What should women wear when travelling in India?

How women travellers should dress in India is an ongoing discussion. It's the question I've been asked most since I've been out here and the issue that Alice and I struggled most with before we came. So, here's a brief overview in relation to the places we visited.

Before I begin, though, it should be said that how you dress is completely down to you, and what you are comfortable with. At the end of the day you are a travelling woman in India, you are going to get lots of looks from locals (both male and female) and will attract attention by just being there. How you dress will only affect the sort of attention you receive. Alice and I didn't once feel threatened on our trip. Yes, people looked at us, and often we did flash a little more knee/shoulder than is probably encouraged; but we did so under the clear understanding that we were going to generate that kind of reaction and were comfortable with that fact.

North India

Delhi
Delhi is a crazy place. It might be smaller than Mumbai with a smaller population, but it feels that bit more chaotic. To us, it felt dirtier and more intrusive. Make sure you have a shawl with you at all times and I would keep your shoulders and knees covered, just to avoided the attention. You can buy trousers for 100rps in most of the bazaars, so stock up at the beginning of the trip.
If you visit any temples you will have to cover up, but it is worth donning the same garb for any palace or fort visits; people will ask to take photos of you in Delhi.

Varanasi
Varanasi is a holy city, 300 funerals take place here every day. It's hot and humid and intense and you'll sweat more than you ever thought was physically possible, but keep covered up at all times here; just out of respect.

Agra
Being a tourist destination, the Taj Mahal is full of people from every corner of the globe. You could wear anything you liked here, really, so it's up to you whether or not you want to observe the more conservative dress code. We did, because it felt more respectful.

Jaipur
Jaipur is a little more chilled out, so it is at your discretion how much flesh you show. Keep a scarf with you and just be respectful. It is worth noting that a lot of people living in Jaipur aren't as used to westerners than those in the big cities; Jaipur is huge and quite poor in parts, so just be aware that you might attract a lot of attention.

Jaisalmer
I got my shoulders out in Jaisalmer for the first time. It is a small city, and felt that more chilled. We ensured we always had something to cover us up, but were a bit more relaxed on the dress code. Just, as a mentioned, be aware of the level of attention you might attract while you are there. Many of the camel safaris offer village visits; I would recommend keeping covered up for these, just to avoid creating anymore havoc than your presence alone will inevitably cause.

South India

We only visited a very small part of South India, so you may need to look around for advice on how to dress in Kerala, Chennai and beyond.

Goa
Goa is a bit like a beach resort. People walk through the streets in their bikinis here, especially in Palolem. We didn't go that far, but shorts and dresses were fine. Bikinis are all good on the beach, though I would recommend finding a slightly quieter patch of sand and maybe tucking yourselves behind a boat or something similar to avoid drawing a crowd. A lot of people told us to cover up on the local buses, however we found that we didn't draw any additional attention so carried on as we were (keeping a shawl or scarf with us at all times).

Hampi
Hampi is a very sacred place. If you are visiting any of the active temples make sure you cover up; chances are you will be asked to by the tourist information guys if you don't. The rest of the place you are fine; Hampi draws a lot of domestic tourists to it's ruins so just be aware that you might stick out a little bit and get a few looks from other Indians.

Mumbai
Dress according to your activity and location. If you're visiting the slums be respectful and conservative and consider that people aren't that used to scantily clad western women wandering around. In Colaba we felt quite comfortable in dresses with shawls, though we did put trousers on at night. Be aware of the Bollywood talent scouts that patrol the strip outside Leopold's; it is more than likely that you'll be scouted to be extra in an up and coming film if you're a woman and you're western and you're arms or legs are exposed (we were scouted within a minute of getting out of the cab!)

My main advice would be to stick within your comfort zone. Alice and I felt comfortable in Goa wearing summer clothes, but for much of Rajahstan we kept our shoulders and knees covered. Understand that you are already attracting a lot of attention, and what you wear will only add or subtract from that.

L&A x 

3 days in Hampi.

Where to stay?

Unbeknownst to us we arrived in Hampi in time for the Navarti festival season, which is an Indian holiday and therefore saw us join the thousands of tourists (both domestic and backpackers) who had chosen to descend upon the ancient town for the weekend. Almost every hotel  and guesthouse on the bazaar side of the river was full. We'd planned to cross the river and stay on the other side where alcohol is legal, but high tides stopped the boats for crossing. 

