Portuguese woman shares how solo trip changed her perspective about Indian men

A Portuguese woman travelling solo in India shared how the men she met during her trip turned out to be very different from the warnings she had received before arriving in the country.

Ana, a travel vlogger currently travelling across India, shared a video on her Instagram account showing some of the interactions she has had with Indian men during her journey.

The clip began with Ana posing against a scenic backdrop as text on screen read, “You’re going to India alone? Careful with the men.”

The video then shifted to a montage of the people she met during her travels, offering a very different picture.

In one clip, Indian men danced alongside her, while another showed someone joking around with her and making her laugh. One man was seen stopping to tie her shoelaces, while another spent time playing Ludo with her.

She also shared glimpses of men taking her on drives, posing for the camera and smiling and waving as she filmed them.

In the caption, Ana recalled being warned about harassment, robbery and unwanted attention before travelling to India. She said the warnings initially made her nervous and that she avoided hitchhiking entirely during her first month in the country.

However, she said her experiences gradually changed that perception. Ana recalled meeting people who went out of their way to help her, including strangers who spent two hours helping her resolve an issue with her phone.

She also said some of the people she met eventually became lifelong friends.

“The men I met completely changed my perspective,” she wrote.

Ana was careful to add that she was not claiming India was completely safe or that travellers could afford to be careless. She acknowledged that women should take precautions, particularly in larger cities, and said her experience should not minimise what other women may have faced.

Her post ended with a message encouraging other travellers not to let fear prevent them from experiencing India.

The video prompted heartfelt responses from Indian users, with one user arguing that no place in the world is free of bad people but that India is often portrayed primarily through its negative aspects.

Another welcomed Ana’s positive experiences while cautioning her that the concerns she had heard before travelling were not entirely baseless and advising her to remain careful.- Ends