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A woman foreign traveller on a solo eight-week tour of eight Indian cities has lauded Kerala as the “most respectful, safest and cleanest” place in the country, giving the State the highest score of 9/10, said Tourism department in a statement issued here on Wednesday. “Kerala is “the calmest, cleanest, most respectful State I visited. Locals are polite, transport feels safe, and the vibe is completely different. If you are new to India, start here,” said Emma, an avid traveller and vlogger, on Instagram. Ms. Emma’s journey took her from Delhi to Kerala. Her candid take on Indian cities has also sparked a lively discussion on social media, many terming it as a broader conversation about how India’s diverse cities could feel vastly different, especially to solo women travellers. Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said Ms. Emma’s candid account of her travel through the State comes against the backdrop of Kerala’s fast gaining global standing as an experiential destination for women travellers. Another traveller, Delhi-based Rinzu Susan, also shared her experience of visiting Kerala on social platform. She was all praise for the warmth and hospitality of the local community and said one would never encounter anything creepy or unsafe in the State. “This was not my first time in Kerala. Earlier in 2023, I had visited Varkala and Kovalam. This time, I visited Suryanelli, 21 km ahead of Munnar, with my female friend, and not once did we feel unsafe. The local people were friendly and reached out to us to help. No one tried to look at me uncomfortably, as if we were some commodity. And, this is how it should always be. There were some language barriers, but to be honest, the people there tried their best to convey their thoughts even in broken Hindi,” she said. Ms. Susan’s post also went viral on Reddit.
