goMowgli - Hippie In Heels

Chamundi Hills | my favorite Hindu story

Rachel Jones — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 10:25:36 +0000

Chamundi Hills in Mysore is THE hotspot of Karnataka. My tour guide from goMowgli said it’s basically sacrilegious to visit Mysore and not climb the hill, see the Chamundeshwari temple and giant Nandi, Mahishasura statue, and hear the ancient story.

I was being a lazy butt, so we drove to the top and on the way the story was told to me. I enjoyed it so much and knew I couldn’t tell it to you the same way it was told to me so asked my guide, Sunil, to please type it up for me so you could hear it the same way I did.

The Story of Chamundi Hills, Mysore

Before we get to the story, we have to set the context about Indian Mythology.

In the pantheon of gods here, we have the Holy Trinity: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the protector and Shiva the destroyer. These are the 3 gods that keep the universe working. Also, the 3 gods have 3 wives to help them out in their duties. Shiva’s wife is Parvati and both of them live in the Himalayas.

The legend of Mysore goes something like this:

There was a demon king in South India who fell in love with a Buffalo lady and they got married. They had a son who had a special quality – He could turn into a buffalo or a demon whenever he wanted. And true to his character, his name was Mahishasura – meaning the demon who is a buffalo.

Our demon was very ambitious and thus he meditated Brahma’s name for many years after which Brahma became very happy and came in front of him and asked for a wish. M asked for immortality which Brahma promptly refused and asked him to ask for something else. So M asked Brahma to make him so powerful that no man can kill him. In a moment of stupidity, Brahma granted him the wish.

So M started killing the gods and conquering the world. The gods got very worried and went to Brahma for help. Brahma refused to help as he had already given M his word. The gods could not find any help from Vishnu either.

So they did the long hike up the Himalayas and went to meet Shiva. Shiva said he wished he could help but he could not as he was a man himself. At this moment, Parvati overheard the conversation and detected a loophole in Brahma’s boon. The deal was no man can kill him – a woman can though.

However, she was not warrior and she needed weapons to go kill M. So all the gods started giving her their powers and weapons. Suddenly she had so many weapons that she did not have enough arms to hold them!

So she grew more arms to hold them. Somebody even gave her a lion, on which she sat and did the long hike to South India.

Here, she fought M on top of a hill for 10 days, after which she killed him. These 10 days represents the battle of good over evil and is celebrated as the festival of Dasara all over India. This avatar of Parvati is called Chamundeshwari or Chamundi and the hill on which she fought is now known as Chamundi Hill.

The capital of M is the present city of Mysore. It was originally called Mahishana Ooru – meaning, the city of Mahisha and over a period of time it changed to Mysore.

Feature image is via gomowgli, the tour company I was with to see Chamundi Hills.

Did you enjoy this post? Let me know in the comments or by sharing it with the social media links! I’d love to keep giving you travel tricks & tips so feel free to subscribe by e-mail in the big purple box below. Don’t forget you can follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram & bloglovin‘.

The post Chamundi Hills | my favorite Hindu story first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Chamundi Hills | my favorite Hindu story appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Not to Miss Adventure Sports in Varkala

Rachel Jones — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 12:26:57 +0000

I loved Varkala! It was 10x better than Kovalam in my opinion, which is another popular beach a little further south in Kerala. Varkala is up on a cliff and kind of reminds me of Vagator in Goa. It’s a huge tourist destination for Indians and foreigners alike, and it’s chilled out enough to swim in a bikini, wear dresses, and drink at the bars “special tea” since no one has alcohol licenses.

Before I get into the sporty fun we got up to, I want to share where we stayed and a few good restaurants I tried. I can’t really give a great guide since I was there only a couple days, but will include places that our French SUP instructor recommended, and that two girls on the trip said were good as they stayed through the week after I left.

Where to stay in Varkala:

If you want a hostel, we stayed at Vedanta which was 450 Rs. per night for a dorm. There were a LOT of travelers staying there. It’s off the main beach road, but is my favorite of the Vedanta hostels we stayed at in Kerala.

I checked prices at the cute places along the cliff top and it looks like a double room without A/C goes for 1,000 while an A/C goes for 1,300. Clafouti Beach Resort looks cute.

Where to eat in Varkala:

We ate at Abba almost every meal! It was damn good! The girls got their AM coffee at Coffee Temple which was always packed with foreigners/travelers. El Italiano was recommended to us by our SUP instructor.

What are the adventure sports in Varkala?

Although you can get henna, swim, take yoga, shop, get Ayurveda massages, visit the Janardhana Temple, meet other travelers, ride a scooter around, and just basically chill – there is SO much more to do if you’re up for the adventure and if you have the budget.

