'I wanted to love India, but...': British Indian's scathing review after 3 years of travel, moves to Vietnam

A British Indian traveler who spent three years exploring India has shared a critical account of his experiences, highlighting issues with infrastructure, civic sense, and hospitality. He shared a detailed post on reddit titled: "I wasted three years travelling around India". His observations have sparked a debate, especially as he compared his time in India with his recent arrival in Vietnam - which has emerged as a new tourist hotspot in Southeast Asia.  

"India is a dump, and Indians objectively treat it like a dump," the person wrote. 

The traveler, who started his journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he was disheartened by what they described as a lack of civic responsibility and poor upkeep of public spaces in India. He pointed to crumbling roads, neglected heritage sites, and widespread apathy among locals toward community issues.

The person further said that when you bring up these criticisms, locals either strongly agree or are in the camp of, "we just got our independence, we are still a baby nation". "For the fifth wealthiest economy, with nearly 1.6 billion people and a quite clearly astonishingly rich elite class; this is no excuse."

He described Indian cities as riddled with filth and accused residents of treating the country like a "dump". High living costs and poor service standards in hotels were also highlighted, with the traveler stating that basic accommodations often charged significantly more than what would be expected in neighboring Asian countries.  

"Hotels, even of a basic standard, in areas where a property sits for $300 a month are charging their firangi tourist customers a whopping $30-$40 a night, offering a subpar service and standard to that which you would get in a place like Thailand."

The traveler said heritage sites, which are often celebrated as a point of pride in India, were marred by graffiti, stains, and trash. They added that even basic explanations about the significance of these landmarks often came with extra charges. "As a British Indian myself, I really wanted to love India - I can't." 

After arriving in Vietnam, the traveler noted stark differences, praising the cleanliness, affordability, and sense of order. He expressed relief at being able to walk on clean pavements and use taxis without feeling harassed. He also highlighted the quality of services and food in Vietnam, contrasting it with their experience in India.  

"I've just landed in Vietnam, a nation that should be in complete disrepair after its history with poverty and communism, contrary to India. Needless to say; like other destinations in Asia that are significantly poorer than India; it sure does feel nice being able to walk on pavements again; being able to sit in a proper taxi without having some random driver try and harass you for more money."

Deedy, a venture capitalist, shared this post on X, saying India is in denial about its global reputation. The criticism has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some Indians have acknowledged the problems, while others have defended the country.

Sid, a cloud technology professional, said it seems to have become a trend for some expats to criticise everything about India while portraying life outside Asia as flawless. "Reality, however, is far more nuanced." He further said that no country has everything sorted — every place has its flaws and strengths. "Acknowledging areas that need improvement, like cleanliness, is fair, but dismissing an entire culture or exaggerating experiences to seek attention feels unproductive."

One social media user pointed out that Vietnam's per capita GDP ($4,346.77) is nearly double that of India's ($2,484.85). 

Deedy said GDP per capita is not the best metric. "You could look at Delhi per capita but it doesn't make everything pleasant. Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka are all in and around India by that metric and are largely regarded as more pleasant."