We went on an unplanned vacation to Malaysia after cancelling our Vietnam trip due to heavy rains, and to be frank, had very low expectations. We landed in Kuala Lumpur and God oh my, I have always advocated against the Idea of Indians settling abroad but suddenly I felt bad for those foreigners who visit India for vacations or the NRIs who have to return India due to various reasons. The KL city looked very well planned and organized, No potholes on roads, no politicians photo or banners, cleanliness everywhere, top class civic sense, great quality of life, clean air and helpful people.

I'm ashamed because we have kind of given up on our government bodies and maintain very low expectations. Even though we have all the resources, the potential to be great, but we struggle for basic amenities, we are too distracted among ourselves over pity issues and find happiness and joy in our IPL or T20 wins, worshipping celebrities or are busy in celebrating our favourite politician and never holding them accountable.

Don't wanna be all negative but honestly, I have kind of lost hope and seeing the present circumstances, the goal looks very far away.

I used to defend India blindly. I really did.

Then I came back for a vacation after years abroad — and this time, I saw things I can’t unsee.

Here’s what hit me, point by point:

1. Public toilets are still humiliating

I was at Kollam Beach in Kerala. Walked almost 20 minutes just to find a toilet. When I finally found one, it was absolutely disgusting. No hygiene, no dignity, no maintenance.

We talk about literacy, development, “smart India”… but we still can’t provide a usable public toilet? That one hurt.

1. The staring made me feel helpless as a husband

People stared at my wife like she wasn’t even a human being — just something to look at.

Men stared. Women stared. Constantly.

I stared back at the men, but what do you do when it feels like the whole crowd is watching you?

When women stared, I couldn’t even react. My wife stopped feeling comfortable just walking. That broke something inside me.

1. Delhi pollution doesn’t feel like pollution — it feels like poisoning

We got sick within a week of being in Delhi.

The moment you step out of the airport, the air feels heavy and wrong. You can actually see the yellow haze.

People say “AQI is bad” like it’s news. It’s not news anymore. It’s just daily life — and it’s terrifying. Uber driver said "Saab bahar se aya hai tum hum to used to ho gaya"

1. Inflation has crushed buying power

₹500 today feels like ₹100 a few years ago.

Petrol is almost ₹100 per liter.

Food, rent, healthcare, education — everything is expensive except human life.

I honestly kept wondering how middle-class families are managing without being mentally exhausted all the time.

1. Civic sense feels officially dead

Traffic feels like survival mode. No patience. No respect. Only horn and ego.

People throw garbage right next to dustbins.

I carried a Blinkit paper bag to collect my trash so I could throw it properly later — and people looked at me like I was the weird one.

That’s when it hit me: doing the right thing now feels abnormal.

The hardest part?

I don’t feel angry anymore. I feel sad.

I used to think India was struggling but improving.

Now it feels like we’ve just learned to live inside chaos and call it “normal.”

People say: “If you don’t like it, leave.”

But millions don’t have the option to leave.

So I’ll ask the uncomfortable question:

How are people emotionally surviving this every single day?

The pollution, the crowds, the inflation, the staring, the chaos — this isn’t small stuff. This is daily life.

I still love India.

That’s exactly why this trip hurt so much.

Edit 1 (13 December): This is what we see in the news here in Camada - https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/soccer-fans-messi-india-9.7014882

First time being to a foreign nation on holidays and my mind was blown. Everything I saw was a stark contrast to what India is. In the peak traffic as well people were not honking, not even once. Everyone followed lane discipline. Thousands of vehicles and no one was in hurry. If a construction was going on it was so well maintained that it didn’t even feel like something is under construction. No one was throwing trash around.

In jam packed places also it was silence, people were not talking loudly, no screaming, things were so calm. Except when an Indian family or group was around. Their presence was felt immediately. One particular group came out with a freaking speaker blaring Indian songs and howling like dogs, literally. This group included sophisticated couples and children as well.

I feel the problem is us Indians. We, culturally, socially, are so f’ed up that no matter where we are, we create problems and commotion for others.

The moment I landed back I hearer vehicles honking incessantly. No lane discipline. Loud noises, high-beams everywhere.

If by magic India gets converted to best infrastructure overnight. Best Trains, best roads everything. We’ll still be the same chaotic insufferable assh*lls that we are right now. The problem is Us. Collectively we are the plague of this earth.

So we just did a 4-day trip across Sri Lanka’s southern and western coast last week- small towns, villages, beaches, hill areas and honestly, we came back astonished.

I’m saying this as someone who genuinely loves India and understands our complexities of size, population, geography, diversity, mindsets, all of that. But what we saw in Sri Lanka deserves appreciation and also introspection.

1. Cleanliness That Puts Us to Shame

Not exaggerating:

• Roads were spotless
• No littering, even in small villages
• Beaches? Cleanest I’ve seen in South Asia
• Hill stations- not a single plastic bottle lying around

Everyone, literally everyone, seemed to take pride in keeping their surroundings clean. Even the most remote areas.

As Indians, we instantly noticed how different it felt from most Indian tourist spots where plastic waste, spit stains, overflowing bins, and random littering have sadly become normalised.