SUP (stand up paddle board) on the backwaters

This was really hard, I have to admit. The current is kind of strong so we did 4 km which meant 2 of them were against the current. It was so worth it to see the sunset, but I could have done maybe 2 km all together and been satisfied.

Cost: 1,500 Rs. per person. To me, this seems very expensive for India, but I would do it again because we had a lot of fun. You can think of it as a backwater tour & work out to justify spending the money. It’s definitely a unique experience.

Surfing in Varkala

We took “lessons” which were 1,000 Rs. even though two of us had tried surfing before. The surf here was definitely not like Hawaii. The waves further out were dropping off, making them dangerous that even the good surfers weren’t taking them. The whitewater was where we were told to practice. It wasn’t ideal waves, but we had a lot of fun.

I guess it felt like since we were starting on whitewater, there was no momentum. This was in September, so the surf will get perfect by November and is considered some of the best on the West coast. I recommend waiting. I also recommend if you’re on white water to just rent the board and try yourself rather than taking lessons unless you go with Soul & Surf.

To end, I want to share some of the amazing sunsets we saw!

If you’re headed toward Kerala, check out this articles on how to Backpack Kerala, the best thing to do in Kochi, tips for the tea fields in Munnar, and renting a houseboat in Kerala

The post Not to Miss Adventure Sports in Varkala first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Not to Miss Adventure Sports in Varkala appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Less Touristy Than Munnar | Explore Chinnakanal Tea Fields

Rachel Jones — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:22:55 +0000

I’ve always wanted to go to the tea fields of India, but never actually thought past Darjeeling, when in fact the fields near Munnar in Kerala are possibly even more popular as a hill station to visit. When backpacking Kerala, this is something not to miss!

While on our way with goMowgli, they got news that the tea pickers in Munnar were on strike (something to keep in mind when visiting, as in Kerala strikes happen quite often!). We couldn’t go to Munnar the most popular hill station because if we got up the road, the workers wouldn’t allow us back out. It was decided we would go to Chinnakanal instead.

Chinnakanal is 45 minutes or 21 km distance away from Munnar. It turned out to be the best decision of all since we saw hardly any other tourists, and NONE at the plantation itself. We had the whole area to play and ride around in Jeeps!

Chinnakanal | A great option for a less touristy Kerala tea plantation

I can’t really compare it to Munnar since I haven’t been, so can’t say it’s better but I can say it was stunning and since I’ve been there, I probably won’t bother going to Munnar as I can’t imagine it’s much different.

We stayed very close to the tea fields at Lake Zone Resort Chinnakkanal.
To go on a Jeep ride, you need to be up and ready by 8 AM and the cost for us was 400 Rs. I think if you have a smaller group, it may cost more per person.
A few girls got up even earlier and when with the goMowgli guides to see the sunrise over the fields. I slept in; no surprise there.

The Jeep ride was about an hour each way but it did feel like a long time. It’s very bouncy. Girls, wear a very tight sports bra! lol. They stopped when we asked so we could hop out and take photos.

Once you get near the plantation, it’s time to hop out and go for a little hike. This was the best part because you really had time to get the photos you wanted and walk down the lanes of tea if you felt like it.

Kolukkumalai Tea Estate

Rather than just take photos and leave, we actually went and learned about how the tea is made. You might as well, because it didn’t cost a thing. You can see what happens to the leaves from when they are picked, to dried, sorted, checked by taste, graded, bagged up, and finally ready to ship out!

Inside, the caffeine in the air might give you a bit of a headache. We stayed for a cup of tea after, which made the experience pretty cool. From the ground, to our lips! Everyone who worked there seemed totally cool with us stopping by and taking photos. They offered for me to help them which was fun, and one guy took us around showing us little things like how the machines had “England” stamped on them.

Did you enjoy this post? Let me know in the comments or by sharing it with the social media links! I’d love to keep giving you travel tricks & tips so feel free to subscribe by e-mail in the big box below. Don’t forget you can follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram & bloglovin‘.

The post Less Touristy Than Munnar | Explore Chinnakanal Tea Fields first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Less Touristy Than Munnar | Explore Chinnakanal Tea Fields appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Top Secret: number 1 thing to do in Kochi

Rachel Jones — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:21:46 +0000

When I went on the Kerala tour with goMowgli, there was one place I wasn’t that excited about: Kochi. Reason being, I’d been there a lot since Ben used to work there. I stayed on Marine Drive but on weekends we wandered Fort Kochi, explored all the things I could find online that were fun: ice skating (really!!), bowling, LuLu’s, boat rides… so, I kind of figured what can I do on the goMowgli tour that will be exciting?

