I’ve recently gotten back from a trip to NE India with the company Holiday Scout and have so much amazing stuff to share with you guys. It was an 11 day trip and in some time, I’ll be sharing a review about the company but first I’m going to share a few posts about the area up there and what we saw and got to do.

NE India is a really interested area of the country that isn’t frequented by tourists often. Check out the link there to read about this unique section of the country that’s often forgotten about when planning a trip to India. Our trip focused on two states Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

baby goat lovin’ time!

amazing views during the drive

We started off in Guwahati, Assam “the gateway to NE India” which is where you’ll probably fly into. We got in late and drove a little bit to stay at Brahmaputra, an adorable jungle resort near the lake which would be the start of our trip. It had amazing chicken malai tikka and had so many activities like zorbing so would be a good place for families to stay. The rooms had amazing views. It rained on and off through the night which was loud on the tin roofs but actually sounded really nice and relaxing.

views from the room and the room’s balcony

There are other places to stay near Guwahati, it’s better to stay a bit outside of town so that the next day when you head north, you’re already on your way there! Nearby is an area called Nameri Tiger Reserve, which was our intro to Assam, and the Juberali Resort is another great place to stay.

When we walked in I saw a cow, which as you may know, I LOVE. But it turns out, I actually have way more of a thing for goats, baby goats in particular. I saw this little itty bitty black goat running around and said to Sange, our tour leader, “can I pick up a goat or will the mom get mad at me?”

He said it’s totally fine and I picked that little nugget up and cuddled it for a few minutes before it did a serious goat scream that was a bit shocking so I put him down. It set the mood for the trip, which was “goat love” where I would pick up any and all baby goats that I could. By the end, baby goats were running to me when I would squat down and say “come here!!”. They are basically puppies.

His feet are kind of blocking his face in these photos, but not to worry over the next month many articles about NE India will be on the blog and there will be no shortage of goat photos. Your welcome.

Before we left Assam to start our journey North, we stopped for lunch at Jia Bhorelli and for a surprise show from locals and we had an Assamese Thali which was a first for me. MMM I loved the fried eggplant, the local greens, chicken curry, cauliflower, and fish. The rice is kind of like Goan rice when it’s unpolished. The fish are actually caught in the paddy fields when they fill up with water. They put small fish in, and let them grow until they can eat them.

The dance the locals did is called Bihu which is the Assam state dance which many tribes in Assam will all partake in collectively. I cannot see a dance in India without the lovely women pulling me up to dance. You can’t really say no can you? But it makes me so nervous. I always turn BRIGHT RED and just awkwardly laugh. I enjoy it much more watching ;) But it gives everyone a laugh so I don’t mind. They were amazing and even though we were a small audience, gave it their all and laughed and really seemed to be enjoying sharing their culture with us.

so serious in photos, so smiley when no camera was up :) 

It was time to temporarily leave Assam toward our next destination, Bomdila, in Arunachal Pradesh. We would have to pass through Tezpur and cross over the state lines, where suddenly the roads got very bumpy!

There are approved tourists routes once you are approved for a permit in Arunachal Pradesh. You have to stay on the track. This track leads to the “Tibetan” area of Arunachal Pradesh, of which Bomdila and Tawang are the hotspots. The drive from Guwahati to Bomdila is about 7 hours.

I can’t wait to share more about this trip. It’s my new favorite area of India. Up next: Bomdila!

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The post The Start of an Amazing Assamese Adventure! first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post The Start of an Amazing Assamese Adventure! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

“How much longer are you going to be in India for?”

I’m not sure… but it’s something everyone wants to know. Anytime I think about leaving, I feel upset knowing that there’s so much more to India I want to see. It’s taken over my “travel” thoughts so much that I don’t even consider other countries. I do like balance, but I think until I fill myself up with this India madness, I won’t want to go gallivanting anywhere else. There are just too many beautiful places to see in India.

I’ve sadly not been to the northeast of India, nor have I been to the east coast. There is so much more to see in India!

My Wishlist: 5 cities to visit in India

Two are actually states as I’ve mentioned within the post, but the title “cities and states” was too long and “places” was too boring.. blogging probs!

 1. Pondicherry (and Auroville).

Auro Beach, photo source flickr

fruit salesman photo source flickr

Pondi used to be a French colony and even now traces of that exist. One of the things I love about Goa is the Portuguese influence, so I’d really love to see what the French influence in India looks like. I hear the food is the bomb and Auroville hippie commune is the kind of place you’ll never want to leave (and some don’t). They are so legit that they have their own currency plus understandings with the government that they’re going to do things their own way. They’re experiencing a fair share of coastal erosion, so with Ben’s job who knows? I may end up here!

2. Sikkim

sikkim lake source

I’ve always wanted to go to this state, but even more so after reading Renuka’s posts about it. It’s got an Asian look and a mix of cultures since it’s bordered by Bhutan, Nepal, and China. The houses don’t look like typical Indian homes and it’s surrounded by wildflowers (40,000 different kinds if the internet is to be believed). I’m a sucker for wildflowers. They say if you climb from the Kanchenjunga base camp you can see Mt. Everest from afar. I’d love to try out from traditional medicine and take a hike to the famous hot springs.

3. Darjeeling

darjeeling hills source

Not far from Sikkim and an easy train ride from Calcutta sits Darjeeling, a city known for its tea. I love tea and I’ve never been to a tea plantation. I’m interested in West Bengal in general but I want to spend time in the countryside. Darjeeling has become a UNESCO world heritage site. You can take a day trip to Jaldapara National Park and cross your fingers to see a leopard.

4. Assam

fields of Assam source

elephants source

Also in the northeast, Assam is a state that is overlooked completely in tour books due to safety concerns. There are ethnic military groups having conflict, as well as Indian army involvement, much of which started way back when the British left and divided the area. Many Indian friends of mine have visited and brought back stories that make me want to go, although I probably won’t travel solo here. Assam is great during rainfall and they say it’s the greenest place in India. It has one of the most diverse rain forests in the world. It boasts a couple UNESCO sanctioned National Parks.

5. Leh

magnetic hill source

I don’t want to just be in Leh, I want to learn how to ride a bike and go from Manali to Leh like these Royal Enfield folks do. It’s been said that only the God’s should be allowed in a place this beautiful. High up in the Himalayas, covered in snow, and part of the historic silk route. Here you can see many monasteries and take part in all kinds of winter activities.

The post My Wishlist: 5 Cities to Visit in India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post My Wishlist: 5 Cities to Visit in India appeared first on Hippie In Heels.