130 Comments »

1. March 2, 2007 @ 12:42 pm

   rohan said,

   well.. in one way i do agree with you regarding the people are kind of money hungry. but that depends on the place you visit. with all due respect, basically india is 90% muslim and hindu. and these people are really old world,crooked and illiterate- i.e. rural india. Well if youd like to have a good vacation free from crowded places and other nuisance. visit the christian india..the 2 states of GOA and KERALA. famous beaches,massages,95% literacy and food. besides the value of the indian rupee is very very low.so with any foreign currency ..you could probably live like a kind or buy a whole town. white people are respected and treated with utmost respect. Its all in the culture..christian india is much more westernised in culture and tastes. please email me at rohanrp_143@hotmail.com if youd like to know more

2. July 24, 2007 @ 12:49 am

   Ludose said,

   You say “white people are respected and treated with utmost respect”, what about other races. I think India must be still be suffering from serious ‘Inferiority complex’. In this day and age, everyone should be respected and treated equally, not just the whites.

3. September 24, 2007 @ 5:32 am

   Vasant said,

   I do not agree with Rohan. Rohan seems to be a fundamentalist christian. How can say Hindu and Muslims of India are old crooket and illiterate and how can this kind of letters are published here?? Ask this fellow to get his facts right. Today there are more engineers, technologists and scientists in India than in any other country in the world. If majority hindus and muslims are illiterates, then how is it possible to have so many of these people. Please do not believe kinds of people like Rohan. India is still developing and soon will have good infrastructure and governance which will eliminate the problems faced by tourists.

4. October 16, 2007 @ 5:26 am

   Pae Yu Thorne said,

   Well, taking into account my personal experiences with indians. I wouldn’t even be surprised if India sanks in the reviews when it comes to tourism.

   Even outside their country, it will be very hard to find an indian who has a welcoming personality or a potential good host. It is very natural for them to make business at everything, regardless of the legality issues…

   India is a nice place… But with not so friendly people… I’m sure it will not be a good experience to have a holiday over there…. Sorry… Reality bites…

5. January 5, 2008 @ 6:23 am

   sameer said,

   Whoever comments whatever on india doesn’t make any differrence. Watch out for 2020 & india would be the number 1 nation in the world & people all over the world would be standing in queues outside indian embassy in their respective country to get tourist/business visas of India.

6. March 24, 2008 @ 7:36 pm

   Mike Gupta said,

   India is not the worst place to have a holiday - it THE BEST! No place on earth offers the diversity in terms of culture, cuisine, architecture, and landscapes as India. People are only trying to get money from you because they are poor and trying to survive. Ignore them and avoid the places where they reside and you’ll be fine. One can ski in the Himalayas and sunbathe on the beaches of Goa in the same trip, and it is one tenth the price of the same experience in the U.S. I have been to India four times now, each time I love it more, and I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface. No place has the energy and dynamism of this place. If your idea of a vacation is no culture, no history, eating burgers in some closed of beach resort - then you can have it.

7. April 27, 2008 @ 2:42 am

   jd said,

   i agree with ludose. most of the indians have inferiority complex. NRI’s (indians living in foreign countries) are seen and treated as semi-Gods. we (yup, im an indian too) follow the western culture in gaudy way, speaking with fake accents, ridiculing indian music even though u secretly enjoy it… etc.
   well.. this is not the topic. but if u wanna see india.. visit atleast these: taj mahal (not overrated), also worth paying visit: fatehpur sikri near agra, goa (just for fun), kerala (for relaxation), udaipur in rajasthan (much better than crowded jaipur and more beautiful) and there are lots of peaceful hillstations in himachal (avoid crowded ones like simla, manali etc.) my personal favourite: chamba and chehal. try trekking to some unspoiled greenery filled spot.
   Have safe and awesome travels! bye

8. April 27, 2008 @ 2:42 am

   ERA said,

   the guy with the first comment deserves a punch in the face. such racism.

9. April 27, 2008 @ 2:44 am

   jd said,

   oh! i forgot the Golden temple in Amritsar, Punjab. Go when there is very less rush. At night it looks great.. all gold surrounded by shimmering water. Very calming.

10. April 27, 2008 @ 6:23 am

    Jack Sand said,

    rohan praises GOA–a dangerous terrible place despite its beauty–there have been so many attacks on women there in the last 20 years.The police and Government do nothing to protect the tourists against scams and women against rape–not to be all doom and gloom—but any parent who reads this—don`t let your sons and daughters take their vacation there.

11. April 27, 2008 @ 6:23 am

    sanju said,

    with all due respect Pae Yu Thorne i doubt if u’ve seen India. even if you have i bet u tried to con some indian who was up to ur trick and got the better of u..ha ha ha

12. April 27, 2008 @ 10:58 am

    Ken said,

    Pae Yu said that even outside their country it would be very hard to find an Indian who has a welcoming personality or a potential good host. Well, try South Africa. There are lots of Indians there and I would describe them as indeed having those qualities. Are you judging an entire race by a few examples?

13. April 27, 2008 @ 11:42 am

    Rakhee said,

    oh yes ! Rohan ( the first guy who wrote the comment )indeed deserves a good punch on his face ! I sure agree that india has its negative sides , but which country dont ? and ofcourse it depends on where you are going and what you ask for ! if you are dumb , people will take advantage of you anywhere n this world , wont they ? Yes , Indians ( mostly shop keepers ) they can be a lot pushy and tricky ! but which shop keepers aren’t ? but i think Pae Yu Thorne should learn to accept the diversities in India , only then if at all someday to get there, you will be able to have fun in India .after all thats what most foreigners come looking for — the cultural diversity in india ! i am born in India , and raised abroad , me and my family has seen a lot of India - frm the mighty Himalayas to the serene backwaters of kerala -to the enchanting uttaranchal - to beautiful pushkar !!! my tip would be —plan well ! get yr air/train tickets n advance , stay away from the huge line of shops selling arts , instead go to govt / handicraft shops.

14. April 27, 2008 @ 12:49 pm

    Kim Sikes said,

    OK, so this location has just totally become a political platform. Get off it, and just enjoy life. One day I hope to visit here, as well…

15. April 27, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

    Joanna said,

    Come on people!! What are you looking for when you visit India? My experience is limited to New Delhi and environs (including Agra) but I found the people kind and gracious and with a wild sense of humor. The shopping is great whether you are pinching pennies or money is no object. There is no end of wonderfully exotic places to visit and lots of stuff to do. Train travel is a hoot if you go 2nd or 3rd class. Great fun and a quick intro to the NOT professional or wealthy India. I will grant you that India can be intimidating for westerners but trust in God and the great good humor of the people of India and you will have a safe, wonderful, and fascinating experience. Travel in India is no harder for you than it is for the people of that lovely country. I never lacked for help, good advice, and sweet invitations to visit in private homes.

    Joanna

16. April 27, 2008 @ 1:32 pm

    Priya Dahl said,

    Actually, India is a very good place to visit, yes it may be a little crowded but that’s because of India’s population, and almost every indian is friendly, yes some people may be illterate, but they are learning how to read and write, the only problem is traveling. But some cities in India are really great, like Bangalore, New Delhi, Madras, Mumbai. Okay, they actullay do try to welcome tourists, but yes some indians are a bit stuck up. But come awn 1# worst place?
    lame!!!! the reason some indians have a grudge against americans and others is cuz india has been ruled by the British for a long time and indians don’t know what culture is like in the U.S. and im actually from India and have been there so DO NOT TRY TO PROVE ME WRONG!!!!!!!! and the idiot with the first comment is wrong, only 76% percent are Muslim 85% are Hindu. Trust me the only thing you’ll hate about going to India is the traveling.

17. April 27, 2008 @ 2:52 pm

    Joanna said,

    I couldn’t resist coming back - sorry. I believe some tourists/travelers might have problems with Indians because of their own behavior. I saw westerners (very often Americans, Australians, and South Africans) display shocking behavior. They were rude, overbearing, and contemptuous toward the people. Snotty comments about poverty, corruption, dirt, and “everyone is a thief” evoked aggressive responses. If you think it’s that bad, the same plane that brought you into the country will take you out of it. India is not an easy country for its people or for the visitor so if you are delicate, sensitive, easily intimidated, or just plain rude and obnoxious - try a different place because India is not for you. I also cannot understand why the devil Indians are sort of apologizing for their country and people. I found the people to be clever, intelligent, hard-working, and tough - completely admirable. I also found them more understanding, gracious, and kind than I ever would have imagined. Did anyone ever try to over-charge me? Yes. Had that ever happened to me anywhere else? Yes. India is spectacular, gorgeous, exotic and way different than the states of Europe. Where else can you step into a time machine by simply wandering down into Old Delhi or out to a tiny rural village? I fell hopelessly in love with the country and its people and plan/hope to go back for another three months.
    **Again, if you are delicate, nervous, or obnoxious, save your money and your nerves and give Mother India a pass. She’s too tough for you.**
    Joanna

18. April 27, 2008 @ 4:36 pm

    ken said,

    Joanna, the sad thing is that Americans tend to be nice, polite people while in their own country, but it seems that many of the travelling ones are the obnoxious ones. I think they think that their country is superior to every other, and they have to find fault to support that view. The same behavior that you observed by Americans in India, can be observed in Britain, France, and other first world countries where they travel too.

19. April 27, 2008 @ 4:56 pm

    J5365B said,

    Visited Eastern part of India (West Bengal & Assam) in March 08. I spent 2 weeks out there mostly touring the rural India where I was pretty much left alone from the rest of the world. Great food, great culture and I met people that were dirt poor but probably the happiest human beings in the entire world. Going back in Dec this year to explore Delhi and Agra for 1 week.

20. April 27, 2008 @ 7:51 pm

    mike said,

    first of all….”punch in the face”…..do u see the sad irony of those responses? Anyways… India is cool…like anyplace, had some good experiences and not so good experiences….i’d go back…..

21. April 27, 2008 @ 8:19 pm

    Sheila said,

    I strongly agree that India is a good place. The only reason that make it bad (regional actually) is the political situation in Kashmir. I badly want to go to Kashmir, the most beautiful place in the world.

22. June 24, 2008 @ 10:17 am

    pb said,

    Every place on this planet is nice in its own way. All human beings regardless of rich, poor, young or old are nice in their own respective ways. Most people in India or anywhere else are sane and they know how to treat others. Some crazy fellows can be found in every society. India is special in its own way. People might not say ‘Thank You’ every time but that does not mean that they do not mean it. Look closely and you can see the receiver nodding his head in one of the several ways to indicate ‘Thank You’. Try and ask for directions to one and several will be ready to help you out ‘Free of Charge’ (no Thank you expected). Try traveling in a train and you might be offered home made delicacies from someone you do not know and will probably never meet again. Women are respected in India in every way possible. Animals are respected in India. Families stay very close to each other. They do not have to say ‘I love you’ every day to each other. Its all understood. Overall, just like any other place in the world, India has its own good and bad. It is definitely a good place to go and relax.

