Woman traveller from Poland shares unpleasant experience in Himachal Pradesh India
A solo female traveller from Poland recently shared a concerning experience from her trek in Himachal Pradesh, India, where she was allegedly followed by a man who persistently tried to take a photo with her despite her repeated refusals.
Kasia, a travel content creator known on Instagram as @jenesaisquoi_x, posted a video capturing the unsettling encounter. In the footage, a man can be seen trailing her as she makes her way down a mountain near her guesthouse.
In her caption, Kasia explained that she initially misunderstood the man’s intentions. “I thought he was asking me to take a picture of him,” she wrote. “But then I realized he wanted a picture with me. I said no, because I didn’t feel like stopping to chat or take photos—I just wanted to be alone.”
She emphasized that, after spending considerable time in India and participating in numerous selfies with strangers, she no longer felt comfortable engaging in such interactions.
Despite her clear refusal, the man reportedly continued following her and began shouting in Hindi. Feeling unsafe, Kasia began recording the incident. In the video, she can be heard saying, “I don’t want to take a picture with you. Can you stop following me? I don’t like this.”
Once the man realized he was being filmed, he averted his gaze and walked away.
The post quickly went viral, prompting a wave of reactions before Kasia disabled the comments section. In her message, she expressed her discomfort and frustration, writing, “I am not an animal in a zoo to be stared at and photographed.
To some Indian men, don’t be creepy. We, foreign women, don’t want to be objectified. Gawking at us won’t make us want to talk to you. I am not an object. Let me be.”
Though the incident left her shaken, Kasia made it clear that she would continue travelling solo. She also emphasized that her post was not intended to generalize or portray an entire nation in a negative light.
In a follow-up post, she wrote, “There’s a saying: ‘India is not for beginners.’ I didn’t share this to frighten women or tarnish India’s image. I wanted to highlight what not to do as a man. This applies universally—whether you’re Indian, Croatian, or British.”
Kasia added that she gave a lot of thought before posting the video. “If we don’t talk about these issues, nothing will ever change,” she said.
