I have some really exciting news! I have made an India travel Facebook group. It’s called India Travel Tips – Hippie in Heels and anyone can join who wants to ask questions about India, share their excitement/worries/concerns, and connect with other travelers. I still have my blog Facebook page which won’t be changing at all.
I will be moderating the group and accepting members, so although you can invite anyone to it, I’ll have to accept their request.
So, why make an India Travel Tips Facebook group?
Well, I get a lot of similar questions and although the answers are on my blog, sometimes people just want to “talk it out”. I want to give a space so that you can do that, and not only with me via email but with the other people in this group.
I get somewhere around 100 emails a week from people traveling to India who have quick questions. I have never minded answering them, but it would be so much easier if you guys could post that quesiton in the group where you’ll get my answer and the input of other girls traveling India.
I want you guys to meet each other!!
I’m always thinking “man this girl should meet the girl who just emailed me about the same thing!”. You guys can chat and talk about your anxieties or worries and help each other get pumped up for your trip. It’s a way for you guys to feel like you aren’t traveling India solo, but with a whole group of people thinking the same things and having the same experiences.
Once someone in the group has gone to India, they’ll also have tips to give. I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can, and if it’s an answer I’ve written a blog post about, I’ll link to that blog post.
What will the group be like:
I plan on doing some weekly posts that you can interact with. I will start adding more as I go, but for now, I’m going to start with two things:
- Once a week, I’ll ask anyone who has upcoming travel plans to India and wants to make a travel buddy in the group to possibly meet up with, be able to post their India dates in the comments of that weekly post. DO NOT write your whole itinerary! It’s the internet and this is an open group anyone can see! Then if someone has matching dates, you can connect outside the group via chat.
- Once a week, I’ll share a blog post with a tip(s) about India and ask for any comments that you might add on this that that would help people even further!
This group is as much for me as it is for you, though, and I do want to be transparent about that. While the benefits for you are that you get to meet other travelers to India and you can get ask lots of questions and (as the group grows) get answers from people in the community, I also get some benefits.
The benefits to me are that I will have fewer emails which I am starting to have a hard time keeping up with, and I can share my blog post information in the group which helps my blog grow and in turn, helps me make money. How?
Well, My 400+ blog posts about India are not sponsored and I don’t earn money from them just being there – but I do earn money when people book guesthouses, flights, or travel insurance through links on my blog. I also get commissions when you buy packing gear on Amazon.
Getting tips from people other than just me!
Over time, I hope that this community will grow and that when you ask questions, it will almost be a like a forum where people can give first-hand advice that way you don’t have to trust only my opinion on my blog. Plus, others can answer questions about places I haven’t been.
I’ve got tips about India that I can go on and on about, but other people do too! And who knows, theirs might be better lol.
What this group is NOT:
This group is not a place for men to try and pick up girls! Any weird comments will be deleted.
While people may meet in this group and want to meet in real life, I am not saying it’s a safe space or anything. It’s an open group and you would have to check out that person yourself, just like Couchsurfing. I recommend looking at their FB profile, their Instagram, and if you want to meet them in India, Skype with them first!
This isn’t a place to meet Indian men/women for dates! It’s not a dating site. It’s also not Couchsurfing. It’s a place to meet other people who are going to backpack around India, and possibly meet up with them in some destinations if you are nervous about traveling along. But most of all, it’s really just a place to get advice for your trip and post if you need help with anything during your trip.
It’s also not a place for brands, blogs, websites, tour companies, or anyone to promote themselves or their company. If they do, I’ll block them and ban them. I don’t want you to have to deal with any hassles in this group and promise to stay on top of it so you aren’t bothered by anyone!
Hi Rachel,
Congrats on your new group! I know it’ll be a rousing success. And that it will offer invaluable insights to first time Indian travelers. Tweeting to my 51,000 followers. Thanks for sharing :)
Ryan
Thanks for sharing Ryan, appreciate it!