my apologies to beth whitman for not getting this out earlier ...
travel writer extraordinnaire, beth whitman, has a new book out called wanderlust and lipstick for women traveling to india, and it offers a perfect guide for women wanting to explore the many mysteries of india. chock full of incredibly good advice, as well as dozens of tips and tricks that can make traveling in general for women much easier, this is one book you'll want to have in your library if you're considering traveling globally solo. we asked beth a few questions, and here's what she had to say:
what was the hardest thing you encountered in traveling (or preparing to travel) to india while researching for your book?
india is the most challenging place i’ve ever traveled solo. i had been there twice with male companions over a 20 year time period but on my own, the challenges were magnified. so, in addition to having to face throngs of people, dealing daily with the immense poverty and fending off touts that would follow me through a city to get me to take their rickshaw or taxi, i had to deal with it all alone. but the beauty is that when you’re traveling, especially solo, you always meet people along the way. so, while traveling solo was actually the hardest thing i had to deal with when i was traveling during my most recent trip, it became the most rewarding aspect because i met such great people along the way.
what was the easiest thing?
the easiest thing was the food! i’m a vegetarian and india totally caters to the vegetarian diet. i’ve become addicted to great indian food and am constantly cooking it at home now. my goal is to become a great (non-indian) indian cook. i want my friends to all say, “that beth whitman… have you ever tasted her indian cooking?”
what was the most surprising difference between traveling in india now and during your first visit?
the ability to get cash from an atm. 20 years ago, it took 3-4 hours in a bank to cash a travelers check. really. you needed to plan to spend a half day at the bank and come prepared with your passport and airline tickets. now it takes a minute (once you find an atm that’s compatible with your card). it’s also now possible to book train and plane tickets over the internet. it took a half day at a travel agency or standing in line at a railway station to do this in the past.
your book gives some great information, particularly on being health conscious while traveling in india. did you ever get sick during your travels there? what is the best piece of advice you can give to readers about keeping healthy while traveling in india?
other than having super minor stomach issues (in other words, diarrhea), i haven’t been very ill during my travels there. i did get a sinus infection on my most recent trip in darjeeling, of all places. darjeeling is up in the northeast, in the foothills of the himalayas. i went there to get some fresh air. unfortunately i arrived when there was a huge political rally and literally a thousand or more suv’s, cars, buses and trucks arrived into this tiny town. as a result, the air was filled with black smoke that was pouring out of their exhaust pipes. after a day of this, i got sick and remained ill for the remainder of the trip (2+ weeks) and didn’t shake it for weeks after i returned home. it was annoying but not completely terrible.
usually people get sick from either the food or water when they travel, whether it’s to india or elsewhere. the best piece of advice i can give is to make sure your food is well-cooked and hot when served and that the water is purified. it’s really as simple as that!
what's the best advice you can offer to help women prepare in the months before they travel to india (health-wise, packing, research, etc.)?
book your first night’s hotel so that you can arrive knowing exactly where you’ll be staying – this takes a tremendous amount of stress out of your travels. and pack light! bring only a carry-on bag (most airlines allow bags up to 22” as a carry-on). you’ll buy a lot of souvenirs when you’re in india but you can always purchase an extra bag and check it for the flight home.
many women are traveling alone these days. is india safe for the solo female traveler?
a woman on her own will want to take some additional precautions but it’s absolutely safe for a solo woman. the best thing a woman can do is to dress conservatively. cover your shoulders and legs and people will actually be more respectful as a result.
what aspect of your time in india stayed with you most after you returned?
two things. the food – which i enjoy (both in restaurants and at home) as often as i can in seattle. and the spiritual nature of indians. their religion permeates everything that they do. it’s not just on sundays, they pray every day. one could argue that indians are also the first to try to rip you off (who could blame them when you’re a “rich” westerner?) but they are also very spiritual people and i have a tremendous amount of respect for that.
can you tell us what future travel books you have in the works?