UPDATE: As of 2018, gomowgli is no longer – sadly! If you still want a tour in India, I recommend checking out my blog post with the best group tours and this post which explains the best day tours for the adventurer!

The REAL number 1 thing to do in Kochi

Turns out, the Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi that I always thought were a little too touristy (I’ve been told they don’t even catch fish there anymore) are not the best thing to see while you tour Kochi.

GoMowgli actually knew a secret (not surprised there!). Wandering through the fishing village they took us to was by far the coolest bit of Kochi.

Bonus: after the fishing village they took us down a little path that turned to an area of paddy fields that turn to lakes during monsoon season. We took a boat across and (drumroll….) there were REAL Chinese fishing nets. Ones that actually worked and were being used my locals! By the way, the Chinese introduced this way of fishing which is why it’s called “Chinese”.

I wanted to share a photo gallery of this cool place which the local people would not like the name of to be released, although will be happy to take a few individuals if you ask. I think asking any local where the fishing village is, will get you connected with someone who can take you, although there are more than one, so it may not be this one. Seeing a fishing village is by far the number 1 thing to do in Kochi.

A few of the most interested tidbits I observed at the fishing village:

Everyone helps everyone else. When boat comes in, people who are on shore leave their catches to help pull the boat in.

Depending on how many fish are caught, the “market price” as you see on menus changes. The women and rickshaw drivers that are there to buy fish may not have enough money. In that case, they hit up the money lender. He doesn’t even take names because everyone trusts each other.

Everyone has a job there and it works kind of like an assembly line. When the fish comes in, via about 4 guys on a boat, a dude is there as auctioneer to sell it to the market people or the restaurant owners. The auctioneer takes 10% at least. The men on the boat, split the remaining. It seemed to be about 400 Rs. to split between them for small fish. There were other catches like prawns!

There were exporters as well. It was full on business.
Starting their fishing at 5 AM, this whole process is done by 10 AM.

In case you’re wondering what the men are wearing, it’s a lungi which is traditional dress in Kerala and most of South India. In fact, before I met Ben he lived in Kovalam for a year and himself wore a lungi. It’s breezy! I actually have some similar to lungi called lapati that I wear as a swim coverup.

No one seemed bothered that we were there, and I’ve been told a local guy takes tourists occasionally. The women selling ice to the exporters were having a big laugh wondering why on earth we found it interesting. All in all, it was a positive experience in that I didn’t feel we were invading their space. Men would stop and want their photo taken even when walking with a basket on their head.

The following set of photos are some of my favorite from Kerala… mainly because of the dog! But also just showing the whole vibe of the place with the fishermen, the woven baskets, the catch, and how chill it was even though you’d think it would be full on chaos.

As I said, we walked a ways to see the local homes on the paddy fields and Chinese fishing nets. We took a little stroll and found a guy making boats. I found it interesting that the small boats used to cross the flooded paddy fields had drivers supplied by the government; they even had government driving uniforms on like taxi drivers. I can’t stroll in a rural area of India without taking cow and goat photos. I just can’t!

11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg

Rachel Jones — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:43:54 +0000

When I heard of Coorg, all that came to mind was COFFEE, so I found myself just blown away by how many things to do in Coorg there are. In case you haven’t heard of this area, it’s in Karnataka, India in the Western Ghats.

I went with goMowgli and one of the guides, Karan, grew up on a coffee plantation there. It was amazing to get such an inside look at the area. Here are my favorite things to do in Coorg that you can do too next time you’re in the area!

At the bottom, I have links to the two VERY detailed posts I wrote on Coorg that explain these places in fuller detail.

11 Cool Things to Do in Coorg

1. Spend the day walking around Chikli Holé.

It was a refreshing site to see cows eating green grass and no tourists around. The perfect place for a long walk or picnic. There is a hidden Shiva temple back here only locals know about- have fun finding it!

2. Bathe elephants.

Definitely a highlight of my time in Karnataka, bathing these huge cuties at Dubare elephant camp was a blast. I loved that they were well taken care of, retired logging elephants. I also loved that they were still used for work int he jungle, rather than just for tourism.

3. Stay at some cozy homestays.

I mention all the ones I stayed at in my posts that I’ll link at the bottom, but getting a hotel in Coorg is silly when there are so many homestays around, most of which are on plantations of some sort. I loved coming home after a hard day trekking, having a cute lady in her nightgown pour some tea, and a friendly dog come sit by my side. Might not have had WiFi, but was well worth it!

4. Wander the ancient Madikeri.

It’s this ancient town with a fort (and some amazing stories), one of the coolest museums I’ve seen in India (UM, stuffed cheetah, what!!) and had old school photographs (aka people carved into rocks) just sitting out, with no worries someone would steal them. What a town!

