Whenever I hear about India, life in India, travelling to India, it seems beyond awful.
I've talked to some Indians online, and it's been hit-or-miss, which is to be expected. I'd also expect IRL Indian people to be mostly reasonable, like, you know, people everywhere? Somehow though, everything I hear online about India (the country) is that it's dirty, misogynistic, and rude. I know that there's a higher chance for people to share the extremes---meaning that terrible experiences in India get shared more than normal experiences do---but it's still remarkable.
I actually wanted to visit India very much, I've even mentioned in my last (or second to last?) post that I'm planning to learn Hindi, but this stuff is messed up. I wonder if Goa is much different from the rest of the country. I wonder what India is really like.
As a woman, I'd never travel there, even with a group. Amazing history, great food, fucking terrifying things though. There's a lot of places I wouldn't travel to though.
I do think that, like with most places, if you have the right group, guidance, and enough money, you can have a good time. I've heard some truly terrifying things about India and women though, that's for sure: getting grabbed non-stop, getting chased down streets, getting knocks on your door... It's nightmare-fuel...
Then again, a great deal of the middle east, for example, isn't exactly recommended for women as travel destinations.