locations she encountered during a three-month journey across the country.
Japanese woman ranks Indian cities
In the video, though Hanna acknowledged the kindness of the locals, she also highlighted that she faced sexual harassment and stalking, and even fell sick. Her list includes major hubs like New Delhi and Mumbai, as well as the spiritual centre of Varanasi, where she felt her physical safety was most compromised. Here’s how she ranked the cities.
“Rating places in India as a Japanese. Before I begin, this video includes mention of stalking, sexual harassment and a situation that made me feel unsafe while travelling. I spent 3 months travelling solo across India. Most places were incredible, and I met some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. But these were the places where I personally felt the most unsafe as a Japanese solo female traveller,” Hanna expressed in the video.
#5 Guwahati
Hanna ranked Guwahati fifth in her list. Sharing her experience there, she said, “Nothing terrible happened to me there, but compared to other places I visited in Northeast India, I felt less comfortable walking around alone.”
#4 New Delhi
She named New Delhi as her fourth most unsafe city in India. “I visited New Delhi three times, and somehow I got sick every single time. At this point, I think Delhi and I are just not compatible,” she confessed.
#3 Mumbai
For number three, she named Mumbai. She shared that though many people consider Mumbai one of India’s safest cities, she experienced sexual harassment there, and because of that, the city is connected to some difficult memories for her.
#2 Raxaul
Hanna ranked Raxaul in Bihar number two in her list. She shared, “After returning from Nepal, many hotels refused to accommodate foreigners, and some quoted me much higher prices. It was one of the most stressful places I visited.”
#Varanasi
Lastly, she ranked Varanasi first because she felt so unsafe there. She shared, “This might surprise people because Varanasi is also one of my favourite places in India, but it was a place where I experienced the most stalking and the most dangerous situation of my entire trip…there was one moment in Varanasi when I genuinely thought, okay, this could end very badly.”
In the end, Hanna also added that, though she felt unsafe in these cities, it does not mean they are the “worst” places in India, and that Varanasi is one of her favourite places in the entire country. She added, “Travel is complicated. Sometimes a place can be both beautiful and difficult at the same time. These rankings are based entirely on my own experiences, and every traveller will have a different story.”
How did the internet react?
Instagram users agreed with Hanna’s ranking, while some also apologised to her for the experiences she had. “As a citizen of Mumbai, I definitely think Mumbai isn’t safe for girls. Some people may disagree, but it is what it is. Delhi is not in a good state. Their air quality is breathable; no wonder you got sick every time you visited. Always be cautious and travel safely when you go to new places,” someone commented.
A user commented, “Guwahati is ruining the Northeast’s image.” Another wrote, “Nagaland and Mizoram are the safest.” Someone else suggested, “You should visit southern India, you’ll feel a lot safer.”
“As a Guwahatian, I’m truly sorry and ashamed to hear that you felt unsafe and uncomfortable in Guwahati,” a user apologised. Another wrote, “Bad experience is bound to happen in India, especially if you are a woman.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media.