5. Coffee, coffee, COFFEE

What can I say, Coorg is famous for coffee for a reason. We drank a lot, we saw a lot of coffee plantations, and the girls even got some to take home as souvenirs. We had it with all our food no matter what time of day!

6. Um, there’s wine too

Although not the hugest fan of fruity wine, it sure was interesting to try all these random flavors like betel nut and pineapple!

7. Try Bylakuppe | Tibetan awesomeness

Who knew the second biggest Tibetan colony is in Karnataka!? and in Coorg of all places… it was so fun to see a new culture in the midst of all the curry and rice. I ate about 700 momo’s and then died of a food coma. There are amazing temples and restaurants here, as well as local Tibetan artists, hair stylists, and markets.

8. Four-wheel drive through Mandalpatti.

You just can’t ask for better views. I loved the jeep ride through the Western Ghats. This wasn’t a safari, this was pure bumpy fun!

9. Oh wait there is a better view | Thadiyandamol

This trek about killed me (two hours each way, I know, I’m a wimp) but WOAH that view! Beware of leeches.

10. Visit this secret waterfall.

Ok it’s not secret because I wrote about it already, it’s called Cheladara. It was so great and no one is ever there. Perfect little stopover.

11. Swim in Iruppu Falls

This one isn’t as secret, so get up early to check it out. The path to walk under is broken, but you can get it and swim a little here. It’s cold though!

Coorg is clearly amazing.

So there you have it! If you’re just popping through Coorg, I hope this list gives you a better idea of what all you can do. I think you could spend a full week here on your backpacking trip and absolutely love it.

Better to move about and try new places than stay in one homestay. This was my favorite part of the goMowgli tour I took. Enjoy!

If you want all the details, check out my two posts that explain my whole time in Coorg:

If you are planning a big trip to India, please check out my India Guide eBook. You can download it and read more about what’s inside, here. It has 6 year’s worth of India travel all tidied up into a perfect guide for travelers.

Pin for later!

The post 11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 11 Kick-Ass Things to Do in Coorg appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I’m going to Kerala with goMowgli & want you to come too!

Rachel Jones — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:57:03 +0000

I have been holding in this exciting news for a couple months now and am so happy to finally share that I’m going on another tour with goMowgli and they are offering a discount for my readers to come along with! This time, it’s Kerala!

If you remember, which how could you not since I posted so much about it, I went on tour with them for 25 days last year in rural Karnataka. It was incredible & I wrote this completely honest review: The Nitty Gritty Review of Touring Karnataka with goMowgli. I also shared a big insight of the trip with this video: A Month in Karnataka.

In the past year, bookings for goMowgli came rolling in and they expanded outside Karnataka into Kerala and Goa. Many of their bookings came from readers on this site which made me so happy since I am such a big fan of their tours. With the expansion, it only made sense for me to come check out their new tour in Kerala for 10 days.

UPDATE: As of 2018, goMowgli is currently no longer in service. For tours of India, I recommend G Adventure. Please see my list of the best G Adventures tours here.

Kerala sunset

views in Kovalam

Come along with me on the best of the Kerala Backpacker tours!

I’d love for you guys to come along and make the 10 days even more incredible and goMowgli would to, so have offered you guys a huge discount if you come the same days I do. I’ve met a few readers who have passed through in Goa, and a few last year who booked the Karnataka tour with me (remember Chandell and Siobhan who’s trip around India I shared with you? and Haili who joined up in Coorg?) We had so much fun! If you’re planning on being in India this fall, this is a great opportunity to see Kerala in a very cool way.

But I suppose you need all the details, so let’s get on to what we’re going to see and what the trip includes… and of course how much it’ll cost ya!

Kochi fishing nets

Tour: Kerala Parotta Pass

Dates: September 20-27

Cost: Normally 15,000 rupees, but on sale for you with the 8 days costing 9,500 rupees ($148 USD). It’s $18 USD a day to take this tour. Keep in mind this is the tour cost (transport, tour guides, some entry fees) but you will pay for you own lodging and food. They say to expect 1,000 – 1,500 rs per day on this (15-23 bucks per day). That makes the final cost for 8 days seeing the best of Karnataka $308 USD if you spend 20 per day on food and lodging. When I budget backpack India solo, I average $200 for 7 days (see budget article here), so this is a great deal… $100 bucks more and you have a group of friends, tour guides, and don’t have to worry about a thing while seeing the best of the God’s Own Country. If you’re going to be in India during this time, you can’t really beat this. To Book at the discount rate you need to use this code when checking out: HIPPIEWITHGOMOWGLI2015

street art in Kerala

Kovalam sunset, from the Leela hotel

Tour Destination Details: The folks at goMowgli introduce this better than I could, so here’s their words:

“The Kerala Parotta is the ubiquitous flat and flaky bread found everywhere in Kerala. Just like its namesake, the Kerala Parotta Hop on Hop off Pass goes everywhere in Kerala. From the historic cities of Kochi and Trivandrum to the tea plantations of Munnar, the forests of Thekaddy, the houseboats of Alleppey and the backpacker hubs that are Varkala and Kovalam. This is a Kerala tour fully loaded with everything that Kerala has to offer.”

