3 min readNew DelhiMar 23, 2026 09:44 PM IST
With several videos highlighting the lack of cleanliness in public places, India is often stereotyped by international travellers. However, a US-based travel vlogger pushed back against generalisations about the country’s cleanliness after visiting Kochi, Kerala.
In an Instagram video, Chloe Jade highlighted the cleanliness, food culture, and public infrastructure she encountered during her stay in the city.
“People say that India is dirty, but for me, this is not dirty. Now, let’s start with the sidewalks and the roads. Things are very clean. There’s no trash, and the sidewalk is literally spotless. As you can see, people are using gloves to eat the food, and everything here is very clean, which is almost every country,” Jade said.
Emphasising the clean roads, Jade said, “You can see that there’s no trash on the ground because we think it’s done very carefully, and the food comes out very, very clean and very healthy, and I have to say the food was absolutely amazing. These are dosa, and they came out so good.”
Jade also hailed Kochi’s water metro. “It’s a ferry on the water. It’s completely electric, and when you see inside, you won’t be asking yourself, why do people say that India is dirty? Take a look at this. People are respecting each other’s space,” she said.
Sharing the video, Jade wrote, “India is not dirty. I am travelling in Kerala, India, right now, and a lot of times the first thing someone says is, “India is dirty.” Now, it’s my second time here, but both of those visits are eight years apart, and while certain parts of India are somewhat dirty, you cannot say that about the whole country.”
Watch here:
The video has gone viral, sparking a “North India vs South India” debate.
“This is KERALAM for you. But you won’t feel the same when you travel across north India or maybe even the nearest state. Anyway have fun and happy journey,” an Instagram user wrote.
“Its Kerala babes. Even though it is India, the rest of India is not like that,” another user commented.
“So there’s a stark difference between the Southern and Northern India! Wrt culture and civic sense. This is what you usually get when you’re travelling down here in the South. North is a tad more chaotic and stereotypical I’d say!” a third user reacted.
