A Bangkok woman who is a travel influencer with thousands of Instagram followers ranked Indian cities based on how safe she felt there. A woman named Emma posted her impressions of visiting eight cities across India. At each location she visited, she offered an “honest” assessment of her level of safety and comfort. Calling India “intense, beautiful, frustrating and heart-warming at the same time”, she rated Delhi, Udaipur, Goa, Pushkar, Agra, Mumbai, Kerala and Jaipur.
She rated the capital 1 out of 10, describing it as “overwhelming” with “staring eyes, chaos and constant noise”. She admitted she felt nervous in the city and said she “wouldn’t want to be there alone”.
She gave 3/10 for safety in Agra. While admiring the beauty of the Taj Mahal, she noted that the “corners and deceptions” made it difficult to relax. “The locals are used to tourists, but I still felt like everyone wanted something from me,” she wrote.
When she moved to Jaipur (5/10), she found the Pink City a step up from Delhi and Agra, though “still very traditional”. She shared that she was “constantly looked at during the day” but felt safe enough to explore the forts. However, solo nights were a no-go.
Pushkar (6.5/10) was, she says, “a breath of fresh air” after the chaos of bigger cities. She described the town as peaceful and spiritual, with mostly cool locals. However, after being tricked there, Emma warned fellow travelers to be careful after dark and plan their evenings in advance.
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Things took a turn for the better in Udaipur, which she rated 8/10 and called a “total change of atmosphere,” praising its polite locals, calm lakes and much less chaos. Udaipur, she said, was the first place in northern India where she actually felt comfortable walking alone during the day. “If every city felt like Udaipur, India would be a dream to travel to.”
In Mumbai she gave the “city of dreams” 6.5/10. She found it safer than most places—women traveled alone, people minded their own business, and Uber rides were easy. Still, the city felt “busy and unpredictable”. “Safer than most, but not 100% relaxed,” she noted.
Goa scored a solid 8/10 for enjoying the sense of freedom and relaxed beach culture. She called it “absolute paradise by day” and still urged travelers to be careful at night – advising them not to leave drinks unattended or walk on dark beaches.
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Finally, Kerala topped her list with a 9/10 for its cleanliness, tranquility and respectful locals. She said the state felt like a “completely different country” and recommended that first-time visitors to India start their journey there.
Did Mumbai deserve a better score?
Her assessment of Indian cities sparked a discussion on Reddit, where several users weighed in with their opinions. A screenshot of her video was shared on the r/Mumbai subreddit with the caption, “I think Mumbai deserved a much better score. Men in Mumbai are so considerate of women. They treat them like goddesses. What’s up?”
Here is a link to the Reddit post
Here’s what people wrote in the comments section:
One user wrote, “Mumbai mein pata nahi in general, what I have observed is that people respect women and mind their own business, maybe a particular person felt that way, it only takes one pervert to ruin the reputation of an entire city.” (I don’t know in Bombay – I’ve generally observed that people respect women and mind their own business. Maybe it was just one particular person who made her feel that way – one pervert is enough to ruin the reputation of an entire city.)
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Another commented: “Read her full comments on why Mumbai got 6.5. It’s not about women’s safety, it’s about being a generally calm, stress-free place.”
A third user added: “There are creepy perverts in Mumbai, I can vouch for that. When I was 14, I was touched inappropriately while traveling on the train… The constant stares on the way to the office and all. So no, Mumbai is not safe for women!”
