Rachel first visited and wrote about this beautiful landmark back in 2014. You can read her original post here. With the help of one of her close friends, Jules, we’ve given this post a much needed update. Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Hampi today!

I, Jules, first made a last minute trip to Hampi in 2016 on my last holiday to Goa before I decided to move there. It was a crazy trip squashed in the middle of a jam packed 2 week holiday with 15 people. We decided we didn’t want to be away from Goa for too long so 5 of us thought it would be a good idea to do a rapid overnight trip to Hampi and back. Looking back it was great but wow it was quick with a lot of time spent in the car and I am not sure I would recommend going for that short of a time. Instead I’d spend at least two nights here.

We left at 10am from North Goa and arrived in Hampi after the sun had gone down and actually the boats across the river had stopped. This left us no choice but to take an illegal Karnataka coconut boat (these are explained below) trip across the river in absolute silence and complete darkness so we didn’t get caught by the police. We stayed one night, did one full day of temple sight-seeing, watched one glorious sunset, and got back in the car and drove 8 hours back to Goa.

My second trip to Hampi was in 2017 where I gave myself a more reasonable 2 night stay which included a huge thunder and lightening storm, two glorious sunsets, and some of the same and a few new temples.

Before I tell you all about Hampi, I want to make sure you know about the India Guide ebook which is literally everything you need to know about traveling in India safely and will make sure you see all the best “do not miss” places here on your budget, which can be under $20 a day if you wanted it to. Buy it here. Read more about the book and see reviews here.

Hampi is like something straight out of the set of Jurassic Park. The huge boulders don’t seem to make sense. How are they placed in such strange positions? Why aren’t they rolling down hills and squashing all tourists in their paths? Not to mention the sheer size and open landscape of it all. It is literally a magical town where they must have used some form of magic or sorcery to build the temples all those hundreds of years ago… To have all those beautiful boulders scattered around as they are – some are even purposefully balanced on top of another. Apparently some of that magic is erosion but we will come on to that.

If you can fit Hampi into your trip schedule, do not hesitate and if you can’t then you should try and re-work your schedule. Hampi has the right balance between history, beautiful architecture, nature and fun backpacker vibes.

What is Hampi?

Hampi is a UNESCO world heritage site in Karnataka, India, about 7 hours from Bangalore or 10 from Goa by overnight bus.

While you can only see it in ruins now, it was once one of the richest cities in the world. Yep, the whole world, not just India. It was the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire for over 200 years. Once upon a time, you would enter an ancient metropolis adorned with temples, palaces, markets streets, and religious monuments. It flourished between the 14th and 15th century with most temples and monuments being Hindu alongside a few Jain temples and one Muslim mosque and tomb.

In 1565, everything changed after the battle of Talikota took place and the city of Vijayanagara was defeated. Armies spent 5 months destroying monuments, and what you see today is what remains.

As Rachel said, unlike Stonehenge, where the attraction is a small area, the entire town of Hampi is the attraction. This city is in the middle of nowhere and you can spend days exploring different corners.

Hampi Travel Tips

When to Go to Hampi

Don’t go in the hottest months (April and May) as sightseeing will be unbearable.

How to Get to Hampi

By Bus

If you are travelling from Goa, a bus can be taken from the bus stands of Mapusa or Panjim, directly to Hospet. This is an overnight bus and takes around 11 hours. Have a look or on Redbus and if traveling solo think about booking 2 sleeper beds next to each other to avoid having a stranger in your compartment.

The bus stop is also a small market.

By Train

Additionally, you can take a daytime train from Vasco De Gama in the South of Goa to Hospet. Check all my tips for booking a train here. If you want to book, you book here.

Once at Hospet take a rickshaw to your chosen accommodation in Hampi which should be approximately 13km away.

Getting Around Hampi

The best way to explore Hampi is by rickshaw (more on that below). If you want to stay on the same side of the river as Rachel did, do not drive there, it’s a huge wrap around. Instead, take the taxi boat across. It only takes 3 minutes, BUT it stops running at 5:00 PM, and there is no way to the other side except to drive for an hour. If it’s late at night you’re bound to get lost in the jungle as Rachel did!

Where to Stay in Hampi

2020: Please check the area you have booked is not Anegundi, across the river as most places are unfortunately closed awaiting demolition

View From the Room

Boulders

Another great and slightly more expensive option is Boulders. It is located outside of the main tourist area of Hampi and is approximately 7km from the main World Heritage sites. It is set on the banks of the Tunghbadra River in the Yamini Hills. Perfect for nature lovers and travellers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the usual India. The accommodation can help with a driver to take you around sightseeing during the day. Check prices here

Shanthi Guesthouse

Rachel originally stayed at Shanthi Guesthouse which was 12,000 INR for 3 nights, although she thinks they could have negotiated better had they not been fairly intoxicated the majority of the time. That price included breakfast and laundry and was in December at peak season (when rates are doubled). The cottages are along the rice paddies and you are GUARANTEED a badass view of the greatest sunset of all time from a swinging porch bed. Check prices here

Sloth Bear Resort

Another spot Rachel also stayed was at the Sloth Bear Resort, which is part of a National Park and you can, as you might guess, see sloth bears on safari. Read the review here and check prices here

Mowgli Guesthouse

If you want another option for where to stay in Hampi, Rachel also stayed at Mowgli Guesthouse which is pretty identical and has similar reviews online. They have the same exact view from the rooms, which are now called “vista rooms,” as well as many guesthouses in Hampi.

The service wasn’t great. It’s the view that counts. Hampi doesn’t have a lot to offer for accommodation so these are your best bet. Check prices here

Hyatt

When Rachel’s parents came, these were booked and nothing else looked appealing so they stayed 45 minutes away at the Hyatt, which was in a unique workers complex. Check prices here

Check here for more places to stay in Hampi

Places to Visit in Hampi

When visiting Hampi, be ready to spend your day exploring temples. There’s a lot, like really a lot, of incredible landscapes to see and unbelievably huge boulders you’ll want to take photos next to. Rachel walked through mazes of boulders wondering how in the hell it all came to be, and when it is your turn, you will be feeling the same. After doing a quick Google search you will find out that geologists state after millions and maybe even billions of years of erosion from rain, sun and wind, the monoliths began to crack, break and fall into what we see today. Still sounds pretty magical!

The Vijaya Vittala Temple is famous for its intricately carved chariot while the Virupaksha Temple is an impressive 49-meters tall. The Narasimha Statue, which was Rachel’s favorite and also one of mine, is carved from one single stone, and the Hanuman Temple sits on top of a hill. There’s also the underground Shiva Temple which remains partially flooded all year round and many many more temples you’ll want to see!

Rachel wrote that Hampi is said to be the Vanara Sena, or Kingdom of the Apes, which as Hindus believe, is where Lord Rama fought in the Ramayana. You will understand this reference when faced with the large groups of monkeys trying to steal the bananas you were coerced into buying from the local salesman – be careful!

10 Things to Do in Hampi: What Not to Miss!

From Rachel’s trip with her mom and dad

1. Hire a local rickshaw driver to take you around all the sites for a day

There is a lot see in Hampi so maybe narrow it down. If you have time, split your temple visits across a few days. After a few temples I know we all can feel a bit temple-d out and then miss the beauty of what we are meant to be seeing. My advice would be to find a rickshaw driver you like and ask him to take you to 3 temples, somewhere for lunch and one sunset spot each day.

If you are lucky some rickshaw drivers will tell you information about each temple as you are about to enter it. However, I suggest buying a little information book from the bazaar with facts and pictures of each World Heritage Site to help explain the beauty of what you are seeing. Your rickshaw driver may also have some secret spots to show you, away from the crowded tourist track! And if you are lucky, he might even let you have a sneaky test-drive on the deserted back roads of Hampi. It is definitely more difficult that it looks!

The price you should pay per day really depends on the amount of sites you visit, the distance covered and how much you enjoyed the day. I would suggest between 500 and 800 INR per day per rickshaw – not per person.

2. Take the taxi boat across the river to the “hippie” side of Hampi, Anegundi.

2020 Update: Unfortunately, Anegundi is currently going through some major developments with a majority of the area about to be demolished. Hold off any plans to stay on this side for now and hopefully we will have some good news by the beginning of next season – October.

Don’t forget to see both sides of the river! As Rachel said, this is so you can take part in drum circles, dread-lock making, and whatever other hippie activities. This also puts you on the side of the reservoir where you can experience the quiet of Hampi. You will usually find a big hippie community with hostels, restaurants, movie nights, bouldering groups, and lots of lovely luscious green rice paddy fields.

3. Catch the sunset from Hanuman Temple on top of the hill

This is a beautiful spot that gives you a 360 degree view over the amazing and unbelievable selection of boulders in Hampi. It is a 572 step climb so don’t make the mistake of trying to conquer this hill during the daytime heat and don’t let the step count put you off as it really is a view you shouldn’t miss. It does get busy at the peak sunset hour so if you are feeling motivated, try and make it for sunrise instead. You will need to hire a rickshaw to take you to this spot – ask for Monkey Temple Hill or Hanuman Temple.

4. Go cliff jumping and cool off in Hampi’s lake – watch out for the crocs!

Cool off in the large swimming lake a short drive outside the main sites of Hampi. This lake has a huge warning sign for crocodiles painted on the rock but Rachel never saw any and everyone there was swimming. Locals said there aren’t any in the lake, only the river. You’ll see a group of people laying out near the main cliff, and if it’s empty that day, ask a guide where people jump. The water isn’t clear, but people have been jumping from this same place for years! Take a rickshaw or ask the locals for directions to the swimming lake.

Colorful Guests Visiting the Elephant Stables 

5. Be amazed by the size of the Elephant Stables.

The old Elephant Stables are on the same grounds as the Lotus Mahal. Venture inside what used to be where the Maharajahs would keep their elephants and compare the size of these to your usual horse stables. Have a seat in the shaded grassy area with a freshly cut coconut and think about the unlucky soul who had to clean each one.

6. Enjoy views from Matanga Hill after all your temple sightseeing.

This is a slightly more challenging climb that doesn’t have a specific route, more like a climb up along some man-made rock steps. It should take no more than 30 minutes with reasonable fitness and gives you a 360 degree view of Hampi including some of the World Heritage Sites. A great place to see the full beauty of Virupaksha Temple from a distance. Another great spot for sunrise and sunset.

Rachel did it with a guide who gave her some cool bits of information. For example, the statue of Ganesh (who is her favorite god!) has a snake around his stomach. The guide/driver shared that it was to keep him from eating too much food!

7. Get a guide at Vijaya Vittala Temple – Chariot Temple

You are probably sick of being offered guided tours around every single site you visit but if you are going to choose one in Hampi, do it at Vijaya Vittala Temple which is also where the famous carved stone chariot is. I suggest a guide here because they will show you how to play music on the 56 musical pillars (probably/hopefully not all of them) at the Ranga Matapa. If hit in the right way each pillar makes a different note. You can have a try yourself but good luck finding the right pillars!

8. Hire a Karnataka boat and driver to take you out in the lake. Go for a swim!

The boats are traditional fishing boats for the state and are made from trees and tar. Maybe even buy the boat, like Rachel did. On the Hampi lake you shouldn’t pay any more than 250 INR for a little boat trip around the lake. These are the same boats that were used to cross over to Anegundi before the introduction of the actual motor boat, and the same boat I had to sneak across the river in on my first trip to Hampi! 

9. Take a break at Mango Tree

On the same side of the river as the Virupaksha Temple there is a great restaurant for backpackers called Mango Tree. Take a break from the Hampi heat and have a mango shake or a thali. Word has spread about this place so it can be difficult to get a seat at peak times.

10. Go bouldering

I am sure you are well aware by now but in case you aren’t, Hampi is full of boulders. All different shapes and sizes that keep you waiting for a dinosaur to pop its head around the corner any minute. If you are feeling like you can’t see another temple or you’re in the mood for a challenge then pay a visit to to one of the few bouldering centres located in Anegundi. Tom and Jerry, Goan Corner – Boulder Centre (also a great hostel) and Sunny’s Bouldering School. We don’t have any personal testimonials but check out their TripAdvisors page for the latest reviews. And if you are lucky you might even get a few dogs to oversee your climb!

Again seeing as this is taking place in Anegundi, we will need to wait for some more information regarding the demolition and update you in October, until then please do contact the centres directly as the boulders will be there, demolition or no demolition.

And there you have it, all the best things to do in Hampi. Have you been? What did you think?

General India Travel Tips

• Can’t go to Hampi, if you can’t get into India. Yes, you do need a visa, even if you’re only here for a short time. It’s super easy, and you can get it right on iVisa.
• Don’t forget to get some travel insurance! Especially if you’re going to do some of the more adventurous activities. We always recommend World Nomads, and you can even easily get a quote on the sidebar or going here.
• For cheap domestic flights, compare on Kiwi.
• If you need a phone while in India and you can’t use SIM cards, try out Trabug.

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The post 10 Cool Things to Do in HAMPI: Chasing Sunsets and Climbing Boulders first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 10 Cool Things to Do in HAMPI: Chasing Sunsets and Climbing Boulders appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

There are thousands of cenotes in the Yucatan. Cenotes were actually made when the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hit earth! You can read about the giant crater the cenote created, the Chicxulub crater, at that link. Living in Merida, there are so many cenotes near Merida to choose from. While it’s fun to tour around and check out small off the grid ones, like this one, sometimes you want something *perfect* that will be good for when family and friends come to visit you.

For me, the best cenotes in Merida to take my family to are the Santa Barbara cenotes at Homun. If you ask most locals which is your favorite cenote, they will often say “Homun!” without even thinking. At Homun, are the “Santa Barbara cenotes” which is a set of three cenotes.

Upon arrival, you can choose to tour just one or have access to all three. For three cenotes, the cost is 150 MXN ($7). For an additional 70 MXN, you can add on lunch, which I highly recommend. The cost includes access to three cenotes, transport between them either by horse-drawn carriage or bicycle and lifejackets.

I grew up near Amish country and am very used to horse-drawn carriages but still felt a little bad riding in one. My mom did as well. I think if we went back we would ride bicycles which would be a lot of fun, but most families there used the carriages. The ride is just 3-5 minutes out to the cenotes, then you walk between the three, then you take a ride back.

As you can see, no one is around! We arrived at 9:30. They open at 9 and we were the only ones there for the two hours we spend in the cenotes. As we headed back toward the restaurant, we saw a few families showing up and during lunch, tour buses started to come in.

This is from the first cenote. It was dark down there in the morning! As we started walking down, even I was nervous but then the guy who worked there came and turned on the lights. It’s truly in a tiny hole. My mom was asking “are there snakes!?” but no, there aren’t. Once you get through the small hole, it opens up to a huge staircase and a beautifully lit up cenote. This was probably the coolest one.

The second cenote is just a smidge further down the path and between these two cenotes are bathrooms and a shower. There’s also bathrooms and a shower at the entrance but in case you wanted to rinse off here, it’s an option. There are picnic areas outside of the cenotes where you can sit your things and relax once you come up.

The second cenote has enough light coming down that there are no artificial lights inside. It’s beautiful. Because we got there early, we avoided crowds but that means the sun isn’t lighting up the whole place, so we could only really swim on the side that had light.

The third cenote is the most open of the three. Although it’s large, it’s maybe the least impressive because it’s so open and not really down in a hole.

I brought the two Usnorks that I have so we could look under. These are snorkels that cover your whole face to make you look like a weirdo but also so that you can breathe through your nose or nose, whatever you like. You can also dive down and the snorkel can’t get water inside of it which makes them unique. I got it on Amazon, you can see [easyazon_link identifier=”B07G11XCF5″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]reviews for Usnork here[/easyazon_link].

