From tarmac Garba to towel theft: As Indian tourists go viral for all wrong reasons, here are 9 travel rules to avoid becoming the next internet horror story

Indian travellers are going viral for the worst possible reasons. Nupur Amarnath presents a handy guide of travel rules to ensure you don’t end up in the next compilation of ‘badly behaved tourists’.

It seems like every day we are being treated to yet another egregious video of desi tourists. From sundry dances and noise to uncouth behaviour and a general lack of civic sense, you name it and there’s a viral video on it. After the latest tarmac garba, commentators rushed in with criticism, analysis, brickbats and even a few bouquets (some insist it’s harmless fun).

Theories abound about why Indians travel the way they do. Psychologists describe it as a release from everyday life, social commentators see a clash between local norms and global etiquette, while seasoned travellers point to a young travel culture still learning the ropes.


Whatever the explanation, here’s a handy guide for your next trip.

1. The world is not a stage

Indians love to dance. From tarmac garbas to ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ in Vietnam to Burj Khalifa and even a World War II memorial in the United States, Indian tourists have jigged their way into viral infamy.

Saima Shah (name changed) recalls a group of tourists on a Singapore Airlines night flight singing songs, dancing and playing antakshari.

Santosh Desai, CEO, FutureBrands and columnist, says, “I think this sense that we are respected in the world, that we are making a mark, the whole Vishwa Guru idea, is definitely there and we carry it with us. It becomes most pronounced when we travel in groups because there is safety in numbers.”

More broadly, Desai says that for Indians, travel is never about a cultural experience; it is about a physical experience.

“We’ve always wanted to visit places without wanting anything to do with the people there. The only culture we really recognise is our own and every other culture is something to be insulated against rather than immersed in. That’s why we carry our own food, our own music and, as we’ve seen, our own dance.”

Ask yourself: Would locals use this space for what you’re about to do?

2. Hotel freebies are not a free-for-all

In April 2026, The Bali Times reported how four Indian tourists staying at Ubud were stopped mid-checkout when staff noticed several items missing from their rooms, which were later found in their luggage.

It included towels, robes, hair dryer, TV remote box, utensils — and even a doormat.

Pria Warrick, clinical psychologist and founder, Pria Warrick Finishing Academy, says that we have a sense of entitlement.

“People feel that because they bought a plane ticket or paid for a holiday, they have somehow bought the staff, the restaurant, the stuff or the experience.”

Ask yourself: Would the hotel have to reorder it after you leave? If yes, it’s not a souvenir.

3. Learn local tipping etiquette

Travel content creator and writer Lakshmi Sharath says that most people don’t understand tipping culture.

While rules differ according to the country, a good idea is to know local customs, which can be solved by a simple Google search.

“For instance, one has to tip the bellhop and even cab drivers,” Sharath says.

Ask yourself: Is it a service? Did it help make your trip a bit better? If yes, tip for sure.

4. Respect women

Sadly, Indian men carry their desi self abroad too.

Communications professional Pratibha Bhatt came across a group of five Indian men at a bar in Barcelona. They were loud and crudely talking in Hindi about a girl working there.

Frequent traveller Keerat Kaur has witnessed multiple incidents of men recording, misbehaving and catcalling cabin crew on the India-Bangkok sector.

Warrick says, “The universal rule for travellers is simple: Understand that it’s not only about you; it’s about other people as well.”

Ask yourself: Would I say or do this if the woman were a colleague, friend or family member?

5. There’s nothing like ‘have your khakhra and eat it too’

Saree influencer Ritu Sharma once encountered a batch of travellers flying from Moscow to Delhi who were having a small in-flight picnic of theplas and farsaan.

Kaur witnessed a mother having a meltdown at a hotel breakfast buffet in Singapore after her kids ate sausages and salami.

“She called the manager and created a scene saying that ‘how can you serve non-veg items in your buffet when we are Indians and only eat vegetarian?’”

Sapna Prabhakaran shared that in South Korea, her husband had to ask a young traveller to stop picking food from the breakfast buffet with her hands.

Desai says that there is a certain ethnocentrism that becomes very pronounced when we go elsewhere.

“It’s not as if we behave differently in India. We are as boorish within the country as we are outside.”

Agrees etiquette coach and corporate grooming expert Suneeta Sodhi Kanga.

“Do not take a slice of India with you when you travel. If that’s what you want, travel in India. Why go abroad?” she asks.

Ask yourself: Did I travel all this way to experience another culture or recreate my own?

6. Silence is golden

Etiquette expert Sunaiinaa A Hak says that Indians, in general, are loud either while talking or using their phones: “Noise is also a violation of personal space.”

Kaur ran into a group of Indians inside a church in Italy, taking calls on speakerphone. When the attendants asked them to be quiet, they argued: “Kahan likha hai phone pe baat nahi kar sakte? Pehle hume board dikhao.”

Shambhavi Singh (name changed) encountered this at Dochula Pass in Bhutan.

Solo traveller and content creator Saee Pawar recalls a time in Ninh Binh in Vietnam where a group of young Indian boys were hooting, yelling, making animal sounds in the middle of a nature reserve.

“I did correct them and they apologised. It is not always malicious. It is just a complete unawareness.”

Ask yourself: If everyone behaved the way I am behaving right now, would I still be able to enjoy?

7. A line shouldn’t be a dot to you

Desai says that we have a basic inability to comprehend systems that work.

“If there is a line, our first instinct is to see how to break it. If there is a rule, we immediately look for an exception. That behaviour travels with us.”

Sharath recalls seeing tourists at Santorini’s famous Oia viewpoint jump queues, hog photo spots and demand endless retakes while others waited patiently.

Kanga says that basic situational awareness is lacking.

Ask yourself: Would I be okay if the person behind me did exactly what I’m about to do?

8. Small blunders

Warrick recently had a couple approach her to enrol their two children in her finishing school after a restaurant in the UK reportedly asked them to leave because of the children’s unruly behaviour.

Warrick says the arrogant behaviour starts at home itself:

“There is very little concern for rules, privacy or other people’s space. We jaywalk, cross red lights, are loud, litter, break queues. The children mirror the same.”

Ask yourself: Would I be comfortable if another family’s children behaved this way around me?

9. Don’t be a litterbug

Ahmedabad-based marketing professional Geetanjali Sharma (name changed) shares a story of a father travelling with his toddler on the Ahmedabad-Delhi flight. The child had no diaper on and soiled the leg space.

Hak says that Indians, in general, have poor civic sense.

Ask yourself: If everyone behaved the way I do, what would this place look like?