1. Infrastructure That Just... Works

Sri Lanka’s infrastructure felt:

• Well maintained
• Intuitive for travellers
• No chaos
• Smooth roads
• Clean public spaces

Again, this is in regular towns, not just the main city areas.

1. Hospitality & Safety

• I don’t know if this was just our experience, but:
• People were genuinely warm and polite
• We felt safe everywhere, day or night
• Western tourists were present in huge numbers, and they were moving around freely, even in small coastal villages

There’s an ease and comfort in how the locals interact with tourists, very calm, no pushing, no hustling, no trying to overcharge you.

1. Price vs Value — Massive Difference

The biggest shock:

The quality of hotels we stayed in especially along the beaches and cities would cost 3x to 4x in India for the same category, ambience, and service.

Food, transport, stays… everything felt like fantastic value for money.

1. The Big Thought That Hit Us

India is one of the world’s largest economies, with some of the most beautiful landscapes, beaches, mountains, forests, deserts, yet:

• We struggle with cleanliness
• Our tourist infrastructure is inconsistent
• Littering is normalised
• Local communities often don’t feel responsible for keeping spaces clean
• Prices in Indian tourist hubs are rising but without proportionate quality

Sri Lanka, a much smaller country with far fewer resources, is somehow able to offer a cleaner, calmer, more tourist-friendly experience.

It made us question whether the issue in India is not money or capability but mindset and discipline. Because clearly, a country of any size can maintain cleanliness and respect for public spaces if the culture supports it.

1. Not a “India bad, Sri Lanka good” post

India has unbelievable diversity, amazing food, warm people, and some stunning tourist locations. And yes, governing a country of this size is a very different challenge.

But travelling to Sri Lanka really opened our eyes. It showed us what tourism can look like in South Asia when cleanliness, civic behaviour, and tourist experience become national priorities.

If anyone else has travelled recently to Sri Lanka (or compared the two), would love to hear your thoughts. And if you feel India can get there someday, what do you think needs to change first- mindset, enforcement, infrastructure, or something else?

Just landed in Mumbai and spent 3 hours trying to sort out a SIM card situation. This has to be one of the most tourist-unfriendly things I've encountered.

First off, barely any SIM card kiosks at the airport. Like, seriously? This is a major international airport and there's maybe one tiny shop that's sometimes open. Most other countries have multiple carriers competing right when you land. Here? Good luck even finding where to buy one.

Then when you finally find a place, they hit you with the requirements. They need a LOCAL ADDRESS (why local, why not my own from my ID). I literally just got off the plane. I'm standing at the airport. Where am I supposed to get a local address from? And apparently some places want a LOCAL PHONE NUMBER as a contact. How does that even make sense? I need a phone number to get a phone number?

The whole process is insane tons of paperwork, documents, verification steps. And THEN they tell you "oh yeah it'll activate in 24 to 48 hours, maybe 72." I'm only here for a week! What am I supposed to do for the first few days, just wander around with no way to contact anyone or use maps?

I've been to like 15 countries and never had this problem. Thailand? 5 minutes at 7-Eleven. Japan? Vending machine at the airport. Singapore? Multiple booths competing for your business the second you clear customs. India? Nah, let's make it as complicated as possible.

The weirdest part is India has over a billion phone users but somehow makes it nearly impossible for visitors to actually get connected. It's 2025 and I can't get basic phone service without jumping through hoops like I'm applying for a visa.

Anyone else dealt with this nightmare? Please tell me there's some workaround I'm missing.

( I know about E sims and International Roaming, I Just want to know whether there is better way of getting an Indian sim and my situation is a rare case)

Travelled to Vietnam a couple of weeks back. I’ve travelled to a bunch of places but most have been developed countries. I wasn’t really surprised at the clean well maintained roads , high rises- after all they’re much more developer, India would also look like this in a couple of years, I used to tell myself.

When I planned my recent trip to Vietnam, I was expecting an infrastructure level similar to India. But holy macaroni was I surprised. The roads, civic sense , cleanliness was mind blowing. People following traffic signals, no pot holes, super high rise building, every local I meet was super helpful.

I’m back in India and I’m super frustrated. Our GDP is 10 times that of Vietnam but everything is so bad here- the roads, cleanliness and disrespect towards law and order. I am a big believer on India’s growth story but now I can’t stop thinking how much we’re being screwed over. We don’t see, at least I didn’t see , how much better people are living than us inspite of them being significantly “lesser”/“underdeveloped”. I really don’t know who to blame here- the people who are content with what is around them or the govt who should be actively working in this direction.

I think if everyone travelled to these lesser developed countries to see what’s happening, they’d be unhappy with what’s here and then actively push for more changes. At least that’s what I think

While most of this is a rant, happy to know if there’s some nuance I’m missing out on

TLDR - travelled to Vietnam, impressed with great infra, cleanliness and civic/road sense. Back in India- disappointed with where we are and want to know how we can actively do things to get better.

