travelling in india is like traveling anywhere—keep your wits with you, don’t take unneeded risks and generally practice common sense. I don’t think it is more risky than other locations (like bad parts of NYC)...but it is a fundamentally different country than the US and so you’ll need to adapt your common sense and also recognize that you’ll probably be overwhelmed by all the people, dirt and activity.

Yes! Travelling in India is the similar as other parts of the world. All depends where you go and your common sense.

Sometimes India can be overwhelmed for the traveller cause all the different strong sensations, smells, colors, peoples curiosity, etc. Althought I think is worthi it to try and spend some time there.

I totally concur with Natala’s answer. I have been robbed in India, the nicest parts of Europe, and of course here at home. So it’s truly everywhere you go. It’s not fun, no matter where it happens, and it does happen everywhere. The one place that it can happen very easily is in a large crowd. You are constantly being bumped so was that an innocent bump or was your wallet just lifted? My father always had his wallet in his front pocket, but if someone is a skilled pick-pocket they could have gotten it then too. Just be careful, and enjoy the thrills of traveling. India is an AMAZING country. I hope you do go, and I hope you enjoy yourself

None of that gear is needed.

The only thing you will want to have is a cable lock or chain and padlock to lock your bag down on the train so it doesn’t “walk off”. All the Indians lock down their suitcases on the train, so not a big deal and you can get them there much cheaper. It’s rare that anyone would break into your bag, but locking your zips and locking it down on the train is a good idea. But the best security is making friends with the people sharing you train compartment.

It may depend on where you go—one thing I discovered while visiting is that India really is a huge country, with lots of regional variation, so this might be a little like asking how bad crime is in western Europe without being more specific.

That said, I didn’t find it to be a real problem in the three weeks I was there (in Bombay, Goa, Agra, and various cities in Rajasthan). Beggars, touts, and scam artists will assail you at every turn in the cities, and transit can be packed to bursting which probably is a pickpocket’s dream, but I never felt unduly concerned about either myself or my belongings, and I was carrying a friend’s $1000+ digital camera too.

I’d suggest taking the usual tourist precautions like using a money belt; keeping a separate stash of money, spare credit card, and copy of passport/visa; and keeping a watchful eye on your bag(s). It can’t hurt to lock them down if you’re on a train or bus. And be alert to your surroundings, of course.

Expect some serious culture shock if you’ve never traveled in a developing country. Transportation infrastructure can be really limited and the level of poverty and crowding in some places is stunning. It may take a while to learn how to get by comfortably.

“you must be wake-up” is the term my friends in Johannesburg and I used for the type of common sense you need to avoid petty crime. Natala and Gaba do a good job of describing it.

One warning specific to India – credit card theft seems to be more risky there than anywhere else I’ve travelled.

If you use a cc, do so with extreme caution. You will notice that in IN, instead of “xxxx xxxx xxxx 1234”, any store you purchase in will print out the entire 16 digits of your cc number. Unfortunately, the store / hotel etc keeps a copy of the stub. This then gets thrown out (often in the street) with the rest of your garbage. Cyber-thieves pick up ur stub – they have the cc number & your name – and they use services like intellius to get the rest of ur personal details – and the next think they’re spending $’0000’s.

It’s happened to me twice within 90 days of returning from travelling to India. The cc company is excellent at detecting these fraudulent transactions – and cancelling your card – but its extremely inconvenient.

Advice – 1) use cash whenever possible and, 2) scratch out the 1st 12 digits of ur card on their copy (its always fun explaining this strange behavior to your merchant).

Hi
None of the above mentioned gear is needed thought the chain-lock may give you some more hours of fearless sleep in a crowded train ;-). I travelled for months in India never had any difficulties. Social control works best in India. Hence, getting in contact with people sharing your compartment in the train is a very good idea to enjoy a save trip. When travelling by public bus: your luggage will usually be stored on the rooftop. Again a chain-lock may be worth considering. I’d also make sure that my luggage is at the bottom of the pack (keeps it dry in the rain, prevents it from falling off the roof and is hiding it from thiefs). However, you may also just fix a backpack with its stripes as this kind of increases troubles for a potential thief (remember, as everywhere around the world, if they want to steal, they do, no matter how you lock your luggage). Just behave reasonable (not showing off with your camera gear, keeping an eye on your luggage etc.), respecting the usual precautions for tourists and you will have a great time.

There is a lot of good advice in the previous answers. In my opinion common sense and general alertness is enough, you don’t really need all the “security gear” you listed.

And I do agree there is a lot of variation between various parts of the country.

As with anywhere though, be aware of the situations where pickpockets thrive, and just take normal precautions when it comes to money.

But enjoy India! It is a land of contrasts, which on a good day can offer you a lot of experiences. As long as you are not oblivious to the fact that there are a lot of poor people most of your experiences will be good.

Indeed. The chain-lock is the only item I would really suggest bringing. I had no problems while I was in India, when it came to my belongings. I didn’t use a credit card very often, and kept plenty of cash on hand. Just keep your eyes and your ears open. And have fun!

haha you don’t need any of that. here’s a list of what my friend Nick made a list of, while coming to India for 3 months…

• Malaria medicine.
• Water bottle.
• Laptop. —converter and adapter. alex
• Shaving cream.
• Facial soap.
• Travel towel (2)
• Small towel (2)
• Camera And Tripod
• My white-and-green zip-up jacket/towel/sweatshirt
• Some cheddar cheese goldfish
• Hair ties
• Pepto-Bizmol

just play it cool.. keep yr eyes n ears open & use common sense. u’ll have an awesome time!

There is no sure answer unless you can tell where you are going.

Generally expect for some parts in East of Assam, Kashmir and some rural districts in Andhara Pradesh and Bihar are avoidable.

For example, wear your camera on your neck all through and note worry about anyone snatching it, there might be pick pockets during rush hour at certain local trains and be more careful of your luggage if booking a 3 tier Non-AC railway bed(berth as it is called), avoid non-prepaid taxis in Delhi from the airport during night.

The more common problems would be beggars, particularly if you pay any (give it to a charity or just before leaving), tap water, over pricing things (at tourist shops), etc.

If you need any particular idea or suggestion, put up a question here.