Attend a significant cultural festival in another country.

“I was wary at first as strangers walked up to me and proceeded to coat my face with colored powder. My apprehension soon dissipated, however, as I saw their smiling faces. I warmed up to the festivities, enjoying the chorus of “Happy Holi!” around me as we made our way closer to the temple. Inside the temple the crowd got even thicker, with singing, dancing, and drumming as plumes of red, purple, yellow, and blue powder flew up in the air. As one of my trip-mates pointed out, it was quite lovely to see everyone gently spread color on each other’s faces. The excitement in the air was palpable, and the warm welcome our group received was also apparent. In such an exuberant atmosphere, it felt wrong to deny selfie requests. I decided to take photos with the local residents, perhaps as my way of saying thank you for allowing us to join in the festivities. Unfortunately, my experience was soured by one young man. After adding some color to face, he proceeded to head south to my chest. I wasn’t the only person who experienced this in my group; groping is one of the risks of attending public Holi celebrations. I highly recommend female travelers attend Holi in a group, ideally at a private celebration. While this violation certainly angered me (I was ready to go back to the hotel afterward), I’m still glad I got to participate in India’s vibrant festival of colors.”

“The tourism-sponsored party was not my favorite, but it really did give you an idea of what it was like as families and friends played Holi. Colors and powder flew everywhere as strangers became your friends and companions. After getting covered for a few hours, we left and went out to drive around the streets to see a more local look at Holi. Groups of friends convened on corners and oftentimes in front of bars (which seemed to be the only thing open that day) to play. We hung out the car window and took pictures mainly, but it was a good way to see it all in action at a safe distance from the drunken men. [...] Our Jaipur guide, Janu, then took a bunch of us out to a local home to play, which was my highlight. The colors seemed to get more vibrant as we went out of the city center. When we showed up at the home, we were all greeted with powder rubbed on our faces, and then the playing began. It was sort of like a water fight or food fight for young adults. (I’m not really sure where I fit into that age group…but regardless, I had a blast!). They mixed the bright colors with water, which seemed to make them more permanent (thank goodness for the baby wipes!).”