You will be happy to find that India is a good travel destination

Is India a great travel destination?

Hey Kyle! Glad to know you liked travelling across India in spite of all the difficulties you faced. As an Indian who has traveled extensively throughout the length and breadth of the country, I found your review to be very honest. Through my experience of living and travelling in this country, I know what to expect from where and what by the mere look of it...things like where not to go or eat or stay or how not to travel or plan travel are not really big decisions for me. However, I do realize for a foreigner it's difficult to guess that.

One thing I would like to point out to you...here in India we don't really have a concept of a backpack travel...we hardly ever travel the way you did. So, you might not always find facilities or amenities suited to such travel everywhere across.

India is a poor country compared to USA and there are people from variedFINANCIAL backgrounds living here. As such services of all nature tuned to the needs and priorities of every class of people are available at reasonable rates no matter where you go. 

India offers damn good and clean service too at a price which is less than pocket change for people coming from places like you...at prices reasonable even for an average Indian like me. However, it's my observation and I might be totally wrong here...people from wealthy nations such as yourself, whenever they come to India, they want to spend so little for the travel (sub-consciously thinking, "This country is cheap...I should not have to spend more than what I would for a trip to Disneyland...if I do, I've been had") that they end up eating or staying at places an average Indian like me (more exposed to the many germs and pollution that infest my nation for which you need a vaccine but I don't) never would for 2-3 months at a stretch....once in a blue moon when under dire circumstances...may be...but not everyday of my travel....no way.

Don't mean to sound like a snob...a vast majority of my people are poor and live in unhealthy and unhygienic surroundings. However, there are a lot of people like me too... the Indian middle class who are financially far too less of than average Americans. And yet, we don't travel the way you've written about. 5 days of the street food can make me sick too with diarrhea.

And the staff at places like 'Incredible India' are actually trying to help you. They are usually correct about the means of transport you should be using or the places you should be staying at for a safe travel here. The women you speak of could have avoided all the groping and pinching if they cared to listen to them instead. These people can help you find good accommodation and safe travel options for as less as $8 - $10 too. Do trust them the next time you are here. They are not trying to rob you...instead they are trying to ensure that you enjoy your travel and do not go back with a bad experience. And if you are travelling on a shoe string budget, please, do make your bookings through reliable sources in advance....there are lots of privately owned websites that can help you do that...http://www.makemytrip.com, http://www.travelguru.com/,  http://www.cleartrip.com/, http://www.travelguru.com/ to name a few in case you do not wish to take help of state government owned travel organizations like "KSRTC" for Karnataka, "Kerala Tourism" for Kerala, etc. and Incredible India for the whole country in general.

Travelling in India is cheap compared to Europe or USA...but it's not as cheap as many try to make it into...when they do, they end up with the negative experiences like you had this time.

And please, try to understand the point I am trying to get across. We Indians do believe that " A guest is a God"..."Atithi Devo Bhabaya"...but this is a poor nation and it's not possibly for the authorities to monitor each and every individual to ensure every guest has a good experience here. We want you guys to come here, enjoy your trip, spend yourMONEY (we really value the money you spend here...helps our economy grow) and go back with good memories. But for that to happen, we need you to be a little more realistic in your expectations and careful and alert (like we all are whenever we are on foreign shores...a very human instinct). 

Hope you have a great time the next time you are here.

As for me I am a cocky young woman who loves her country and do not appreciate when someone talks not so nicely about it after acting foolishly or without understanding the problems that face us.