We met Will, a lone traveller from Virginia, at the bus station in Paniji and ended up sharing a room at Mayurums homestay for 1,200rps per night. Pricey, but the lowest we could wangle considering the holidays. Ravi, the owner, was more than obliging and the room was actually great, with a large bed, hot shower and good wifi. 

Netra guesthouse, on the edge of the bazaar, has cheap rooms and an awesome rooftop restaurant so that's defintaly worth a look.

On the other side of the river, the laughing Buddha is a hotspot that offers riverside bungalows for those willing to pay a little more.

If you're budgeting, head to sunny's guesthouse or further down the road to Shantis bungalows.

Exploring Hampi.

Day one we explored the town on foot and soaked up the infectious festival atmosphere. Ruins decorate your every line of sight in Hampi, there is no escaping them. Standing tall in the centre of it all is the Virupaksha temple with its intricate carvings and high walls. Cover yourself up if you visit, and expect to pay 20rps entry. Keep an eye out for Lakshmi, the temple elephant, who'll give you a happy slap on the head if you give her a few paper rupees (she wouldn't except coins, clever thing.) Monkeys are everywhere, adding to the 'raiders of the lost ark' feel about the place, and the place is full of people.

On foot you can explore the rock faces that border the town, littered with huge boulders and weathered temple ruins. Scale the stairs to theivandrum temple at the end of the road leading out of Hampi, it's worth it for the view. 

Day two we hired bicycles for 100rps each per day. Scooters are about 200-250rps, however we quite fancied the exercise. The roads are easy to navigate and by going it alone, without a tour guide, you're free to roam and take in as much or as little temple as you like. 

The underground shrine is definitely worth a look, but things do get a little touristy at the main site and you should expect to pay 250rps to enter the elephant stables. My advice? Go it alone, the landscape is unlike anywhere in the world and the surrounding villages are fascinating.

On our second night, the town lit 10,000 candles outside the Virupaksha temple, to mark the start of the Navarati celebrations. 

Family's dressed up in their finest clothes, with the women decorating themselves in highly embellished saris with bells round their ankles and flowers in their hair, and the men wearing crisp new Sherwani. We were honoured to be asked to get involved, and it was amazing standing amongst the candles and watching the procession, led by Lakshmi. 

Day three, the river crossing re-opened. The boat costs between 30-50rps (depending on the boatman...), and takes a matter of minutes. The other side is a little more chilled than the bazaar, alcohol is legal there and Bhang is readily available. We hired cycles again (50rps for the day) and went in search of the nearby lake. It's beautiful, and although the ride nearly killed us (over 5km, uphill, in the midday sun) it was worth the sweatfest.

Ignore the signs warning about crocodiles, they were put up to stop people swimming after a number of incidents in the dam. 

The water's safe and deep, too, making it perfect for cliff jumping. 

Star attraction...

Just be aware that you may quickly become the star attraction as word spreads around the nearby villages that westerners are jumping. There were about 20 pubescent males stood on the cliffs taking pictures by the time we took the plunge. 

We didn't get a chance to visit, but the monkey temple was highly recommended to us as a great place to view sunset on the other side of the river. 

Where to eat?

Netra guesthouse on the bazaar side is a backpackers hub, and serves great food at a reasonable price. The salads we're stand-out, with the 'funky monkey veggie salad' being my recommendation and a steal at 180rps. Breakfast is also good here, and the lazy bar layout makes it a great place to wile away the hours. You can get booze here too, despite the ban, just ask for the 'special' drinks. 

Netra restaurant 

Ravi rose will also get you beers, however you'll pay 250rps per can which is really quite expensive. Bhang lassis can also be bought at this rooftop, lazy restaurant. The food was tasty, with Thalis on offer and great stuffed partharas.

On the other side of the river, laughing Buddha is the place to be. Service is very slow, but drinks are readily available, the menu is vast, and the view is great. 

Chilling at the Laughing Buddha

And the rest...

We got massages at the Lotus salon, adjacent to Gantapi restaurant. A full hour, full body Ayurvedic, cost 600rps per person and was literally the best thing ever after a 12hour sleeper bus. 

Yoga classes are on offer at Gopi's guesthouse for 150rps each. 

I loved hampi and could have stayed for days. 3 is enough to see the place, but people linger here and it's clear to see why. You can just keep exploring.

L&A x