23. July 6, 2008 @ 2:04 pm

    Sachin said,

    Just cannot understand this “Indian” mentality.We proud ourself when Ambani & Mittal who are Indians,comes in the top 10 list of richest people in the world but our heads never go down when people die of hunger & starvation in uttar pradesh & bihar.We never shed a single drop of tear for poor farmers of Maharashtra & Andhra pradesh commit suicide because they are unable to payback a loan of just $250.About 100000 ppl die in accidents each year in India we dont care a damn about it.
    That time we are more indulged in what bollywood actors or Indian cricketers are doing.
    We proud ourself with ancient culture & heritage but whats the use of it when we see people & dogs togther in garbage dump trying to find food for themself,20% of indian population sleeping hungry.
    Instead of getting in this argument of claiming that India is a good place to travel we should look at realities on the ground.
    The Indian posters in this forums who are claiming that India is a next force in the world & all that crap just if they get a chance to have a green card of US or a PR of any European country will never ever look back to India.

24. July 7, 2008 @ 11:56 pm

    ron said,

    “Where else can you step into a time machine by simply wandering down into Old Delhi or out to a tiny rural village? I fell hopelessly in love with the country and its people and plan/hope to go back for another three months.”

    China, Japan, Italy, Greece, and any other Continetnal European country.

    I visited Jaipur, and it is a shame that the Indian govt does not preserve landmarks. It lets monkeys into the landmarks.

    Pathetic

25. July 13, 2008 @ 4:53 am

    Kashif Raza said,

    i just love india the people and the seaside and many more and esha deol and kareena kapoor and ajay devgan i m there fan.

26. July 22, 2008 @ 11:00 am

    kumar said,

    India is the most corrupt place on earth

27. August 2, 2008 @ 9:40 am

    hanzo said,

    yeah, corrupted, lawless, and filled with cheaters. Honest citizens are a rare sight. Local dish are great but as for local hygiene, down the drain. Crooks are everywhere because thats the only way they can survive. Overpopulated and of course not a place to be born a women.. Ask any middle - low class female, they would without a doubt tell you that.. It is said that if a daughter would fall sick, nothing would be done but when a son falls sick, they would sell their houses to cure him.. all facts.. no countries are without faults, please read up on your own country before bragging bout leading the world and stuff~cheers

28. August 29, 2008 @ 4:35 pm

    Shannon said,

    i have never been to india

29. August 31, 2008 @ 11:38 am

    harunday bakshi said,

    I would say a combination of everyone’s comments best describes India, Other countries do have faults but not to the highest level like India. I will give you an example go try to offer a bribe to a hundred police and government officials in other countries ..see how they respond. Now do the same in India. India can be best described as the asshole of the world. If one wants to experience to smell the worst stench from various piles of s hi t or indias lovely open raw sewages. Visit india

30. October 7, 2008 @ 12:08 pm

    rohan said,

    if you go to india you wanna go with someone you know. who knows the way around. you will love it. if you go by yourself - you are going to be lost and i do not believe you are going to really enjoy yourself, and find yourself swamped in a quagmire of cunnandrum. swamped in a bowl of dust and noise.

    come with me next time, and u will love it.

31. November 3, 2008 @ 7:24 pm

    melissa said,

    i’ve never been to india but the prospect sits in front of me and i’m debating.

    i’ve read a few things and i’m conscious of a few more. my best friend (whom i would be travelling with) is indian, from the state of punjab. he was born in the western world and has lived there all his life. only once in the past has he returned to india and he was 13 (who travels well at 13?)

    reading all the above posts i do have somethings to respond to:

    my friends family, and many friends i have known through out my life who were indian were very gracious and wonderful people. they usually were quite sweet. that being said i have experienced “reverse racism” (i’m caucasian) with some of his less immediate family but definitely with the family who visits from delhi.

    most of my friends family is very well-to-do and yes there is a keeping up with the jones mentality. but liken it to a poor kid who wins the lottery… wouldn’t you want everything you couldn’t afford previously?

    i’m painfully aware of the issues women face in india (and other developing worlds) and that is a main issue i have with travelling there. i have travelled to europe 2 times and i was alone both times, but never felt fear. i worry i won’t be able to travel out of my hotel by myself. at least in some areas.

    and i agree with the previous poster that stated that india isn’t the only country with big city and provincial charm all rolled into once. i spent 3 weeks in greece and 3 weeks in italy and the old traditions are still very much kept alive in the smaller towns. most tourists only go to the big cities and miss out on the beauty that is the small town “rustics”

    i’m still quite undecided as to whether to join in the indian adventure or not… any suggestions?

32. November 10, 2008 @ 3:17 am

    Raaj said,

    Dakka

33. December 25, 2008 @ 7:37 pm

    coolguy said,

    Lolz……. India has been promoting tourism by showing so many wonderful ads with nice music and that “exotic” touch. Most westerners believe indian girls to resemble the ones they see in indian movies and india to be exotic and beautiful. The reality is so much further from the truth. First of all, from the pictures I have seen and my friends who have been there, its a dirty and very filthy with rats, bugs, cockroaches everywhere. Corruption is rampant and there is almost no place like the ones they show in their movies. Also, only 0.001% of indian girls are as “exotic” and beautiful as they show in their movies. For proof you can see indian girls living abroad. While india does have some culturally fantastic things, I think they should tone down their tourism promotion a little as it only takes a couple of picture searches on the web or reading a few tourism forums to know what exactly is the country like.

34. April 30, 2009 @ 11:13 am

    Crazy said,

    For coolguy-but 1oo% indians have a huge dick.Wanna prøöf sent you mother their u sick

35. May 15, 2009 @ 10:21 pm

    shallowindians said,

    I own retail shops and I have first hand experience with India Indians.

    99% of them can’t talk in a gentle manner. They love to shout their lungs out.

    They ar demanding, loves to argue, want everything their own ways. Some of them who are cheats and have the intention to cheat are the worse.

    They will target shops when its busy and when there’s one sales person attending the shop. They will pick and choose their items, then probably change
    their mind about the items and ask for other things, making the queue jam, and yet they will make things so difficult and when they have purchase their good and left and after you have finish serving the rest in the queue. Then you realise that you have undercharge the the Indians and its already too late.
    This has been happening in my shop for two to three times and I really have enough of them. During busy hours I have 3 staffs in the shop and also CCTV
    installed. At least, if there is cheats or cons , we can assist the police by summiting their photos captured on the CCTV.

    My another experience is when I’m on cruise . I don’t understand why they are so unhygenic. They pick cookies and muffins with bare hands look at it then
    chuck it back on the plate if they don’t want it.

    Rented my condo unit to an Indian Professional, a doctor. He and his wife lives
    in my condo. 3 months later I took the unit back and return their deposit.
    My unit stench of urine in the living room and bed room!! Lucky my floor was not carpeted! The place was so filthy with mouldy bread, unwash clothes strewn
    all over the floor even feaces found in the room too!!! OMG!! croackroaches,fruit flies and EEwwww…its so disgusting that I have to hire profesisonal cleaners to clean the whole unit and disinfect the entire unit throughly. Even the walls from
    beige colour turns dirty grey with lots of goos on the wall!! Ya. re-paint it too.
    I really have enough and I don’t want to have anything to do with these people anymore.

    These india Indians that I mention are not of middle class but of upper class
    India Indians. Educated, rich but eewwww…tsk tsk…sigh…disgusting..

    Even friends who are Stewards and Stewardess has got many horrible stories to
    tell after working on flights to India and back.

    India is a beautiful country. I wanted to go there for holidays. Especially, Himalayas but after having so much bad experience I’ve changed my mind
    about it. South Africa is beautiful . I love Jo’burg Suncity and Capetown too. I’m
    looking forward for another trip to Africa.

36. June 25, 2009 @ 12:04 am

    Indian said,

    Christains are dangerous fellows.. CHristianity is the cruel religion that practised inquisition

37. July 18, 2009 @ 1:55 pm

    How do we know said,

    Wow! This place is full of India haters. Some of them very specific, and some of them very untrue.

    India, like all places, has its good and bad. Like most places, tourist guides will try and overcharge you. Unlike most places, if you just step aside and ask someone on the street for help, they will go out of their way for you. There are good people and not so good people. The trick is to tell the difference. However, the first thing you need to brace for is that there are A LOT OF people. Everywhere. Its the second most populous country in the world!

    What India offers is amazing diversity. no matter what your interst, or what the season of arrival, there will be something to do in India.

    Lets do this the pros and cons way.
    The Pros:
    1. Warm people in general.
    2. Amazing diversity of things to do, see, landscapes et al in every season.
    3. Really old civilisation - therefore, no dearth of cuisine, culture, monuments et al. Lots to do and lots to see.
    4. Most tourist places are well connected by air. Luxury trains available. Accessibility not an issue.
    5. Standard access charges to most tourist interest places. Pre Paid cabs available at most airports and train stations.
    6. English is very widely understood.
    7. Package tours available by international vendors, so you dont have to depend on an Indian tourism service provider.
    8. Really, really cheap shopping.

    The Cons:
    1. Too many people, wherever you go.
    2. The general level of hygiene around, if you are traveling from Europe, US/Canada, SE Asia or the Middle East. Other places are likely to not find it so difficult here.
    3. Differential access charges at monuments for foreign and Indian tourists. That can feel very mean.
    4. The general attitude of local service providers to “cheat” (balanced out by the general Indian’s intention to not let any tourist- Indian or otherwise, be cheated) If you talk to the locals, you will find some really good deals, and they will tie them up for you. just get talking to the local Indian tourists. it helps.

    Some tips for traveling to India:
    1. Come well prepared for all seasons. India sees summer and winter at different places at the same time. So when its scorching 40 degrees in Delhi or Mumbai (where most tourists land), it will be a happily freezing Kashmir that you enter.
    2. Leave space in your bags for shopping.
    3. Talk to the locals. preferably people of your own gender. NOT your travel agents, the other locals. If your hotel is booked, talk to the front desk, then talk to other guests at the hotel.
    4. Come prepaid as much as possible. Book a package trip and ensure that your stay and local commute is covered in the package.
    5. Drink only mineral water. Do not eat at a place you are not sure of. Carry Granola bars or biscuits.
    6. Some Organisations arrange trips that are escorted by a local. Try and grab those.
    7. If you have friends in India, stay with them, or ask them for advise. Even otherwise, ask people for advice through online fora and they will help.

38. July 21, 2009 @ 3:05 pm

    harmony said,

    I just returned from a 10 day trip to India; My personal view is that India isn’t a place for leasure or holiday. It is lawless, hot, humid, and very very dirty country. There are many dishonest people in the big cities. The trafic is lawless and horrible. Ordinary citizen is rude and raw in behavior. Weather is extremely hot. Not public service.
    It was a nightmare.

39. July 29, 2009 @ 5:26 am

    Muller said,

    I have just visited India and China I found them to be a very imposing and appealing countries.The problem lies in the fact their civilizations started in thousands of BCs while ours is quite new and nascent.These nations have stood to the test and wither of time while we are just new born babies.