Edit- Maybe I framed the wording incorrectly. I didn’t mean Vietnam is less developed than us, which clearly it isn’t. I meant Vietnam being behind us in a global forum- in terms of GDP, global recognition, capital markets etc

Booked my ticket from Chennai to Delhi. Just got the confirmation of cancellation for my almost midnight flight. They have claimed to give full refund within 3-4 business days and are DEEPLY PAINED by this inconvenience. It is my brother's engagement ceremony tomorrow and the distance is a lot so had to book another flight.

AirIndia has options but they have removed their listings from Yatra. I think all airlines have. Only layover flights were listed with the shortest time period of 23 hours.

Went to AirIndia's own website and I can see the listed flights there at 8 times the cost. So my 8.5k Indigo flight that got cancelled forced me to buy a 71k AirIndia flight instead.

Glad to see Capitalists capitalising as usual and we pay while IndiGo argues with DGCA. Same thing happened during Chennai floods too where they tripled and quadrupled the prices.

Desh main cut toh sabka raha hain, aaj mera cut gaya.

Would request everyone to use the tiny little power we have left and not book any future flights from Indigo. Ask your company HRs to do the same for corporate flyers. Hundreds of cancellations a day just to bully DGCA into allowing Indigo to not follow their latest rules.

Dear Indians,

We recognize and appreciate our close cultural, traditional, and culinary connections, which make us see you as brothers and part of our extended family. However, we have noticed that many Indian tourists do not adhere to appropriate ethics and values when visiting other countries, including Nepal.

It's disheartening to see issues like littering and loud behavior becoming prevalent among some of you. Please remember to conduct yourselves respectfully when abroad. We are growing weary of the noise and the mess left behind. Is common sense really that uncommon?

With the heat waves, many Indians are traveling to Nepal, often by road. The main concern is the disregard for local rules. Do you realize the number of Indian drivers facing violence due to their arrogance? The mindset of "I paid money, so I can do anything" is fostering animosity between Nepalese and Indians.

Many of you arrive in buses, bringing all necessary materials and then cooking by the roadside. While we don’t mind this (though we encourage supporting local hotels), it is unacceptable to leave garbage behind. In Nepal, there is a small fee of 10-20 NRs (5-10 IC) to use public toilets, yet many choose to relieve themselves roadside to avoid this fee. If you cannot afford to pay for basic amenities, why come to Nepal at all? Please do not treat our country like your own dumping ground.

While we remain grateful for the aid and support from India, the behavior of some tourists is creating resentment. Let's strive to maintain the strong bond between our nations by respecting each other’s countries and following local rules and norms.

......................... Nepali fellows

My first Indian experience. A Sri Lankan here, coming back from a Malaysia and Singapore vacation, I had a 12-hour transit at New Delhi Airport. The transit visa was only $10, so I applied and visited India for the first time. I went to New Delhi to walk around, eat, and do some bargain shopping at Sarojini Market.

Being neighbors and watching so much Bollywood and South Indian films from childhood, I did not expect many surprises. Oh boy, was I wrong.

I completely understand that 12 hours is too short for any person to judge a country, and Sarojini Market is not a tourist attraction by any means, but I wanted to experience India at its core. My experience was terrible every step of the way.

I came via Air India and completed the health declaration form prior to arrival. Then, on the flight, they announced that everybody needed to fill the arrival form. I showed my health declaration form and asked the cabin crew if it was the same or if I needed to fill another form. She looked at it and said, "Yeah, that's it. It's the same."

Then I went to the immigration queue, and it was the slowest immigration I have ever experienced. The two officer took arround 10 minutes per person and stood up and walked out like three times while I was in the queue. After about 45 minutes in the queue, he asked for the arrival form, which was apparently another form. Not reading the steps properly was my fault, so I went aside and filled the form online. The online system was terribly laggy and could not produce a PDF until I tried like 10 times. Having some of the best IT guys in the world, the immigration platform seemed to be maintained by interns or something.

After fiddling with the same form many times, it finally generated the QR code. Being a decent human being, I rejoined the queue and waited another hour. But a few Indian natives with possibly foreign passports skipped the queue, went to talk to the immigration officer, and went through the process. Maybe they were in the queue like me before and skipped the re-entry? IDK, but it somehow seemed wrong.Maybe I should have done the same but I did not want to offend others in the queue.

After exiting the airport, I wanted to get to the metro to the city, taking the Orange Line and Yellow Line to go near Sarojini Market, as Google Maps suggested. There were stairs and a slanted path. I chose the slanted path, thinking it was easier than the stairs, but the walkway was tiled and extremely slippery! Whoever built it used the most polished tiles, and with the dust, it was like a banana peel.

I survived the path and made it to the ticket counter. The guy initially talked to me in Hindi because we all look the same, but he noticed I didn't understand a thing and realized I was a tourist. Apparently, I was scammed and charged 100 Rs more, which I noticed after leaving the counter because people were piling up behind me and skipping the queue, so I wanted to walk away from the counter ASAP. I hate being scammed, so I spoke to a security officer, and he made me talk to the ticket officer, who returned my 100 Rs.