After the third cenote, we walked through the (not very impressive) gift shop into the restaurant. I wasn’t expecting much since it was just 70 pesos (drinks not included, but beer was I think 30 MXN) and a tourist site, but it was actually very good food.

The panuchos were very tasty, the Sopa de Lima is some of the best I’ve had, and we had a starter of the beef empanadas that were very tasty. I definitely recommend eating lunch here! My parents loved the food as well.

Logistically, we drove here because I have a car but you could also rent a car which would be the easiest way. A car rental for a day can run you between $1-20 (yes, for real, tips on booking here). You can also hire a local tour company or driver for the day from many of the agencies in Centro.

What to take? The wind does make it a little chilly so bring something to cover up with after you’re done swimming. Take a hat, sunscreen, water shoes if you don’t want to go barefoot (you can go barefoot from the steps can be slippery), snorkel, and a towel.

I’ve been to many cenotes around, but you know what you are getting with this set and there are three in one place to check out, so I’d say this is the best cenotes in Merida for a day trip with a traditional lunch if I *had* to choose just one.

Pin my favorite best cenotes in Merida for later:

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Going on a safari in India is on so many India travel bucket lists. After doing it and seeing a tiger, I can say it is really SO worth it – even if you have to fly half way across the world. I have done many safaris in India, but the Bandhavgarh National Park safari as the best because I finally saw a tiger. It is one of the most amazing memories I’ll have from being in India. I have traveled all over India and lived there for five years, but this might be the most special experience I’ve had in India.

There are some things to know before you go on a safari in India, so I’m going to share some tips so you are as prepared as you can possibly be! You might already know, but Bandhavgarh has more tigers than any park in India.

Getting to Bandhavgarh: The park is in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The easiest way is to fly into Jabalpur and then take a four-hour car journey into the area of the park. The nearest village is Tala. Your hotel will probably arrange this for you. I flew Spicejet but Air India fly there as well. It’s a tiny airport! You can also take local buses (do not recommend as it will be a lot of bus changes and take ages!) or take a train to Umaria then a taxi.

things to know before you take a Bandhavgarh National Park safari

1. You really should book a hotel before you go

It’s best to have a hotel set up ahead of time so they can help with tickets and book them for you. You can book your tickets online at the MP Park website if you want and decide on a hotel, but it’s not always accepting foreign cards without issues. You can book a safari lodge that includes your drives in the tariff which is what I recommend. You can book up to three months ahead of time and you should make sure to at least book a couple of weeks ahead because there is a limit to how many cars can come into the park.

Bandhavgarh National Park safari accommodations range from super budget to super luxury. I stayed at Samode (review here) and they include the safari in the price and book it for you. It’s by far the most luxurious (and expensive) in the area. The Taj Mahua Kothi is luxury but pretty mid-range in comparison, priced at under $300/night. Pugdundee Safaris King’s Lodge is less than $200 a night and very very nice. If you look at these places, you’ll see that most luxury ones like this include the safari in the price (and food and drinks) so make sure you think about the inclusions to see what the best deal will be).

If you look on hotels.com and booking.com with Tala searched (it is on those links) you can see a wide variety of Bandhavgarh hotels and resorts from around 2,000 INR and up (under $50). Typically these budget ones will not arrange your park tickets.

2. Park tickets need to be booked way ahead of time

There are limited tickets for the parks. You must plan ahead of time for a safari. Bandhavgarh safari cost is the same for foreigners and Indians, even though it didn’t use to be. It’s 1,500 INR for the permit fee for a whole Jeep and then you have to rent the Jeep (and driver) which is 2,500 INR. You also have to take a government guide with you which is a few hundred rupees.

If you aren’t coming in a group, the permit fee is 250 (not taking a whole Jeep for 1,500. Bandhavgarh National Park charges aren’t that high in my opinion and even for a budget backpacker, this is something to make sure you put in your itinerary!

So if you are backpacking and want to go on your own, then you will get a single person permit fee of 250 then when you arrive, you will have to split the cost of the Jeep hire with whoever else is in the Jeep.

3. The park isn’t open all year – AND it does get very cold

The park isn’t open all year and closes for the monsoon months of July, August, and September. In May and June, it’s likely to see more tigers because it’s hot and they search for water, but it’s very hot on the safari for the visitors. December and January are peak months and so it’s crowded. I went in March and it was perfect, but honestly still crowded. The park is always closed on Wednesdays and some holidays.

It will be cold in the morning and evenings pretty much all of the open months except maybe April and May. Mid- March was still cold in the mornings and evenings when I was there. The mornings at 5 AM were cold enough we needed blankets and hot water bottles on our laps. I recommend layers – and will be putting up a packing post soon!

4. It’s more crowded then you might imagine

The park is 105 square meters and divided into three “core” zones. Each zone can have 20 cars maximum in it at a time. The park is closed for lunch so you can do a morning safari or an evening safari. If you want to do an all-day safari it costs a lot more and you’ll need to get a special permit.

The core zones are called Tala, Magdhi, and Khitauli. There are also buffer zones. You don’t get to pick your zone if you go through a hotel, because they do it for you and it was explained to me it’s almost like a lottery and they don’t find out until the night before. You want Magdhi zone – it is the best currently. Tala was closed when I was there so they re-routed those cars to the other two main zones so it was extra-crowded but this happens often with the zones.

If you book online, you should be able to pick your zone from what I understand.

When a tiger is spotted within a zone, word travels fast and all the Jeeps go off quickly to get to the point the tiger is located. Imagine twenty Jeeps all speeding off together, then stopping altogether in the same tiny space.

I was pretty surprised by how loud the fellow tourists were and that no one told them to be quiet. After all, we are paying a lot for this experience – because it’s MAGICAL – and it to me, should be common knowledge to be quiet and respectful. Yet, there are Jeeps that were full of tourists who were yelling, laughing, playing music on their phones, and arguing with other cars about views being blocked. I lived in India for years and am used to the noise and such but I guess I thought people would have been better behaved during such a special moment. I just wanted to shush everyone because all the yelling was ruining the moment, to be honest.

5. It’s also very very dusty

All the Jeeps make a LOT of dust and you’ll likely have a Jeep in front of you – the drivers sometimes spin the tires out and create more when going quickly to find a tiger that has been spotted. You will want a scarf to put over your face and maybe even hair. We didn’t have one on our first drive and luckily Samode had medical face masks. We looked crazy, but we didn’t care.

Check out my packing post (coming soon) for tips on what to pack and how to protect yourself from all the dust.

6. Tigers are hard to spot and you *might* not see one

It’s no guarantee that you see a tiger! While sometimes they come into the open and you can have a clear view, it isn’t always the case. The first sighting we had, I couldn’t SEE the tiger at first, after all tey are good at camouflage. I saw three one one safari ride and on another one, saw zero.

Can you see the tiger below? He’s there!

7. A government forest guide will go with you

Even if you stay with a luxury hotel that has it’s own guides and safari vehicles, you will still have a government guide go with you in the car. This is to keep things safe and make sure you leave the park when you are supposed to, don’t get out of the car, and they will help find the tigers.

8. Yes, it’s an open Jeep and no, the guides don’t carry guns for protection

The cars are Gypsy’s and they are open. There is nothing there for protection. If a tiger wants to attack you, it will. They HAVE jumped on the hood of Jeeps before – my guide told me! But, that was once so don’t worry. There is a limit of how close you can be to the tiger and while it could sneak up by you and has walked right up next to cars, that is so so rare.

When you see a tiger coming toward you, it is the driver’s responsibility to then drive off. There is a distance they need to keep and the tiger is in charge so if it comes toward you, you must back away.

9. It’s not only tigers

You’ll also see sambar, spotted deer, leopards, birds, monkeys, sloth bear, and jackals. Yes, the tigers steal the show!

10. There are no wild elephants – and if they come, the zone will close

This park isn’t known for wild elephants. They just haven’t been in this area – but that doesn’t mean they don’t come sometimes. They are having their land taken and so they get displaced but it sort of messes up the vibe of the zones and is dangerous for the tourists because they will charge vehicles. They closed the Tala zone while I was there because a wild elephant came into the zone.

If you do a full-day tour, they might offer you an elephant ride. There are elephants that the patrol guides use to make sure the tigers are in the zones and not going out to the villages. They have tamed elephants for this reason forever and always will – but taming this for tourism isn’t cool. While I’ve read there are elephant rides, I did not see any there and none were offered so I hope they have stopped them. Avoid the elephant rides if it is offered to you.

Pin these tips for Bandhavgarh National Park safari in India for later!

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As part of my Ask Me Anything series, I answer common questions I get from readers. You can read other AMA posts here. In this article, I want to answer the question of how in shape do you need to be to travel India or if age is really a factor in coming here. I also will touch on traveling India with disabilities.

It’s no secret that India is known as a difficult place to travel, so much so that many of the top travel bloggers I know have publicly said they wouldn’t come to India because of the pollution, safety concerns, and corruption. I actually have never thought much about how in shape you need to be to come to India but after having quite a few people ask me about this, I thought I’d take the time to talk about the difficulties you might face if you are out of shape or if you have a disability that prevents you from walking up stairs or long distances as well as if you are in a wheelchair. I am not saying I know how it would be to travel in India with a disability but I am simply doing my best to answer this for those who asked, based on my observations here.

In general, no you do not need to be in shape more than usual to travel to India. India doesn’t have to be any different than traveling to Europe in terms of your daily acitivies unless of course you do something adventurous – which you can always choose not to do.

Here are some things that you might find challenging if you are out of shape in India:

• Long sunrise and sunset hikes in popular tourist places like Pushkar or Hampi
• The hot days cause dehydration and can be physically challenging as sightseeing in India often involves a lot of walking
• Trekking in the Himalayas is okay for a day trek but if you plan to do something more hardcore, you might want to prepare
• Adventure tours are popular here like camel rides, rafting, hiking, kayaking, and more.
• Most temples are located at the top of hills and some can be a very long walk up tiny and uneven steps to get to the top

Things to consider with age while traveling in India

I do not think that age is much of a factor, but then I am 29 and don’t know what it’s like to be 79. I do know that I see many older travelers here and my advice would be if you are older and want to take things slower, to do just that. Some tours will be very fast-paced so either travel on your own or join a tour which has a slow-travel itinerary. Rather than seeing the top attractions of Delhi in two days, spend a week there and make time each day to relax and recharge.

My parents came to Mumbai, Goa, and Hampi for two weeks – they are around 60 years old and they did get tired in Hampi after so much sightseeing. They also had a lot of jetlag in the beginning.

For more, check out this post on places to visit in Hampi and this one about their visit!

I also don’t think there is an age that is too young to come. I have friends who travel with their infants and children and see 18-year-olds backpacking here. I do think that a young inexperienced traveler should not attempt to travel here on their own.

If you are traveling India with a disability here are some things to keep in mind:

If you are not steady on your feet, you might have difficulty with the fact that in crowds in India, people do push. There is not a lot of personal space in some instances like when standing in line or on public transportation so just make it clear that you want some space and you can physically put your hand on the shoulder of someone who is too close and motion for them to move back.

Some of the most famous iconic landmarks in India do not have wheelchair access. There are not often ramps or any way for people in a wheelchair to enter some famous temples and palaces. This is slowly changing and even in the 6 years I’ve traveled here, I have revisited places that have added ramps.

You might find it strange, but in places that do not have ramps and have hundreds of stairs to get to the top of a hill to see a temple – there are men who carry you up. This is not just for people who cannot walk, but for the elderly or the people who choose to not walk for any other reason. They will have a sort of cot or chair that has rods off the end which they will carry – similar to how kings and queens were carried back in the day.

You also won’t find disabled toilets except in airports where there is usually one stall with a bar on the wall to help you hold onto it. You won’t find braille on the elevators and you won’t hear beeping sounds to help you cross the road if you having a sight impairment.

Getting in and out of rickshaws might be difficult for you if you are using a cane or have trouble bending as it can be a tight squeeze. You might find that taxis will not be helpful to you or not want to be patient for you as people are sometimes treated differently in a negative way or even in a too sympathetic way as that article explains that even in 2017, people with disabilities are not seen as part of society.

Another thing I found surprising here is the language used – which isn’t meant to be derogatory but isn’t the same words we use in the USA. For example, a mute person would be called “dumb” and a person who cannot walk is “lame”. At first, I thought this is to do with the ways things are translated but then I found out actually in England, they use the term “dumb” as well in some cases. I met some textile workers who were weaving cotton and one could not speak – my tour guide said he was dumb and I was in shock. I was a little angry before I realized he did not mean he was illiterate but that he was mute and that “dumb” was the word they used for mute.

Because of the lack of infrastructure for people with disabilities traveling in India, I do suggest that you take a tour that is suited to your personal needs. If you google that, you’ll see that there are dozens of companies that offer unique specialized tours. I haven’t worked with any that are for special needs, so I cannot vouch for a particular one. Definitely, do some research, read reviews, and ask the company questions before you make a booking.

I hope that this was helpful for you. To sum it up, I don’t think you need to be in some kind of special shape to travel in India, nor does age really play a huge role as long as you travel slowly if you need to – however, traveling with disabilities here can be difficult, therefore I recommend trying a tour in that case.

The post Ask Me Anything: How in Shape Do You Need to Be to Travel India? first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Ever heard of “van life” or seen those wanderlust-worthy photos of couples traveling around in an old-school VW van looking like the most free-spirited people ever? Living in a van full time is what Nadia and David do, so I asked them to take a minute to tell you guys what van life is and how you could even start living this lifestyle and even make money doing it. 

Living in a Van Full Time

Hey, nice to meet you! We’re Nadia and David, a couple of jolly Brits who have been traveling the world full-time for five years, and currently, we’re doing so aboard our 1969 VW Adventurewagen named Red.

Our lifestyle is unique in that we live and travel full-time in our VW while only working three days per week – yep, that’s right – we have a four day weekend every week!

But before you start cussing us out for having such a chilled out lifestyle, allow me to break it down and show you how you too could be living this lifestyle, and truly living life – not just surviving it.

What is Vanlife?

The word vanlife is the way that many people describe individuals that live out of their vehicles, for some people this is financially motivated, and for others – like us, they’re just on the search for the next great adventure.

Vanlifers come from all walks of life, and can be the proud owners of vans, buses, campers, RV’s and even Airstreams!

Our Bus

Red, our VW is not only our dream home – but, in our opinion; the best gosh darned bus in the whole wide world!

Inside of our bus, you might be surprised to find out that we have a fully functioning, albeit rather tiny home!

Our kitchen consists of a refrigerator, freezer, sink, gas burner, and water pump – the only thing that differs from a conventional home’s kitchen, is the lack of an oven.

Our living area consists of a massive amount of storage, a couch that folds out into a full size — memory foam — bed, and a click in dining table large enough to seat four in a pinch.

We don’t have a bathroom in our bus, but in almost every town we stay, we’ll find the local gym and sign up so we can combine working out and getting showers. And of course, we work from coffee shops three days per week, and they always have, well, facilities!

Why Do We Live a Vanlife?

As with any lifestyle, it means something different to each person that is living it. For us – we live the vanlife because it gives us the freedom of the open road while always having our home with us.

For others, choosing to live in a vehicle can be a great way to have a home-base that they can take on the road for weekend trips.

And again, for others, it could be a way to get around having to get planning permission for living on a piece of land!

The majority of our vanlife friends choose this lifestyle for the adventure it offers, and contrary to what you may think – it doesn’t limit us to one continent thanks to the option of shipping our bus anywhere in the world!

Who Is This Lifestyle For?

I have to be completely honest and say that this lifestyle isn’t for everybody, there are cons to every lifestyle, and the same is true when it comes to living the vanlife.

When you’re living in a vehicle, it can be noisy, people often want to take pictures of your cute little home, and by golly when it’s hot outside – it can be like an oven in the bus.