    As far as India is concerned ,it has 1.2 billion people of which 250 million are poor and majority of those poor people appear to live in cities.Indian cities are like two sides of a coin:majority is like Tokyo or Seoul while a part is congested and dirty but the coincidence is that most of the interesting places lie in these dirty parts and a tourist spend its 90% time there and presumes that this is all about India.

    You should suck in the most of India because it is the only place of its type on earth ,who know that on my next visit,that Old Delhi gets lost in the winds of Western Golden Standards of living which is so boring and monotonous .

40. July 29, 2009 @ 10:11 am

    Sudeep said,

    what is good in New India ==> nothing
    what is worst in India ==> all

    what was good in Old India ==> all
    what is worst Old India ==> nothing

41. August 2, 2009 @ 4:30 am

    Amanda said,

    Lolz Crazy!!was reading the posts..and it cracked me up!hahaha..oh well, India has a massive potential as a country like any other country. Wot’s really bothering is the personal hygiene of this people, i dunno but maybe because of wot they eat? and yes they have this irritating attitude that they feel so highly of themselves even in England and in Dubai. Which is too funny! And the accent!Good lord! Its really difficult to understand when they talk, and they get angry when you ask them like..”pardon?”..like their tongues are all curled up.

    And i got a friend who went in India, he said it’s a total nightmare especially when it rains..not good to stay outside..coz the smell of the city is stinking horrible..smell of poops. And he explained basically coz there’s not too many toilets..so people get to do their waste in the streets. Jeez!

42. August 6, 2009 @ 11:23 am

    Aarun said,

    It was good reading the posts, This not only says about India, but the mind of people from various continents.

    Some Good and Some bad. I echo the words of Donna.

    My suggestion is

    If you want a hygienic, sophisticated, royal environment everywhere as you see in your own country, please do not go to India, plan a vacation to some local spots in your country or some other well developed countries.

    But if you need to see a mixture of the cultural, religious stuffs, India is the best option. You can explore and experiment the mixed culture, a variety of cuisine…

    Please do not stick to a religion and travel.

    If you can get down and speak to the local public, you’ll be welcomed by everyone. Before shopping get the help of the local tourists and the local public people (Not the vendors or the tourist guides).

    Ask them the local value of the goods and if you feel the person is trust-able, request them to buy the product for you.

    If you are stuck up with something, please speak to the local public people, instead of the service providers.

    For transportation, make use of online bookings as much as possible. I personally advice the online reservations (particularly for trains) if your are visiting a place for the first time.

    If you are not good in communicating, you can plan your trip in South India as you can get some people who understands the foreign accent of English.

    If you want a place without much crowd and to spend your private life, you need to explore more before planning your trip. My suggestion would be Havelock island in Andhaman.

    I accept that money plays a vital role. But a simple smile and some sweet words can buy many things in this world that even money can’t.

    India is not an exception.

43. August 26, 2009 @ 6:42 am

    Andrew said,

    How a guy can say those words about INDIA…the guy commented on the top is truly a racist…I am an American and visited India several time…I had never find such thing anywhere in India…

    I am truly amazed with the culture…diversity and the people they are really helping…I never had a feeling that I am visiting some new place during my visit…the hospitality i got in India…truly admirable…

44. September 6, 2009 @ 2:18 pm

    Hillary said,

    Westerners visiting India immediately notice a vast cultural difference. In the West you’d never see 5 persons on a motor cycle, or people stooping at the roadside to defaecate. For christ sake, civilized people train their children at a young age to use the toilet at home, why don’t indians potty train their kids??

    People eat with their hands, shopping is done in little hole-in-the-wall stores and roadside markets. Cheapness is more important in India than quality.

    Women are treated poorly, a liability settled by dowry, and female infanticide is rampant.

    India is only now starting to catch up to the West. Indians need to embrace modern values and put aside their cultural baggage of the past.

45. September 21, 2009 @ 12:36 am

    Norman Bates said,

    India is the toilet of the world. The people are the worst in the world. They are dirty, dishonest, self-centred, corrupt, diseased and have the worst manners in the world. I would not holiday there again if I was offered gold bars. I would rather saw my own leg off with a rusty hack-saw than return to India. In fact I saw a lot of people with no limbs in India, this is because they are so poor they actually eat themselves. The sooner that all tourism to India is forbidden by governments worldwide the better.

46. September 26, 2009 @ 7:46 am

    mangal said,

    these people like hillary and norman are poor people,have not seen the upper class people and society,and have not mingle with good people,due to non availablity of money they might have been screwed by the indian.norman ask your country to keep 10 percent of our population ,your country will become place of shit

47. September 27, 2009 @ 5:59 am

    Norman Bates said,

    Thanks ‘mangal’ for your feedback. I agree, 90% of Indians are so poor that they cannot afford education, health or personal hygiene. This is a sad situation, created by corruption and inequality. The super-rich sip champagne and eat well while over 1 billion people starve and sleep on the streets. I am from the U.K. and unfortunately 10% of Indians and Pakistanis have moved in, creating ghetto’s and ‘little India’s and little Pakistans’; as a result the U.K. is fast going down the plughole. I left the U.K. for Switzerland five years ago and never looked back. India is the first toilet of the world, the U.K. and Pakistan are joint second. I hope this helps. regards, Norman.

48. September 27, 2009 @ 10:22 am

    Jeannie Gravins said,

    I stayed in India travelling for 6 months 2005/06. India is not a comfortable travel experience .It is a total shock to the western system in more ways than one.There were times i felt like i was in heaven then other times in hell.
    However, despite all its faults (of which there are many)…India was culturally so different to anything i had ever experienced …i loved it! I got used to the poverty and all that goes with it .i believ that the people are no different from anywhere on the globe …there’s just a lot of them.
    The only time i ever felt threatened was in Kashmir…i never want to go back there again…lots and lots of cheating and houseboat scams.

49. October 1, 2009 @ 9:46 am

    eraser said,

    lol few comments made me laugh serously people you need some education and must stop wasting webspace. for example there is this guy named rohan or something (well sounds hindu to me) is so ignorant that he needs to be educated ASAP. my personal experience says india is terrible but it’s terrible all over, everywhere.. yeah you fuckin’ kerela shit and goa too. i’ve been places and studied bible and i can tell you christianity is not at all civilized (read bible if you don’t belive me) and kerela is so substandard from substandard education to infrastructure, people are dirty and ignorant that you can’t exactly call it western you know. now lets take goa well apart from portuguese infrastructure there nothing that these filthy indians made so shut the fuck up you curry eater.

50. October 12, 2009 @ 1:04 pm

    mimi said,

    Indis is disgusting, filthy and backward…

51. November 12, 2009 @ 12:23 pm

    david said,

    i think india is the world’s toilte—-plz dont mind indians but its a fact

52. December 12, 2009 @ 1:50 am

    Aussie said,

    India is filthy! The level of hygiene is just unbearable. I have been there, and believe it or not, me and my friends got food poisoning from drinking and eating there. You can see rats, roaches all around. Lets not even talk about the people. Most of them are very ill mannered and dishonest. I would never return to that place ever again.

    To the guy who wrote:
    “Watch out for 2020 & india would be the number 1 nation in the world & people all over the world would be standing in queues outside indian embassy in their respective country to get tourist/business visas of India.”

    Congratulations, That’s the best joke of the century! Go fuck yourself!

53. December 22, 2009 @ 1:31 am

    Norman Bates said,

    Update on India:

    A friend of mine has just returned from what was to be a holiday of a lifetime. However during travel on an overnight train from Delhi to Calcutta he was drugged by drinking a bottle of ’spiked’ diet Pepsi cola.

    When he awoke he was in his 1st class train compartment, and in terrible pain. He noticed that he was lying on a bloody sheet and that he was connected to a make-shift saline drip, but the room was empty.

    Staggering to his feet in agony he felt his lower back flank and felt what was crude medical stitches. Positioning himself sideways and glancing at his reflection on the wardrobe mirror he feared the worst. This was a case of human organ theft to order. His left kidney, he suspected, had been stolen.

    After checking-in to the best Calcutta hospital he could find, and following a scan, his suspicions were confirmed:He had lost a kidney. The Indian Doctor, gave him tranquillisers to help numb the mental anguish and did him the favour of disinfecting and re-stitching the wound.

    My friend returned to Holland where he was again treated for wound infection and trauma to the renal area and began a series of powerful antibiotics because it was feared that the medical procedure had been performed with unsterlised scalpels and medical instruments.

    Dutch Doctors suggested that the jerky and zig-zag shape of the wound was due to the spasmodic motion of Indian train travel, and that operating-theatres are normally motionless and sterile.

    This is a warning to all who travel to India, particularly those who travel alone. Take good care of your organs and avoid accepting soft drinks from Indian strangers on the Delhi-Calcutta express.

54. January 9, 2010 @ 6:52 pm

    JC said,

    Norman Bates, Eraser and many like them … are so frustrated that we Indians are making huge strides economically… and getting all the best Global jobs, while unemployment in their countries rise and their economies collapse!!
    Guys, stop posting comments and go do some serious studies, dudes! Or you and your children will be starving … or cleaning Indian shit… while we take up all your best jobs. Lol lol lol…

55. February 4, 2010 @ 10:29 am

    Feldstein82 said,

    hi this is ron from seattle…………visited india about a year ago.great place,great great great food(cant forget biriyani,chole curry,lasi drink) ,warm and helpful people and all the colors.Aussie and Norman Bates,i dont know if india caused u any personal trauma or if indians really like your wives,but u hav to be a sick moron to hate india

56. March 10, 2010 @ 6:44 am

    Nishant said,

    I don’t understand what inferiority complex they are talking about. In fact Indians are giving complex to all other nations be it our software professionals those are grabbing their jobs or our super saver Gujju, Marwadi or Panjabies those are better rich then the local citizen (Ausies could not digest this race to be richer then them)
    .
    As far as behavior is concerned con men are everywhere on this earth including India. All over the world in every tourist place you find some of them as these are the best place for them to operate.
    You can not compare India with any one country in this world because its huge & versatile.
    In Europe there are countries like Ukrain & Romania as well so if you are planning for India plan it considering in mind that it’s not just a country or culture but a very large landscape with diverse culture & consists the second largest population of this world, naturally you will find all class & kind of people
    & they will not harm you for your skin color or race……………………….

57. March 12, 2010 @ 10:56 am

    vikas said,

    I agree people in India are making a quick buck around every tourist spot, may be unlike people in Spain (Food Costing Euro 50 unlike most countryside of Euro10) or in UK (Coke at £3 outside Madam Tusaudds, unlike 30pence in a Tesco). Stop fooling yourself, Tourist spots are about convenience and not about penny pinching. Further, people who make bad comments, mostly live out of their posh complexes in Europe or United Kingdom, almost forgetting their country’s infrastructure was built on Loot and slaves coming from there. (2 Million Indians in South Africa (Diamond and gold mining), 1 Million in Nigeria Uganda kenya (Oil and precious metals), 3 Million in UK (uptil 1970s building roads, factories etc) The hard core skills have been all learnt there and executed here by the same people. Bribe, corruption, dirt, poverty, guys atleast stop making money out of these documentaries first, before cursing the rising sun. The world is shifting east and start respecting it early, only otherwise at your own peril 25 years hence.

