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.

That Time I Called my Couchsurfing Host from Jail…

Barcelona pickpockets are notorious... here is my embarrassing story of being their target. Nothing makes you feel less traveled then getting scammed! “Hi this is Rachel, The American girl that’s staying with you.” CS host: “Oh great, you made it to Barcelona, where can I meet you?” “Just, like the police station. No big deal

Visiting Valencia

When booking a place to stay while visiting Valencia, you should decide if you want to stay in “Old Town” or near the beach, as the city scene is not integrated into the beach life. I was unaware when I booked and ended up in Old Town, paying quite a lot overall in bus tickets

Glamping in Goa: Luxurious Private Tents from Amarya

When I want to get away from Anjuna, it sometimes seems like the only options in North Goa are huge hotels or a simple beach hut (which I love, don’t get me wrong). It was Ben and I’s anniversary, so I wanted to find one of those unique North Goa luxury resorts. I had read

Grade 5 Whitewater Rafting the Nile River in Uganda

When I am on a backpacking trip, there is one expensive thing I don't even question spending money on: ADVENTURE. It's always a little costly, it's always worth it. I budget an extra 400 bucks/ month so that I can bungee, whitewater raft, or canyon. It seems like each area has their "adventure niche" and

Kicking Back on Koh Lanta Island

Krabi's beach buddy, Koh Lanta, was the only deserted beach I made it to in Thailand. I only wish I would have gone there last, so I would have appreciated it more! With stunning views along the Andaman coast, the almost empty guesthouse we chose was perfect to relax and recharge. Had I known what

Getting my Western Fix in Bangalore, India

Bangalore is a very modern Indian city. It’s my favorite of the ones I’ve been to. I found it less chaotic and less crowded. The “green city” really is stunning, although our taxi driver told us they are cutting down a lot of the trees to build a metro. If you want to chill out

8 Reasons to Try London Again

I was lucky enough to go back to England, and I am so excited to tell you about it. I wasn’t going to mess up this re-do, it was a second chance in London. I had already seen “what you’re supposed to see” years ago. London was the first city I went to in Europe.