But, if you’re an adventurous soul who wants to take the scenic route through life, and you’re comfortable in tiny spaces – then this could also be the key to freedom that you’ve always been looking for!

Vanlife is super affordable, it pushes you to step outside of your comfort zone, and it’s such a conversation starter. Even though for four years, we traveled the world full-time more traditionally, in the one year that we’ve lived full-time vanlife, we’ve met ten times the number of locals, made firm friends, and even attended close-knit family dinners!

How Do We Afford It?

This is the part that you’re actually interested in, I know! So, how on earth do we afford to travel the world full-time when we’re both only working three days per week?!

Easy. Our monthly outgoings for both of us is around $2000 (£1500) per month, some months it’s more if we’re splurging – but it’s truly flipping affordable.

We have friends that are far more careful with their budgeting and cook at home every day; they live full-time out of their van for only $1150 (£850) per month.

I know what’s happening right now, you’re calculating it in your head aren’t you?! Trying to figure out how the heck you can get out of your apartment lease, sell the car, and buy a camper!

Well, my advice is to try it out first, for at least a month if you can, some people have jumped in at the deep end and regretted it. It’s not for everyone.

What Do You Do? And How Can I Do It Too?

David is a UX Designer and works with US-based companies on SaaS products, whereas my job is far more fun – I’m a writer specializing in writing about horses and dogs, boom – dream job alert!

A lot of people say to us “Oh, you’re so lucky that your jobs fit with your lifestyle” but it’s not luck at all – it’s hard work and planning that has made it possible for us to have jobs that work on the road.

Absolutely anyone can find and keep a remote job; you just have to put yourself out there, work flipping hard, be organized, and always – no matter what, meet your deadlines.

I recently wrote up a blog post on Remote Work for Vanlifers with a bunch of resources that are a great place to start looking for your new remote job. Not to brag or anything, but David and I have already helped two of our friends get their digital nomad careers started! 

How Does Your Relationship Survive Vanlife?

Easy, David is the most chilled out human of all time, so that’s a big part of it!

We had already been traveling together for four years before getting our bus, so we were used to being around one another almost 24/7.

Being in such a tiny space does mean you don’t have another room to go into if you start getting on each other’s nerves, but that’s only an issue almost precisely once per month – then David throws chocolate at me and runs away!!!

Final Thoughts

I’ve led a quirky life, growing up showing horses, working in the fashion industry, and traveling the world full-time to name only a few tidbits (from the Chronicles of me, Nadia!).

But no other lifestyle has fit me so perfectly as vanlife has, I now feel at home everywhere that we go, we’re always finding adventures, and I’m now really seeing the world – not just the tourist spots, but the backroads and hidden gems!

Now get out there and say yes to life & pin this for later:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nadia is a professional writer hailing from England, and the most avid vanlifer! She explores the world full-time together with her boyfriend, David, while living aboard their 1969 VW Adventurewagen named Red! When not writing, you’ll likely find Nadia in the great outdoors, riding her bike – Junebug, horseback riding, or most likely… trying to convince David that they should adopt every animal that they come across! To read more about Nadia and David’s vanlife adventures around the world, head over to their blog at sayingyes.is or check out their Instagram @Sayingyesis.

The post Living in a Van Full Time: How to Travel the World in a Van first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Living in a Van Full Time: How to Travel the World in a Van appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

India is cheap to travel and has cheap healthcare, but don’t let that make you think you don’t need travel insurance here. You do need travel insurance in India as a traveler. I have been living and traveling in India since 2012. I’ve had my fair share of hospital visits in those years!

In this article, I’m going to share:

• When you might need travel insurance in India
• What I consider the best international travel insurance for travel in India and anywhere else, the company I personally use, World Nomads
• What is included in your coverage plus what is and is not covered by World Nomads
• Where you can buy travel insurance online for India travel
• Examples of prices of insurance for India travel through World Nomads
• Compare travel insurance India: other travel insurance companies in India my readers have used and found good deals

Things in India you might need travel insurance for

There are times during your trip to India where you might need travel insurance. I’ll break down the most common instances of injuries and other issues with travel India. Here are some instances that having insurance would save your butt and make sure you don’t lose any money:

-You might end up canceling your trip due to stress or a friend bailing; this happens a lot to my readers.

-Your luggage might get lost. This has happened to me twice in India.

-You might have your backpack or luggage stolen.

-You break your camera, laptop, or other important belongings during the trip.

-You are going to be riding a scooter in India or will be traveling by road or train; accidents are common in India and a broken limb costs a fortune without insurance.

-You will do adventures such as riding a camel in Rajasthan, parasailing in Manali, white water rafting in Rishikesh, canyoning in Goa, bungee jumping in Goa, Cliff jumping in Hampi, trekking and camping in the Himalayas, jet skiing or surfing in Pondicherry, SUP, mountain biking, and even safaris.

-You might get food poisoning, Malaria, Dengue Fever (it’s rough), Typhoid (a friend just had it), break an arm, or get an infection.

-You are so injured or sick that you need a family member to fly over here and help you get an emergency evacuation flight home.

These are things that insurance will reimburse you for!

Travel Insurance India: The Best Travel Insurance in India

I use World Nomads when I travel and have for 8 years. Why? It’s always noted as the best in the business. Here is what I look for in a travel insurance company and this is what World Nomads is known for:

• They have fair prices.
• They reimburse easily and without hassle. There are hundreds of reviews by bloggers who have had to file a claim with them and got their payment immediately and without issues.
• They cover adventure activities in their baseline insurance (more on that later).
• Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Tour Radar, Intrepid and other companies that I know and trust, all recommend World Nomads.
• You can extend your policy while you are traveling (very rare to find a company that allows this)
• Open to people from over 150 countries
• Customer service available 24/7 to ask questions or file a claim

World Nomads ticks all my boxes. It was an easy choice for me years ago even on a tiny backpacker budget to use them, and to this day as a more mid-range traveler, I still use them. In India, it is the #1 company I recommend.

What is and is not included in your World Nomads travel insurance:

When you check a quote for World Nomads, you can choose standard insurance or explorer insurance. They each have different itemized results of what is covered. I use the standard insurance. The standard insurance covers MANY adventure activities, like getting hurt falling off a camel (actually listed as covered, lol) but doesn’t cover extreme things like heli-skiing. You can see a full list here.

For both, you have coverage for hospital stays, emergency flights home, flight delay and cancellation reimbursement, lost luggage, theft, and more. You can see a full comparison in this article where I break down the two plans and what is and is not included.

There are only two times I would upgrade to the “explorer” insurance:

1. If I were renting a car. Collision damage is included on the explorer which means you can decline the coverage offered by the rental car company which is usually WAY WAY higher. This is KEY. If you will be renting a car in Goa (the only place in India I recommend it) then get this.
2. If I were doing serious adventures the whole trip. For example heli-skiing, ice climbing, or deep cave diving. India does offer some of these, so check out what you want to do.

Read More: What is and is not included on World Nomads insurance & which plan to choose

Buying travel insurance for India online

It’s easy to buy travel insurance online. For most companies, that is the best way to do it – not via the phone. Make sure you double check all the information you are entering and print off a copy of your policy. Jot down the number you would call in the case you need to make a claim. Be sure to read the fine print of any policy you are planning on buying.

Hospitals in India are modern and do cost a decent chunk of money so don’t be fooled into thinking your insurance won’t matter here or they won’t understand it. They will – show it to the hospital and call to make a claim immediately.

Keep all paperwork regarding your claims like a police report in the instance of theft or a hospital bill if you are injured.

Compare travel insurance costs in India based on the amount of time you are visiting India

If you are coming to India for one week, one month, or six months, the cost will change significantly. I am doing a search now based on an American travel (just because most of my readers are American) so you can see the actual results.

One Month Travel Insurance India

The standard plan is $131 and the explorer plan is $190. If you break down the standard plan, it comes to $4.22 per day.

Two Months Travel Insurance India

The standard plan is $187 and the explorer plan is $269. If you break down the standard plan, it comes to $3.11 per day. As you can see, the price goes down per day the longer you stay.

Six Months Travel Insurance India (the maximum you can stay in India)

The standard plan is $595 and the explorer plan is $804. If you break down the standard plan, it comes to $3.30 per day. This is about the same per day as if you stay just two months.

World Nomads isn’t the cheapest insurance online – but it covers A LOT and that is why everyone from Lonely Planet to Rough Guides and Frommers recommends them. You will find cheaper insurance, but I cannot vouch it will be good insurance.

My two cents is that you NEED travel insurance big time and you have to just budget this into your trip in India. Most people come here for just two months, so just save up an extra $187 and get your butt covered.

Get your own quote for World Nomads below. Just fill in the required information and your dates to see what it might cost for you.

Comments and a comparison of other companies my readers have used and liked

I run a Facebook group for travelers coming to India where they give and get tips. You can request to join it here. They discuss travel insurance a lot so I thought I’d share some of the comments and questions they’ve noted.

When someone asked which travel insurance they would look into, here were the responses, although I cannot vouch if the companies other than WN are good or what they cover, so do you research:

“I’ve been shoppping around for some travel insurance and I’m quite shocked by the prices. I just wondered what sort of quotes others have had for long term travel. For 6 months, 35 year old male with no medical conditions, all my quotes are in the region of £300. Is this normal?”

“I think I paid 1k for a year. 300 is not unreasonable, especially for what it offers in case of emergency.”

“I used World Nomads (after reading their terms of service VERY carefully) and the one claim I submitted to them was paid in full and work out perfectly. Dude, if you get hit by a bus in India and need to be airlifted to Bangkok you going to wish to god that you would have spent $1,000. Is it likely to happen? hell yes, it is, the drivers are insane!”

“We did ours through a comparison website and the cheapest for us was Explorer Travel Insurance (for 2 adults, ages 24 and 29). It came to around £300 ($421) for the two of us for a year! Obviously look into what you’re doing but ours included insurance for extreme sports too!”

“I paid $750 for 364 days with Seven Corners.”

“I picked up a 5-star policy with Gowalkabout for £99 ($139) with a 10% discount down to £88. This was their mid-range policy which covers me for much more than needed, but the basic was well… basic.”

When someone asked if they really did need travel insurance in India, here are some of the actual comments from members of the group:

“I was so so happy to have an insurance, it makes it so much easier when you’re sick or something gets stolen and I always had someone from my home country to phone at all times… I’d say it is definitely worth the money!”

“Depends. If you have lots of money or help at home if something happens by chance then I’d say no. But on the other hand, you can find cheap insurance. Good to have for peace of mind! Mostly I worry about having it in the case of accident or illness.”

“Although I am a total believer in things always working out well, it’s definitely smart to have. Just in case your luggage gets stolen or you do end up needing medical care, it’s good to have! (I once ended up in the hospital with salmonella poisoning and was so happy insurance took care of everything!)

“Absolutely non-negotiable to travel without it. I wish they would make it a requirement as part of visa applications or purchasing a ticket. I’ve been travelling for 2 months and have read more than 5 serious stories where people have fallen through rooftops/been in scooter accidents/slipped down waterfalls etc and now they don’t have enough money for the correct treatment and so are stuck in government hospitals trying to raise funds on GoFundMe to get the injured person medical care or a medical evacuation to somewhere with better doctors. I know of families in the US who have had to refinance their houses because their children traveled without medical insurance and they were in a serious accident which they couldn’t afford to pay for. My two cents but really if you can afford to travel then you should factor insurance into your calculations as much as you do accommodation & travel costs.”

“I broke a crown in Nepal and was VERY happy I had my travel insurance (with World Nomads). Also, if you are planning to trek above a certain elevation, make sure your insurance covers that. I’ve heard WN is one of the only ones that doesn’t require additional coverage (but haven’t confirmed this so please do your research). It’s worth it!”

“Absolutely! It’s vital. A friend of mine was involved in a dreadful bus accident. Paralysed from the neck down. After three months she finally was stable enough to go home with a doctor and a nurse accompanying her on the flight.”

“I would not advise going without insurance! Trust me, if shit really happens (road accidents being the most), the hospital might even not treat you in an emergency case if there is no insurance! I have encountered quite a few tragedies where people died in hospital before the help (as in relatives with cash) arrived, and in the end, you will pay a fortune because they know you don’t have another choice! Sorry to be so negative, but it’s a not a matter to take lightly. India hospitals are pretty terrifying already! Don’t save a few bucks which can save your life!”

Pin travel insurance India tips for later:

The post Travel Insurance India: What You Need to Know About Booking International Travel Insurance for Your Trip to India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Travel Insurance India: What You Need to Know About Booking International Travel Insurance for Your Trip to India appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I am so happy to share this guest post with you about what to expect at a yoga retreat in Rishikesh!

A yoga retreat in Rishikesh, India (“the birthplace of yoga”) can be a truly life-changing experience.  In fact, it’s an experience I think everyone would benefit from having at some point in their lifetime.  Set in northern India, tucked into the Himalayas with the Ganges river flowing through, it’s no wonder this quirky little city attracts throngs of yoga and meditation retreats each year.  

I was lucky enough to experience a yoga retreat in Rishikesh last March and am happy to report that I gained so much more out of the experience than I ever thought possible.  However, it was not the experience I had envisioned, and it certainly wasn’t always easy.

Looking back, I realize that I was grossly underprepared for this trip.  There are so many things I wish I had known beforehand would’ve made my transition into Rishikesh life much smoother.  To help you avoid my mistakes, I’ve put together a list of the 16 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Doing a Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh, India.

Read More:

• The Best Yoga Teacher Training Ashrams in India Based on Where My Readers Went and Loved (many are in Rishikesh, and the reader’s reviews are in the article!)
• The Best Yoga Retreats in India: The Top 5
• The Best Yoga Retreats in Goa
• The Best Yoga Teacher Training Courses in India from BookYogaRetreats Reviews

16 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to a Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh

Planning for a yoga retreat in Rishikesh India

1. Prepare your gut months in advance- Strong stomach or not, this is the best advice you will get as you prepare for your retreat to Rishikesh.  Unfortunately, the stereotype about the food in India is true.  Many-a-traveler gets hit with “Delhi Belly”: a bought of fever, chills, diarrhea, vomit and fatigue that lasts for days.  Definitely not an ideal way to spend a yoga retreat.  My advice is to take every precaution you can to reduce your chances of getting sick once there.  (I didn’t do this and suffered the consequences).  In the months leading up to your trip take daily probiotics, drink Kombucha, and eat cultured yogurts to toughen up your gut.

2. Wean your body off meat, eggs, and booze 

Rishikesh is a dry and vegetarian town.  I was prepared for no meat and no alcohol.  But I was completely surprised to find out that eggs in Rishikesh are few and far between.  (Funnily enough, though, milk is everywhere.)  Being someone who eats two eggs every morning, this sudden and unexpected egg-deprival came as a shock.  Suddenly all my body and mind wanted was eggs.  If meat, eggs, or alcohol are a big part of your diet, it would be wise to gradually reduce these from your diet leading up to the trip.

3. Satsang season runs from early February to mid-March…plan your trip accordingly

Satsangs are a spiritual event common in Indian tradition.  The word satsang literally translates to ‘association with the wise’.  Students come from far and wide to be in the presence of their spiritual teachers.  During satsang, the teacher (or “guru”) starts by giving a talk and sharing wisdom, which is then followed by a question-answer session. From February until mid-March in Rishikesh, satsangs are held daily in venues throughout the city.  If this is interesting to you, these months might be a good time for a visit.  If not, you can take advantage of fewer crowds by planning your trip for a different period.  I personally gained a lot from the satsangs which I didn’t necessarily expect going into the experience.

4. Find a guest house or hotel off the beaten path

With all the hustle-and-bustle of daily life in Rishikesh, it can be nice to stay in a quieter place.  When browsing guest houses and hotels, look on the map for ones that are a bit off the main roads.  Still accessible, but set further back in the mountains.  

