Bangkok influencer gets 'hounded' in Delhi auto: ‘I can’t stand strangers touching me’

Emma's video gathered more than one lakh likes on Instagram. (Image credit: (@discoverwithemma_/Instagram)

A travel content creator based in South East Asia recently shared a harrowing experience she faced in Delhi while riding an autorickshaw with her partner recently. Emma, who goes by @discoverwithemma on Instagram, said she was "hounded" on the road and the incident left her feeling "stressed and drained".

In the now-viral video, Emma and her partner can be seen waiting at a traffic signal with beggars and what appeared to be transgender people asking them for money. Some of the beggers were even seen touching the foreign travellers to persuade them.

"I can’t stand strangers touching me," Emma shared. "Getting hounded in a rickshaw in Delhi was honestly overwhelming." She added that they could not go more than a few seconds without people approaching them. "And the chaos of Old Delhi made the whole backpacking experience pretty intense."

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A post shared by Emma | Backpacking South East Asia✨ (@discoverwithemma_)

The couple, who had been backpacking through the country, said the experience left them feeling stressed, but added that not all of their experience in the city was bad. "I felt stressed, drained, and honestly ready to give up on filming anything. But travel is full of highs and lows, and today reminded me why we love it so much. We had the most amazing time exploring a completely different side of Delhi."

Emma said they explored peaceful gardens, beautiful historic landmarks, and "the kind of street food that makes you forget all the chaos".

"That’s what makes backpacking Delhi (and India in general) so unique… one moment it feels impossible, the next it blows you away," she said, adding that Delhi was really the definition of contrasts, "challenging one day, unforgettable the next".