the next book is wanderlust and lipstick: traveling with kids, due out in april of ’09 and then in the fall, i’ll be releasing an anthology of women’s travel writing. by the way, i’m running a travel writing contest on my site right now. people can submit travel stories (which will ultimately be considered for the anthology) and have the chance to win a 15 day trip in south america with intrepid travel or one of 8 runner up prizes from timbuk2 or steripen. beyond that i’ll have to do some more traveling before i write another guide!
india is the most challenging place i’ve ever traveled solo. i had been there twice with male companions over a 20 year time period but on my own, the challenges were magnified. so, in addition to having to face throngs of people, dealing daily with the immense poverty and fending off touts that would follow me through a city to get me to take their rickshaw or taxi, i had to deal with it all alone. but the beauty is that when you’re traveling, especially solo, you always meet people along the way. so, while traveling solo was actually the hardest thing i had to deal with when i was traveling during my most recent trip, it became the most rewarding aspect because i met such great people along the way.
what was the easiest thing?
the easiest thing was the food! i’m a vegetarian and india totally caters to the vegetarian diet. i’ve become addicted to great indian food and am constantly cooking it at home now. my goal is to become a great (non-indian) indian cook. i want my friends to all say, “that beth whitman… have you ever tasted her indian cooking?”
what was the most surprising difference between traveling in india now and during your first visit?
the ability to get cash from an atm. 20 years ago, it took 3-4 hours in a bank to cash a travelers check. really. you needed to plan to spend a half day at the bank and come prepared with your passport and airline tickets. now it takes a minute (once you find an atm that’s compatible with your card). it’s also now possible to book train and plane tickets over the internet. it took a half day at a travel agency or standing in line at a railway station to do this in the past.
your book gives some great information, particularly on being health conscious while traveling in india. did you ever get sick during your travels there? what is the best piece of advice you can give to readers about keeping healthy while traveling in india?
other than having super minor stomach issues (in other words, diarrhea), i haven’t been very ill during my travels there. i did get a sinus infection on my most recent trip in darjeeling, of all places. darjeeling is up in the northeast, in the foothills of the himalayas. i went there to get some fresh air. unfortunately i arrived when there was a huge political rally and literally a thousand or more suv’s, cars, buses and trucks arrived into this tiny town. as a result, the air was filled with black smoke that was pouring out of their exhaust pipes. after a day of this, i got sick and remained ill for the remainder of the trip (2+ weeks) and didn’t shake it for weeks after i returned home. it was annoying but not completely terrible.
usually people get sick from either the food or water when they travel, whether it’s to india or elsewhere. the best piece of advice i can give is to make sure your food is well-cooked and hot when served and that the water is purified. it’s really as simple as that!
what's the best advice you can offer to help women prepare in the months before they travel to india (health-wise, packing, research, etc.)?
book your first night’s hotel so that you can arrive knowing exactly where you’ll be staying – this takes a tremendous amount of stress out of your travels. and pack light! bring only a carry-on bag (most airlines allow bags up to 22” as a carry-on). you’ll buy a lot of souvenirs when you’re in india but you can always purchase an extra bag and check it for the flight home.
many women are traveling alone these days. is india safe for the solo female traveler?
a woman on her own will want to take some additional precautions but it’s absolutely safe for a solo woman. the best thing a woman can do is to dress conservatively. cover your shoulders and legs and people will actually be more respectful as a result.
what aspect of your time in india stayed with you most after you returned?
two things. the food – which i enjoy (both in restaurants and at home) as often as i can in seattle. and the spiritual nature of indians. their religion permeates everything that they do. it’s not just on sundays, they pray every day. one could argue that indians are also the first to try to rip you off (who could blame them when you’re a “rich” westerner?) but they are also very spiritual people and i have a tremendous amount of respect for that.
can you tell us what future travel books you have in the works?
the next book is wanderlust and lipstick: traveling with kids, due out in april of ’09 and then in the fall, i’ll be releasing an anthology of women’s travel writing. by the way, i’m running a travel writing contest on my site right now. people can submit travel stories (which will ultimately be considered for the anthology) and have the chance to win a 15 day trip in south america with intrepid travel or one of 8 runner up prizes from timbuk2 or steripen. beyond that i’ll have to do some more traveling before i write another guide!
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