Packing a yoga retreat in Rishikesh

5. Pack Advil

Most (if not all) pharmacys in Rishikesh are Ayurvedic, meaning no Western medicine such as Ibuprofen. Even the corner stores don’t seem to know about painkillers.  As a precautionary measure, make sure to pack yourself a large bottle of Ibuprofen.  If and when Delhi Belly or the yoga aches-and-pains set in, you will certainly be happy you did.

6. Bring your own yoga mat from home

Let’s just say the yoga mats at the Rishikesh studios have seen better days.  If you are even slightly germophobic and/or have high cleanliness standards, you will likely not want to use the free mats provided.  This leaves you two options.  You could bring your own yoga mat from home…

7. …Or plan to buy a yoga mat there, and donate it when you leave

Mats are for sale many places in Rishikesh for approximately $5.  Of course, you get what you pay for so don’t expect the sturdiest or stickiest mat, but it will serve its purpose.  It’s common practice to donate the mats to the studio or space when you leave if you do not want to carry them home with you.

8. Pack “emergency snacks” such as nut butter

You will likely get sick of (or sick from) eating Indian food for three meals per day.  Sometimes the taste buds and belly just need a little break.  Many people in our group brought nut butter with them that they ate with bread for one meal per day to give their body a reprieve from all the hard work of digesting the heavily spiced Indian food.

9. Plan to buy all your “India clothes” there

In Rishikesh, you should wear flowy, full-coverage clothing.  (You will not want to wear your tight yoga pants or tank tops outside of the yoga studio.)  Don’t waste your efforts trying to find this type of clothing at home as it will be more expensive and not the true “Rishikesh retreat style”.  You are best off shopping upon arrival to pick up some ali baba pants and scarves to wear during your stay.  There are tons of shops throughout town where you can procure your new retreat wardrobe at a great price.

10. Blanket scarves can be your best friend in Rishikesh

Especially if you are travelling in the cooler months, a blanket scarf will serve many purposes.  It can be used to cover your shoulders or keep you warm in the mornings and evenings.  In Rishikesh you will find yourself sitting cross-legged on the floor for extended periods of time; be it at satsang, meditation or even eating at the local cafes.  Folding up your blanket scarf as an extra cushion can be a huge help for your level of comfort and spine happiness.

11. Withdraw and exchange money before you arrive

Contradictory to my normal travel stance of “bring enough cash to get by for the first few days and use credit cards for the rest”, in Rishikesh very few places take credit card. It is also not uncommon for the ATMs to be out of cash for multiple days in a row.  If it’s an emergency situation, you can typically journey further outside of town to find a functioning ATM, but this is definitely not the optimal use of a day.  There are also daily withdrawal limits, so I found myself having to go back to the ATM multiple days in a row.  Save the hassle and convert your cash into rupees at home.

12. Bring earplugs

Whether it’s a motorbike, a car, a cow, a horse-drawn carriage, a monkey, a group of people, or a ceremonial procession, India is loud.  While it can be festive, if you happen to be sleeping, it can also be quite disruptive.  Pack earplugs.  Sleep sound.

Settling into the environment in Rishikesh

13. The Monkeys are cute, but not friendly

Don’t feed them or let them see that you have food.  They will snatch it.

14. The Cows are also cute, but sometimes headbutt

Steer clear.

15. Just because it’s a retreat, don’t expect it to be relaxing

Yes, it’s true, when most people hear “retreat in Rishikesh,” they think it will be zen.  However, you must remember that retreat or no retreat, India is still India.  A vibrant and dynamic place with so much going on at any given time.  This is not a place for the faint of heart.  While Rishikesh is amazing in its spirituality and energy, don’t expect to kick your feet up and relax.  Twice daily yoga practices, meditations, and experiencing the city of Rishikesh can be extremely tiring, and often a sensory overload.  Some days it may seem hard or exhausting, but know that it is all worth it and you will come out a better person for it in the end.  (However, you may need a vacation afterward to soak it all in.  The “post-trip savasana”, as I call it.)

16. Expect the unexpected

Every day in Rishikesh will be an adventure in and of itself.  Be open to it.  Go with the flow.  Let go of any and all expectations you have for the retreat and let mother India work her magic on you.  She has a plan, after all, that is far greater than what you could ever imagine.

There are so many reasons to pursue a yoga immersion in India that are personal to each and every one of us.  Be it to get out of your comfort zone, understand yogic tradition, become full immersed, or even just to challenge yourself.  

No matter what it is that is calling you to Rishikesh, though, don’t forget to be in the moment.  Don’t forget to enjoy the colors, the hustle and bustle, the vibration of the mountains, the sound of the river.  Allow your eyes and heart to be opened by this charming Indian city.  And despite all the chaos, if your experience in Rishikesh is anything like mine, you will look back on it with nothing but fondness.

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Author Bio:

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Jill is the author of travel blog Travels & Tribulations.  Her writing covers the highs and lows of being an expat abroad as well as budget-friendly tips and itineraries.  Jill has visited India twice and is now planning her third trip.  You can read more about Jill’s experiences retreating in Rishikesh here and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

The post 16 Things You Need to Know Before a Yoga Retreat in Rishikesh India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Over the past 5 years, I have had some insane adventures in India, my favorite country in the world. Some came from my solo budget backpacking days, some from crazy road trips with Ben, others from group tours, and some from girly travels with friends – and with all these memories in my head, I wanted to put them all in one place. I’m going to share the most epic adventures to book in India that you can actually book ahead of time. If you look just at a guidebook the things to do in India aren’t that adventurous and are more sightseeing (and you could easily fill all your time up with that) but adding in these adventurous things to do in India (actual EXPERIENCES!) would make your trip even more memorable.

I have 500+ articles about cities and small towns in India that mention fun stuff to do, but this article is going to put that all in one place. I’m going to follow up with another article that is about meeting local artisans during your travels based on artisans I have met, because as you might know, I love fashion and shopping. I never used to link to “day tours” because I thought you guys weren’t interested in them (or wanted to sort it out yourself to save money) – turns out, that is far from the truth! Based on the questions in my India Tips Facebook group, my emails, and blog comments, you guys want day tours that let you see a lot and do unique things while you’re in India; you get bored just wandering around towns seeing fort after fort after palace. So, here we go – some adventures to book in India while you’re here.

Epic Adventurous Things to do in India During Your Trip

I use either Get Your Guide or Viator when looking for day trips. GYG has great options but limited, and I wrote a post about their top tours in India. For this article, I’m going to link to Viator just because they have more inventory and more reviews from people who took the tours. I am an affiliate of many companies, which means I get a percentage, so I could link to any (this isn’t sponsored for Viator), I just think they have the best options for adventure in India.

This is going to be day trips or 2-day trips max, not big tours over multiple destinations (see my favorite long-term tour options here from G Adventures). These prices are going to be higher than what you could negotiate in person but they are sort of obscure so you might not be able to even find who you would need to negotiate with. Beyond that, I am getting feedback from you guys that you want to have things a little more organized on your trip and don’t want to just wing it because of the stress. You don’t have to book these way in advance, and I suggest doing it as you go along so you don’t feel “stuck” on a certain schedule.

Almost all of the tours mentioned below included pick-up and drop-off from a hotel, bus station, train station, or airport. Most include at least one meal and a snack. I also checked reviews and made sure to put only tours that had good feedback of at least 4/5 stars. KEEP IN MIND: prices fluctuate from peak season to monsoon and are set by the tour operator (not Viator) so they can change and might be slightly different from the price I saw when I looked.

Adventure 1-day and 2-day tours for India that you should totally consider while traveling here, regardless of your budget, based on my favorite India travel memories!

1. Explore Kerala’s Backwaters + the Best of Kochi $85

The backwaters are usually the top thing that travelers want to do in India. Personally, I loved it but felt that a day was enough and staying the night was a little bit too much (it wasn’t that comfortable and it got boring after a full day). This is a day tour, not overnight. They show you the best of Kochi like the Chinese fishing nets then you go on the famous houseboats. There are dozens of tours for backwaters but this is the highest ranked. Book the backwater tour here.

2. Cycling through Udaipur at Sunrise $44

Udaipur is so stunning. It’s the “white city” and the most romantic city in India. There’s a lot to do for tourists which is all in my guide to Udaipur, but this sunrise cycling trip is pretty unique. It starts in the empty quiet city and goes out into the hills. Breakfast is included and you’re dropped to your hotel before 10 am – a great start to the day! Book the Udaipur cycling trip here.

3. Playing Holi in a Safe Environment in Delhi $87

Holi is the festival of colors, one of the most popular festivals in the world, and on many people’s bucket lists. When Holi rolls around, I get about 30 messages a day from mostly girls asking where they can play Holi and stay safe. Delhi is usually where people are, and I tell them to find a private “pay to enter” party as it keeps the riff-raff out. Festivals in India can get out of hand with bhang and drinking – leaving men to feel it’s “okay” to grope a little. I myself have been groped on Holi in Goa. Someone jumped in my car and grabbed me. I recommend playing Holi with local friends and if you don’t have any, this “tour” is a great option to see a traditional day of Holi with a family, food, and of course, lots of colors. This festival will be in March 2018. Book the Holi tour here.

4. Experience Diwali with a local family in Delhi $92

Diwali is the famous festival of lights. Of course, it would be best if you knew a friend of a friend in Delhi so you could do this for free, but in case you don’t I recommend at least ONCE while in India trying to do a homestay or spend a day with a local family. You learn SO much. It’s no secret I didn’t love Delhi on my first visit but I started to like it when I revisited and stayed with friends who were living there. This is an expensive tour, in my opinion, but the only one there and it does include transportation, meals, and more. If you lucky enough to be in India during Diwali, it’s worth considering since it’s such an epic holiday. The date will pop up once it’s set, sometime late October or early November. Book Diwali here.

5. Cycling tour of the top attractions in New Delhi $32

Delhi can be stressful as a tourist and haggling for rickshaws is no fun. You can do a cycling tour to see all the top attractions like Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Chandni Chowk without stress for just around 30 bucks which is such a good deal. It’s a giant crowded city of 19 million people so having a little group with you will make you feel safe and make sure you have no FOMO over top attractions in Delhi. Plus, riding a bicycle will make it all more fun! Breakfast is included and the food in Delhi is great. Book this cycling tour of Delhi.

6. Cycling around Mumbai $29

Similar to the tour above, I thought I’d mention this bicycle tour of Mumbai. Mumbai was the first place I ever went in India and I saw a lot from walking and taking the local train. It is hectic and fun, but not for everyone. Doing a tour may suit you better. I checked out the itinerary and it covers all the hotspots and top attractions. I would do this at the beginning of your time in Mumbai as after the tour you’ll have a better handle on the best areas to hang out in the city. Book the Mumbai cycling tour here.

7. Meet Bishnoi Tribals & Ride a Camel in the Thar Desert $60

Just outside of Jodhpur, you can find the Bishnoi people who have a unique rural way of living. You can see their homes, how they cook, try opium even, and with this tour they combine a camel ride out to the desert (something usually tourists would go to Jaisalmer to do) so you can kill two birds with one stone (something the Bishnoi would never do, lol, you’ll get the joke after you meet them!). Book the Bishnoi & Camel tour here.

8. Experience Ganesh Chaturthi with locals in Mumbai $81

Ganesh is one of my favorites and Mumbai is the most epic place you can do it. The crowds are INSANE at this time taking giant Ganeshes to the sea. In case you’re wondering why I have these “experience with locals” options on the list it’s because I love them. In India “guest is god” and they will treat you amazing + it’s a festival so spirits will be so high that I think it’ll be a priceless day that you’ll remember forever. As a solo traveler, I’m all over these kinds of tours. The next Ganesh will be Sept. 2018. Book Ganesh here.

9. Sunrise by boat on the Ganges in Varanasi $35

I did a boat tour in Varanasi in the evening and it was great so I thought I’d just stop with the tourist stuff there – my friend went for the morning sunrise tour the next day and came back to the hotel room to tell me it was INCREDIBLE and I really missed out. I already regretted that! This 3-hour tour will show you the cremations and rituals being done and explain them all to you. You’ll be seeing cremations so this tour might not be for everyone. I highly recommend doing some kind of tour in Varanasi so you can understand more deeply why people come here to die and be cremated. Book the sunrise tour here and read more of my Varanasi travel tips here.

10. Explore Delhi Through its Food $83

I love a food tour even though I’ll admit I’m not that adventurous of an eater. The Morocco food tour taught me that! Trying food and hearing stories from the local tour guide is a great way to connect to a culture. This tour is relatively expensive but is one of the top tours in all of India on Viator with all 5 star reviews. You try up to 20 dishes and they show you some hidden places in Delhi. It’s bookmarked for me to try next time I’m there! You’ll go to a market and a charitable kitchen that feeds thousands each day. Book the Delhi food tour here.

11. Get Inside a Bollywood Studio $75

While this tour isn’t to be an extra in a Bollywood film, you’d be surprised how easily foreigners can get parts in films here. I was in a music video years ago, which is so embarrassing now lol! They paid me in food and hash – haha! This is a tour of the studio, which in Mumbai is LIFE as Bollywood just huge in India and based in Mumbai. You might get lucky and meet a star. One review said seeing their houses was boring and to skip that, which they allow. Book the Bollywood tour here.

12. Getting Outside Hampi to Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal $59

Want to see hundreds of barely visited temples? I did this tour with GoMowgli ages ago and LOVED it. It’s one of my favorite places to visit in Hampi. It’s like people see Hampi and stop when there is all this beauty just around the corner. This is a GOOD price to see all these places. I get asked about this tour the most since GoMowgli is no longer in business and am so glad to have found this alternative. Here are my articles about Badami and Aihole & Pattadakal. Book the Badami tour here.

13. 4-Wheel Drive in the Munnar Tea Fields

I couldn’t find a tour of this to book but once you reach Munnar you will find many tourist agents selling trekking and Jeep tours, as well as every hotel. I would definitely go out and explore!

14. SUP, Surfing, Wake-boarding, and Kayaking in Goa

While Viator has tours for this, I know a company here that is the BEST and I think you should just book through them. They are cheaper and have the coolest hotel and cafe in Ashwem, North Goa. It’s called Vaayu Waterman’s and I spend at least a day there each week myself hanging out. I love going out on their boat for wakeboarding!

15. White Water Rafting in Rishikesh

This is the main thing to do in Rishikesh for adventure, as many come here for yoga and spiritual reasons then make a day trip to try out rafting. The rapids aren’t big and one blogger wrote that they saw a body floating in the water! It was too cold to go when I was there. I didn’t link a tour because it was over-priced. Instead, you will see signs for this everywhere in Rishikesh. It is a very tourist-friendly city with many booking agents. You can directly negotiate with them on the price and hopefully go with some friends you meet there or join onto another group.

16. Trek in BR Hills with the Soliga Tribe

I did this again with GoMowgli and I cannot find a tour that offers this. I suggest using my blog post about BR Hills and staying at the same hotel I did (a cool eco-resort with luxe tents) and having them arrange how to trek, take a Jeep trip, and meet the Soliga Tribe though them. This is maybe the most authentic tribal experience I’ve had in India. I have met other tribes before like the Apatani in Ziro Valley and there you will hang out with them, have a meal, and you can spend the night but usually Arunachal Pradesh isn’t as high on a tourists radar, while Karnataka is easy to travel around (great bus system) and most tourists end up here to go to Hampi.

17. SUP in Varkala

There isn’t a “tour” for this as well, but I wanted to list it as in Varkala many people only go surfing (there are lesson signs all over). Strandup-paddle boarding on the backwaters was gorgeous although 3 hours was WAY too long esepcially with a strong current. Even 45 minutes would probably be okay. There is a French guy that hangs around the shacks who offers these lessons – I wish I remembered his name but ask around and you’ll find him!