Take a look at the full details to understand EVERYTHING about where your options to sleep are, exactly how much little things cost and what’s included each day… and a detailed schedule hour by hour of the tour.

Backwaters of Alleppey, photos from Chandell

Highlights of the tour (in my opinion): Having been to Kerala before, but for work with Ben, I haven’t actually seen any of the tourist things except for a bit in Kochi. I’m totally stoked to see the side of Kerala tourists see & also the secrets that goMowgli always know about.

Here are some of the things I’m most excited about.

South Indian food on banana leafs, in general because it’s the bomb & getting a bit healthy again doesn’t hurt, since the food is much better for you in the South.
Cooking class in Kochi
Cycling through the famous tea fields on Munnar
Seeing a traditional martial arts performance
Houseboat rides in Alleppey for 5 hours with a chef cooking homestyle food
Bamboo rafting on the backwaters
Surfing in Kovalam… I have body surfed there before and the waves are no joke
The cliffs of Varkala, a place I have wanted to visit since I came to India
A hike at scenic Thekkay

Munnar tea fields

Again, the tour is Sept 20-27 and you must book using this discount code HIPPIEWITHGOMOWGLI2015 in order to get the discount. In the case of any problems booking, don’t hesitate to ask the people at goMowgli for a little bit of help. If you have questions about the tour, please reach out to them. You can email at contact@gomowgli.in or call them at +91-9008730975. They are some of the friendliest people I know, and will surely help you with any inquiries.

Hope to see you on the tour! If you want to ask me anything, feel free to email.

The post I’m going to Kerala with goMowgli & want you to come too! first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post I’m going to Kerala with goMowgli & want you to come too! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots

Rachel Jones — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 09:23:00 +0000

I am BLOWN away by Karnataka. For some reason, tourists just don’t spend much time traveling in Karnataka. Backpackers pop over to Hampi (the mysterious boulders) or maybe a trip to Jog Falls and that’s about it. Even Indian nationals were saying, “holy cow is that REALLY in India!?” on comments of my Karnataka photos.

Karnataka is kind of this undiscovered state when it comes to international tourism… which means you should get your little booty here asap! I traveled the ENTIRE state for one month with goMowgli and learned so much, so without further ado, here is a little guide to the Indian state of Karnataka.

UPDATE: As of 2018, gomowgli is no longer – sadly! If you still want a tour in India, I recommend checking out my blog post with the best group tours and this post which explains the best day tours for the adventurer!

You’ll have here a quick guide to karnataka, 9 hotspots to visit, and my favorite hotels in Karnataka. All have links to full posts that share more in depth information.

Quick Guide to Traveling in Karnataka

Location: Karnataka is coastal below Goa, above Kerala and goes inland to reach Andhra Pradesh. It also go up to border with Maharashtra.

Language: Kannada

Overview: Karnataka is known for many things like it’s Hoysala Empire, Chamundi Hills (where the story of Dashara comes from), Tiger reserves, Mysore’s royal kings, and silk and incense manufacturing. There are tropical beaches (the coast is one of the wettest areas in India), jungles (the Western Ghats, which are protected because of how many incredible animals live and flora grow there), ancient caves, and some of the oldest temples in the entire world. At one point Karnataka ruled all of India! It also has Asia’s largest population of elephants.

Currency: Indian rupee

Food: I’ve written a post dedicated to this: Guide to South Indian Food… enjoy because it’s all drool-worthy.

Getting there & away: You can book a flight into Banagalore and take a train or bus anywhere you want. Traffic in Bangalore is terrible. If you are in Mysore and want to fly, it’s cheaper to bus to Bangalore. The buses in Karnataka are known as some of the best in India (although mine broke down once) and my train trips in 2AC were clean and safe. Karnataka is well connected, but in rural areas you’ll have to take crowded locals buses unless you hire a car our join a tour. Mangalore is a huge travel hub, and Hubli is another huge hub (and not worth spending a day in).

