A foreign woman has shared her experience of hospitality in India, saying that while tourists may occasionally encounter overcharging, she has far more often found herself being undercharged, offered free food and welcomed into strangers’ homes.
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Taking to Instagram, the woman, named Jane, shared a video on her account @janekikhoj, where she spoke about an aspect of travelling in India that she feels does not get discussed enough.
‘My chaiwala is charging me a lower price’
In the clip, Jane said: "A lot of people think that, you know, in India, you know, you get scammed all the time, you get overcharged, and I do think there's an element of truth to that. But I wanna talk about how many times as a foreigner in India you will get undercharged."
She then recalled learning that her local tea seller had deliberately been charging her less because she was a guest in the country.
{{/usCountry}}She then recalled learning that her local tea seller had deliberately been charging her less because she was a guest in the country.
{{/usCountry}}"So I recently found out that my chaiwala is just charging me a lower price because I'm a guest to this country. And the amount of times I've been in restaurants and they'll give you like extra dessert and they're like, you know, India mein apka swagat hai," she said.
Jane added that her experiences went far beyond small discounts or complimentary food. She said Indian strangers had invited her home for meals, taken her to family weddings and even offered her places to stay.
"Let alone how many times, you know, Indian strangers will just invite you to their home to for food or will take you to like their cousin's wedding, and or even invite you to stay at their home," she said.
‘People are as hospitable and welcoming’
Sharing another example, Jane said that during her first trip to India, she stayed mostly with Indian families. She recalled how hosts would connect her with relatives or friends in the next city she planned to visit.
"And I just don't think that there's many countries where people are as hospitable and as welcoming as they are in India," she said.
Jane concluded: "And so, well yes, you might sometimes pay like be overcharged for your auto ride, I think it's far more often that you get undercharged and that, you know, you benefit from the incredible warmth and hospitality of Indian people."
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The clip was shared with the caption, "Undercharging vs. overcharging in India."
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The post drew several warm reactions from viewers. One user wrote, "Indian hospitality is truly unmatched." Another commented, "Such a wholesome perspective on India." A third said, "The chaiwala part is so heartwarming." Echoing the sentiment, another user added, "India’s warmth goes beyond money."
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)