18. Tiger Balloon Safari in Goa $188

One thing I don’t have listed is hang-gliding and paragliding in Manali or elsewhere in the mountains. I have heard of first-hand accidents and read about deaths each year from people who were running courses there but had forged their own paperwork and were not actually qualified to take a tourist up in the air. Because you can’t really verify these things, I don’t recommend doing it. Instead, hang-glide in Goa with some of the expats who do this year-round in Switzerland, France, and more throughout the year with proper certifications. Read reviews on TripAdvisor and click through from there to book.

You can click here to see all the other tours that Viator offers. Here are some other posts that I think might help you find adventures in India. Unfortunately, so many of the cool adventures I’ve done are not ones you can book tours for and just come from exploring so you’ll be sure to find even more adventures as you go along! Make sure to devour my blog posts on destinations you are going to (just use the search function on my homepage) to see what I did in each city.

• India Bucket List
• Group Tour Itineraries I Recommend for India (for varieties of budgets)
• Ultimate India Itinerary
• 100 India Travel Tips
• 50 Things to do in Goa

Things to Remember Before You Visit India

1. Book a flight on the cheap to be able to splurge on the adventure! I use Kiwi.com and that link will explain why I like them.
2. Get insurance that covers adventure activities. I use World Nomads. That link shows you what is and is not covered.
3. You must have a visa – everyone does! You can use iVisa and read this guide to see what you need.

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The post 18 of the Most Epic Adventures You Should Book While Traveling India With Prices and How to Book first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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The Greek Islands have always topped my list on places to see. Finally, this year I checked them off my bucket list.

Sailing with Yacht Getaways was such an incredible and convenient way to travel through the Greek Islands without the stress of booking multiple ferries and hotels. If you’re looking for a way to see the islands in a relaxing and easy way, I can definitely recommend a sailing trip with Yacht Getaways.

Here are my top reasons to take a sailing trip to the Greek Islands with Yacht Getaways!

Gourmet Breakfast & Lunch Served Daily

One of my favorite things about sailing with Yacht Getaways was waking up to my coffee freshly brewed and breakfast beautifully set on the table.  I mean, can it get much better than that?

The skipper & host do a fantastic job of creating delicious meals each day that I never got tired of. Yacht Getaways also makes sure that any food allergies are known of before arriving on the catamaran, so the host knows how to prepare each meal.

Lunch was one of my favorite parts of the day because the Skipper always took us to a remote spot near a secluded beach or island.  We had prime parking and beautiful lunch views.  Plus, we were able to burn off some of the delicious Greek food with some water activities afterwards.

The Boats are Spacious & Modern                          

The Yacht Getaway cabins are not huge compared to a 5-star hotel. However, they are definitely spacious compared to most catamarans and more updated.  All rooms on Yacht Getaways catamaran have their own closet, bathroom, storage under and beside the bed, and windows.

The catamaran also has a nice outside seating area deck where lunch and breakfast are served. The seating area is great place to get some shade, relax, and read.  My favorite part of the boat was the front area. There it is comfortable to layout and get the great views in while sailing to your next Greek Island.

Your Skipper & Host Do All the Thinking for You

When arriving to a new island, which you’ll do each day some time after lunch, your skipper and host will walk you through all the best things to see and do on the island.  I found this extremely helpful and beneficial.  Part of the luxury of taking a yacht trip is not having to plan out each part of your day, but rather leave it up to the experts.  The skipper and host have a lot of experience and time on each islands, so they’ve already done all the guess work and know which spots are worth seeing!

You Get to See So Much More

Having a skipper sail you to a new island each day is pure luxury and bliss.  Waking up with a coffee in your hand as you make your way to one of Greece’s most beautiful beaches really isn’t a bad way to vacation. Right?

There are so many beautiful islands to choose from and narrowing them down is so hard! Thankfully Yacht Getaways does that for you.  When sailing you get to visit 7 different islands.  There were some islands that I could have spent more time on and others less. Now, when I go back to Greece (fingers crossed!) I will have a better idea of which places I want to spend the most time.

Water Activities & Secluded Beaches

The perks of sailing with your own yacht is endless. However, one of my favorite perks was having access to the secluded islands.  Being able to jump off the boat (literally) and hop on a paddle-board to explore old caves is one of the coolest parts of the trip.  Each catamaran with Yacht Getaways comes with a paddle-board, kayak, and snorkeling gear.  You can also bring your own gear on board like floats and such.  We spent each day burning off our lunch by paddle-boarding and exploring deserted islands.

So, if you’re looking for a way to explore the Greek Islands in a convenient, economical, and fun way, then definitely consider a sailing trip with Yacht Getaways.

Thank you to the Yacht Getaways team for hosting us and making for a memorable week on board!

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I always feel really crappy when I leave the USA and go back to India. Usually, I’m really depressed from saying goodbye to my family, anxious about the journey back to India, and feeling gross/fat from eating junk for 6 weeks straight. In the US, I get so excited about all the food I miss from home, I eat everything. So, feeling low about yourself, feeling unhealthy, and feeling sad/anxious is not a good combo! I thought doing a wellness retreat at Myrtle Beach and a little detox from fatty food before going back to India was a great idea!

Wellness Retreats at Myrtle Beach

If you’re looking for a wellness retreat, Myrtle Beach has a lot to offer; and they are actually doing really budget-friendly wellness retreats. I came to try out a mix of their activities on offer. At upcoming ones in September and October they’ll have specific retreat options at the hotel I stayed at (Marina Inn at Grand Dunes) as well as the Marriott at Grand Dunes and Kingston Resorts where with the package you save 30% on all the stuff you end up getting than if you bought it separately.  They’ll have meditation classes focusing on the five senses at Brookgreen Gardens for smell (loved this), Skywheel for sight, Heidi’s Corner (so delicious) for taste, Myrtle Beach State Park for sound, and Barefoot Landing for touch (you get your massage here!). Plus there will be gifts in the room, bicycle excusions, and yoga on the beach on Saturdays. You can read more about it here.

Here are some more reasons to get your wellness on in Myrtle Beach

Get Some Vitamin Sea (and D!)

There’s nothing wrong with spending your time on vacation by the beach or pool for a few hours every day. The hotel I stayed at, Marina Inn at Grande Dunes, had a shuttle to their private beach with towels, chairs, and umbrellas. I laid out and read the first day. The other two days, I used my free time to lay by the pool and finish up my book. The sun really does make you feel refreshed, and hey – a tan doesn’t hurt.

Spa & Massage Time

For me, it’s not a real vacation unless I get some spa time and hopefully a massage, too. My hotel had a sauna and all that (actually the shower in the room was like a steam room anyway!) but I opted for a massage. They did them in-room. After 60 minutes, I was feeling pretty relaxed. My masseuse actually told me how she lives in Costa Rica and is home for a few months visiting family and how she’s already feeling anxiety about leaving – it always makes you feel a little better to know other people have the same thoughts and feelings.

Eat Healthy Seafood & Fresh Salads

You could come to the beach for fried fish and coconut shrimp, and I sure did get my fill of that in Key West, but this was a focus on wellness for me to try and reset myself before heading back to India. I don’t go healthy often so I wanted to do it right! Nacho Hippo tacos with grilled or blackened fish was a great option near the airport. On route 17, Carolina Roadhouse has huge tasty salads, and Johnny D’s has fruit smoothies at for breakfast (go early, they get PACKED!)

I went up to Little River to try Patio’s Tiki Bar and had a really nice Southwest chicken salad. They also do sushi. If you want something fancy, you can try Chianti South. If you head into Conway, you might like Bonfire on Main Street which is a new place that does BBQ and tacos. I also had some yummy clam chowder at River City Cafe.

On the way back to the airport, I tried Croissants/Heidi’s Corner on King’s Highway which is the second location of the chef Heidi and it’s really famous around here. I got the Acai Berry bowl; I haven’t been able to resist these since Bali!

Relaxing (But Calorie Burning) Kayaking Tour

I took a kayak tour with Black River Outdoors which goes kayaking in Murrells Inlet (meeting place is the Oyster Shell Recycling Landing, just north of Huntington Beach State Park). The marsh you paddle through is beautiful and has this cable grass around that makes it really nice to see birds, oysters, crabs, seat turtles, and even alligators and sharks on the little islands they make. 

You could tell our guide wasn’t just doing this for work; he loves his job. He’s into birding and nature and the two-hour tour sped by learning about everything as well as stories of the area, dating back to the 1800’s. There are 630 am, 9 am, and 6 pm tours. I recommend the sunset tour. Part of being on a wellness retreat means getting a lot of sleep!

Try Out Some “Shag Dancing” at Fat Harolds

Fat Harolds is known foritss free “shag dancing” lessons on Tuesdays. It’s a type of dancing done down here to country music. It’s kind of like a line dance but smoother? I was so tired after kayaking and showering that I didn’t get back out to Fat Harolds but I was lucky that I got to experience Shag Dancing anyway when I was at Patio’s Tiki Bar. They had live music there (which was wonderful) and some couples got up to show us how it was done. It was really cute and I know those of you who follow my Instagram stories loved the videos!

Some other entertainment I recommend is The Carolina Opry, Alabama Theatre or Legends in Concert. Live music seems to just make me feel better! You can also check out Myrtle Beach Comedy Club at Broadway at the Beach because laughing heals everything!

Walk It Off At Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens

Just get there before 5 pm. Every local around Little River told me that Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens were fantastic but I planned to go after dinner at Patio’s Tiki Bar and when I arrived it said it closed at 5 pm. So, just keep that in mind. There were picnic tables and people hanging out with their dogs, but through the park apparently, there are walkways out to the backwaters.

Spend Hours in Nature At Brookgreen Gardens

The huge gardens at Brookgreen Gardens have the most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the USA and also have walking trails, restaurants and a little zoo inside (with only animals from this area which they are doing many conservation efforts for).

If you want to do the kayaking, these are near each other so you could do both in a day. I think 2 hours at the gardens is sufficient. You can also eat around here. I went to River City Cafe before my kayaking. Wicked Tuna, near here, is also supposed to be good but I didn’t try it.

Wake Boarding

You have GOT to try out wake boarding at Shark Wake Park and play around the Aqua Park next to it (that has all these floating obstacle courses). The wake boarding here is cable wakeboarding which I hadn’t even heard of. I’ve only gone behind a boat. It’s VERY different but cool because if you were good at it (I was not) you could keep going forever and ever. There were jumps set up. I saw a lot of guys coming in to the park with their own boards who were there to practice tricks on the jumps. It’s cool to watch. I went three times before giving up (my arms were also sore from kayaking) and it was a blast. I’d definitely do this again.

Where To Stay: Marina Inn at Grande Dunes

I stayed at Marina Inn at Grande Dunes. It was a really nice hotel with a huge spacious room. It isn’t a resort but it has that feel because they have towels out by the pool and give you a shuttle to the beach as well as towels and lifeguards there, all included.

Their restaurant, Waterscapes, has fresh seafood options and is absolutely delicious! Also, if you forego housekeeping, you get a $5 coupon each day. I used mine for my daily fruit smoothie!

Getting There & Away

The airport was about 20 minutes from my hotel. I booked a rental car with Enterprise which would have been $103 for the 4 days but I have no insurance so it ended up being close to $300 for my car – I’m sure you would be able to go without all their add-ons!

The car rental places are all together just outside the airport from baggage claim, so no need to take a shuttle. It’s pretty easy breezy. Everything I listed here shows up okay on Google Maps.

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Let there be a reason I get to come to Florida every year! I went last year and had the best time, so this year when Visit Florida asked me to come back I brought my mom along to join in on the fun. We started off in Kissimmee which was the perfect place to start. I didn’t know much about this big city, so I was majorly surprised with how many cool things to do in Kissimmee we found! It was by far my favorite places I visited in Florida, not just on this trip, but ever.

Most Epic Things To Do In Kissimmee Florida and Nearby

1. Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride With My Mom

Dress is Rag Poets, buy similar style here | Bag is from Etsy, buy here

We went up in a hot air balloon with Orlando Balloon Rides which was my second time going in one, and my mom’s first time (I did this in Wadi Rum). It’s definitely a different feeling going over a city with people waving up at you!

My mom gets motion sickness so badly that she has to take medicine even to fly by plane, but they promised her she wouldn’t get sick because the balloon goes with the wind so you don’t feel it. She was okay – so if she can do it, anyone can!

Location of Orlando Balloon Rides: 44294 US-27, Davenport, FL 33897

2. Hanging Out in Celebration, a Picture-Perfect Town Owned By Disney

Celebration, Florida has a really cool old-fashioned charm to it. This town is technically in the destination of Kissimmee and it’s probably the coolest place to stay in the area (and just 15 minutes to Universal depending on traffic).

This land was owned by Disney and it was going to be used to create an airport so that your Disney experience started the second you landed but Orlando airport was great, so that idea went out the window. Eventually, they did a lottery for people to get to build homes here. It’s so cute and the people here really love Disney! They film a lot here, too, since it’s so perfect. Desperate Housewives scenes were shot here on Wisteria Lane! How cool!

We took the Celebration Bike Tour for about 1.5 hours around town. You can tell the people who run these tours love their town and that makes you feel really at home. You can tell them your focus if no one else is on the tour (for me it was the town & homes, and less so the nature trails which were also cool).

Bike tour address: 700 Bloom Street Celebration, FL 34747 US (located by the Bohemian Hotel)

The whole time we were in Kissimmee, we stayed at the Bohemian Hotel Celebration which is an Autograph Collection boutique hotel. The hotel was great and the location was perfect. You can walk all over Celebration and it’s such a quick drive to everywhere we went. It was nice to stay in a small town outside the business of Orlando (although I love Orlando, too!).

Bohemian Hotel Celebration location: 700 Bloom St, Celebration, FL 34747

Did you spot the rainbow above?

The hotel restaurant, Lakeside Bar & Grill at the Bohemian Celebration, was pretty full all weekend and you can tell it’s really popular with locals who come here for drinks and to catch up. Please do yourself a favor and order the wedge salad with candied walnuts and bacon!

We also ran down the road to Holler and Dash to try their famous biscuits. I got their original style biscuit with fried chicken, pickles, and hot sauce. WOW. This was the bomb. I wish they had these all over the states!

Holler and Dash location: 6268 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Celebration, FL 34747

We walked down to dinner at the Columbia Restaurant and had our most memorable meal of the whole trip in Florida. They have this salad that is meant to be the top 10 salads in America so I got a half and half Cuban sandwich with the salad and it got the award for a good reason. It’s the best salad I’ve had in years! It doesn’t photograph well lol but man was it tasty. For a starter, we got pork ribs with hot sauce and hot peppers in it. All really really tasty. If we didn’t have somewhere to be after, I would have tried the Sangria as a lot of you Tweeted and IG messaged me saying to try the Sangria.

Columbia Restaurant location: 649 Front Street, Celebration, Florida 34747

3. SUP on Shingle Creek

Near the hotel (and the next location on this list) is the Paddling Center at Shingle Creek where you can do kayaking and SUP. My mom had recently cut her finger and had surgery on it so she couldn’t do SUP – so we didn’t stay too long (although the real reason was that I was terrified an alligator or python would get me which I know is crazy because I live in India.)

SUP location: 4266 W Vine St., Kissimmee, FL 34741

4. Flying In A Helicopter Over Disney for the Fireworks (so epic)

Romper is from Tia, buy similar here

The fireworks at Epcot are at the same time every night, 9 pm. So we got to Max Flight Helicopter Services early to fill out forms. It’s just near the Paddling Center. The Epcot fireworks go for 12 minutes so the ride is just over that, around 15 minutes. Usually, the Magic Kingdom ones are randomly timed and they almost never overlap – BUT we got so lucky and they went off at the same time!

