Going to Delhi, India in Marh 28 - April 6.
Would you say it's relatively safe for a female to travel alone there?
Any hotel/hostel/guesthouse recommendations? Any places you guys recommend going to check out? Things to avoid? Restaurant recommendations?? Street foods to try (or avoid)?

Avoid old delhi being a solo female traveler. Delhi is overwhelming overwhelming all together. I would recommend getting out of Delhi ASAP. Then see it after you have gotten used to India a little before before you fly out.

Where would you recommend to visit? I think if I keep my ticket, I'll go visit the west and south..

I spent most of my time in the north as it was summer. I did a day in agra. Jaipur for 4 or 5. I wish I has time to do udaipur, go, Chennai

You could stay at the YWCA in Delhi. The location is great; you get taxis from here. Check trip advisor too for reviews. here's the link. http://www.btfhonline.com/
BTFHONLINE.COM
YWCA of Delhi - Blue Triangle Family Hostel

I would head to Goa, then do South India.

Yep, we got overwhelmed with Delhi. It's nuts. Scammers everywhere.Goa is awesome though, check out bamboo house Goa, awesome beach huts for like 30$ a night.
Amandeep Bedi runs the place, hit him up with questions

hey Renee that is actually really good advice. I just got back from India for a 2nd trip (i love it so much) and can give you lots of advice. Feel free to PM me if you like.

Rajasthan is really cool. I personally wasn't the hugest fan of Goa, since it reminded me a lot of other beach places... like it didn't feel like I was in India, which can be cool to some people, but I LOVE india.

This will help. http://breathedreamgo.com/.../my-top-tips-for-women.../
BREATHEDREAMGO.COM
My top safety tips for women travelling in India

Heard the new hostel chain " zostel" is doing well. Hostel culture is still in tge early stages. Picking up. Look for hotels in South Delhi.

You will have fun I go every year

I'm starting to think a 3 months stint in Europe and countless travels around USA, HK and Japan has in no way prepared me for India... at least based on Google's help so far.

Cheryl Pedley Thank you for your honesty. I think I'm going to save India for when I have a chance to travel with a friend or a beard (that's got to be more effective then "wear a fake ring").

I travelled with two other women and we had no problems in our five months of travelling from south to north India. The Golden Triangle - Delhi, Jaipur, Agra is amazing! I loved all of Rajasthan. If you go south to Kerala you will find it much more laid back and friendly! Common sense goes along way!

I traveled alone in India - lived in Pune for 6 months. I'm Chinese so I look less foreign, but still foreign. I suggest wearing Indian clothes and have a scarf with you. If you get uncomfortable with the stares, you can always put the scarf around your head and wear sunglasses to be less conspicuous.
The most challenging thing you'll encounter in India is getting connected with your transportation and maybe the food. Always be in public spaces and get a taxi or rickshaw recommended by your hotel or hostel. The drivers have an incentive to give you good service to keep that relationship.
Always say you're married. That's one of the first questions they ask.

Thank you Jenny! Your comment confirmed what the internet said and what I thought might be the case. Did you stay in any guesthouses / homestays / airbnb during your travels in India?
I mainly want to go explore and take my camera with me. But it sounds like India will be less forgiving to a female lost in her camera (sorta disconnected and unaware of her surroundings, besides the viewfinder).

This is also great advice. (I'm also asian, and everyone greets me with Ni Hao lol) I rocked the head scarf and big sunnies a LOT, and barely got bothered. Yes, tourists with their eyes fixated on their camera is a super easy target. I do NOT recommend guesthouses/home stays/air bnb in India. It's not worth putting yourself in a situation where you can't really hold a business accountable for their actions. You never know if some dodgy guesthouse owner might just randomly walk into your room, etc.

I'm planning to take the trains between cities. Would you recommend hiring a guide/driver when visiting cities?

Check out the blog Hippie in Heels. She has blogged on all your questions.

Don't travel alone especially after dark. Dont listen to anyone on the road myb have your hotel arrange a taxi or something. Im going to india from first week of feb to last week. Taxis r cheap u can find a taxi for about 600-1000 rps a day but i wouldnt advice it being alone.

Thanks Preet. Do you mean you would advise I 'renting' a taxi for a day as someone traveling solo?

Actually alone no but u can still rent if ur down to drive crazy lol

Former Delhite/Vancouverite here. I would personally recommend to use Delhi as a base and get out from the city towards North at the first opportunity. My brother who is based out of Delhi is an architectural photographer and has helped my other Canadian friends as a local contact when needed. There is a small chance that I might be in Delhi during that period as well. Feel free to PM me and I can get you in touch with some locals who might be able to better guide you towards an accommodation.