58. March 31, 2010 @ 9:46 am

    Ahmed Khalifa El Nasr said,

    I have been to Kerala for 2 weeks. So beautiful and very friendly people.
    I have never seen people giving their seats in the bus for a foreigner like me.

59. April 15, 2010 @ 6:17 am

    Rahul said,

    What a boring discussion. endless and tiresome. People want to come, people dont want to come. Perceptions overblown!

    Incidentally some statistics put the number of tourist visiting India at Rs. 5.86 million in 2008. I do not know how many countries hold that kind of domestic population. Wow, is India a generous host! I cant see many countries having infrastructure enough to accomadate that lot.

    Lets bite some more. Almost 30% of those visiting India were from UK or USA.

    Almost 60% of those visiting India considered their experience good or very good. Some tourists do like “Dirty” Indians!! Almost 20% of these tourists were on a second visit.

    Now some people also consider racism as an integral part of Indian tourism. Some statistics for them too.. People who visited India travelled irrespective of the religious inclinations.

    And for those who can really take any more just go through the Ministry of tourism annual reports and find out how many developing country governments earn that kind of money through tourism.

    Most statistics available on Minitry of Tourism Website.

    But who cares!
    I am just back from some camping, rafting, rappeling and amazing water sports from Rishikesh and my bones ache from typing for a group of “no travellers”.

    I should rather be planning my next trip .

    Guys, wish me…. Bon Voyage!!! Meet you in Sunderban soon!!!

60. July 21, 2010 @ 7:33 am

    Ashush Lele said,

    To Norman Bates ,
    You fucking Brit, you are the most corrupted, unethical bustards. For this reason every time I visit, I fuck white women, so far 47 of them. Because I hate whites in UK. Brit came to India to do business and unethically rules India and stole everything from India. You are no longer a super power. Your economy is not even 10% of Indians. My cook is a white lady. You fucking UK whites are already cleaning Indian toilet. You Steel company Corus is now owned by Indian. You Rover and Jaguar is now owned by Indian. It is a matter of time when your country will be just as poor as India now and India will be the shinning country. UK’s basic policy is to divide and rule. They are the racist of the century. They fuck their sisters and Moms. How would you understand what is to be poor and how can you respect a human life. The world has so many problems and instead of telling so sense you just open your mouth full of sheet to spread hatred. UK should be disremembered from this earth.
    Fuck you UK and Norman Bates. Since you can’t satisfy your wife. send her I can help her and also your daughter and Mom. I have to cover my face with a towel while fucking them though, since they stink and never clean their dirty ass. They use paper towels to clean their ass.

61. July 26, 2010 @ 9:46 am

    Ravi said,

    little knowledge is dangerous…….its what is happening with most Firangs writing about India,agreed that India is plagued with widespraed corruption,powerty and ignorance,but how many of the brits writing here knows the number of homeless in UK,(supposedly one the top 5 developed nations of the world)?,At least 47,000 adult women are raped every year in the UK.with a conviction rate of less than 6%,hozzthat for a learned nation?is the so called white community proud of introducing apartheid?how about Australia treating the Aboriginal people?,or the racist attacks on indians?or the number of white old men travelling from all developed nations to india and south east asia for sex tourism?special mention of mr.Norman Bates here……….i dont hate you ,i just pity you,you are a misearble soul and definitely need some help.are you in your senses to write that “you saw people eating themselves?”but worst of all are all fellow indian here who are writing disgusting things about India,

62. July 26, 2010 @ 10:37 pm

    Praveen said,

    Indian born or a tourist, I guess a certain kind of spiritual maturity, ability to appreciate different cultures and ability to look beyond what seems on the surface is required to enjoy India completely. The diversity is well known, so wont harp on that. I’m from India and have travelled around a lot and in general, have noticed that people who are well travelled, intellectual and having broader based outlooks in their life tend to truly appreciate what India offers. The superficial folks are the ones who just skim the surface and make random passes.

63. July 26, 2010 @ 10:41 pm

    Praveen said,

    Indian born or a tourist, I guess a certain kind of spiritual maturity, ability to appreciate different cultures and ability to look beyond what seems on the surface is required to enjoy India completely. The diversity is well known, so wont harp on that. I’m from India and have travelled around a lot and in general, have noticed that people who are well travelled, intellectual and having broader based outlooks in their life tend to truly appreciate what India offers. The superficial folks are the ones who just skim the surface and make random passes…

64. July 29, 2010 @ 2:20 am

    hamsky said,

    i have been in india for two years now, not withstanding india could be a good place to visit bcos of dere diverse culture n more but probably not a good place to stay not talk of study or work, cos of the lies racism dishonesty hatred n so much more. its just very unfurnate to find out that india is not truely wat is as seen from the outside world. think critically as an indian and truely ask yourself whether or not you can trust a fellow indian from a diff caste or culture i guess the answer would be a silent no but why n den u say deres no inferiority complex. all the threads written by indians here explains the degree of egocentrism posessed by indians, u can’tpunch my face for saying the right thing but u can only sit down n reevaluate wat i have just written dats even if u can do away with ur indian ego for a few minutes. the true indians are d ones abroad cos i find them to b quite frendly and nice….

65. August 11, 2010 @ 2:13 am

    reply to norman bates said,

    if u dont like india then fuck off white trash ,we dont want lowlife junkie assholes like u here…

66. August 12, 2010 @ 8:58 am

    shikha said,

    visiting india is like exploring 28 countries , you move from one state to another and actually feel the cultural change and enjoy every essence of diverse culture .. india food are best known to the world finest …its the place of worship with various cultural festival ..the new modern Indian r the people who would take India to the height of being super power nation ..not only in terms of monetary but also in terms of happiness .. our country will shine n will b called ” SONE KI CHIDIYA ” ( THE GOLDEN BIRD ) W8 N WATCH V INDIAN WILL CONQUER THE ENTIRE WORLD

    HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 ALL !!!!!!!!!!!

67. August 18, 2010 @ 11:20 am

    citizen two tone watch said,

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68. August 25, 2010 @ 1:56 am

    Stephen Williams said,

    India? why bother. It’s a big world, pick another country there’s plenty of them a lot cleaner safer and more beautiful full of there own wonderful culture etc.

69. September 2, 2010 @ 5:40 am

    ranjan said,

    mimi,assuies,david and rohan just go to hell

70. September 6, 2010 @ 4:31 am

    indiannigga said,

    Most of the indians are filthy croony cheap curry munching bastards,the posts above by this cheap fellows shows it all.India is a shithole and all indians on any given day would die to run away from their slums to western countries

71. September 20, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

    varun kapoor said,

    It is with surprise and anguish that i have read the various comments. It appears that the ex-imperialists have not been able to come to terms with reality that in the new order they are at best equal. The pseudo indians who take pride in finding faults in the indian system are either non acheivers or just trying to identify with the bygones. The fact is that INDIA today is making great progress in all fields and it is THIS which makes the rest of the world nervous. We have great tourist destinations and infrastructure but you need to know how to get the best. Isuspect the foreigners delibrately try to do offbeat things and once they get into difficulty they just want to CRY to everyone.It is an accepted fact that INDIANS are good at spending once on holiday abroad but you foreigners dont do that because most people coming to INDIA are the poor underprevilged lot of your respective country coming to feel like royalty here.Remember if you want to feel good then learn to spend good too.Ifeel pity for you foreigners who have had no cultural upbringing because instead of finding good in every thing you just want to find faults.INDIAis a great nation because not only do we forgive you but are also willing to help in getting rid of your sinful upbringing.regards—–JAI HIND(VARUN)

72. September 23, 2010 @ 3:52 am

    Norman Bates said,

    TO: Ashush Lele

    You just can’t face the truth, so you result to vile and offensive posts. India is absolutely riddled with the HIV virus and India is the toilet of the world. You all wish you had white skin and a civilised society, instead you sleep on the streets and shit on the pavement. Your government is the most corrupt in the world and your stupid caste system abuses the poor.

    Sadly things will get worse, child labourers, beggars with limbs severed at childbirth, the systematic abuse of women, absolutely no value of honesty or truthfulness. Rip-offs at railway stations and bribes and more corruption.

    I would rather be dead than even fly through India. It is the worst shithole known to man.

    The Commonwealth games will be cancelled, surprise surprise, why? Because the money has been siphoned off to the rich.

    1.3 billion population, still rising and shit is knee deep on the streets.

    By the way, if I ever catch you over here in the U.K. Ashush Lele, I will take you out to a construction site and bury you alive in wet concrete for abusing British women. If anyone knows Mr. Lele email me for a large cash reward. Thanks.

73. September 23, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

    Rhi said,

    Im from the United Kindgom, Wales. I dont know if you know where that is because most people count wales, a country, they think it is a part of england. I am going to indian with the school. I am looking forward to it as i am going with my friends and cannot wait for the expreience to come. I am going in july, is that a good time to go or? How much do i need to take? Is it a good hoilday to go on?

    Also, i would just like to say to Norman Bates is that you dont know every indian out there, you dont know if they are kind or not. How can you say so cruel things if you know that they are suffering? Im not going against you because everyone has their own opinons and i do agree on some stuff that you say:) but i dont agree on everything either. For example, ‘I would rather be dead than even fly through India. It is the worst shithole known to man.
    The Commonwealth games will be cancelled, surprise surprise, why? Because the money has been siphoned off to the rich.’

    However, .I would also like to say to Mr. Lele that I am a british women and that Norman bates does have a good point about abusing british women.
    Why do you hate UK women so much? do you know EVERY women out there? you guys can also be very racist to us and you have a go at us for saying that you guys are coloured? well, it hurts both ways when you talk about us like that. I bet you india has more problems than the UK. not everyone fucks their mum and daughter. I bet your country has raping to? UK stink? at least I have a bath everyday and night.
    Now, will you guys shut the fuck up?
    you guys are never going to see eachother or communicate in any other way apart from this. Just leave it because i was doing research on india and all i can see a huge fat arguement on who is better than the other. grow the fuck up? Thanks.

74. October 4, 2010 @ 11:41 am

    Frederick Christensen said,

    Indians are oh so full of themselves.I must,in all honesty,support the remarks of Mr Norman Bates and I applaud your candor Mr.Bates.If I ever come across any Indian degenerate that abuses white women,I will break his neck,strip his body naked and then cut his little brown body up into chunks and feed the chunks into a wood chipper.If you want violence,You shitskin maggot,I will give you violence in spades. I wouldn`t put too much stock in the shitskin`s rants because his shrivelled little Indian dick couldn`t satisfy a flea but his boasting does merit a comeback and a promise of earthly destruction if he gets out of hand.Most Indian males are a rag tag bunch of effeminate pussy rabble anyway and couldn`t beat their way out a wet tampax pad.Now Lele send me your slut Indian momma and I will fuck her blind with a steel pole up her shitty Indian arse.