Solo Female Travel: I was on a tour, so rarely totally alone, but I found Karnataka safe. Many of the best places are very rural though, so I wouldn’t suggest traveling alone at night. Make sure you book ahead in rural areas and have someone meet you at bus stations. In Karnataka, dress appropriately.

Places NOT TO MISS in Karnataka

1. Coorg

Land of filter coffee, cozy homestays, secret waterfalls, and homemade Kodova wine… this is my favorite place in Karnataka, and one of my favorite in India. Deep in the Western Ghats are teh Kodova people who are meat-eating, nature-worshipping, warriors. They can even carry their traditional knives. Loved 4-wheel driving in the Ghats, checking out a small Tibet town, and trekking to the second tallest peak in Karnataka. The Dubare elephant camp is here, and is a great place to bathe elephants. Don’t miss: eating pandi curry.

Also See:

2. Mysore

Mysore is the Royal city of Karnataka. The market is the most organized I’ve ever seen in India. Picture streets green and clean like Bangalore, but with less people. It’s a cozy place considering what a big city it is. Key sights: watching artists, going up to Chumundi Hill, and seeing lights at Royal palace. This is the place to try yoga and Ayurveda as lots of westerners move here to dedicate their lives to the practice. Don’t miss: eating Mysore Pak

Also See:

3. Around Mysore

If you only have time for one city, Mysore is the place because there are day trips you can take to experience so much more. There is a crocodile sanctuary nearby, a nearby reservation to see tigers and leopards, many ancient temples, Bahubali the largest monolithic statue in India, and small religious towns, massive waterfalls, and you can visit BR Hills to see even more wild cats & meet locals tribals.

Also See:

4. Hampi

Hampi of course is the ultimate place for tourists to go in Karnataka. I will take my parents there when they visit this year, and I’ve already been there 3 times myself. It’s stunning, you can stay in little cabins looking over rice paddy fields, ride bikes around to the resevior, see ancient temples, and check out the mysterious boulders along the river. You can even watch the temple elephant be bathed. Getting here you can take a train to hospet and rickshaw to Hampi.

Also See:

5. Around Hampi

People come and go from Hampi without checking out the nearby UNESCO Heritage sites! Crazy! Make sure to take time for a tour (or you can hire a car). Nearby are Aihole and Pattadakal built by the Chalukya in the 4th and 5th centuries. There are 100’s of temples here. It’s some of the oldest stuff you can see in India. Driving through the villages and rural areas here is an event of it’s own and it’s great to take time and get out to take photos and meet local kids. The Badami caves are also a day trip from Hampi and are very intriguing and ancient. The hotels here are scarce and had terrible amenities and food. Bring snacks!

Also See:

6. Coastal Karnataka

Worth a visit, but not as good as Goa (Ashwem, Little Vagator, Keri beach) or Kerala (Varkala, Kovalam). Karwar was beautiful because it was empty and pristine- but there wasn’t much to do there plus you have to drive into town to find a restaurant and the roads aren’t easier. I also didn’t see many scooter rentals. Gokarna is popular thanks to Om beach because shaped like “om” but personally, I found it dirty, the food terrible, and I was constantly bothered by domestic toursits with their cameras and even video recording me. Most girls there (both Indian and foreign) discussed not feeling comfortable in a swimming suit. You can also head down to Murudeshwar to see the second biggest Shiva statue in the world.

7. Dandeli and nearby areas

Dandeli was a cute little forrest area. There are tons of homestays as it’s a popular place for people from Maharashtra to come visit on their holidays. If you take a small holiday within India, this is a great spot to go for a weekend getaway. It’s all about nature, hiking, relaxing, and a little bit of adventure sports on the river.

Also See:

8 Adventures in Dandeli, Your Jungle Weekend Getaway

8. Chikmagalur

This is another very popular domestic tourist destination in India. There are lots of homestays and they are QUITE pricey. Funnily enough, domestic tourists usually pay more for a room than backpackers because backpackers are on tight budgets, while domestic tourists save up for this big trip and can spend more – therefore they are charged more. This area is therefore pricey. Homestays will run up to 2,000 rs per night (without food), whereas in Coorg they were closer to 1,000 (food included).

Just near Gokarna heading to Chikmagalur, is Banavasi temple. You can see this temple and Jog Falls in the same day. The temple is one of the coolest I’ve seen in India and it’s not even in the guidebooks! Jog Falls are the second biggest falls in India. In this region you’ll do lots of treks (to the tallest peak in Karnataka at 6,300 feet), see great views, find secret waterfalls, and try amazing food at cozy homestays. I also thought that the temples in this area were insanely cool!