If you look at the photos, the Epcot ones are close, while the Magic Kingdom ones are the ones in the background. I was so glad I got my new lens, the [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MU3WOVP” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Panasonic 35-100[/easyazon_link] which could zoom in on these fireworks from a shaky helicopter! No way my kit lens would have picked this up. It’s hard to believe this time last year, I was on a trip in Florida and still used my phone for pictures! My [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DOKHSH0″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Gx80[/easyazon_link] has changed everything!

Helicopter Location: Kissimmee Airport, 4010 4th St. Kissimmee, FL 34741

5. Universal, of course!

The top is from Urban Outfitters, buy a similar style here. | You can get a Yankees hat here, they have the best symbol!

Last year, I got to go to Disney but didn’t get to go to Universal Orlando Resort so this year I was DYING to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s just down the road from our hotel and it was the BEST day of my life. I’m going to write another blog post in the future mainly to share all the pictures of Universal but also to tell you what I would do if I could do it again, so you don’t make my mistakes… and fingers crossed I manage to get back to Universal next year!

Universal Location: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819 (Universal technically falls under Kissimmee and Orlando)

We ate at Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar at Universal CityWalk and I got all my favorite things: deep-fried pickles and a burger that had jalapeno poppers on it! Like, what! That’s the best thing ever! The portions were huge, though, and we felt so bad wasting food…. I could definitely finish those pickles if someone put them in front of me right now, but maybe next year I’ll go back.

Cowfish Location: Universal CityWalk, 6000 Universal Blvd #700, Orlando, FL 32819

As you can see, there are so many cool things to do in and around Kissimmee, Florida. Have you been to any of these places? Tell me in the comments.

Pin this little guide on things to do in Kissimmee for later:

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Making a stopover in Iceland has been of my best travel decisions of 2017 thus far.  Yes, I know, Iceland is such a “trendy” place to go to these days, but it’s for good reason.  Between the Icelandic ponies, waterfalls, Northern Lights, the gorgeous Golden Circle, and scenery that I didn’t even know existed on this earth, it makes for an epic place to visit. I’m going to share a handful of reasons to make a stopover in Iceland, although the images alone will probably convince you.

When I found out many airlines, like WowAir, offer complimentary stopovers to Iceland from both the United States and Europe, I booked a flight ASAP (and at a great price). I chose to fly from Amsterdam to Washington D.C. then on the way back Washington D.C. to Reyaktvik and finally back to Amsterdam. Although it sounds like a lot of stops, it was well worth it to explore Iceland and see what the rave is all about.

So, here are my top 5 reasons to make a stopover in Iceland – even just for 48 hours

1.)  The Scenery is uniquely amazing.

Visiting Iceland was like being on an entirely different planet.  From waterfalls, lava rocks, glaciers, Northern Lights, ocean views, hot springs, and caves, Iceland has everything all on one small island.

Simply getting off the plane to do a quick drive through the area is totally worth it.  You can see so much just by driving along the windy roads and taking in the views.  However, be warned that stopping on the side of the road is quite dangerous (too narrow) and highly discouraged, so make sure you take in the views safely and stop when allowed.

Just in our short trip we were able to see the Northern Lights (outside our hotel room), visit one of the famous waterfalls, the coastline, and too many glaciers to count.

2.) Iceland is expensive, so a stopover is more economical.

As much as I would have loved spending 7+ days exploring Iceland, it is a very expensive country.  Although you can find flights and a rental car at an economical price point, everything else like accommodation, excursions, food, and gas is quite pricey.

We found that renting a car for two days and driving to see as much sites as possible was the best way to experience Iceland. Although there are plenty of things you could spend money on like skiing in the winter, visiting the infamous Blue Lagoon, and taking a caving excursion, we found so much joy just taking in the atmosphere around us and exploring on our own (plus, much cheaper).

3.) Ponies, ponies, and more ponies.

I don’t know about you, but I am an animal lover.  And the fact that in every direction there are these majestic Icelandic ponies just waiting for you to pet them, was absolutely amazing to me. 

Definitely becoming an icon or mascot of Iceland, these Icelandic ponies are so friendly and love the attention that the tourist give them.  It’s like a scene from a movie seeing them with their hair blowing in the wind and the mountains behind them. 

It came to my surprise how neat it was seeing all of these ponies roaming the beautiful hills and playing with each other. It really is a sight to see in person.

4.) Relax in a natural hot spring.

After flying overseas for 5+ hours nothing sounded better than soaking up the natural hot springs and watching the sunset. All over Iceland, you can find natural hot springs and many hotels have manmade springs on site.

Although only having 48 hours in Iceland meant a busy schedule of seeing as much as possible in that short amount of time, it’s totally worth it to spend a few hours relaxing in a hot spring. I mean, you deserve it after all that travel! Plus, it’s quite rejuvenating before you head to the airport for your next leg.

5.) It’s a great way to break up your flight at no extra cost.

Beyond the obvious reasons that Iceland is a magical place with so much to see and do, it’s also a great way to break up your flight in-between Europe and North America.

I fly abroad often and typically my first day after being on a plane is full of jet lag and just trying to recover from being on a plane for 8+ hours.  When stopping in Iceland, you have the opportunity to acclimate and adjust a bit before your final destination.

Stopping in Iceland made my final trip more enjoyable and worthwhile.  Next time I fly overseas, I will definitely be making another stopover!

To see more of my Icelandic adventure, view my photo gallery here.

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The secret’s obviously out: Colombia is the trendy place to visit. Never mind the history, the corrupt politics, or the drug cartels. They may still persist but savvy travelers are now looking beyond the stereotypes and on to Colombia’s deserted coastlines, rainbow-hued plazas, dance-crazed locals, and of course, its damn fine coffee. If you want adventure on Colombian coast, look no further.

Inevitably, most backpackers hit up the extraordinary Caribbean coast, basing themselves in the gringo hotspots of Cartagena and Santa Marta. Both cities offer plenty in terms of history, culinary surprises, and luxury accommodation.

But for some real excitement, reach beyond the cities and check off these five epic adventures:

(Via Cartagena)

Budget-friendly restaurant: Caffé Lunático (15,000 peso lunch special)

Splurge: Restaurante Interno (staffed by a woman’s prison!)

Budget-friendly hotel: El Genoves hostel

Splurge: Allure Chocolate Hotel

1. Dive into a mud volcano

Fancy a therapeutic mud bath? How about one inside a natural mud volcano? Although the Colombian coast is actually home to a few of these volcanoes, Volcán de Lodo El Totumo is the most accessible, via a half-day trip from Cartagena. The mud pit isn’t huge— about 15 feet in diameter— and depending on the time of the day, you might have around 20 people sharing your gritty bath (hand check!) Regardless, revel in the sensation of feeling weightless. Or being able to paint your friends’ faces with the mud’s skin-renewing minerals. Post mud, a local lady will treat you to a very thorough and shameless rinse, necessary for those hidden crannies. Pro tip: bring your own GoPro or waterproof camera and avoid paying the photographers hanging around at the top (though they’ll say you have to pay, you don’t).

2. Try Subwinging at Casa en el Agua

It’s a retreat to end all retreats, a hostel atop its own island, stranded amongst the San Bernardo islands. Most hostel guests are content swimming, chowing down on seafood, or simply lounging around while taking advantage of the numerous happy hours. But for something a bit more active, try Subwinging. You hold on to a flat board with wings, as a small boat pulls you along. Tilt the wings to dive under the water or twist them to spin like a gleeful dolphin, like this. To add a bit of luxury to your Casa experience, opt for the El Nido Amor (love nest) private suite instead of one of the wind-prone hammocks. Booking is only available 30 days ahead of time and tends to sells out fast; it’s quite the popular place! Pro-tip: bring lots of cash (no credit cards accepted) and seriously don’t plan to leave or arrive on Sundays as there are no boats that connect to Cartagena that day. The alternative is rather unpleasant.

(Via Santa Marta)

Budget-friendly restaurant: Lulo Cafe Bar

Splurge: Ouzo Restaurante

Budget-friendly hotel: Drop Bear Hostel (once a drug cartel mansion)

Splurge: Placita Vieja Hotel Boutique Spa

3. Motorcycle along the coast to Riohacha

You don’t have to be a hefty tattooed man to embrace the freedom of a motorcycle. Adrenaline Addicts, run out of the Drop Bear hostel mentioned above, offers motorcycle tours spanning one to seven days depending on your interests. If you have never ridden a motorcycle, no worries! A quick intro lesson and you’re off (so as long as you know how to drive manual. Otherwise, you’ll have to opt for the scooter). Once you clear the city limits of Santa Marta, it’s smooth cruising from there. Race past small villages and make stops along popular beach destinations like Costeño and Palomino (check out La Frontera for their epic banana and guava pizza!) For the ultimate adventure, sign up for the 5-day ride which takes you all the way out toward Riohacha, famous for sand sports. Pro-tip: bring face wipes to keep your face clean and pad your butt with a good pair of pants.

https://youtu.be/UzetSnJhQXM

4. Trek the arduous Ciudad Perdida

For ultimate thigh punishment, push yourself to trek the 45-kilometer Ciudad Perdida. This four-day jaunt and major bucket list endeavor leads you to the Lost City, a massive archeological structure abandoned at the end of the 16th century. Think pre-Machu Picchu without the hoards of tourists or easy access. Travelers must join a tour group (Magic Tour and Expotur are popular), all of which offer complete room and board, the room being bunk beds or hammocks in established mountain huts. As you hike, soak in the bird calls, the indigenous sites, and vastness of the Sierra Nevadas. The Lost City itself resembles a tiered cake platter, one supporting a history full of mystery, gold, drugs, and looting. Pro-tip: keep your legs and feet covered the whole time— during the hike itself and even when you sleep— or risk mosquito hell.

5. Discover the world’s largest hammock in Minca

Minca is located about 30 minutes from Santa Marta, a cool mountain escape renowned for its coffee plantations and panoramic views. These days, however, backpackers make the journey via bus and motorbike to visit Casa Elemento. It is here that the proclaimed “world’s biggest hammock” is situated, high above the treetops. The hammock itself has seen better days, and users need to watch their step or else risk falling through a few of the oversized holes. However, the Instagram opportunities are worth it. Though most visitors choose to also sleep at Elemento, you can visit on a day pass for a cool 20,000 pesos. This also secures you a cocktail to enjoy whilst hammocking. Pro-tip: for a more exclusive experience, sleep at Casas Viejas, where you can step away from the crowds but still hike to the hammock in less than two hours.

Tam is an American travel writer and educator, who worked in Colombia for a year. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @fresh.coffee.stains or read her blog http://freshcoffeestains.com.

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Know Before You Go

If you’re from the U.S., you do need a visa to visit Turkey. It’s easy to get online, and I recommend iVisa. It should only take about 15-minutes and cost around $40 for up to 90 days. I know the same goes for the U.K, as Ben needed one too. You can check out your country and rates here.

You’ll also want travel insurance. I always recommend getting some sort of travel insurance for any trip simply because you never know, whether it’s eating the wrong thing or having your whole suitcase go missing. Plus, some of these activities are pretty adventurous. Of course, my top choice is World Nomads. You can easily and quickly get a quote right on their website.

Getting to Alanya

Getting around in Alanya

There are a ton of different options for getting from the airport to your hotel. You can see all the different choices on Viator.

Taxis are plenty and from my experience, fair. They all used the meter without us asking them to. It seems pretty standard. There were local buses, but I have no idea how all that works; I never took one but imagine you just hop on and pay the driver.

Map of the Things to Do in Alanya

20 Top Things to do in Alanya, Turkey

1. Alanya Castle

Bra is from here, for more on how I dress boho chic, check here

Jumpsuit is from TIA, see similar cut here, and see similar color here

You can’t miss the castle which towers over the whole town. Back in the Alexander the Great days, there were pirates all over this water, and they took refuge in the castle. The walls wrap around the edge of the city from the sea up to the top of the hill. At night, they light up and it’s a really beautiful scene. You can enter for just $4 and wander around. It’s worth it just for the views from the top of the castle looking down. PS: although it’s called the castle, it is ruins of a castle.

Check out tours with Alanya Castle here

2. Damlatas Cave

The cave is quite small so you can see this in about 15 minutes if you want to or you can stay longer and just hang out on the benches inside. When building the harbor in Alanya in 1948, they found this cave by accident. During WWII, German soldiers hid here and it’s said that their respiratory problems were healed by the air inside the cave. It’s about $2 to enter.

Check out tours with the Damlatas Caves here

3. Dockyard

The Alanya Dockyard is a ruin of, well, a dockyard! It is where they used to park the ships when they needed to have work done. How they got the ships into the dock is kind of crazy. There was a Roman crane that pulled the ships up, and it pulled by having men inside a wheel like hampsters walking to make it spin. If you buy this and the Red Tower together it’s just $1 for each.

See tours with the Alanya Dockyard here.

4. Red Tower

The Red Tower, as mentioned, is just $1 if you buy the ticket with the dockyard. Attractions are so affordable here! These are right next to each other. You can see from the Red Tower the wall that connects to the castle. Inside you walk up to the top and there are some little boat figurines but it’s mostly just to see the view.

See tours with the Red Tower here.

5. Cleopatra Beach

Kleopatra Beach is the popular strip of beach and there are multiple restaurants, conveniently named by number in order. We chilled out a couple times at #22 which was a great spot. Good food, cheap drinks, and nice hammocks.

Dress is from Sancerre, see similar here

The water here is beautiful, so even if you’re not the time to sit around on a beach, try to take some time to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea while you’re here! It was chilly in May.

See tours with Kleopatra Beach here.

6. Luxury All-inclusive hotel for only $80!

I think you’ll be shocked by how affordable hotels are here. We stayed at Sunprime C Lounge, the #2 hotel in Alanya on TripAdvisor, and possibly the most luxurious one in Alanya, for just $80/night – and it’s ALL-INCLUSIVE! Check here for rates and availability.

The buffet is breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has a variety of Turkish and International food. It has options for those on a diet as well and a coffee machine. Drinks are included and there is a restaurant near the pool that everyone who books get one free meal at. The pool is wonderful and there was an underground tunnel to the sea with lots of lounge beds on the beach and out on a jetty.

The rooms were huge and had the SOFTEST beds. Bottled water is included in the room rate and they even do towel animals every day on the beds. The views of the sea are perfect and we enjoyed sitting out on the huge balcony every chance we had.

7. Pirate Ship Cave Tour

Back in the day, pirates were a serious thing here. Now, there are pirate ships all over the sea that you can rent out and do tours out to the caves and rocks along the coast to go cliff jumping. They do meals on board or you can get a party boat. It’s about $20 per person, but ask around at a few places and if you have a group, you might get a good discount.

Check out the different tour options here

8. Lunch at Dimcayi Pinarbasi

Coming down from the canyons in the mountains is an ice cold river that flows through just outside of town. There are restaurants all along the river, but this one is the most famous.

This is the best meal I had in Alanya. WOW, seriously guys this is a do not miss! They will show up on Google maps. All these restaurants that are on the river are called “Dimcayi” so make sure to go to the right one. You’ll get loads of food for around $8-9.

9. Quad Tour in the Taurus Mountains

While the sea is enticing, do not forget about the mountains! The Taurus mountains are beautiful. You can do Jeep tours, but I am always going to choose quadding when given the choice. I used the company Alp Quad & Buggy. You can call them to book at 242 538 88 00 or you can email them at maliciftcioglu@hotmail.com. Viator also has a similar tour here.

While you do have to stay in a single file line they go fast and it does have a thrill factor. There are a couple jumps (we both got some air!) and some fun tight turns to go through. They take photos and videos and sell them to you after. If you want to save money bring your own glasses and bandana which truly are necessary because of the extreme amount of dirt and dust flying up from all the quads. The price is $38 per person or $50 if you put two people on one quad.