75. November 14, 2010 @ 7:07 am

    Yogi said,

    Rohan…I wish u die and find heaven very very quickly…in fact i wish u are already dead. For all u know, this whole religion thing might be a drama cooked up to scare people and make them ‘toe the line’ - look at the hatred u have within urself for Hindus and Muslims, I am 100 % sure you must have been a Hindu before the British arrived..or at the most a Syrian Christian who ‘converted’ when businessman arrived in the older times…

    Now for the places to visit…

    1 ) Leh & Ladakh….simple and loving people….and they dont give a damn if you are a foriegner…to them most of Indians are foreigners as well , you can go and enjoy the place without a hassle…although reaching there is no mean job

    2 )Himachal and Uttarakhand : Hilly region in the Himalayan belt….you might like it it you have not been to Switzerland yet…also a good place to check out the local culture on just one back pack and enfield bike….again simple and honest people.

    3) Northeast India : With more than a dozen different culture in 7 satates this is a truly exotic place, might wanna check on the arrangement before hand though as this place in not frequented by tourists a lot.

    4 ) Rajasthan : Go to Udaipur and check out the desert, but make it quick the place is getting bad for tourists these days….

    Now I will tell you what now one else has yet said

    THE PLACES TO AVOID IN INDIA:

    1 ) DELHI : The rape capital on India. Most of the people are foul mouthed and the average citizen in just too scared for their own lives just in case you cry out for help.

    2 ) MUMBAI : It is mostly just dishonest builders, corrupt politicaians and slums…a DVD of Slumdog millionare would be a better idea than visting Mumbai.

    3) GOA : Unless you have a teenge girl or a pretty lady with you - who the local gundas are waiting to rape. Dont ask for help from the police, they will want to know why the hell was she roaming around in a bikini.

    4 ) Kerala : Because ‘christian ‘ people like Rohan live there….who might be ready to kiss your butt the moment you land in Kerala.

76. November 14, 2010 @ 7:23 pm

    Heath said,

    fuck it - sounds shite!

77. November 20, 2010 @ 9:18 am

    Jacko said,

    People say about SA. Check the latest …..

    http://in.news.yahoo.com/267/20101117/1747/twl-honeymoon-murder-in-an-african-safar_1.html

78. December 9, 2010 @ 8:46 pm

    Sarki5 said,

    Oh Dear! This look like a scientific experiment on Human behaviour!!!
    What is the problem with someone that has a bad experience and wants to share it?
    A website that gives free expression even on bad holidays experiences is a very good tool, still we end up talking about Christian Inquisition, racism and all these “nice” topics that have little to do with holidays! I personally find the web site amusing and should be taken as a suggestion for those - and sorry to say - not expert traveller that will def have an horrible time if they are going to India thinking is Bora Bora! So let`s make a distintion here: Are you a traveller or a tourist?? once that you discover this, you will see many things clearer :O)
    India: you love it, or you hate it! I LOVE IT !!
    I have been there twice, will go again and if I am lucky I will move there when I retire :O)
    Share experiences of travelling is great even if sometimes is a bad experience, just remember: is a personal experience far from what a place really is!
    Every place is amazing in this world! Travelling is for open minded people, holiday is for those that need to get out from their routine - Both of them are good things to do, none is more just than the other and there is not a bad place, may be there is the wrong attitude in the wrong place! again Ask yourself: I want to relax, or I want to discover? This is one of the best way to begin and then plan ahead and make a research of a place before you go, avoid unpleasent surprises! Only if you like adventures do like me: love travelling, adapt to everything and especially have NO EXPECTATIONS!!! :O)
    Here some nice quotes to inspire:
    http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/

    Safe Journey :O)

79. December 16, 2010 @ 8:33 am

    Alouise said,

    Numerous posters are demonstrating the Indian chauvinism, and in some cases knee-jerk racism, that turns off many western visitors to their country. I have been visiting India since 1980, with six visits in the last three years alone. Obviously there was something appealing about India to keep drawing me back. I’ve backpacked in most states, on trains (all classes), local buses, through all seasons, and gone off the beaten track many times. I have probably seen more of India than most Indians have. In fact, I’ve been told this so so many times by Indians, who either don’t travel much at all - apart from pilgrimages - or when they do sight-see in their own country try to insulate themselves as much as possible from the experience. That is, they stay in AC hotels, get chauffeured about in AC cars and pay so many underlings in a day, just to deal with the errands, bureaucratic hassles, touts and barring the great unwashed, destitute and/or beggarly masses from their presence. Perhaps they are not higher castes, but they do insist on (and pay for) not being contaminated by reality. Basically, and I tread carefully here lest I over-generalise, a lot of the chauvinism seems to stem from media brainwashing more than first-hand observation of real life on the streets and in the villages. Many do not know what daily life is really like for the majority of their fellow citizens, and there may be an element of willful ignorance in this because the reality is too confronting or downright unpleasant.

    Speaking as a realist, fact is most western visitors get to see more of the real India than domestic tourists do, and the impression of “filth” is justified. The toilets on trains and at bus stations stink, if not wreak. There’s often fresh poo (including human faeces) on beaches, the exceptions being the predominantly Christian states like Goa, Kerala and Diu. Streets are usually littered with rubbish, plus there are decaying rubbish piles and construction piles dotted at regular intervals. Nobody seems to clean up the mess. Civic sense, zero. Water features (rivers, ponds, streams) in India tend to givhydrogen sulphide and flotillas plastic litter. As for hotels, the general rule is clean=new because proper cleaning and maintenance after the hotel opens seem not to be a priority at the vast majority of establishments - unless the hotel is 5 star. Even 4 star hotels will have obviously never-washed curtains and other fabric furnishings in rooms. Towels tend to be stiff, off-white to beige and not sweet smelling because “tradition” and/or downright stinginess prefers paying a pittance to dhobi-wallahs using ‘water features” rather than buy washing machines. I could go on…

    India is Incredible in more ways than one.

80. December 16, 2010 @ 10:31 am

    alouise said,

    Another perspective, but also of the realistic kind, it is important to realise that even though all western visitors to India will invariably at some point notice the filth, litter, pollution, lower standards of hygiene, experience the physical discomforts and bureaucratic hassles, and face the interpersonal dilemmas re. how to deal with touts, scammers and beggars, they will nonetheless differ in their hindsight appraisals of India. They will differ in the way they react to these culture shocks at the time, and later when describing their India experience to their friends, families and internet forums like this one.

    You see, India can be confronting enough in the culture-shock department to rattle the very foundations of one’s sense of Self and Other. For example, when western visitors to India return home talking about a transformative or spiritual experience, that’s a sure sign they’ve been well and truly rattled. Others are even more rattled. They’re numbed by the onslaught. Verily traumatised into a state of denial, where they self-calm themselves by pretending they’re handling it OK. They’re OK, they’re not uptight, possibly even ‘cool’…… unlike the OTHER PEOPLE. The OTHER PEOPLE are appointed as the necessary inferiors in this fragile peck-order. They’re the people who make one feel less like an outsider in India because of their more obvious failures to assimilate. They’re the ones you run into at every Lonely Planet destination or hotel. The ones who are continually complaining and /or being aggro with Indians at hotel reception desks, in restaurants, next to auto-rickshaws, indeed, just about anywhere. Smugly satisfying it is, then, to call them TOURISTS. Every TRAVELER can spot them. Why? Because, funnily enough, the self-nominated “travelers” are carrying the same LP edition and turning up in the same destinations and hotels as the ‘tourists”. But the difference is, they’re not complaining aloud - that’s their raison d’etre for considering themselves not tourists, but travelers… like they’re on some anthropological mission of establishing ‘first contact’, albeit whilst highlighting the pages of their guidebook. Sticking to the well beaten track keeps their world of Self intact.

    I went through this I-am-traveler-not-tourist phase in the 1980s, even living in India (Goa, of course) to prove the point. That was when I was a late twenty-something and didn’t really know myself all that well. Otherwise I would’ve had the transformative experience, if not a spiritual awakening. Nowadays I call myself a “tourist”. The reason being that I now know myself well enough to acknowledge that as a westerner I will never ever truly assimilate. After 30 years I still can’t love the ubiquitous stench of stale urine and faeces, much less become an apologist for India’s enduring oppression of the working poor and caste discriminations against Dalits and Adivasis.

    I have become familiar with Indian politics in recent times and see too many parallels with Czarist Russia. Like, no wonder there’s a Maoist rebellion/ civil war being fought in over half the country - ie. most of eastern India. In 2009, WHO found India not only the dirtiest country in the world, but also poorer than even Sub-Saharan Africa! Every few minutes a Indian woman dies in childbirth and India holds another world record for infant mortality. Indian nationals have over $3 trillion in Swiss bank accounts but the Indian government refuses to allow the banks to disclose details. Meanwhile only 5% pay tax, 0.1 % GDP is spent on Health, but India boasts its own Moon launch and Google Earth and buys cluster bombs and so many missiles and other weaponry from the US.

    To know that you are assimilated is easy. Just take a look at the Indian diaspora.
    If you too feel like leaving India, then you are truly Indian.

81. December 16, 2010 @ 11:35 am

    alouise said,

    Although I have been to many parts of the world, so far I have not visited the US. I tell myself that I am, perhaps, waiting for the US to become a third-world country (many economists tell me it’s not too far away, post GFC).

    In the meantime I feel that I have experienced the American cultural ethos by having spent so much time in “Shining India”. For example, I’ve now lost count of the number of conversations I’v e had with Indian chauffeurs where I’ve justified my refusal to tip them by telling them to form a union and make their employers pay proper wages. I mean, it costs $70-100 per day to hire the car and the driver gets $5 out of that? That’s total exploitation. It’s also a far more expensive car hire than I’d pay in Australia, and the only reason I have to have a chauffeur in India is that Indian drivers don’t obey road rules. For example, they see no problems driving in the opposite direction to traffic in dual carriageways and in single carriageways they drive in the middle of the road. So when I’m paying far more than I do in my own country and a pittance of that rip-off is going to the driver, for driving dangerously I might add, there is no way I’m going to pay a tip. I will instead tell the driver to demand a fair wage out of that outrageous expense from his employer. But the fact that I am even having this ridiculous conversation in the first place, allows me to suspect that I am experiencing America in India. Indians seem to love to imagine themselves as being socially, economically and politically on par with Americans.

    Economically, yes, India seems much like America in the feudal regard for the value of labour. This is where Indian independence hasn’t maintained its constitutional ideal of a social democracy. There’s no social democracy when workers are not paid a living wage. Politically, as well, the Indian drivers lack any courage to demand a fair wage from their employers, again possibly indicating a parallel with the US .

    But the social comparison is where Indians face self-delusion. Their country is so backward in comparison to the US. I mean, let’s face reality. The US can manage a toilet for every member of its population, whereas India has more cell phones than toilets! Drinking water is available in the US, but not everywhere in India. Actually, it just becomes a ridiculous farce the way Indians identify with the US.

