A Solo Indian Woman's Candid Safety Rating: Why India Fell Short While Nepal and Thailand Shone

An Indian solo female traveller has sparked a significant conversation online after sharing her candid safety ratings for various countries, placing her home country, India, at a starkly concerning 2 out of 10. Tanya Khanijow, a well-known travel vlogger, recently posted a video comparing her experiences in different nations, with her assessment of India drawing particular attention and debate.

Khanijow, whose travel content often focuses on solo adventures, did not mince words when evaluating the safety landscape for women.

While she lauded destinations like Nepal and Thailand, giving them impressive ratings of 7/10 and 8/10 respectively, her rating for India stood out for all the wrong reasons. This sharp contrast has resonated with many, highlighting a persistent and uncomfortable truth for solo female explorers within the country.

Delving into the specifics of her low rating for India, Khanijow detailed a pervasive sense of insecurity.

Her experiences included constant stares, unwelcome catcalling, and an overall environment where she often felt compelled to be on high alert. This constant vigilance, she explained, detracted significantly from the joy and freedom that solo travel typically offers, making her journey through India far less liberating than her international escapades.

In stark contrast, her time in Nepal and Thailand painted a picture of relative peace and respect.

She recounted how locals in these countries were generally helpful, friendly, and notably less intrusive. This sense of ease allowed her to immerse herself fully in the culture and beauty of these places without the underlying worry for her personal safety, a stark difference from her experiences back home.

Khanijow's viral video has inadvertently shone a spotlight on the broader issue of women's safety in India, a topic that frequently dominates national discourse.

Her personal anecdotes echo the sentiments of countless women who navigate public spaces with caution, often feeling vulnerable to harassment and unwanted attention. While governmental efforts and public awareness campaigns are underway, the lived reality for many, as articulated by Khanijow, suggests that significant strides still need to be made to foster a truly safe environment for solo female travelers and women in general.

The video has garnered immense attention, igniting a wave of comments and discussions across social media platforms.

While some viewers expressed agreement and shared similar experiences, others questioned the fairness of such a low rating, sparking a vital, albeit uncomfortable, conversation about perceptions versus reality in women's safety within India. Regardless of differing opinions, Khanijow's perspective provides an unfiltered look at the challenges faced by Indian women who choose to explore their own country alone.

Ultimately, Tanya Khanijow's journey and her brave sharing of experiences serve as a powerful reminder.

It underscores the profound impact that perceived and actual safety has on the travel experiences of women and calls for continued introspection and collective action to ensure that every woman, whether traveling solo or otherwise, can explore India with the same sense of freedom and security she finds abroad.