If you want to arrange a car/driver from Vancouver, contact Indus Travel. They worked with us (2 couples) to have a car/driver from Chennai to Kerala and in Sri Lanka. We researched guesthouses that we wanted as well as the travel route. You have to be a little pushy but in the end we got the travel route and the accommodations we wanted. Good luck - India is wonderful.

Do NOT go to your tonga driver's house! Women have been kidnapped for days and forced to take out the maximum allowed on their credit cards each day. Two women were driven around by a guy in a tricycle cab and then went to his house. They were robbed of 3 grand, taken to the airport when their tickets said they were leaving and told that all the guards and workers at the airport had been bribed so don't make a fuss. They will just be arrested. So like little lambs they said nothing, got on the plane back to Britain and their story winds up on the TV show about vacations from Hell.
Try to hook up with people from hostels and go with them as a group. Robbers are quick and practiced at the tourist attractions. Drop your wallet or credit card or money...it is gone.
My Nikon camera was two years wages to some people.
Do NOT flirt with the men. Gang rape in India is real. Do not touch them in any way.

I highly recommend staying at Wongdhden House. It is in a safe and traffic free neighborhood in the New Tibetan Colony on the north end of New Delhi. Do check them out on line. India is my best travel experience so far.

Also use google maps taxi drivers will drive u in circles

its pretty Safe as long as you have done research about where you are going. then the people over there know that you are aware your soundings. Google is very good these days. Check Taj Mahel. Lal Kila also know as red fort. And shopping is pretty cheap but always Bargen. You will get things very cheap from what the seller is asking.

Spent a month traveling through India and was advised to always dress modestly--have a scarf to cover upper body shape---and as many people on this post have noted, don't get familiar with men. As an older woman, I didn't have any problems, but the younger women in my group were catcalled, bothered, etc. It's an amazing place, but exercise lots of common sense.

It is completely safe and sound ... best place to reside Shangri-la. . It's in the centre

We used Driver India Private Day Tours for a 17 day north India tour. The driver is exclusively booked for you and you call the shots on where you want to go. They were very easy to book using email correspondence. We were very safe. You can check them out on Trip Advisor.

be careful...my wife, modestly dressed, was constantly touched/felt up when we walked in crowded areas and we met a woman who had been assaulted during a holy festival...the staring is also unnerving...India is the most amazing place we've ever been, but unfortunately a single woman needs to be very cautious

OK. I just spent a month there in Oct/Nov and a month same time in 2014. It's really not as bad as articles online make it out to be. I spent a huge amount of time solo (female) and not a single person touched me inappropriately or took advantage of me. Yes, you have to be very aware/cautious, almost aggressive and abrasive, but if you show that you're not a person who should be fucked with, I think that translates through any language. In Delhi, I've stayed at a couple midrange places, a hostel, and a 5-star. I felt the most comfortable at Hotel Pooja Palace in Karol Bagh, which is a touristy area, so you won't feel at all uncomfortable walking around at night (i totally did it and i was fine -- the streets are crazy packed anyway) Karol Bagh has lots of midrange, affordable hotels. The hostel I stayed at was Smyle Inn in Paharganj - i don't recommend this area for solo females. The 5-star i stayed at was the Leela Palace, outrageous and opulent, super expensive, and not really worth it.

Michelle you may like this group, to give and receive advice on your travelling adventures! ?

Thanks Nicola Goodwin

Also... Have you considered spending your time in India on an Intrepid Travel tour? I spent 2 weeks with a small group both trips, (outside of my 2 weeks solo) and i LOVED it. Zero stress! They organize the "here to there" and getting around, and usually the group decides to eat together and the local leader will take you somewhere reputable and safe. Otherwise, you spend sooo much of your time eyeing up places, hesitating, wondering about how risky it might be to go there/eat there/hang out there. With an Intrepid tour, or G adventures or anything like that, you CAN comfortably keep your face in your camera and not worry about it. These kind of tours also give you access to incredible experiences you wouldn't otherwise even know about. Like last year, I got to sail down the ganges in a handmade sailboat for 2 days and camped overnight on the riverbank. SO RAD. That's not even an option for tourists there!

Thanks Jodi for the rec! Camping overnight on the riverbank sounds so awesome!
This makes everything so much more relaxing and well, easier. For most of my travel destinations it was always independent travels (never with a tour group) so this didn't cross my mind, until now! Thanks!
Mind if I PM you?

Ya of course!!