10. Paraglide

Years ago, I did hang gliding in Interlaken and loved it. In Goa, I always see the paragliders but wondered if it would have that same rush or be mellow like parasailing is. Alanya has parasailers everywhere, so I decided to give it a go. It IS thrilling! After you run off the cliff, you are lifted up into the clouds. It’s so cold up there and you can hardly see through them.

I went paragliding with the company Ulu Sky. You can find out more on their website or email them at infro@ulusky.com. They will do corkscrew spins if you ask them to and if weather permits. You can buy videos and photos they take with a GoPro. It’s $55 for a ride.

11. Sapadere Canyon Jeep Tour

My bag is from here!, for more on my favorite multipurpose bags check here

The canyon is beautiful and a great way to go up and explore the mountains. You can rent a Jeep for the day for $35 or you can take a Jeep Tour for about $25 per person. The walk through the canyon takes about 20 minutes then you reach the end where there is a waterfall. If you were interested in cycling up the mountain to here you can connect with Vela, a top cycling company.

12. Friday Market

I always like seeing local markets when I travel and in Alanya, the big market is on Fridays. If you have time go into the soap shop where they make the traditional soap you would find in a hammam. The shop is called Green Body and is just on the edge of the market (it’s on Google Maps).

13. Standup Paddleboard (SUP)

Due to choppy water and a looming storm, we did not get to go SUP and had to cancel. The SUP is done around the castle with some beautiful views. I asked the team to give me a couple photos to share since I had to cancel. They use a dome with GoPro to get some really cool shots and also offer SUP yoga. You can do SUP with Alanya Surf Team. It’s about $15 per person.

14. Jetski & Flyboard

Jet skiing is about $50 for an hour, but you can go for less time if you’d like. I was going to do this our last day before leaving for the airport but like the SUP we had to cancel due to weather. You can contact watersports-tr on their website.

15. Hamam and Spa

While in Turkey, you must try a hammam. They are traditional baths and I wrote about this in this article. Since they scrub you down and I didn’t want to lose my tan, I skipped it this time and had a massage instead. I had my massage at my hotel and it was great. It’s only $15 for hammam and about $35 for a massage. You’ll find signs for hammams everywhere in town.

If you’d prefer, you can book a hammam experience ahead of time on Viator.

16. Turkish Coffee & Tea

For just a buck you can have the strongest coffee ever. It’s very Turkish to stop and have a tea or coffee (with a cigarette) multiple times during the day from breakfast until bedtime. I had tried this years ago in Bosnia and unfortunately still find the coffee too strong for me. It’s a think bisque soupy texture with all the grounds in the tiny coffee cup. You have to at least try it! You’ll get a head rush for sure.

17. Sunset Over the Castle & Sea

The sunset changes place throughout the year. In the winter it sets over the sea but shifts to the side a bit in the summer and sets over the castle. It’s a really beautiful site. If you wanted to have a fancy dinner at sunset and see the castle you could go to Rihtim. It was really tasty! The lamb chops and calamari are a must.

18. Fresh Orange Juice

You cannot avoid oranges here. They are obsessed! You’ll see orange trees growing everywhere and next to the “ALANYA” sign a giant revolving orange. On the streets are orange shaped shacks selling fresh orange juice. It is so tasty you would think they added MSG to it. They definitely know how to grow oranges here! I got this cool glass of juice at Kleopatra 22.

19. Go-kart

I went go karting with Alanya Park. It’s in town, but you will need a taxi to reach here. You can get in touch by emailing them at gogart@hotmail.com. I don’t remember the price on this one but it must have been less than $5 if I had to guess. It was a small track but had so many turns inside that it was a blast and they do go really fast. I love go karting! Ben lapped me, though, so that sucked.

20. Eat a Truly Local Alanyan Meal

The last thing that I highly suggest is to have a true Alanya lunch. There are restaurants that have food pre-cooked for lunch and ready to be served, family style by local women. You can just point out what you like. Meals are around $3-5 depending if you want a meat dish or not. I loved this meal and it was really nice to be in the local scene.

The restaurant is called Feride Lenli Ev Yemekleri. Address: Sekerhane Mah Yunusgucu Sok. No, 14/A and you can call them at 0242 512 67 66.

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I was a guest of Alanya tourism and Turkish Airlines but all opinions here are my own. I enjoyed Alanya and every activity on this list! Also this post includes affiliate links.

The post 20 Top Things to do in Alanya Turkey (With Prices & Video) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 20 Top Things to do in Alanya Turkey (With Prices & Video) appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I know pretty much nothing about horses, so it’s pretty surprising even to myself that I’m writing about the Lipica horse stables on my blog! I wasn’t planning on going here while in Slovenia, as it’s not of my top interests, but when my plans to go to Soca Valley fell through due to weather, this was en route to my next destination in Slovenia, Lake Bled. 

Why the Lipizzaner Horses are so Important & what to expect at Lipica horse stables

The horses at Lipica are basically world famous. They have a special gene in them which makes them turn white as they age, at around 4 or 5 years old. It’s kind of like how humans hair turns grey/white. Not all will change to white, so you’ll have that “black sheep” but most do. 

These horses have been famous and coveted since the 16th century.

the jumpsuit is from TIA, see similar below

top from TIA, see similar top here

These horses are the ones that “dance”. They walk like they are on their tip toes. I did ask if they are trained nicely, and they said yes, it’s positive reinforcement.

These purebred Lipizzaner horses are worth MILLIONS. They are used in the Olympics! It’s all pretty crazy and I’m sure that horse-lovers would be totally obsessed with this place! 

For me, I just loved seeing them in the fields with the dandelions. They are such gorgeous animals. I do not think they allow guests to ride them (at least not the studs). The girl horses have the LIFE; they just eat all day outside. The studs have to practice their dancing and such since the are the ones used for training and competitions. 

Little tidbit: in case you were wondering like me how they get these horses around the world for the Olympics…. they fly them in a private jet.

Another little tidbit: the Queen symbolically owns a horse here which was gifted to her by the horse farm. The horse farm is in Slovenia, but in Vienna, they are obsessed with these horses also and sometimes the Austrians will claim this horse breed is theirs, which I imagine is a touchy subject with a Slovenian!

Tips on Visiting

There’s not big “wow” about the place, but it’s just beautiful overall and a great place to spend an afternoon. I will be honest, it’s not the top thing to do in Slovenia, which has so much to offer, so prioritize and add this to your itinerary if you have more than a week here. 

Also, if you have kids this is a cool place to go since they have ponies! For more information and ticket prices, check out their website.

Shop the Post

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There’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen images of this castle at some time in your life. The famous Predjama Castle is the fairytale castle in Slovenia people fly all the way here to see – well, one of them. Slovenia actually has a few castles that you’d recognize! In this article, I’m also going to talk about the Postojna Caves which are just 15 minutes away and together, this cave and castle are the top two tourist attractions in Slovenia.

Tips on Visiting Fairytale Predjama Castle

Predjama Castle is the largest cave castle in the world and is more than 800 years old. It’s built directly into the cliffside, and there are caves inside. These caves are the second biggest cave system in Slovenia (with Postojna Cave being the largest).

We actually went through here really fast, because to be honest I’ve been to a lot of castles so don’t always want to listen to every number on the headphone set about how their lives were back then.

But, I think if you do listen to everything, it would take a full hour to get through.

The castle has been in movies! It was in Armour of God with Jackie Chan, and he actually had a serious injury here; he does his own stunts.

The castle was run by Erazem of Predjama, who was kind of like Robin Hood. When it was under siege, they used the cave system to get food inside and get people out safely for over a year! Eventually, one of his own men betrayed him, and he was killed.

In May and September, you can go into the caves behind/under the castle. The castle itself has each room set up how it would have looked in Medieval times. The audioguide explains everything as you walk through. There is a small cafe outside and a really nice view from the top of the castle into the town below.

Predjama Castle Price: 11.90 euro

Predjame Castle, 6230 Predjama, Slovenia, +386 5 700 01 00

Get all other information and ticket prices on their website.

What to Expect at Postojna Caves, the famous caves of Slovenia

You can go between the castle and these caves with a free shuttle bus in July and August (the peak tourist season), or if you have a rental car it’s just 15 minutes away.

While I’m not crazy about caves, I do recommend visiting here while you are in Slovenia. Once you start researching you’ll see that the Predjama Castle and these Postojna Caves are the top tourist attractions, along with Lake Bled- and it’s for good reason.

These caves are the biggest cave system in Slovenia and go on for AGES. You actually have to take a train into them for like 10 minutes until you get out and walk. You will walk in a big group (kind of annoying since the walkways are small so you just have to stop every time someone takes a photo) and it takes about an hour to get through the caves to the other side.

It is colder inside the caves, so bundle up! You can have an audioguide or an actual human guide but I didn’t take either, so I know basically nothing about these caves ha! Sometimes it’s fun to just explore something without learning all the small details about it.

“Postojna Cave and its exciting interior will take you on a fantastic journey beneath the surface of the Earth. Thus, it is no wonder that it has, during the 200 years since it was opened to the public, hosted over 37 million visitors from all over the world.” –Postojna website

Tours are every single hour and they last for one hour to one hour and a half. The cave is open all year long. You do need to be able to walk on the slippery ground and be confident on your feet to go here. Water drips from the ceiling a bit. Tickets are 23.90 Euro.

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The post What To Expect at Slovenia’s Famous Fairytale Predjama Castle (& the Postojna Caves) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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This beautiful country is all about the turquoise water, white sandy beaches, and tropical sea life. You’ll love all the adventures in the Maldives you can find. Many people consider it their dream vacation destination, imagining days laying around the white, sandy beaches and turquoise water.

While some only see this as a luxury honeymoon location, staying on the local island is altogether a different experience and one that is more affordable and perhaps cultural. I stayed at Mirian Sky and through them, got to try all these incredible adventures that I’ll always remember.

Tips Before You Go:

• We highly recommend Kiwi for finding the best possible flights to the Maldives. Compare the different routes and prices on their site.
• The Maldives is warm all year round, so you’ll be sure to want to dress for it! Check out our favorite summer essentials here.
• Yes, you do need a visa to visit! iVisa makes it super easy to figure it all out.
• Since these are all the best adventures in the Maldives, you’ll want to get travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. We LOVE World Nomads, and it’s the most recommended company around.
• For even more tours in the Maldives, we use Viator. Check here for all their available activities.

Adventures in the Maldives at Mirian Sky Hotel

1. Turtle Snorkelling

Can you spot the turtle? They do camouflage well!

Turtles are one of the big three, along with shark and mantas, that people want to see in Maldives. And these adorable green mammals are much easier to find. We were brought to one of their frequent sighting spot to snorkel and saw a total of four turtles during our hour-long snorkel. They were friendly enough to let you swim alongside them.

A still extracted from one of my video – the turtle coming up for water!

Turtle spotting aside, there are some wonderful fauna and corals to be seen at the spot. Picnic Island and its surrounding sea are brimming with sea life and we saw a turtle there, too (as well as an octopus!).

2. Dolphin Safari

A pod of dolphins swimming alongside our speedboat

By luck, we stumbled into a pod of Sharp Tooth dolphins on our way to a shipwreck and they cruised with us for a while. Though we didn’t manage to snorkel with them as they swam too fast, we got very close on the speed boat. Smaller, darker with a pointier beak than the bottle-nose dolphins, there were almost twenty in this pod. During one of our attempts to swim with them, we heard their sonic communication – which was an experience in itself.

3. Sand Bank Visit

One of the things that I had seen of Maldives before my visit was a drone video of the couple on a deserted sand bank. Needless to say, I was excited to visit one. A natural body of sand that congregated by the way of waves and currents, the sand bank we visited was made of broken corals. Combined the white sand with azure and turquoise water and you have paradise!

4. Shipwreck Snorkelling

Anchor point shipwreck!

There are numerous shipwrecks around Gaafaru Island and Anchor Point is the closest one that happened 150 years ago. The only visible sign of it above the water is a single metal rod that reaches above the sea level, but the underwater world is something else entirely.

Claimed by nature, the shipwreck is now a haven for fishes and other sea creatures. You can still make out the top part of the ship and its rough shapes, though in many parts it’s already overgrown. I was surprised at how many sea lives there are – nature will always find a way!

5. Sunset Dinner by the Beach

Nightly sunset view from the bikini beach

Given the romantic setting as well as the beautiful sceneries, it would be a shame if you don’t enjoy a sunset beach dinner. A surprise by our lovely host at Mirian Sky Hotel, the eight guests were treated to a sunset dinner at the bikini beach of Gaafaru. With the sun setting behind us, I shared one of the most romantic moments in my life with two German sisters and our lovely host.

Buffet dinner by the beach!

Served buffet style, we had some fish from the line fishing as well, which leads to my last item on this list…

6. Line Fishing and Eating Your Catch

Speeding off to the sunset to fish!

If you have never fished before, you must try line fishing! I had very little faith in my fishing abilities, however, aside from failing to cast the line, I was able to catch two fish by myself. Done in the evening and twilight hours, line fishing is a delicate act of knowing how much you should release the line and play tug-of-war with the fish.

Freshly caught and cooked by the chef at Mirian Sky

We caught eight in total, not counting an accidentally nurse shark (we let it go, of course). Which was cooked for dinner that night!

Where to Stay in the Maldives:
Mirian Sky Hotel on Gaafaru

The exterior of the hotel!

I spent a week at Mirian Sky Hotel in the Maldives. A three and a half hour ferry from the capital Male or an hour on a speed boat, Gaafaru is a small, unspoiled fishing village with a population of just over one thousand.

If you want to experience a local island in peace and quiet with friendly staff and excellent service, then you are in the right place.

The two-floor hotel is modern, clean and has all the basic amenities. The hotel isn’t very big, which is nice and peaceful, and the reception area is the same as the dining room. There’s a small outdoor patio with a place to wash sand off your feet.

Here’s a quick video of the hotel as well as my room:

The air conditioning works perfectly, the room is clean and well equipped with a mini-fridge, LCD TV, wardrobe, vanity table and chair, double bed. The bathroom, standard of many South-East Asia countries, consist of a shower with no curtain or stand.

The room is spacious and nice!

There’s also a fan if you aren’t cool enough! I enjoy my room so much that I end up staying in and watching a movie from my hard-disc in the evening. I am anti-social, I know.

View from the balcony

While the room has a balcony that does face the sea, you won’t use it much as it’d put you in direct sight of the mosque.

My welcome lunch!

The food, prepared by the chef Mohammed, exceeded my expectations. I had pancake, omelet, and toasts for breakfast, there’s also tea, coffee, and cereal, too. He will literally make you anything you want and does the best salad! Lunch and dinner usually consist of salad or pasta with chicken or fish. Though you can get authentic Maldivian food, fried rice or noodles etc as well.

Everyone at Mirian Sky is friendly and did their best to take care of me and make sure my stay was great, as they do with all the other guests!

Now that I’ve finished gushing, here’s some nitty gritty info:

• Shower gel and shampoo are provided, as well as towel and beach towel.
• You have free use of bikini beach and their sun bed and umbrella. However, the beach is not on the doorstep and requires a five-minute walk or so. You will have to cover up your bikini or swimsuit as well since it is a local island.
• The WiFi is very weak and glitchy. It only works on one device at a time but does work all over the island. I recommend that you get a SIM card if the internet is essential to you.
• Its proximity to Male is a huge bonus. The choice of cheaper daily public ferry if needed is a superb option. However, the fact that it’s opposite a mosque opposite means you’ll hear it every morning at 5 am.

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The post 6 Things to Cross Off your Bucket List in the Maldives first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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The following is a guest post from fellow travel bloggers who have done a RTW trip (round the world trip) and wanted to share about how much it costs and how you can do a year around the world, too.