82. January 30, 2011 @ 5:47 am

    meke said,

    i just wanted to know about peoples holidays not to have a row about fucking white or black who gives a shit!!!

83. February 4, 2011 @ 3:40 am

    anubhav said,

    india is a cuntry in which u cant live hapily

84. February 16, 2011 @ 5:31 am

    Sid said,

    Its sad to see so many haters on this forum, defaming the country with the biggest spiritual heritage, the most multi-lingual & multi-cultural unity!
    India is a wonderful country to visit. But you must exercise your wisdom. There are corrupt & greedy people everywhere, and if we’re just a little smart, we won’t ever land into trouble.
    If you want to experience the rich culture & spiritual depth of India, do visit Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, Nalanda - world’s first university. You might even visit Varanasi for the origins of Hinduism. India has the greatest historical heritage - Harappan civilization, Buddhist era of Asoka & the Buddha, the Muslim empire (great places around Delhi), the British India - much to be seen in the Big cities..

    Just ignore all the bad comments. I am totally with Joanna and her global view. Stop hating people because of your differences. I do agree India has some bad people, but I’m sure they can’t do any harm to a wise guy. There are way more nice & cultured people who’ll love you like God!

    Just close your eyes & visit the beautiful, compassionate, all encompassing Mother India

85. February 16, 2011 @ 5:34 am

    shailja bhatnagar said,

    @ MEKE
    http://www.indobase.com/events/
    http://festivals.iloveindia.com/festival-calendar.html
    http://www.bharatonline.com/fairs-and-festivals.html

    regards
    shailja bhatnagar

86. February 16, 2011 @ 10:38 am

    venkat said,

    Rohan, he deserves a punch straight on face and abdomen.. deserves much more too.. how rude his rasicm…

    Well.. To the point… What is not there is in India… Good culture, Temples of South with excellent architecture, natural beauty of kerala, softness of karnataka, fun filled Goa, busy mumbai, lovely andhra, charming himalayan peaks, love, well diversified people.. You will have all sorts of fun, respect and warm hands of welcome…

    Adhithi Devo bhava is one of the principles of we Indians, Meaning - Guests are god like..

87. April 20, 2011 @ 7:56 am

    Sameer is a pleb said,

    “people all over the world would be standing in queues outside indian embassy in their respective country to get tourist/business visas of India. ” hahaha! fucking brilliant. Hopefully they will all fuck off home then! The problem with India is the smelly Indians

88. April 22, 2011 @ 4:45 am

    Roli said,

    If you guys want to see what you are used to.. stay at home.. no need to travel only

89. April 28, 2011 @ 1:11 pm

    ajcox said,

    this comment is to the dude who commented over ‘roli’ i.e., the dude above me.
    fuck you.
    you dont know shit bout india.
    u dont know how we smell or how we are.
    just because YOU dont have the same skin as us
    just because you arent as smart as us
    just because you arent as awesome as us
    dont mean you go around sayin shit.
    so fuck your mom till she dont scream out “INDIA IS THE BEST”

90. April 28, 2011 @ 2:32 pm

    ajcox said,

    firstly, i would like to explain as to why indians are so poor. the brits had come to india as “traders” and please underline that. if you say that our people are cunning and we are cheats. well you are sadly mistaken. the fukd british played their games and cunning and took over india for more than 100 fucking years!!!
    and it wasnt just taking over the damn country. the looted it. they raped mother india!!! they drained all our wealth out of us and into their little silky pockets.
    they took ALL of indias wealth. and they were the ones who played the major role in dividing the hindus and the muslims. so if you fukd brits or anybody at all wonder why india is so poor then you know its the brits.
    just imagine this, you are lucky since you are born rich. you have a computer and web.
    WHAT IF you were born extremely POOR. huh? would you know what is hygeine?
    would you be able to afford a house let alone a toilet.
    i read a comment in which some bitch said that indian children should be potty trained. are you fuked? if you dont have food to start with , how the fuk do i find a toilet?
    these people you see are poor, NOT BY CHOICE BUT BY GODS GRACE.
    WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE BORN POOR. DIDNT HAVE FOOD TO EAT. HUH?
    what about your serenity(that is pureness for all you dumb people)? let me inform you sir/ma’am that in india we dont have sleeping around. all you people loose your virginity at the age of 15 or 16. we dont.
    and about the rapes on women? i have been to goa (a beautiful beachy area). the women there were wearing bikinis and were exposing their body parts very freely. it didnt matter to me, but what about the local youngsters? these “virgins” have only seen all of this through the internet. when they see it so close of they get stimulated. wouldnt you? so there is an explanation to this.
    if you women cant be careful its not our fault. just cuz a few people are horny dont mean the whole of india is.
    a sad truth: i would like to be frank and say that up til now i dreamed of settling in the USA or UK. that is the sad truth(maybe not for all of us). but after reADING all these posts i have learned that the brits n americans are way more fucked than the lot of us. after reading this post i feel more motivated to work harder and show you dumb cocksuckers that INDIA WILL BE A SUPERPOWER. AND YOU CAN DENY IT ALL YOU WANT (POSSIBLY ITS YOUR INFERIORITY COMPLEX) BUT WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU!!!
    AND JUST CUZ WE HAVE BETTER SKIN THAN YOU(i.e., brownish or blackish and sometimes whitsih ) OR JUST CUZ WE ARE SMARTER THAN YOU OR BETTER DONT MEAN WE’LL KEEP QUIET WHEN YOU TRY TO FUCK WITH US.
    SO ALL YOU BRITS OUT FRONT A MESSAGE TO YOU FROM ME: FUCK YOU
    AND TO ALL INDIANS: STAY STRONG. WE’LL SHOW THEM SOME DAY. ;]

91. April 28, 2011 @ 2:48 pm

    ajcox said,

    to Norman Bates
    and i’ll fuck all the white women i want. just who the fuck do you think you are fucking with. we are indians and we will rape ur mumz.
    i am not a woman discriminator but you just diss me off man. seriously.
    we abuse “white” women and you get angry.
    you abuse a whole fucking country and you expect us not to be angry
    i just wished i could remove the likes of you. after the WW2 britain is just a slump.
    no more a world power. so if ur still living in those days. wake up. we are the future. we ahve already occupied a considerable part of britan. and please dont underestimate our power to reproduce.
    soon my friend you will be living amongst us. and then truly we will rule you.
    briton will be Indias colony.
    and if you are such a stuck up snob just stay outta india man. its too good for your low level.

92. May 7, 2011 @ 1:32 am

    bhupesh said,

    i agree with ludose. most of the indians have inferiority complex. NRI’s (indians living in foreign countries) are seen and treated as semi-Gods. we (yup, im an indian too) follow the western culture in gaudy way, speaking with fake accents, ridiculing indian music even though u secretly enjoy it… etc.
    well.. this is not the topic. but if u wanna see india.. visit atleast these: taj mahal (not overrated), also worth paying visit: fatehpur sikri near agra, goa (just for fun), kerala (for relaxation), udaipur in rajasthan (much better than crowded jaipur and more beautiful) and there are lots of peaceful hillstations in himachal (avoid crowded ones like simla, manali etc.) my personal favourite: chamba and chehal. try trekking to some unspoiled greenery filled spot.
    Have safe and awesome travels! bye

93. May 30, 2011 @ 12:49 pm

    Neha said,

    for those who have been criticizing India, do a teeny-weeny favor just google images “best holiday destinations in India” and then talk !!!

94. June 8, 2011 @ 4:02 am

    kavita said,

    hello friends……………….
    well already there are a no of comments in this topic. some of you had very good views about India but some had bad .I would like to say , India is a beautiful country. if you say that crowd can distroy beauty then…………….. may be you are right but think does it. Their are every type of people in this world some are helping but some are not but on the basis of bad people we can not come to any decision ? do’nt you think so….come India and every Indian will wil come you because in INDIA…………………. ATITHI DEVO BHAW( means guests are like angles………………..)

95. June 11, 2011 @ 11:49 am

    nupur jhankar said,

    someone called aussie.and eraser……i must tell u Mr..ur countrys schooling is so poor that they dont teach you manners at all…at least indians do hav manners..2 talk ….more over u ppl do lack knowledge also…u ppl are empty vessels it seem 4 ur infrmation india is ranked 4 in worlds tourism and mr david u deserve a tight slap indeed…idiot fellow..india is da bst place in all aspects..v “need som tym 2 develop coz indians had 2 chase idiot greedy ppl of england…if it can develop soooomuch just in 60 yrs just think its future in 2020…more over dat guy who said “i left my country becoz of indians nd settled in swizerland”..u seem 2 b a funny joker indeed…..

96. June 13, 2011 @ 4:07 am

    an indian said,

    i strongly agree wid u nupur..india is a lovely place..nd ur anguish is”nt worthless…and mr rohan..im ashamed dat u r an indian..actually india is filthy bcoz of ppl like u .. u dont hav ryt 2 sustain citizenship of india..coz u posses a dirty narrow thought.. and india is a secular nd gr8 country

97. June 17, 2011 @ 1:16 am

    om said,

    if anybody don'’t want to come plz don'’t ever and keep living in your bubbles…we love the fact that we are the oldest civilization still surviving,thousands of languages spoken in a single country,vastly different cultures every 100miles you go,amazing varity in food,some oldest of fabulous structure from khujraho to taj(endless list ) ,we have snow clad mountain in north and faboulous beaches in goa….so you still want to complain about hygine,poverty plz keep yourself at home tightly locked with an antibiotic in your pocket and ask your government to increase money of your welfare and buy some trademill …..you know what the greatest filth is what you people have in your mind and typing it seating behind your pc.

98. June 19, 2011 @ 6:50 pm

    stv said,

    for all the westerners out there
    i am sorry on behalf of my country.
    there is no use of keeping a rich culture without good manners or personal hygiene. corrupted politicians are ruling india. to people who r defending india i bet they have never been to a western country. its the older generations who fucked us up. at times i even thought that it would be better if the british ruled atleast they could help us to develop.
    not at all proud to be an indian….:(
    god bless…

99. June 24, 2011 @ 2:51 pm

    an indian said,

    to stv..
    india was ruled by britishers..and is in such a condition coz of ppl lyk u ..coz u ppl have..poor sick and dependent mentality…who dont feel proud of the country which fill dere bellies..bt fell proud 2 lick shoes of foreiners…oh please mr stv if u really think so as u have written…just leave our country..and help us 2 reduce our population..iff u can really do so..and when foreiners will kick u away plz do com baack..india has a gr8 heart ..it will give u coffin 2 die…and india dont need u 2 feel proud of itself…it has several patriots…and 4 britishers…indians have kicked them away…and u cannot b indian…i am sure…must hav written urr name…u need’nt b sry on bhaf of india.. indians r sry coz person lyk u claims 2 b an indian…..

100. July 12, 2011 @ 10:31 pm

     Student said,

     Why do International tourist like to visit India ? What do they expect from this country ?

