Mumbai is one of the safest cities in India, or probably the safest, when it comes to women. Unlike other cities, it’s pretty common for women to come home alone late at night after work or dinner or meeting or parties. Day or night, women travel alone a lot in Mumbai. That’s why I would not be really worried.

Having said that, it’s a fact that no place is 100% safe and you can’t just take your safety for granted, especially when you are traveling. Here are some safety tips for female tourists traveling to Mumbai.

Choose the right area to stay

Mumbai is huge. Stay close to South Mumbai. Anywhere between Nariman Point and Juhu should be a good choice. Anyway, most tourist places are around there so it makes sense otherwise as well. Avoid cheap hotels though. Intercontinental Mumbai, JW Marriott Juhu, Trident Nariman Point, Novotel Juhu and The St Regis Mumbai are some good hotels in safe and happening areas of the city.

Get a local Sim, Google Maps and a Power bank

You need a local SIM in Mumbai with 4G. 3G networks don’t work and 2G is too slow. Finding routes without Google Maps is very difficult, even for locals. Airtel and Jio are two good networks in Mumbai. Go for prepaid sims. They are avialable at the airport and several local stores. A Rs.400 (approx. 7 USD) something recharge will last you 3 months with unlimited calls and 1GB 4G data per day.

A powerbank because dense concrete jungle of Mumbai means signal strength on your phone is generally weak and that’s why your phone’s battery will drain pretty quickly. You can order one popular and good quality MI power bank made in India.

Follow Basic Safety Rules

  • India is not a country to accept lifts from strangers. It’s a big red flag.
  • Don’t accept any help from any stranger and go anywhere with them, even if it’s a woman.
  • Don’t fall for old people, kids and women begging. At max, pay some money and move on. DOn’t get involved.
  • People, who don’t look like beggars, might approach you saying that they lost their luggage or kid is unwell or they were mugged and need money to go home etc etc. All scams. Ignore and move on.
  • Uber and Ola Cabs are safer than other modes because you can keep a track of the route. Local Auto rickshawas and taxis are fun if you are absolutely sure about the route.
  • Drinks from smart looking people you just met at the bar. Tell me you were not thinking about accepting it.

There’s not much to worry about in Mumbai. Come and have fun šŸ™‚

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