This Unexpected Country Was Named The Best In The World For Solo Travel Adventures

When travel company Kensington recently released a report on the best countries for solo travel, most of their recommendations made immediate sense. Italy was a no-brainer: Hop the train! Walk around the piazzas! Hang out at a cafe! Visitors on their own will quickly find things to do and people to meet across the Italian peninsula. Japan also makes sense: it's one of the safest and cleanest in the world, with an exhaustive rail network and more than 2,000 miles of mountains, temples, and coastal communities.

But what about India? Did Kensington really conclude that this sprawling Asian nation of 1.43 billion people is the best destination in the world for solo travelers? For many westerners, India sounds distant and intimidating. India gets a lot of bad press in US and European media, mostly about poverty, social conflict, and decades-long tensions with Pakistan. Images often picture chaotic streets and hazy skylines. Is India really a place someone would comfortably travel alone?

The Kensington report upends all those expectations. India has made astonishing strides in recent years, in terms of its infrastructure, education, and economic prospects. No longer just an offbeat destination for hippies and digital nomads, India received 2.5 billion tourism visits in 2023, a number expected to grow in coming years. In the 2020s, fearing travel in India feels increasingly out-of-touch. Even Rick Steves, master of European travel, considers India his all-time favorite country.

For starters, there's a lot to see in India. The country is a little less than half the size of the lower 48 United States, and six of its cities boast more than 10 million people each. India recognizes 22 official languages, though 121 distinct tongues are spoken across the country, reflecting the cultural diversity of this so-called "subcontinent."

The Indus Valley Civilization is among the oldest cases of organized agriculture and specialization, dating back at least 5,000 years, and modern India is a hypnotic mosaic of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and past colonization by four different European nations. A visitor could spend a lifetime studying the history of India, from the life of Siddhartha Gautama (founder of Buddhism) to the Mughal Empire (Muslim dynasty) to the imperial control of the British Raj and nonviolent resistance of Mahatma Gandhi.

India is also a feast for the senses: bright color palettes, wild traffic patterns, distinctive musical styles — from traditional ragas to Bollywood-style pop songs — and some of the world's most dynamic cuisines. Every inch of India is compelling to foreigners, compounded by soaring mountain ranges, dense rainforests, and 6,800 miles of coastline. Few westerners have experience with sly macaques in the streets, Asian elephants in the forest, or the possibility of seeing wild tigers crossing backroads. Meanwhile, India is the birthplace of yoga and the setting for countless ashrams and sacred sites; here are 10 reasons why your next trip should be a wellness retreat.

Solo travel in India can be tricky but rewarding. A fundamental Indian concept is "duality," and the country is a study in contrasts: extreme poverty and extreme wealth, modern office towers standing near makeshift huts, women carrying bushels on their heads on the margins of freshly paved highways. In general, prices are very low, though you may find yourself haggling for rides and souvenirs; crowds may overwhelm you, but a solo traveler can usually navigate street life by exercising routine caution. You can't fully avoid scenes of neglect and deprivation, yet India boasts some of the most spectacular landmarks in the world, such as the Taj Mahal.

Something to keep in mind is that Kensington is a specific kind of travel company, which may be reflected in its report. On its website, Kensington states: "We create personalized trips based on your preferences, this means no two trips are the same. Our expertise in over 100 countries worldwide means we take on all the complexities and logistics of planning your trip, so you can simply enjoy." Many people think of "solo travel" as flying into a country with little more than a passport, credit card, and two-night reservation at a dirt-cheap hostel.

In India, domestic workers and personal drivers are commonplace, and westerners often have to adapt to services they are accustomed to doing themselves. While old-fashioned backpacking is possible in India, this world can be fast-paced and confusing, and many solo travelers benefit from Kensington's style of arranged itineraries. While preparing, here are tips for being a respectful tourist when visiting India.