Also See:

9. Bangalore

The best place to come and go from in Karnataka if you are flying. This is the biggest city full of expats, traffic, IT industry, big city life, great food, and all the amenities and 5 star hotels you could ask for. I’ve been a couple times, but haven’t spend more than a weekend at a time. Nh7 Bangalore was hosted here but it’s not as good as the Pune one.

Favorite Hotels and Homestays in Karnataka

I stayed at a lot considering I spent a month in the state, so I won’t list them all here- just the ones that really stand out. In all my posts on Karnataka, I mention each place I’ve stayed so the information is there. Here are my favorites:

Dhyan’s Den in Coorg – cozy homestay, amazing family
Green Hotel in Mysore– an actual palace & you can stay in princess rooms
Indus Valley Ayervedic Center (IVAC)- most famous in all of India
River Kabini Jungle Lodge in Kabini – just outside Mysore, good chance of seeing wild cats
Gorukana in BR Hills – luxury cabins in the jungle, amazing spot
Gundimane near Jog Falls– extremely nice family, cozy rooms, and great food
Shanthi Guesthouse in Hampi– take a room facing the water

I went on a month-long tour sponsored by goMowgli, and suggest that if you want to see all of the above! It was stressfree and easy. Although the tour was sponsored, all opinions here are my own.

The post Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Complete Guide to Traveling in Karnataka & 9 Hotspots appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Guide to South Indian Food | Fresher & Healthier

Rachel Jones — Mon, 18 May 2015 08:56:46 +0000

I really like South Indian food… having said that, a month of it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, was pushing it a bit.

Things I noted in comparison with North Indian:

In the South it was noticeably more vegetarian than with meat.
The veg wasn’t cooked down so much. Instead of mashed up curry sides, we would have steamed veg occasionally or a fresher veg side.
Less cream and butter. I always thought North Indian food wasn’t so healthy with all the cream and butter, but especially because the veg curries were cooked down so much a lot of nutrients are lost. In the South, I found the curries healthier and actually I lost weight and felt more fit eating South Indian food (minus the greasy breakfasts).

Ayurvedic food at Indus Valley in Mysore

One of the biggest differences is the RICE. Rice with every meal… roti’s made from rice… I missed bread so much!
Spicy! South Indian food is some of the spiciest in India… but I loved it! After eating South Indian, I came back and had a Goan sausage dish and didn’t find it spicy at all. On the other hand, peopl from Karnataka find Goan dishes like xacuti and sorpotel very spicy.

loved this masala egg dish

Who eats South Indian food? Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.

Sambaar

With most meals you’re going to get a big heaping plate of rice with a little bowl on the side of sambaar. It’s a spicy liquid that can be drank as a soup. It’s a lentil dish with lots of chilies (think spicy dal). I would go all American and plop my papads in like a cracker. This soup is spicy, but not too much so and was usually my favorite part of a meal.

Rasam

The other staple that comes with the rice and sambaar. This one was a bit more bland and I didn’t like it as much. It was a less spicy lentil dish. Instead of drinking it like a soup, this was usually added to the rice on the plate.

Eating Rice with your Fingers on a Banana Leaf

Of course this is the way to eat! Each dish has rice in many forms: papad, roti, puffed… and it’s all finger food. You should use all your fingers on your right hand and make a little pile by pinching. Pick it up, then use your thumb to push the food to the very tips of your fingers and into your mouth with a flick/push. Your right hand is bound to get messy. Don’t wash your hands in the kitchen sink, use either a specified sink, or dump water on your hand right over your plate (in a dhabba) as the locals do. You’ll notice girls don’t have long nails on their right hands! PS this isn’t only South India, it’s all of India.

Banana leafs are the traditional plate. I’ve seen some people “wash” theirs before the food is served (serving is family style). I have also seen in small towns people sewing together leaves to make a proper plate rather than just a leaf.

Dosa w/ Coconut Chutney & Sambaar

This is my favorite South Indian breakfast food! It must be my readers too, because I put up a few Instagram pictures and people were drooling. You can’t get dosas all over India. The chutney is sometimes watered down in the highway restaurants and hotels = not as good, you might get sick. If you see a very watery chutney, don’t eat it. In the homestays, the chutneys were thick and full of taste. You rip the dosa with only your right hand, dip in both bowls, and devour.

Papads (or) Poppadums

These are tasty little snacks served with a meal, similar to a tortilla chip. I am a little picky on these. I like original fried ones like I get in Goa, but in the South, sometimes they were made with rice, lentil, or even jackfruit which I wasn’t crazy about. You can get these fried or toasted.

