About Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones left a career in nursing and lived on the beaches of Goa, India for the five years. Now she lives in Mexico where she gives advice on the 40+ countries she’s visited in the last 10 years. She’s the author of two India travel e-books: Guide to India and Insider’s Guide to Goa. Her blog, Hippie in Heels, like its name, is a contradiction combining off-beat adventurous places with glamorous and bespoke travel. Hippie in Heels has been featured in ELLE, Marie Claire, Grazia, and Cosmopolitan magazines. She’s a writer for Bravo TV.

My 5 Favorite Cities in India

I’ve been in India quite a long time and still feel like I haven’t seen enough of it, but I have done some pretty significant exploring in the last two years. I’m going to share the places that I loved the most. For each place is a link in the title that will take you

10 Best Restaurants in Bombay

Bombay has a huge variety of cuisines. Many travelers get overwhelmed by the huge, crowded city; it’s clear that everything is better in Mumbai when you have a local friend. The nightlife is amazing and the restaurants are even better. My girl, Niki, a Bombay native is sharing her all time favorite places to eat

That Time I Was Headbutted By a Cow in India…

A handful of bad things happened while in confusing and hectic Varanasi, and at the moment a cow threw me into a wall, I’m pretty sure I was thinking “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!?!” It was one bad thing too many. Here's what happened. Ashley, my fun lovin’ English buddy had just been pick-pocketed and was

This is India! (twelve)

Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.

Why Don’t Americans Travel? (answered)

(FYI, sorry Sarah Palin, just a joke for people who poke fun at Americans and LOVE to bring this up to me!) As an American I am lucky. I have been blessed with a stable, safe country to grow up in. My American status gets me into some countries with ease, and I am grateful

20 Unique & Honest Travel Tips for Varanasi

These 20 Varanasi travel tips come from basically making so many mistakes here. It's such a complex city that I have four posts about it. I actually could write even more. If you missed the last ones, I recently shared an intro to my Varanasi trip about where to stay, how to get there, and

Step by Step: How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA

This post is an incredibly detailed guide, step by step, for how to apply for an Indian visa from USA for US citizens. I have applied myself and taken notes and screenshots of every step of the way. You don't find a more detailed guide than this online. If you are from the UK, check

This is India! (eleven)

Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.