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The woman asked first time travellers coming to India for the first time to avoid drinking water directly from taps and use packaged water and ditch spicy street food.
Polish Woman Living In India Lists Things She’d Never Do As First Time Traveller: ‘Street Food Is Fantastic, But…’
India can be an overwhelming experience for people travelling to the country for the very first time. From navigating traffic and eating fiery street food to understanding local customs, it is a lot to take in. However, a Polish woman to the rescue for those travellers. She has lived in the country for a decade and that’s why shared the things that she says she would “never do” as a first-time tourist.
In a video titled, “Thins I would never do as a foreigner coming to India for the first time,” Dominika Patalas-Kalra listed a set of dos and don’ts based on her personal experiences. Her first piece of advice was to avoid drinking tap water. “Even locals in many places use filtered or boiled water. Stick to sealed bottled water or water from trusted filters,” she said.
She Asks People Not To Have Spiciest Street Food Right Away
When it comes to food, she urged first-time travellers not to dive straight into the spiciest street food. She explained, “Indian street food is fantastic, but give your stomach time to adjust. Start at busy, popular stalls.” She then cautioned against getting into unmetered taxis without first agreeing on a fare and suggested that one can use Uber, Ola or Rapido whenever possible.
She further recommended carrying only a small amount of cash, highlignting that while digital payments are widely accepted across India, cash can still come in handy at local markets and smaller shops. Another thing she pointed out was dressing appropriately for the weather and local culture. “You can see that is 40 degrees and you want to wear clothes like for the beach? I would suggest lightweight clothing, but in a decent way,” she said.
Dominika reminded first-time tourists to observe local customs before entering temples or people’s homes, pointing out that they may be expected to remove their shoes or cover their heads at certain religious sites.
She Warns Them Of Traffic
Traffic was another major issue she addressed. “I wouldn’t assume traffic works like in Europe or North America,” she said. “Always look both ways – even on one-way streets. Pedestrians do not always have priority.” Lastly, she warned tourists against feeding monkeys or stray animals. “Monkeys can become aggressive if they expect food, and stray animals may carry diseases,” she explained.
Internet Reacts To Her Lists Of Do’s And Don’ts
The video has since caught the attention of social media users, with people agreeing to her list of things to avoid as first-time travellers in the country, while some also added to the list.
“As an Indian, I will also recommend these to the foreign visitors and beware of scammers; they will try to exploit your money anyhow, so it’s better to research online from local vloggers, which can help you not get exploited by them,” a user said.
Meanwhile, someone shared, “Keep the standard high, and these small things disappear.”
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