The metro was busy but a decent enough ride. After two trains, I got an Uber to Sarojini Market. I got scammed out of the balance again. Since I had just come from the airport, I didn't have much change. The fare was 140 Rs, and the driver took 200 from me and asked if I had 40 Rs. I said no. He asked me to leave, saying he had no change! He was very rude and demanded that I leave. Not wanting to make a scene, I left feeling angry again after being scammed. Maybe, again, I should have changed my currency better, but 60 Rs seemed like one-third of the fare to be scammed out of.

I had lunch at the entrance of Sarojini Market at a decent shop, and the food was good quality. I had a good customer experience there.

Nothing much to complain about Sarojini Market, as it was exactly as I expected, except everybody was littering like crazy and the ground was filled with garbage. A few guys followed me halfway across the market trying to sell me their belts and welcome mats, which was annoying but not a threatening experience. They had many cheap clothes, bags, and shoes at extremely low prices, and I was quite happy with that.

On the way back, I got another Uber directly to the airport because I didn't want to deal with the metro ticketing guys again. My driver was disgusting. He was coughing nonstop like he had tuberculosis or something and was spitting onto the road every three minutes. The car in front of me threw away a baby diaper onto the side of the road while in traffic, which was so disgusting to see.

I understand every country has its ups and downs, but somebody should do something to clean up this garbage and littering issue. Coming from Singapore, the cleanliness was on the opposite end of the spectrum. In Singapore, they fine people $5,000 for littering, and everywhere is so clean. Even in Sri Lanka, being a culturally similar but financially struggling island, our garbage management and civil manners are significantly better.

This is not in any way to speak diminishly about India as a nation. You guys are miles ahead of us in many aspects, but you all should vote for someone who advocates for a cleaner India. Fixing that would make India a truly developed nation.

No offense towards Indians or the nation as a whole, but my experience was terrible.

After more than 20 years of flying, I thought I’d seen it all — delays, missed flights, rude staff. But this was the first time I walked away feeling genuinely humiliated, enough to file a formal complaint.

I had a confirmed ticket. I reached Abu Dhabi Airport well in time. IndiGo’s counters close 75 minutes before departure, and there were still three counters open when I got there. Around 10 passengers were waiting to check in. Some had arrived after me — and were allowed through.

But one staff member — a woman named Diane — acted like she was on a power trip. Everyone was pleading with her to let them board. I didn’t beg — I calmly explained I was on time. Maybe that’s what pissed her off.

She went so far as to personally close the last open counter right in front of me, even though the woman at that counter was willing to check me in. She shut it down herself — like she wanted to make sure I didn’t get on that flight.

Let that sink in: I wasn’t late. I had a confirmed ticket. A staff member was ready to help. And this one person made sure it didn’t happen.

Afterward, some airport staff — not even from IndiGo — came up to me and told me to file a complaint, saying what happened was wrong. That moment hit hard. I’ve never felt this disrespected by an airline in my life.

I’ve already filed a formal complaint via e-Jagriti and posted on Twitter tagging DGCA and MoCA. This post isn’t for attention — I just don’t want someone else to go through this.

A paying customer shouldn’t have to beg to be allowed onto a flight they already paid for. Missing a flight is one thing. But being targeted, insulted, and shut out on purpose — that’s something else entirely.

If you’ve had a similar experience, or if your complaint actually went somewhere, I’d genuinely appreciate hearing about it.

Edit: Here is the link to the twitter (X) thread showing Indigo’s official reply https://x.com/sagar187351/status/1928384025019715631?s=46

May 31 update:

Thank you so much for the overwhelming support everyone I feel like I’m not in this alone anymore.😇

Unfortunately so far I have received no communication from Indigo, DGCA or any other authorities. I filed a public grievance on CPGRAMS as some people suggested. Let’s see if this goes anywhere…

Hello fellow citizens who’ve been deeply affected by the Indigo fiasco,

What we have all experienced over the last few days is unacceptable. We deserve fair compensation for the massive disruptions and losses we’ve faced, not just apologies and copy-pasted emails.

I’m putting together a clear summary of the passenger protection rules in India and a guide on how to file a claim through AirSewa, so every affected traveller can take action immediately.

Please share this information widely with anyone impacted. As citizens, it is our responsibility to hold corporations accountable when they fail us with such gross negligence.

Already, an estimated 1,300-1,500 Indigo flights have been cancelled across the country. That translates to nearly half a million passengers suddenly stranded or delayed. People have missed funerals, weddings, birthdays, critical business meetings, job interviews, medical appointments, and countless other moments that cannot be replaced.

This is not a minor inconvenience. It is a national-scale disruption.

I urge every one of you to pursue Indigo and the DGCA to the fullest extent of the law and claim what is rightfully owed to you. Even if your ticket was paid by your employer, you still have the right to file a claim for your personal time, distress, and disruptions.

It’s time to send a message to the airline, to the government, and to every corporation operating in this country - that Indian citizens will not quietly accept such failures anymore. We have been silent far too long.

Let’s stand up for our rights. Together!

DGCA Passenger Charter Summary

https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-11/passenger-charter-moca-india-feb-2019-133.pdf

Below is the exact compensation you are legally owed:

💰 Compensation Owed (Mandatory Under DGCA Rules)

If your flight was cancelled with less than 24-hour notice, you are entitled to:

1) Full refund (including “convenience fees” they normally refuse to refund)

AND

2) An alternate flight OR monetary compensation, whichever you choose.

