Travel Safely Abroad

You should look out for others in your group and be clear on safety procedures and contacts in the event of an incident or an emergency.

General crime prevention tips

  • Place your money in hidden pockets or deep inside your bag, so that it's hard for pickpockets.
  • Put only things that you are willing to lose in your visible pockets.
  • Take care on public transport and in crowded areas where pickpockets and bag snatchers may be operating.
  • Do not accept food or drinks from strangers. There have been reports of travellers being drugged and robbed on trains, more often than not on the overnight trains.
  • Store your passport, extra money, plane ticket, list of credit card/ATM card customer service phone numbers and other valuables in a secure location in your accommodation.
  • Be wary of scams on tourists, if it seems too good to be true it probably is
  • Do not leave your luggage unattended on trains if you step off for a few minutes at transit stations.

Personal Safety tips

  • If you are being Harassed:
  • Ignore the harassment/pretend ignorance
  • Feign confusion/lack of understanding
  • Move away/remove yourself from the situation
  • Confrontations of any type serve to encourage harassers who want attention, even negative attention will do.
  • If you say no with a smile on your face or in a weak, unconvincing voice, the words lose their force and power. Say no firmly and swiftly and follow that up with removing yourself from the situation and getting assistance if needed to back you up.
  • It is essential to your safety that you never allow yourself to be vulnerable to attack. Being under the influence of substances of any kind sets you up to be vulnerable to attack.
  • There have been incidents of sexual offences against women in Delhi, a number of whom have been British nationals. Female travellers are advised take particular care and to take basic personal safety precautions
  • If you are going out to drink, ensure that you drink in moderation, if this is not possible, then ensure that one of the group stays sober and that you travel back to your accommodation together.
  • It is important to follow local customs and dress and behave appropriately – your signals may be misinterpreted if you behave and dress in a provocative manner
  • Do not go out alone at night
  • You should take care with your water and food hygiene. You should drink or use only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. If you suffer from diarrhoea during a visit to India you should seek immediate medical attention. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya affect most of India.
  • Drugs are illegal in India. Penalties for possession of narcotic substances can be severe. There is a minimum sentence of six months for possession of small amounts “deemed” for personal consumption only. A 10-year sentence for possession of other amounts applies. Furthermore, the slow judicial process means that lengthy pre-trial detention, usually of several years, is normal.
  • At this time there are increased indications that terrorists are planning attacks in New Delhi. Terrorists have targeted places in the past which westerners are known to visit. Markets such as those in Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli and Sarojini Nagar may be especially attractive targets.You should take particular care in the lead up to and on days of national significance, such as Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August), Ramadan (11 Aug to 9 Sept), Eid (10/11 September) and Diwali (5 November).