BNMIB

My 19-year old son wants to go to India with a friend from Delhi. I am concerned about security of Americans since the Mumbai incident and in light of the on-going tensions between India and Pakistan, but these kids think I'm just being an over-protective mother. How is it now for Americans traveling there? Is it safe to allow 2 19-year-olds to travel around alone? Thanks for your insights.

lcuy

Ha ha, are two 19 year old boys safe traveling anywhere?

That said, I found India very safe. I think the Mumbai incident and other problems that have occurred over the last few years have affected relatively few people, and India is generally a safe country.

Where will the boys be staying? With the friend"s family or will they just be wandering India? Have they traveled internationally before? Are they fairly streetwise kids?

Morning_Giggle

My own daughter lives in Dehli and travels extensively in Inida, as do her young European and American friends. (I had a few sleepless nights after Mumbai, till I realised she had recently been in London, Madrid and New York -- all terrorist targets, sadly.)

Having a friend from Dehli to travel with sounds like a great opportunity for your son. If the boys keep their eyes and ears open to news reports and government warnings, and avoid certain hot spots, they should be just fine. It's a huge country with lots to see in peaceful areas.

I sure do understand your worries, and hope this helps.

dogster

I think that bombings and politics are the least of your worries. Lol. Two nineteen year olds will just go straight to Goa and join up with all the other nineteen year olds doing what nineteen year olds do in Goa. Then they'll go to Varanasi and do much the same thing.

Kazillions of weeny British Gap-Year kids do this rite of passage every year. Same age as your son. Most of them get back home alive. If you've raised a smart kid, so will he.

His mate is from Delhi. That solves 80% of the problems. The other 20% you probably won't ever hear about. So relax, give him a cool phone so you can reach him, a credit card line in case he runs out of cash - then abandon all hope. lol.

He'll do what nineteen year olds do.
Nothing you can do to stop him. May as well embrace his freedom and let him fly.

BNMIB

Thanks to all your understanding responses! Some answers: I have never met my son's friend from India - they know each other from college. His family lives in Delhi and they'll be spending most of their time there. My son recently returned from 4 weeks in Europe with his girlfriend so he has some sense of how to get around plus he is spending this semester in England - which makes this whole thing even harder for me because he's already so far away. As for what he will do when he gets there, I can't have much control over that regardless of what he tells me, but I'm pretty impressed that he asked me at all about taking this trip since he didn't have to tell me anything and I probably wouldn't have known the difference! I am glad to hear you all endorse the trip as I do believe it would be a chance of a lifetime for him - and I wish I could go too. Thank you for the words of encouragement I needed!

writealiving

If his friend has family there, then I'm sure he will be fine. Obviously he will be with someone who knows the ways of the culture. And if he has traveled internationally then he is probably smarter and more mature than your average 19 year old though I'd leave room for the typical 19 year old stuff. You've obviously raised an intelligent young man and be glad he wants to see the world and not just the inside of some frat house. Take comfort in that!

CaliNurse

I went to India 2 weeks after the Mumbai horror. I felt perfectly safe, secure, and comfortable in every way, and can hardly wait to return!
incidentally, my first trip to india was in 1971 when i was 21 and "roughed it." I loved it then, and loved it recently. Your son will have a GREAT time!!
As for being American--he's as safe as any other nationality--including Indians.

holikurry

No need to worry - India is safe and tourists from all over the globe are travelling all over india including Bombay...

Even the places which got effected in the Mumbai incidents - Taj Mahal Hotel , Trident Hotel, Leopold Cafe are up and running and full of tourists...

So please let your son go - he is sure to have a great time...

BNMIB

Thanks, again, for your encouraging responses. I have decided to let him go. It is an experience of a lifetime. I'll let you know how it goes.