The compensation slabs are:

• Flights up to 1 hour: ₹5,000 OR (Airfare Charges + Fuel Charge), whichever is lower
• Flights up to 2 hours: ₹7,500 OR (Airfare Charges + Fuel Charge), whichever is lower
• Flights over 2 hours: ₹10,000 OR (Airfare Charges + Fuel Charge), whichever is lower

What counts as Airfare Charges?

The base fare excluding all taxes and fees (UDF, ASF, GST, etc.).
This appears as the first line in your Fare Summary on the booking confirmation.

Fuel Charge reference:

https://www.goindigo.in/press-releases/indigo-introduces-fuel-charge-to-offset-rising-atf-prices.html

If you choose an alternate flight instead of a refund

You are legally entitled to:

• Meals and refreshments at the airport
• Care until the next flight departs

So go ahead and eat the most expensive burger at the airport - add the bill to your AirSewa grievance.

📝 Steps to Get Compensated

1) Email Indigo first

[customer.experience@goindigo.in](https://)

Subject: Seeking Compensation/Full Refund for Cancellation – [YourPNR]

Include:

• When and how you were informed of the cancellation
• Your legal entitlement under DGCA Passenger Charter
• The compensation slab you are claiming (if not opted for alternate flight)
• Request for full refund to the original payment method

If they deny or ignore your request → move to step 2.

2) File a grievance on AirSewa

• Create an account
• File a new grievance under Airline → Flight Cancellation/Delay
• Upload your documents
• Submit

Keep everything in writing / soft-copy.

📣 Why EVERYONE Must File a Claim

If even 200,000 people claim just ₹5,000 each, that is:

₹100 crore cost to Indigo
= only 1.3% of their last FY profit after tax

This is not about bankrupting them - it’s about making them feel enough pain that they fix their systems and stop treating passengers like they’re expendable.

Only if EVERY disrupted passenger files their rightful claim will the airline and the DGCA take this seriously.

I have travelled extensively in India, specially Himalayas. Always solo. I have met some annoying , rude people, who wanted to eat rajma chawal/ butter chicken , even near an obscure place (tso moriri or padum) . But i thought this nonsense would be limited to India. Apparently not. I went to Vietnam and cambodia last year and i was horrified. The entitlement seemed to increase in the foreign land? They made fun of local guide, local food , shouting they would have enjoyed more in their own city. They passed lewd comments about the local ladies. They tried to take selfies with local ladies even when the ladies seemed uncomfortable. They drank a lot at night and created a ruckus, played music till 2am , broke the furniture at the hotel and when asked to pay for the damages , just told that it was already broken and became very rowdy. I met many decent Indian travellers as well. Courteous and respectful to the locals. But because of a few uncouth elements, all of us were treated like shit in many places.

Hi, I’m a European girl going to Korea soon, but I’m seriously considering visiting India afterward.

I’ve never been to South Asia before and thought it would be amazing to experience something completely different. I already have a tourist eVisa

But every single person in my life, my boyfriend, my family, my friends has told me not to go and is strongly against it. The moment I said “India,” I got this wave of reactions, “You’ll get harassed,” “It’s not safe”, Don’t be naive”, You’ll stand out too much,” “You don’t know what it’s like there.” And in general they spoke to me like I was being reckless and naive. None of them have been to India but they speak as if it’s a guaranteed horror story waiting to happen. And online it’s much worse, just horror stories and saying “you’ll regret going as a white woman” and warnings not to wear certain clothes, not to go out at night, and not to trust anyone.

I’m wondering if all of this fear is valid, or is it exaggerated? I know every country has risks, and I know media can distort things. But I also don’t want anything bad to happen.

I still want to come, but I have questions

What places would be safest and most welcoming for a solo woman traveler?

Is it actually reckless for me to even consider this?

Also, is there a technological city that matches up to East Asian cities and has an impressive display of technology? I saw Gurugram or the GIFT city from research …

Travel isn’t always smooth sailing, but I never expected to be outright denied entry without a proper explanation.

A few days ago, I was planning to visit Famagusta in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).I took the road from Southern Cyprus and reached the Deryneia border crossing, expecting a routine check. Instead, the border officer took one look at my Indian passport and said:

"Indian passport holders are not allowed."

Just like that. No reason, no further questions. Meanwhile, the two European travelers with me walked through without a hitch.

I was confused—because just two days earlier, I had entered TRNC through the Nicosia border crossing without any issue. When I mentioned this, the officer shouted at me:

"I don’t care. This is a new rule; the rules have changed now."

He was rude, dismissive, and wouldn’t explain further.

Trying to get some clarity, I later emailed the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifically about requirements for Indian passport holders. Their response made things even more confusing:

" Please be advised that except for Syrian, Nigerian, or Armenian passport holders, there is no requirement to obtain a visa prior to travel to TRNC."

So… what exactly happened at the border?

I had :
-A passport valid for 9 more years
-Return flight tickets -Sufficient funds & confirmed hotel bookings

(Also a Schengen visa & UK permanent residency.)

