How to negotiate in India (without being rude)

I guess by now you know I am a shopping fanatic. I love shopping for unique one of a kind pieces in India and finding gifts for people back home. I like buying fabrics and making my own things, and I like buying FROM THE SOURCE, for example, I won't buy Rajasthani stuff that is

What it was like moving to Goa knowing no one

So, I actually wrote this post nearly 3 years ago and never posted it. I just found it while sorting through my draft folder. I edited it so it made sense for now, but it was interesting to see what I was thinking back then. Girls email more often than you would think because they are

100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read

Technically, travel blogging is my job and I've been to and written about over 30 countries, but it really seems like my job is giving people India travel tips. I wake up to emails about it, check my FB messages, IG messages, and tweets to answer questions, and throughout the day answer blog comment questions

Mini Guide to Itanagar & unique look at market

We were in Itanagar Arunachal Pradesh during our Holiday Scout tour as the Arunachal Pradesh capital is a great stopover between the Tawang side of the state and heading into Ziro Valley or to the East. The roads don't actually connect through the state across the North, as Arunachal Pradesh tourism is sort of new (but

YUM! Some of the Best Restaurants in Langkawi

Have you ever tried Malaysian food? I hadn’t really before visiting Langkawi but now that I have, I want to share some of the best restaurants in Langkawi and what the food was like. I had some by chance in Singapore, where there is a mix of people and cuisines but I couldn’t really differentiate

5 Reasons You Have to Visit Bandung, Indonesia

I hadn't even heard of Bandung before I got invited there on a press trip over a year ago. I've been to 7 more countries since then, and Bandung still stands out as one of the most interesting places I visited! There are so many things to do in Bandung, Indonesia that I recommend you

4 Luxurious Indian Islands (many people don’t know exist)

India has a luxurious side to it. I know it's got a stereotyped "dirty loud India" side as well, but the Indian islands that surround the country rival any of the top islands of the world. I sadly have been to NONE of them yet which is a real shame. Reason being, whenever we have the

Luxury Guide to Jaipur

Welcome to Backpacker's Boutique. Every Sunday, this spot will feature a new travel blogger. Some weeks it will be a really fun interview about packing, fashion, and fitness so you can snoop inside their bags & lives a little bit and other weeks it'll be a detailed luxury guide to a city the featured blogger/expat knows very well. E-mail me if