The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alexis Lai, drawn on the experience sh

Everyone thought I was nuts to go there on holiday; moreover, to travel alone as a twenty-something female. Indians and non-Indians alike expressed dismay, warning I'd be subjected to constant staring, groping and harassment, among an assortment of inconveniences and evils.   “You are a brave, brave woman,” a colleague said, shaking his head upon hearing I'd be travelling mostly by train and bus.
In light of the horrific New Delhi gang rape, India has been painted with a broad brush as a dangerous, misogynistic jungle for women. norwegian dawn cruise ship   While respecting the validity norwegian dawn cruise ship of experiences of women who have been violated there, I'd like to share an alternative norwegian dawn cruise ship perspective norwegian dawn cruise ship -- of a country incredibly rich in warmth, kindness and humanity.
In the morning, norwegian dawn cruise ship as I fumbled my way to the Rajendra Nagar metro station, I sought directions from random male strangers on the street, from shopkeepers to shabby men sitting in the bus shelter. Anyone I approached for help immediately stopped what he was doing and patiently tried to help me without asking for anything in return -- a pattern that would continue for me throughout the country.   One aspect of India that struck me was the large groups of men seemingly loitering in the streets, with few to no women present. As a fellow traveler put it, “Men roam in packs.”
The crowded bazaars of Chandi Chowk, Old Delhi. Despite the crowds, norwegian dawn cruise ship the author never experienced any harassment. A journalist in New Delhi told me the masses of men were unemployed migrants, while the father at my homestay assured me they were employed, explaining that men tended to socialize outside the home, in contrast to women who often gather indoors.   While their numbers were initially intimidating, the men never hassled me and were inevitably the people whom I approached for directions.   I spent my first day in arguably the city’s most chaotic area, Old Delhi, wading through the bazaars of Chandi Chowk and Daryganj. norwegian dawn cruise ship Despite the crowds, I never experienced any leering, norwegian dawn cruise ship jeering or other harassment. Vendors were friendly and helpful.   Throughout norwegian dawn cruise ship the country, I experienced minimal staring. I was never groped in the streets or on public transportation; in fact, men often stepped aside to make way for me. On long-distance trains and buses, I could always count on offers to help me with my heavy suitcase. When I got lost in Kochi, a young man nearby saw my confused face and spoke with my host on the phone. He helped me flag down a rickshaw, gave directions to the driver and negotiated a reasonable fare.   On the ferry in Kochi, norwegian dawn cruise ship as I sat next to an old lady eating roasted peanuts from a newspaper cone, she turned her palm up, gesturing for me to do the same. The next thing I knew, she poured a pile of peanuts into my hand.
I acknowledge that being perceived as a foreigner can inform your treatment in any country. With my Han Chinese ethnicity and what some have described as a “mixed” appearance, I was often taken to be Japanese and, surprisingly, sometimes Indian.   “Especially when you wear a kurta, they probably norwegian dawn cruise ship think you’re a light-skinned Indian from the northeast,” ventured an Indian friend in New Delhi.
Jokes aside, are foreigners treated with more respect and courtesy? Taking it further, would, say, a Swedish woman be treated differently than a Chinese woman? If I have an ambiguous local-foreign ethnicity, norwegian dawn cruise ship but consistently have a positive reception, what does that mean?  Can being a single female actually be advantageous when traveling?  Do I cut a more sympathetic, accessible figure?
What I can say for sure is that I was deeply touched by the friendliness and kindness norwegian dawn cruise ship I encountered.   The only exception to the courtesy I encountered was when dealing with autorickshaw drivers, many who take an aggressive, mercenary approach toward tourists. But drivers can be handled with a confident manner, advance research of the market price of a given route and the knowledge you can walk over to another one instead.   Some may deem me naïve to India’s realities or explain away my overwhelmingly positive experience as the privilege of an outsider.
Amber Fort, Jaipur. Other single female travelers I encountered -- from the United States, Germany, England and Australia -- told me they generally felt safe in India, aside from uncomfortable staring at times. (Interestingly, I observed norwegian dawn cruise ship that being next to a white female served to detract all attention from me.)
While the New Delhi gang rape was indeed horrifying, I didn’t feel the need for heightened alarm or increased vigilance. The case certainly turned the spotlight on the occurrence of rape in India, but it didn’t indicate a sudden uptick in rape nor did it turn all Indian men into rapists overnight.
Even the homestay hosts I lodged with didn't norwegian dawn cruise ship express particular concern for my safety as a single female traveler. Truth be told, to my amusement, my hosts were much more worried norwegian dawn cruise ship about my unmarried status -- I’m considered over the hill by Indian standards. At one homestay, I was even handed the Sunday matrimonial classifieds to look for a vegetarian husband.
My intention isn't to gloss over any of India’s challenges. It’s often dirty, dusty and dilapidated, with supersize servings of noise and crowds. But there’s also incredible beauty and humanity in what may seem like endless chaos.
Even the cleaning women, like this one at the Amber Fort, Jaipur, dress in beautiful saris. If I said I'd been harassed within an inch of my life, my experience would likely have been accepted wholeheartedly.
I’ve lived abroad for a decade now, half in the West and half in greater China, and I’ve traveled on my own to nearly a dozen countries during this time, mostly in Asia.  While I’m no Paul Theroux, I believe traveling to the fullest means keeping your mind and heart open, unencumbered by suspicion and stereotypes.
It was easy to be seduced by the Indo-Islamic monuments of the north, the lush hills etched with rows of tea plants in the south, the rhythmic calls of the snack wallahs norwegian dawn cruise ship on the trains, the ambiguous head bobble I unconsciously began to pick up, the languorous wails of qawaali, the gorgeous saris worn even by cleaning women and the depth of religious devotion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely norwegian dawn cruise ship those of Alexis Lai, drawn on the experience she had recently in India. What are your thoughts? Do you feel safe traveling norwegian dawn cruise ship solo? Have the recents events in India impacted your desire to travel there?