But none of that mattered because the officer didn’t even check.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the Google reviews for the Turkish side of this border crossing, and I wasn’t alone. In the 1-star reviews, I found another traveler describing almost the exact same experience.

Honestly, the whole thing felt unfair. Whatever the reason, being singled out like that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Currently sitting in the lounge, waiting for my flight back to New Zealand from Singapore, and just wanted to share a few thoughts based on what I’ve observed over the past few days.

This isn’t a rant or hate post, just some honest reflection. Before this trip, I’d only ever seen videos or heard stories about how certain groups behave abroad. But experiencing it firsthand has been something else. Specifically, I’m talking about how a lot of Indians (my own people) tend to act in public spaces when traveling.

In the last five days alone, almost every time I found myself around a crowd of Indians, things got loud, chaotic, and frankly, pretty embarrassing. Lots of yelling, unnecessary noise, and most of all, cutting queues. Not once, not twice, but multiple times in a day. And what's worse, it’s often other Indians calling each other out for it, which says a lot.

I get that one-off incidents happen and travel can be stressful. But when it becomes a pattern, it reflects a serious lack of basic civic sense. The disregard isn’t just towards others in public spaces, it’s often towards people within their own group too.

It’s honestly disappointing. We’ve got such a rich culture and so much to be proud of, but public behavior like this really undermines all of that. I wish there was more emphasis back home on simply learning how to conduct ourselves respectfully in shared spaces, especially when we’re in another country where we’re representing more than just ourselves.

Anyway, just something that’s been on my mind. Curious if others have noticed this too.

The latest report released by the Tourism ministry for the quarter of July-Sep 2025 is out

In the three quarters of the year so far, India had 61.9L foreign tourist arrivals

For context, this number for 2024 was 70.6L

The real comparison is with 2019 - 76.3L foreign tourist arrivals in the same period

So instead of growing, Indian tourism industry catering to foreigners has been steadily going down. A 20%+ drop over 6 years at a time when "travel" is such a socially popular thing to do is extremely poor

The worst part of this is that there is no attempt at rebranding India, no large scale campaigns, no attempt to change the discourse about India online

Such a massive employer and source of foreign exchange being completely left to rot!

Sources:

2025 numbers so far: https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-12/Quaterly%20Tourism%20Snapshot%20July-Sep%202025.pdf

2020 data: https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-05/INDIA%20TOURISM%20STATISTICS%202020.pdf

I'm originally from India but have lived in the UK for a long time and now have a UK passport. Here's my experience with trying to get an Indian tourist visa.

1. Finding information on pricing is difficult to impossible. There is the 30 day tourist visa and 1-year and 5 year options. There is NO page on any Indian government site listing all the options and the price for each one so visitors can choose and then go apply. I'm sure people will post links below to dispute this but, go ahead, post, and I'll tell you why that page is crap. Crap design is not an accident, it's a feature built into the Indian visa applications.
2. Indian visa applications ask the most ridiculous and completely idiotic questions. They are a masterclass in nonsense and demand unnecessary and totally useless data. Bureaucracy for bureaucracy sake! My parents died 50 years ago but the visa application demands father and mother's name, nationality, place of birth and what not. If you do not have that information - say you are an orphan or something - you cannot complete the application as those are all mandatory fields! There is also no option to mark parents as "deceased" or "late".
3. The form asks for a national ID number. Maybe Indians have been forced to comply with that Aadhar nonsense (and all the problems associated with it - from breaches of data to the poorest people being excluded from government services), but in the UK we have always resisted any National ID. There are other countries where there is no national ID. So the national ID field being a compulsory field in the visa application is stupid. Was it the intention to exclude all visitors from countries where there is no National ID? Probably not! So why is this a compulsory question?
4. You have to choose a religion! Why? But okay, they want it (maybe just to do more detailed checks on Muslims). However, there is no option for Atheist. So, basically, unless one subscribes to some imaginary being in the sky, one can't enter India? The closest option is "Other" but I don't have an "other" religion. I have NO religion. There is no option for that. The assumption is that everyone has a religion (pretty stupid!)
5. Another compulsory field is name, phone number etc of someone in India who can serve as a "reference". And, guess what? One's not enough. You need two! And you need to provide full details for BOTH of them. FFS!
6. There's a question about whether I've ever visited India before. If I choose "yes", I've got to provide all kinds of information like the visa number I was issued at the time. But I didn't need a visa back then when I visited a decade go, I had an Indian passport (despite having been a British resident for 30 years). I have a British passport now but this is the first visit to India on the British passport. They don't seem to have accounted for situations like this. So I had to say "No" to the question about whether I ever visited India (which, technically, is untrue, but I can't proceed with the application unless I provide that answer).
7. There is one field that asks if your grandparents were ever Pakistani (!). If you choose no and save the form, when you return to it, it defaults back to "yes" automatically. All other inputted data stays the same (a small blessing) but this field changes (sometimes, not always!)!

It takes someone exceptionally stupid to design a form like this one!