101. July 19, 2011 @ 4:44 pm

     Fred said,

     India is recognized as being the largest, begging bowl, corrupt, slum country in the world. The people are tripping over themselves to get green cards, H visas and if this fails, become illegal immigrants to get to USA. However, as I T Engineers, they are very poor. Learning to be a coding monkey doesnt make you an engineer. An engineer applies technical knowledge to solving problems. Indians dont commit themselves, always look for the easy option, never meet deadlines or budget commitments, communication skills are non existent, will not accept responsibility and are work shy. They chase money and will use any scam to get it. Unfortuneatly, the world is waking up to the truth about Indians, unfortuneatly the West may have already imported to many of them to be able to turn off the spigot.

102. July 19, 2011 @ 5:01 pm

     james said,

     It is true that the UK has many problems with unemployment, a broken welfare system and overburdened Hospital and Healthcare. Crime is high and the schools seem poor. But, the worst areas are populated by Indians. |It is in the Indian areas that slums are created, it is in the Indian areas that crime is rampant (along with Jamaicans), it is the Indians that practice racism and reinforce class divisions amongst themselves, it is the Indians who drag down the welfare system, healthcare and schools. India sounds like an awful place to live, even if you are ritch. I can imagine rich Indians, who wouldnt put their hands in their pockets to help out their fellow countryman, sipping champagne and pretending to be white, while open sewers and dead dogs litter their streets. As long as they can drive a Mercedes they are immune to the absolutely tragedy that surrounds them. By the way, Indian women look absolutely awful. The few in the movies that look ok, seem to be Italians or perhaps Arabian.

103. July 29, 2011 @ 11:29 am

     Scot Anderson said,

     I had a month long vacation in India. The experience was overwhelming. I would say that it was very enjoyable, enriching and perhaps the best vacation I had in my lifetime. I thought it was only me who had this feeling but it was the same with my 3 kids and my wife. They loved it.
     Given an opportunity I and my family will prefer to see Taj Mahal again.

     Gosh the Food !!! it was fabulous other than my first meal where I understood the average spice levels in India. Ask them to keep the spice level to the lowest to enjoy your meal.

     It was very enriching because every 300 - 400 miles you travel the language, food habits, culture, people change completely. Within the same country. I mean how could they be same - Indians? I was told that they believe that their Unity is in their Diversity. Whichever part you go, the hospitality never comes down, they respect elders, nuture - pamper kids.

     Everyone here needs to understand one important aspect that basically India is not very wealthy country. But the people are highly knowledged about rest of the world.

     I was told that I was really lucky that I visited India in March when the weather is not that bad. To me who has stayed most of life in Denver, March in India was hot. You may consider that. I was told that it easily goes beyond 110 on summers.

     I would definitely recommend to others. My colleague is set for his vacation this December with his family after he heard the experiences I had.

     In my experience a trip to India is not complete if you have visited
     Jaipur (Best Tourist spot in India), Agra, New Delhi

104. August 2, 2011 @ 12:57 am

     chirag said,

     India is AMAZING! India has everything but if you are WEAK, then you won’t be able to handle it…India has DESERTS, JUNGLES, MOUNTAINS, SNOW PEAKS, BEACHES, and EVERY landscape you can possible imagine…Their are ancient PALACES, TEMPLES, FORTS and then at the same time their are also modern cities and night life….The American media ONLY SHOWS THE POVERTY AND SLUMS so how would Americans know any better? They have NO IDEA how diverse and beautiful India is…

105. August 10, 2011 @ 2:56 am

     w said,

     India is a total hell hole it should be bombed off the map.
     The people are disgusting as they are anywhere else on the planet.
     Never travel there.

106. August 11, 2011 @ 11:30 am

     mandhar deshmuk said,

     I WANT TO MAKE A CORRECTION ABOUT THE SAYING OF INDIAN LANGUAGE HERE.NOT ONLY HINDI IS SPEAKING IN INDIA.MARATHI,BENGALI,GUJARTHI,TAMIL ARE ALSO IMPORTANT LANGUAGES.
     PS: THERE IS NO NATIONAL LANGUAGE FOR INDIA.

107. August 25, 2011 @ 5:44 am

     Deeksha said,

     If you want to enjoy your tour to India… It has to be the Indian way! The best way to enjoy the travel and stay at any place is to belong to that place.
     If u are looking for a europian or an american kind of a holiday in India… do not hesitate in loosing your pockets a bit. If ur budget is tight then saisfy urself with an indian kind of a holiday!
     Indian kind of a holiday does not in anyway mean staying in low class hotels. There are such people in India who treat forgien tourists as thier own guests.
     If u meet one or two not so honest Indians that dosent mean a large chunk is money hungry. The more people u interact with the more helpful and interesting people u will meet.
     The best way to travel in India is by talking. You need to keep talking and enquiring all the time. You have to enquire about the same things 10 times.
     Interact with people and they will guide you.

108. August 31, 2011 @ 9:55 pm

     roel said,

     you want to have an amoeba? then go to india

109. September 27, 2011 @ 11:07 am

     indian said,

     to roel…………..if u wanna die……….come to india i ll burry u alive ……….

110. September 27, 2011 @ 9:11 pm

     Dont care that much said,

     I would say rohan(first comment) may have had bad experiences, I know a lot of christians are being killed in India. I dont undersdtand why, no matter the religion, y’all are Indian, if you go abroad people dont see you for your religion, they see you as indian. @ Priya Dahl:- I dont know about your abilities but 76% and 85% add up to be over 100% so dont know how thats is possible and you proved rohan’s point about the illiterate case. But what I am saying is already stated, you may have had bad experiences, but you cant base it on the whole country. A lot of places in the world that are under developed can be bad, but go there for a while and maybe youll see it could be worth your while.

111. October 23, 2011 @ 4:02 pm

     Jim Siyani said,

     Omg, I’m from Germany. I dont believe all these negative comments on india, All of you planning to visit india,please make a move first,maybe these pessimistic morons personally hate india.During my visit i had been to Coorg, Western ghats, Nagpur, Goa, Mumbai.WoW! just cant forget my awesome experience in this heaven.people are very very friendly.Must confess to my experience i felt this is the only country where humanity exists still.Amazing hospitality.lovely food.Very cheap and affordable for shopping of all kinds.But have some negatives too like their roads are too bad,railways are too cheap and unhygienic.Apart from this India is very colorful and too refreshing.Remember Steve Jobs had visited india to seek himself.Must admit indians are very orthodox but hindu religion is not just a religion.It way of life.

112. October 31, 2011 @ 4:01 pm

     bangalore said,

     well, been living in India for the past 3years and the only thing that what can i sum up here is, avoid big cities and travel to smaller cities. Less people, less problem. India is the most unhygienic places in the world i would say but when it comes to shopping and also its scenery, u would forget about all your problems. New travellers should do a research before coming here coz it took me months to understand how things work here. MOST people are rude but some are great. U just hve to know how to greet or demand something.

113. November 4, 2011 @ 2:12 am

     ishmal vertinsky said,

     happy iz da, man ahk who closes his eye when eye see ugli east indian, woman and slimyi, stiki east indian man, horni horni wigh mani litklke ei childs then come to canada, and want, wite women, stink veriwarestikn stink go home plses go hom, k pAy u go home stinki east indian now

114. November 5, 2011 @ 7:55 pm

     american idiot said,

     so as an american from indian descent visiting india, i would have to say that the food is bad, the water tastes strange, most of the older people are creepy, the younger ones are vain and materialistic. most of the people outside the cities are ignorant and unaccepting. you will get cheated out of your money, especially if you are white or are wearing american clothes. they can tell. the indians there are also extremely short. i am young but i was taller than almost all of the men. i went to madras, india, where the roads were horrible. the food…well i got typhoid so you can imagine the sanitation there. im not being racist as it is the country my parents came from. but i am an american and i would like to stay here

115. November 8, 2011 @ 1:58 pm

     naveen bharti said,

     its weird how people are defaming us.tourist get raped cause girls doesnt follow our local dress code.they wear shorts and its new for indian mens .they are robbed cause they want to buy cheap product from here.if you will eat food from anywhere sure you will get typhoid.we have 5star hotels and restaurent too.

116. November 11, 2011 @ 6:02 pm

     Asian Men said,

     I’ve been in India for the past 6 month. The good part is:
     1. The heritage is fascinating.
     2. The diversity is there.
     3. Great Food in some place.
     4. English is spoken everywhere.
     5. People have a very good knowledge and the understand of a theory is amazing.
     6. Place like Taj Mahal and Palace in Jaipur can offer a good sightseeing in India. You will be amaze.
     7. Some are very cheap especially the medicine.

     The negative part is:
     1. Cheaters are everywhere.
     2. Less manners people.
     3. Beware of the auto trikshaw, they drive harshly and the driver is also a cheaters.
     4. Don’t ever argue with Indian, they will win the argument. They have 1001 reason.
     5. Higher class people wouldn’t care about the poor people. This is very sad.
     6. Toilet are everywhere in India. You can pee anywhere u want, but don’t ever smoke anywhere u want.
     7. They don’t know how to que in line.
     8. Very, very rude people around.
     9. They want your money badly.
     10. They will talk everything is No 1. The most, the very, the outstanding, the no 1… all this thing will come out.

     My advice is, if u can face all the negative point in that I’ve mention before, please come to India. It will offer u great thing. But if u can’t stand the negative point, please don’t come to India, you will be surprised and u will be very sorry for yourself. For all the Indian fellow, no hard feeling. Please admit it. U don’t know thing because u don’t travel outside. We don’t want a very civilized country or culture but we need only the basic thing in our life. Honest, looking down to the poor, good manner, never urinate in public (I think that is basic enough).

117. November 18, 2011 @ 5:14 pm

     athar said,

     well indians are so obsessed with white people that its an almost indian dream to see a westerner , white people are treated as domi gods or celebrity by average indians , and an indian think that perhaps every white skin people is a millionaire ,
     india is a hell on earth , its so crowded that you feel suffocated , average indian so miser that he will think 10 times , before spending even a singlr rupee.

118. November 18, 2011 @ 5:28 pm

     athar said,

     india is a paradise on earth but just remember few things while touring india.

     never travel alone .

     never accept anything from stranger , since at the most if you are unlucky your organs will be taken and soldout , and if you are lucky you will lose only your money and belongings.

     be prepare to see indians peeing on the road with no shame .

     never eat anything from open stalls you will surely fall ill.

119. November 27, 2011 @ 12:47 am

     Abdulrahman said,

     I am from middle east (Saudi Arabia) and I travelled to Seri lanka. The people are very nicee and the country is beautiful. I have never been to india but i will in the future. It will not be much suprising because my country is full of people from india and full of indian restaurants and stuff.

120. December 3, 2011 @ 10:43 pm

     Jordi said,

     Many people make wind. Very unpleasant for holiday. Food offering very spiceful, making body wind in hotel and pool areas. Many people spitting the blood, not very clean outsides. Traffic too much during the days making noises. Sleeping not nice for holidays. Food.spiceful. No stakes available.