How You Can Travel A Year Around The World

“How much does it cost?”

That’s the one question that comes up the most when discussing long-term travel.

Well, it depends on the countries you visit and the way you travel.

Are you going to Southeast Asia or the US?

Will you be sleeping in dorm rooms or fancy hotels?

These are decisions you need to make to be able to draw up a realistic budget.

Let me give you a real-life example: we, as a couple, traveled for a year around the world for $61,074. Yes, we tracked every single dollar.

Keep reading to find out if you could travel the world for $61,074 as well.

Note that these amounts are subject to fluctuations in exchange rates. It cost us $61,074 to travel around the world in 343 days for two people.

We traveled around the world in 343 days (from September 2015 to August 2016) for $61,074.04 to be precise. This includes every cent we spent during that short year of full-time travel around the world. Vaccinations, flights, gear, accommodation, food & drinks, activities, and so on. You can definitely do it for less, but you can splurge way more as well.

A year around the world for two people for $61,074 equals to $89 per person per day.

In Southeast Asia we stayed well below this average. In New Zealand, Australia, and the US it was the other way around.

These numbers include everything we did and brought with us on our one-year trip around the world. Notable exceptions: our laptops, cell phones, iPad, Kindles, and GoPro.

Here’s an elaborate list of everything that is included in this grand total of $61,074:

• All pre-travel expenses: Before you can even leave on a trip around the world, you’ll need to spend some money on vaccinations, travel insurance, and international travel documents like an international passport and driver’s license.
• All transportation: All flights and overland transportation like buses, trains, boats, taxis, tuk-tuks, cars, bicycles, motorbikes, and campervans. We used them all!
• All accommodation: We mostly stayed in hostels and motels, or on campsites in our rented campervan. Sometimes we stayed in an AirBnB apartment, and from time to time we splurged on a hotel as well.
• All gear: From our backpack to a headphone splitter, everything in terms of gear is included. Travel clothes and shoes, travel towels, a daypack, a good but compact camera, a mask and snorkel, a reusable water bottle, it’s all in there.
• All food and drinks: This includes the funds to satisfy our occasional Belgian beer cravings and some fast food here and there.
• All toiletries and other necessities: There are some things you (arguably) can’t go without, like deodorant, insect repellent, sunscreen, tampons (yes, I’m a woman), medication, haircuts, and laundry.
• All activities: Every entrance fee, day trip, tour, and even some gambling in Las Vegas is included. And we didn’t skip the expensive activities like scuba diving, bungy jumping and a ridiculous amount of theme parks either.
• All extra travel expenses on the road: Some of the things people often forget to take into account when drawing up a budget are visas, local SIM cards, paid WiFi, and ATM fees. It’s next to impossible to travel without these extra expenses.

Things that influence your RTW budget

When planning a trip around the world, it’s best to do your research about the cost of this amazing adventure ahead of you. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere without money, or have to return prematurely.

Make a realistic budget and stick to it.

While drawing up your budget, you need to think about the countries you want to visit and the way you want to travel. Here are some things that will influence your RTW travel budget.

The countries you visit

Asia is obviously cheaper than Australia, New Zealand, or the US. However, deciding to gradually make your way around the world, minimizing long distance travel, will keep your budget down too.

We spent 3 months in Southeast Asia, 3 months in Australia, 1 month in New Zealand, and 3 months in the US.

The food you eat

When you’re in Asia, it’s expensive to eat Western food, so stick to local food to keep your food budget down. Remember that food stalls are cheaper than restaurants, and alcohol can be crazy expensive. When you’re in Western countries, cook your own food to save some money.

We mostly ate local food in Southeast Asia, with the occasional splurge for a Western meal. While traveling Australia, New Zealand, and the US, we tried to keep eating out to a minimum and mostly cooked our own dinner.

The places you sleep

When you prefer the luxury of a private room in a fancy hotel over a dorm room in a hostel, you’ll obviously need to budget more for accommodation. Try alternatives like a campervan, AirBnB, or Couchsurfing if you’re up for it.

We mostly stayed in private rooms in hostels, and occasionally booked a hotel for a couple of nights. While traveling Australia and New Zealand, we rented a campervan and spent our nights on campsites. That’s transportation and accommodation in one!

The luggage you carry

Save money on flights (and yourself from a backache) by only bringing a carry-on on your travels. We did it, so it’s possible!

The mode of transport you use

Walking is obviously the cheapest way of getting around, but you can’t walk everywhere. Make use of public transport or Uber instead of taking a regular taxi or booking a tour or tourist bus. Maybe try renting a bicycle, motorbike, car, or campervan. That’s what we did!

The experiences you want

Many things in life are actually free. Why not go on a free walking tour instead of a sightseeing bus? Check out a free museum and take up geocaching as a hobby to find some lesser known gems, all by foot. That said, don’t be too stingy either. Bungy jumping and flyboarding in Queenstown was expensive as well, but we’ll never forget those experiences. Make sure to leave some room in your budget for those memories.

Things you should and shouldn’t take on your RTW trip

If we could do our round the world trip over, there’s only one thing I would change: the clothes I packed. Some pre-travel research showed that it’s best to bring travel clothes on your long-term trip. They dry quickly and don’t get smelly like regular clothes. Well, don’t!

Bring clothes you don’t mind wearing every day, on every occasion, for a year.

If your clothes get worn out, buy new ones on the road. They sell clothes everywhere, you know. There’s no need to hand wash them either. In Southeast Asia full-service laundry is crazy cheap. How about Australia, New Zealand, or the US, I hear you think. Well, we did our own laundry in coin-operated washing machines at the campsites or motels. Easy and cheap!

Brecht really loved his travel clothes though. I guess it’s different for men. We do recommend buying socks and underwear made from Merino wool or some similar fabric. They really aren’t as smelly as regular socks and underwear, and because they’re quick to dry, you can hand wash them when needed.

A couple of other often forgotten things we were glad to have brought on our round the world trip are [easyazon_link identifier=”B000HK1OOY” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Dr Bronner Magic Soap[/easyazon_link], a small first aid kit, and a reusable water bottle.

Record your journey

On a trip around the world you’ll see and do too many things to remember. Don’t let these great experiences go to waste, but write a journal or start a travel blog. It’s so much fun to look back on that awesome year through the stories and photos on our travel blog!

There’s just one thing I regret: not filming more. I get really jealous when seeing other people’s travel after movies. But between all the notes, photos, and Snapchats, I don’t think we could manage yet another way of recording our journey.

What do you think? Will you be able to beat us and spend less on your trip around the world? Don’t get too stingy though, or you’ll forget to enjoy your travels and miss out on some awesome adventures!

Interested in reading more about our journey and a full-blown analysis of where all our money went? Have a look at our website: Wandering the World!

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The post A Year Around the World for $61,074: This is What We Learned first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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The following is a guest post by Fleur Rollet-Manus about how to have the best time at Rio! This guide to Rio Carnival will hopefully help you plan your trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Guide to Rio Carnival

Glitter clung to every part of my body, my eyelashes were stuck together and the smell of dancing, intertwined bodies with sweat glistened skin hung heavy in the air. Nobody else in my hostel dorm stirred.

This was the morning after the night before, Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) had claimed us as it’s victims and carried us into the early hours.

I’d danced the soles off of my Havaianas, clinked caipirinha glasses with newfound friends into dawn and filled my ears with the sound of samba.

I’m now reliving my time in Rio de Janerio to bring you my crazy guide to Rio Carnival, the most famous and celebrated festival on Earth!

Taking place over five electrically charged days, forty days before Easter, Rio de Janerio Carnival attracts over 500,000 tourists per year and is known as the carnival capital of the world.

The party officially gets under way in the laid-back beach city on Friday and finishes on Fat Tuesday, just before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

In all its grandeur, Carnival is an act of farewell to the pleasure of flesh and now engulfs the whole month of February.

Carnival for the Ultimate Partier

Prepare to have gravity-defying feather headdresses, extravagant beaded costumes, and rhythmic percussion bands encircle you with their contagious energy in the highlight of the festivities, the Rio Samba Parade in the Sambodromo.

It is the most OTT party on the planet and it will leave you completely mesmerized. The best samba schools from across the city battle it out in front of a panel of judges, sequins flashing, smiles brimming and hips swinging.

Time to take the party outside, Brazilian style. Street parties take place all over Rio, but there isn’t a party like a Lapa street party. Vendors line the central nightlife spot with free flowing cachaça, samba music floating hazily from the surrounding bars.

To get a true sense of the flavor of Brazil, you can’t leave without courageously throwing back a few caipirinha’s, Brazil’s signature cachaça cocktail. After the after party, try Rei do Limão Caipirinha, which is just near the Lapa steps. The small, inconspicuous takeaway bar takes the art of caipirinha creation seriously, making sure to keep spirits high as you dance your way into a new day.

After the after party, try Rei do Limão Caipirinha, which is just near the Lapa steps. The small, inconspicuous takeaway bar takes the art of caipirinha creation seriously, making sure to keep spirits high as you dance your way into a new day.

For something more civilized, make a reservation at Bar Astor, a glamorous bar in Ipanema with panoramic views. An ideal spot to enjoy your last night, reminiscing on the culture, the glitter and the glam that carnival encircles around you.

Where to Sleep At Rio Carnival

Tired, weary, hung-over, Carnival will test even the most religious partygoers.

Take a much-needed forty winks in neighboring Santa Teresa. Santa Teresa is filled with talented street art, modern art galleries and quirky cafés. Whilst the allure of the legendary glitz and glamour of Copacabana is tempting, save yourself several Reals (the official currency of Brazil, although US dollars are also widely accepted) and check into to Alma De Santa Guest House and leave with a whole host of global travelling companions at this bohemian inspired pousada (Brazillian guest house).

Alternatively, check out Airbnb for apartments in friendly neighbourhoods such as Flamengo or Botafogo, often equipped with hammocks, neighbours that will welcome you with samba blaring from 80’s radios and freshly baked pão de queijo (cheese bread).

What to see and do in Rio

Step away from the street parties and readily welcome a little R n R. Join the throngs of bikini-clad, bronzed Brazilian bodies and head to the beach.

Kick back with a revitalizing açai bowl before embarking on a football or volleyball tournament with the locals (I lost, epically, every time I was challenged).

Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema all provide the ideal spot for snap-worthy #NoFilter sunsets framed by towering palm trees however, it’s Arpoador beach that really steals the show.

Hangout with fishermen, cute couples and other budding photographers on a rock that juts over the water providing an unrivaled spot to have an evening picnic watching the sunset.

Travelers Tip: on a Sunday the roads adjacent to Copacabana beach are shut off from traffic and instead are overrun with scantily-clag skateboarders, rollerbladers and runners. Brazil has no shortage of beautiful people and it is safe to say I resembled Bambi as opposed to a Brazilian- blading expert…

Visit the 3 most iconic sites in Rio

A visit to Rio de Janerio wouldn’t be complete without visiting three of the most iconic sights in Brazil. Head out early in the morning, after you’ve finished your super-food, staple açai bowl breakfast of course, and check out the notorious Christ the Redeemer statue. The panoramic views from the top make battling with other selfie-loving tourists completely worth it.

Also, the location for Pharell’s ‘Happy’ music video, The Selarón Steps, nicknamed the Lapa steps, are one of Rio’s most visited attractions. 125 meters of intricate mosaic tiles constructed by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claimed it as “my tribute to the Brazilian people”. The steps embody the freedom and passion of the city with their video patterns and patriotic murals.

Finally, I opted to step aboard the Sugarloaf Mountain cable car just before sunset and I wasn’t disappointed. Rio comes alive at night and as a kaleidoscope of orange, yellows, and pinks are replaced by the navy night sky and twinkling lights litter the mountainside, you see it as a truly beautiful, captivating city.

Secret Suggestion: A five hour bus journey and you’ll reach the waterside town of Paraty, a hidden gem in the Rio de Janerio state. Locals paddleboard out to the fisherman to haggle over todays catch, men argue over chess games for hours and children chase kites through the streets. It’s a tranquil time warp peppered with authentic colonial buildings and cobbled streets, the perfect contrast to the notorious debauchery of carnival!

This post is from Fleur Rollet-Manus. Travelling is her favorite form of education. She continually seeks to submerge herself in other cultures, marveling at the wonders of the world and being in complete awe of her surroundings. She is a fully-fledged traveling addict and avid passport stamp collector. You’ll often find her with an overstuffed backpack, swapping stories with other travelers over a cocktail or two and blogging for the Huffington Post. You can find my Huffington Post author’s page here.

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The post Your Crazy Party Guide to Rio Carnival | Rio de Janeiro Brazil first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Your Crazy Party Guide to Rio Carnival | Rio de Janeiro Brazil appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This is a guest post about the new urbex travel trends that are so popular especially in Europe and Japan.

I have always had this thing with abandoned places, roofs, not-so-tapped destinations, and spots. When a couple of years ago I first saw photos with a hashtag #urbanexploration on Instagram I thought it was such a cool idea to actually give a name to something that many people have been doing for years.

The Urbex Travel Trend

I have always been a wanderer and liked to peep into old buildings, rock rickety rooftops and chase the sunsets from not so known places. If you enjoy that too, keep calm and read on!

For those of you who are not familiar with this word, first of all, I guess we have to answer one essential question:

What Does <<Urbex>> Stand For?
The word “urbex” is a fusion of “urban” and “exploration”.

Briefly speaking,  urbex is all about exploring and indulging the abandoned, urban areas. Sounds creepy? Not really!

What Makes Urbex a Unique Way to Travel

Urbex has it all.

It is a blend of discovery, photography, and sport. Urbex tells untold stories. It allows you to interpret the moment you live in a unique way, your way. You decide what story you want to tell through your photos, videos, and captions.

Urbex has no boundaries.

It lets you explore endless paths, places, tales.

You may ask what’s cool about spooky, forgotten places? Well, urbex is not limited to abandoned spots solely!

The term “urban” is what you make it. A night stroll in the city, seeking graffiti. Catching the sun from the rooftops before the dawn. Tiny alleys of your hometown. One thing is certain: urbex is all about ambiance and uniqueness. You will certainly not go to a five-star hotel if you wish to have a true urban exploration feeling. What else could you think of? Possibilities are endless.

What Type of Traveler Will Enjoy Urbex?

Urbexers rarely travel without their cameras, they strive to capture the mysterious moments and forgotten places in photos. They also wander a lot and sometimes urbex resembles parkour, some kind of outdoor gymnastics.

You have to act quick: jump, stroll, chase moments… If you like secrets, street art, photography, adrenaline, and movement – urbex is definitely something for you.

The urban explorers’ community is steadily growing all over the world (especially in Europe) and there is no rule to start. You just take your camera and wander. Some people are urban explorers without even knowing!

Do you enjoy climbing rooftops, visiting creepy buildings, looking for the traces of street art in the tiny streets of the town? You’ve got it in your blood!

Social media platforms are a mine of inspiration – you simply have to look for #urbanexploers and other tags on Instagram or Facebook.

Why Is This Urbex Travel Trend so Popular Right Now?

I think that it became quite a famous activity among young people who wish to escape from boredom, tapped places, tourist-invaded spots.

The adrenaline raises up, the imagination is boosted. Creative souls always strive to go off-the-beaten-path and create something extraordinary.

Urban exploration lets you express yourself and is an outlet for your originality without spending horrendous amounts of money, which is always a bonus.

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Monika is the travel writer behind Bewildered in Morocco. She is an ex-Polish Expat in Morocco, ESL teacher, passionate about photography and writing. She is also particularly into urbex, food, cafes, nature and off-the beaten path places.

The post Why the Urbex Travel Trend is The Coolest New Thing in Adventure Travel first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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