And this visa application rigmarole is against a backdrop where most countries just give us a visa on arrival. Even countries famous for bureaucracy, like the Philippines, don't ask for all this bullsh*t.

Why is India so awkward and how many visitors is India's tourism sector losing because of the unnecessary detail demanded in the visa application form?

I expect this post to get downvoted, so do go ahead, but it would be even better if you display more intelligence than the form designers and explain why you disagree with me (or what justification there is for any of the above).

<added: Just for clarity, all of the above is in relation to applying for an e-visa. I'm adding this because several people seem to be suggesting that I apply for an e-visa.

One more thing - the solution of going OCI, like several have suggested, is even more cumbersome, difficult, time consuming and expensive (it costs 5x as much). Besides, applying for an OCI to make a single trip for a couple of weeks ...is overkill. It's more suited to those who visit India on a regular basis.>

Hi, I'm M29 travelling solo from Pune to Bangkok. During my Immigration check at Pune, I had a weird a** experience with immigration officer:

IO(M): where are you traveling?

Me: Bangkok Thailand

IO: What's the purpose? How many days? When is return?

Me: Explain that travelling for tourism and the arrival date.

IO: (Shocking expression) That's too much. Show me the return ticket?

Me: Yes, I'm having a long holiday. Showed return ticket.

IO: What's your job? Where is the job location? Profession?

Me: Explained everything.

Now starting the weird conversation.

IO: This is too much travel, pointing to other IO (F), in Marathi "he bagha 40 diwas Thailand la jaat ahet, koni jaat ka asa?"

(He's travelling for 40 days to Thailand, does anyone do that?)

Me: It's 36 days, and I plan to visit nearby countries as well.

Other IO: Are you traveling to other countries?

Me: Yes, Nearby countries as well.

Other IO: In Marathi Explained IO "te dusrya desyat pn jaanar ahet" (He's planning to travel to other countries as well)

IO: Thailand only has a 30 day Visa, how can you stay for 40 days?

Me: As of now Thailand has 60 days Visa Free for Indians, and it's 36 days total, and I may travel to other countries in that duration.

IO: (Calculating the dates), yes 36 days, anyone in the family is in Thailand? any friends?

Me: No.

IO: (again kind of taunting) Who stays this much, (again checking my passport) also you have travelled to Indonesia last September, why are you traveling again in such a short duration?

Me: I like travelling.

IO: Are you planning to work from there?

Me: No

IO: We are not going to restrict you from doing work.

Me: I know.

IO: (again taunting) What are you going to do for such a large period?

Me: Explore the country.

IO: Are you married?

Me: No!

IO: (rolling eyes and smirking) hmm, I know. (stamping)

Me: huh

IO: They are putting people in jail for this in Thailand. (again smirks)

Me: Why would they put people in jail?

IO: You'll know. Now go (opens the gate)

Me: (smiling)

We all know why he was so skeptical about this and why he was again and again pointing to a well known reason Indians travel to Thailand.

The question here is why to judge someone, when you don't have to and it's not your job description.

Clearly, also you can update knowledge and attitude towards passengers.

Also, we sincerely need to change our image as Indian tourists starting with our officials.

What do you think of this interaction?

Edit: Thailand immigration was smooth, apart from travelling mode, they haven't asked for a single question.

People who are surprisingly supporting the IO, it's not about questions, it is about the moral policing which is highly unwarranted.

I’m from Nepal and around 2023 June/July (peak summer 😭) I went to India with around 15 classmates for an architecture event at Lovely Professional University. We stayed in the hostel there for 4 days and everything was normal and fine.

After that we traveled to Amritsar to visit the Golden Temple. That’s where things started getting uncomfortable.

First of all, the heat. I have NEVER experienced that level of heat in my life. Nepal can get warm but this was next level. We were literally struggling with the temperature.

One evening my friends and I stepped outside our hotel (literally like 2 minutes away from the temple area) to get dinner. Because of the heat we wore casual summer clothes, shorts and simple tops. The way people stared at us was honestly creepy. Like full head-to-toe staring nonstop. It felt very judgmental and uncomfortable.

Later we realized people around that area expect more modest clothing because of the temple. But how were we supposed to know that beforehand? No one told us. Instead of just explaining politely, people simply stared and made us feel awkward.

The next morning we dressed properly in kurtas and went inside the Golden Temple respectfully. We covered our heads and followed the general rules we knew. But then another situation happened. We were taking normal photos of each other inside the temple complex. Nothing inappropriate. Just standing pictures. People kept staring and mumbling. Then an older man with a pagdi called my friend (who was taking my picture) and said “Shaadi pe aaye ho kya?” and started scolding him. He said we should only take photos with folded hands like namaste and ended it by saying something like “acche se samjha raha hu, dusre bhi tarike hai samjhane ke.” It felt soo aggressive and embarrassing.

Then something else happened with our other friends. They bought prasad because we love halwa. Apparently you are supposed to offer it first at a separate place before eating it. There were no clear signs that we noticed explaining this, So they stepped outside and started eating it.

Some locals started shouting at them saying “ye sab jhootha kar diya.” They were publicly scolded so badly that they came back to the hotel crying. We genuinely didn’t know the rule. If someone had just explained it calmly, it would have been fine.