121. December 8, 2011 @ 7:32 am

     S.Rajan said,

     There seems to be quite a lot of noise over the goodness and badness of India. The comment that says India has a bit of heaven and hell in it is perhaps very reflective of true India.
     The people are desperately trying to to marry their millenia old culture into a very western present. The result is a mangled confused society. The fact that corruption has invaded every corner like a cancer has made every one of us a limping ,crippled citizen.

     The English have done great injustices and great inroads of development in India. We have to both thank them and hate them .Poverty is a direct consequence that arose from centuries of plunder, a denigration of culture and a burgeoning popultion post independence.
     Outlook traveller is one of the best magazines to help a foreigner visiting India, find her soul. Like most humans India’s soul is crystal clear but generations of storms have left it clouded.
     I am an Indian woman , who grew up in quite a liberal society and married into quite a traditional one. The liberal family , quite western in its outlook held hygiene, education and travel as important. The traditional family holds tradition very close…often at the cost of hygiene.
     I both love and hate this country. I often want to leave. but in the words of ROGER WATERS, Its just a strong urge to fly and nowhere to fly to.
     Personally I welcome any tourist in my country and try to help them out as much as possible without any personal gain.(Oftentimes without even asking them their names or nationalities) Good luck all you adventurous men and women who come here!

122. December 12, 2011 @ 6:27 pm

     Michael Wright said,

     If you are woman, think a million times. Especially if you are visiting North Indian states.
     The place is filled with sex maniacs.

123. December 13, 2011 @ 9:24 am

     alex parker said,

     what a pathetic moron are you all,if you want home like experience in india then go and hide yourself in cupboard .i know what india is because i spent two year travelling in india.Bamboozling. There’s simply no other word that convincingly captures the enigma that is India. With its in-your-face diversity, from snow-dusted mountains to sun-washed beaches, tranquil temples to feisty festivals, lantern-lit villages to software-supremo cities, it’s hardly surprising that this country has been dubbed the world’s most multidimensional. Love it or loathe it, and most visitors see-saw between the two, India promises to jostle your entire being, and no matter where you go or what you do, it’s a place you’ll never forget.

     Home to more than one billion people, the subcontinent bristles with an eclectic melange of ethnic groups, which translates into an intoxicating cultural cocktail for the traveller. For those seeking spiritual sustenance, India has oodles of sacrosanct sites and stirring philosophical epics, while history buffs will encounter gems from the past almost everywhere – from grand vestiges of the British Raj serenely peering over swarming spice bazaars, to crumbling fortresses looming high above plunging ravines. Meanwhile, aficionados of the great outdoors can paddle in the shimmering waters of one of many balmy beaches, scout for big jungle cats on a blood-pumping wildlife safari, or simply inhale pine-scented air on a meditative forest walk. And then there’s the food! From squidgy South Indian idlis (fermented rice cakes) to zesty north Indian curries, foodies can look forward to savouring a seductive smorgasbord of specialities.

     Once you touch down on subcontinental soil, you’ll quickly discover that cricket – India’s sporting obsession – is one of the most spirited topics of conversation, along with the latest shenanigans in the razzle-dazzle world of Bollywood. However, it is politics – whether at the national, state or village level – that consistently dominates news headlines, with middle- and upper-class India also keenly keeping its finger on the pulse of international events. On the home front, economic matters feature high on the national political agenda. With one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India has certainly made giant strides over the past decade. However, despite averaging an annual growth rate of around 9% in recent years, vast sections of the country’s billion-plus population have seen little benefit from the economic boom. Indeed, the government’s ongoing challenge is to spread both the burden and bounty of India’s fiscal prosperity. Not an easy task given that the gap between the haves and the have-nots is far from shrinking, and poverty is set to spiral upwards if India’s population rate continues to gallop beyond that of its economic growth.

124. December 21, 2011 @ 8:48 pm

     Jetsetgo said,

     DO NOT GO TO INDIA UNLESS YOU HAVE AT LEAST £20,000 A MONTH TO SPEND.

     India is not a budget holiday country - if you want to go live in India on a budget then you will be miserable however if you have the money then for 1/3rd the amount of what it would cost in Europe you can live and enjoy India like a King. For example in Delhi you can hire a chauffeur driven mercedes for £2000 a month including everything - and at your beck and call 24 hours a day. You can live in a super luxury hotel and go to super luxury gyms, spas, shopping malls which don’t even exist in western countries. As for sightseeing - if you have a chauffeur and mercedes then sightseeing is great. At a VIP level India offers the best services in the world money can buy at a much higher quality and level of what you get in Europe. Those who travel through India like “commoners” can never be happy there - they think they can spend £1000 and live like kings in India even now - sorry you need like 20 times more than that and yes you can live like a king then. Delhi has some top level restaurants now - all in the hotels though - Indian cities have a big hotel culture and the elite Indians only stick to the hotels - doing everything else privately… the elite Indians have very high level lifestyles much better than elite europeans or Americans have. Labour is still “cheaper” in India - making it easy to have a luxury life there. I have taken European friends to India and given them a glimpse of the luxuries …believe me none of them felt like coming back to their shitty difficult lives in Europe. Many old Palaces in India are now converted into luxury hotels - they all come at a price but the experience is well worth it…the level of service you will get in these luxury hotels is beyond anything in the rest of the world, out of the top 10 best hotels in the world, 5 are in India. All those NRI - American and British Indians who are posting against India here are cheap low class people who had very poor parents who immigrated to western countries - they do not even know what India is all about, they would never spend the money to live and travel through India properly - it’s a great experience which they will never realize because all these people are self-hating. Like I said - do not go to India if you are poor - you will be disappointed…but go to India if you have the money and you will be amazed at what you see there…go live in the Lake Palace in Udaipur…. take the royal palace on wheels train around Rajasthan….stay at the Mysore Palace hotel or the Taj Faluknama Palace hotel in Hyderabad…these hotels are not just plastic bricks like you get in America - they are steeped in history some of them as old as 400-500 years and full of luxuries. India is the only country I think where you can experience life of royalty even today in it’s true sense. Rich Indians don’t take common trains in India - they fly first class or take private jets, and usually get driven around by chauffeurs in their luxury cars - that’s the way to live and travel in India…it’s a huge country with a huge population - so not that easy but believe me India is a lot more exciting right now than anywhere else…despite the poverty and corruption at least there is a Buzz in India… people are working hard to build a better future and everyone is progressing…. life in western countries is dead now… or very superficial… America is far more superficial than India… and Americans are far more stupid, ignorant and dumb… and they are no less greedy either. And UK is a criminal racist hellhole… look at the crime rates in Britain - such an anti-social dangerous country…India is a million times safer than UK at least.

125. December 30, 2011 @ 2:07 am

     Naaz said,

     India is a country of high level of economic inequality.The rich is the Richest and the poor the most poor.Millions of Indians live like animals on road sides and slums.The government is least aware of them nor the money making population.Indians are so proud of themselves and are blind towards criticism. The worst part of India is much more than its brighter sides,If you really love India try to work for the problems and engage in more charitable organizations.So please learn constructive criticism. Population is not the problem.Its the distribution of resources.Unfortunately the world resources are in the hands of a few greedy elite bankers and rulers so they always attack other countries,control them, loot their resources and make their currency ever demanding,and Try to show their dominance and Act as Peace maker,. And shut the brains & mouths of its People against their looting,injustice and killing by bribing them with money.So they eat & shit alot become obese ,Travel around the world and pity the poor.

126. January 12, 2012 @ 3:49 pm

     Singh said,

     i am indian
     & ashamed to be one

127. January 16, 2012 @ 4:18 pm

     xyz said,

     who d f**k are you n all d indians who say dat dey r ashamed to be one ! u goys r nothing but just f**king dogs because of u guys only our india has a bad reputation n people living in foreign couteries u think u r rich na ll but the amout of money u earn in 1 year is what we earn in one day ! f**king shitty people ! u guys hav no moral values n den say dat u dont like joint families cz u guys know u r soo poor beggars dat u cant even afford dem n u are so slutty dat u can’t hav dem !

128. January 16, 2012 @ 4:19 pm

     xyz said,

     who d f**k are you n all d indians who say dat dey r ashamed to be one ! u goys r nothing but just f**king dogs because of u guys only our india has a bad reputation n people living in foreign couteries u think u r rich na ll but the amout of money u earn in 1 year is what we earn in one day ! f**king shitty people ! u guys hav no moral values n den say dat u dont like joint families cz u guys know u r soo poor beggars dat u cant even afford dem n u are so slutty dat u can’t hav dem ! n all who think dey r pround of india @nupur n @an indian girl i am totally wid you guys

129. January 21, 2012 @ 7:07 am

     nupur said,

     thanx @xyz ………for givn me a support,,,,,,,,,,,n @ shingh y r u ashamd to b an indian…………….rather v r ashmed dat u r a indian…….such shits are born in india…………if u can just move out of my country n help us to reduce itz population,,,,,,,,,,,,i shall be grateful to u……….u cn b baaaack ven otherz chase u out frim dere……:)……india vll gyve u a coffin to a die…:)

130. February 2, 2012 @ 11:10 am

     alan said,

     Corrupt, over populated, polluted, oh the smell and it gets worse - human defecation on streets. I saw a woman in Mumbai shyte in front me - I was shicked and froze and had the pain of watching her do all this and wipe her bum with rubbish and just get up and go as if nothing has happened. Mumbaians are rude and very aggressive. I met many bigots, racists and I can honestly say xenophobic Indians against certain nations and the hate towards one specific commuity was evident in Mumbai - I was unfortunate to get stuck on a train with an imbocile.

     When they are corrected they get upset, they sulk, they get angry. I have seen very very poor people, semi clad, naked, hungry and I had flashbacks of Ethiopia in the 1980’s. There is no LAW and order, crime is rampant and I can onlt shudder to think of the life of a child or a female in India. There is great history in India and arich Islamic heritage but oh no don’t go there especially in certain quarters as your in for a very long slur. Some fascinating temples - you can see some similarity with greek temples, babylonian adourned with figurines and one must look into history for this similarity. I would not recommend a single woman of any nationality especially caucasian to travel alone in India, misogynistm, vulgar, prowling eyes, rude comments is quite common if you find yourself late at night and this is from the supposedly middle clas quarters. Bribery is rampant but because it is so cheap you may well indulge in it and get things done quicker. Bollywood is not India and you will not fall in love with a exotic Indian beauty trust me - I saw erm none, I guess they exist north of India but I am not so sure as Delhi had the types who attempted to be very westernised but it just was not working.

     On the whole India smells, corrupt, crude place mixed up with too much going on and the rapid expansion to look very westernised does it no justice especially if it is done so wrong. Very colourful, loud, a very proud people but there is so much going on, so many langauges, people of different races, langauges and religions …it does not seem right.

     My experience of India was chronic diarrhoea, fever and when it cleared up I was little impressed. NOT EVER EVER EVER going back - no sir. Although the places I do wish to visit are Kashmir and the himalayas but i prey will have much to write there too I suppose on the human suffering of Kashmiris - so I better just avoid it altogether.

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