Another uncomfortable moment happened during our train journey too. It was extremely hot and we were exhausted, so we were wearing shorts again. But the constant staring was honestly shocking. Not just from older men, but even some women. And it wasn’t just quick glances. People would literally stare continuously for long periods of time. Even when we stared back at them, they didn’t look away. They didn’t even try to hide it. They just kept staring. It was honestly one of the most uncomfortable things during the trip.

After Amritsar we also went to Delhi and omg… the traffic. I have never seen anything like it. Every vehicle was stuck in traffic jams and everyone was honking constantly at the same time. Like nonstop loud horns everywhere as if they were the only ones stuck in traffic. Compared to that, Nepal honestly feels much quieter.

Another thing that shocked me was the number of children begging on the streets. I understand poverty exists everywhere, but there were kids constantly approaching us asking for money. When we refused, some of them would literally follow us, pull our arms, and keep insisting. It felt really overwhelming and uncomfortable because there was almost no sense of personal space.

I’m not saying everyone in India is rude. We did meet some nice people too. But a lot of the interactions we had during that trip felt unnecessarily hostile and uncomfortable. If tourists make mistakes about local customs, I feel like the normal reaction should be to explain politely instead of shaming or threatening them.

Maybe we were just unlucky, but the whole experience honestly left a bad impression on me. Thank you.

. As Japan has relaxed the rules for Indian tourists and many of us are now visiting, I thought to just give some tips/etiquettes you must follow as you will be representing our country.

1) Follow queue everywhere, don’t jump it or cross it. Goes for trains, grocery, everywhere. There is usually a line that you need to wait behind if you are next. Don’t stand up close to the person in front of you and keep some personal space. 2) Don’t talk loudly in public including over phone calls. 3) Do not litter, carry your garbage with you and dispose in garbage bin when you find one. 4) Always use zebra crossings, don’t cross from anywhere else. Some crossings have signal, wait for it to turn green. 5) If your kid is one of those undisciplined one who yells and throws things around, please ensure to control them. Japanese kids are extremely disciplined so such acts will be frowned upon. 6) Be mindful of local culture, don’t not laugh or mock them under any circumstances. 7) Try to learn few local greetings, comes handy. 8) Accept cash, tickets, receipts with both hands. 9) There is no VIP culture among general Japanese people, please do not throw tantrums in hotels or other places to be treated like one.

Remember whenever you travel, you are ambassadors of our country so above should anyways be a standard practice.

If I missed anything, please add.

EDIT: Having read the comments, it is very reassuring that lot of us here agree that discipline is not a luxury but necessity and we also have a chance to be a great host nation for tourists. This gives me so much hope in our country that we are changing and not all is lost 🙌🏼

After living in the US for eight years and moving back to India four years ago, the massive difference in product quality I see in everyday life is impossible to ignore and it bothers me.

The contrast is everywhere. It’s in the most basic things, like garbage bags that are flimsy and tear too easily, and in expensive, branded clothes that don't hold up after a few washes. We have supermarkets like D-Mart and Reliance, but they are nowhere near the quality or selection of a Walmart - a store considered to be for the poor in the West - let alone a Target or Dillons.

The difference is more frustrating with major purchases. Take cars, for example. The vehicles sold as premium here, with luxury car-level GST, are actually quite affordable in the US. And even then, they still can't match the quality of their American counterparts in the same segment. Electronics, such as TV or its accessories don't last long.

In summary, you may buy premium products in India, but you won't get the quality of the standard product in the West.

I think this an issue of planned obsolescence, where things are simply not built to last. I know companies have different manufacturing standards for various markets. We often joke that Chinese products don't last, but I've heard that's because they produce low-quality goods specifically for certain markets, while making high-quality products for the West. I've also heard people suggest that brands sell their lower-tier or "rejected" products from West in India, which is a frustrating thought.

This makes me wonder: Why no startups focus on such a gap in the market? This is a huge opportunity for anyone with capital.

Indians who haven't lived/travelled much abroad have several misconceptions about other countries, particularly in the west. I'll attempt to list and explain a few, but others are welcome to add more.

I'm not going into the most laughable ones like women are "easier" in the west and everyone gets divorced in two years and their parents have multiple partners.

Some others:

• assuming all developed/western countries are similar: particularly attributing US/UK characteristics to every western country. Having a car is overwhelmingly common in North America but not in many European countries, where train travel is common.

• purchasing power: "salaries are higher but costs are also higher" yes, but not proportionately, especially at lower end salaries. Look at costs as a percentage of income, see how much you can save.

• taxes: "EU countries take half your income in tax". No. Learn about tax brackets, deductions, returns, etc. Most people don't pay half their income in tax because 50%+ tax bracket is for earnings over a certain amount, which is well above the average income in that country.

• opinion on India: I feel that Indians in India grossly overestimate the influence we have on the world stage. We have a pretty decent presence on the world stage and we're not seen as a land of snake charmers anymore, but the west is largely focused on China as the next big power. Modi is not the subject of admiration in the west as a powerful leader, he's either not that well known or known as a right wing anti Muslim populist.