Rice Roti

Apparently, a girl is not marriage material unless she can make a simple rice roti! I learned how, but am not a fan so wouldn’t go about making these myself. Like a flour roti, it’s toasted over the flames of the stove… only the base is (like everything in South India) rice. In Karntaka it’s called a Akki roti, but specifically in Coorg it’s called Otti and is a little different.

Idli

pictured to the far right

Idli with every meal! it’s like a steamed rice patty? Instead of just rice on a plate puffed up, you might get it like this. I was not a fan. It was either Idli or dosa for breakfast and I always chose dosa. Apparently, this isn’t as popular in Kerala.

Mirchi Bajji

Technically, this is maybe North India, because mirchi is “pepper” in Hindi, which is north Indian language- but I never saw these until I was in the south, so wanted to mention. I LOVE these little snacks which are served with a bit of ketchup. They are tempura battered and deep-fried peppers. The seeds are usually taken out so they aren’t too spicy, but sometimes the seeds will be inside in which case they are hot!

Upma or Uppittu

This is a breakfast porridge of sorts. They really like it in Karnataka, but I am not one for porridge at all, or curd for that matter. Upma is the North Indian word for it. You can also try the sweet variation of the porridge, Kesari Bath.

homestyle cooking somewhere near Dandeli, Karnataka

Rice and Curd

I could vomit thinking of the rice and curd! After every meal, there was a pile of rice of each plate with curd running all over it, to be eaten with your hands of course. I just hate curd and would watch everyone eat their “dessert” and say no over and over when the mothers of the homestays would try to make me try it. You can’t go to South India, especially Karnataka without seeing rice and curd. They LOVE it! Well, I think everyone in India loves it.

Vada (or) Wada

this patty is something similar to vadda… I couldn’t find a photo, I guess I ate them too fast!

It looks like a donut, but it’s not. It’s lentil cake shaped like a donut but is a little sweet. It’s a breakfast food, at least as I saw it or a day time snack, rather than a dinner dish. You can also have it as a lentil patty rather than donut, but I do think that has another name. It’s very tasty though and not as sweet. You’re likely to get this on the train with your coffee. Speaking of which,

Filter Coffee

South Indians love it and are proud that it comes from the South. Especially in Karnataka, tons of the homestays I stayed at were actual coffee plantations. The women served coffee all day long! It was very strong and very delicious. The most well-known place for filter coffee is Coorg. I was surprised to hear that Tamil Nadu was known for coffee first!

Pandi Curry

This ISN’T pandi curry, this is pandi pani another yummy dish!

Can’t say Coorg in this post without talking about Pandi Curry (pork curry) a favorite from the Coorgi warrior meat-eaters. Coorgi people are hunters, and not as veg-obsessed as their other southern friends. Pandi curry is famous all over India and everyone knows the mothers in Coorg make it the best. I was lucky to try some and IT WAS SPICY! My goodness… I couldn’t hardly eat it, but the flavors were wonderful. Worth noting when you do get a meat dish in India, it will have bones unless you ask for boneless.

Seafood & Coconut

Of course the coastal regions of the South have a variety of seafood similar to what I get living in Goa and also from what I had cooked similar (like a rava fry): kingfish, snapper, and ladyfish being very common. Coconut dishes might be more Goan, but there is a big amount of coconut oil used and coconut milk in even Keralan dishes.

Pickles, Powders & Sides

With your meal, other bits and pieces will be put on your plate: salt, lime wedge, chutney powder, and pickles. The powder is actually North Indian. The pickle is sometimes raw mango or a spicy tamarind. There was usually a dill and lentil combination that I LOVED. You’ll get veg sides (not curried) of cabbage, maybe some carrot but that’s more rare and used in sweet dishes, eggplant, or maybe some bitter gourd. You’ll get some type of fresh salad, like lentil or cabbage.

Buttermilk, Almond Milk, Jaggery, and SWEETS

Sadly, I’m just not much into sweets except packaged American ones. Sorry! But I did try the milks. I wasn’t a fan of the buttermilk and found the almond milk too sweet. The jaggery with peanuts was very good!

And all other sweets I wasn’t so fond of, as they are just so sugary. Jaggery is used as a white sugar substitute. I feel like every one I tried, I would ask what was in it and be told “butter and sugar”. While in the North you have gulab jamon (balls of fried dough in a sugar syrup), in the South you’ll see specifics like Mysore Pak which might be the one I actually sort of liked.

So, there we have it… my guide to South Indian food. I’m sure I’ve made a mistake in spelling here or there because some I just knew by asking, What is this? and trying to remember the name. Hope this didn’t make you too hungry!

The post Guide to South Indian Food | Fresher & Healthier first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Guide to South Indian Food | Fresher & Healthier appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

7 Things to Do in Mysore | A Complete Mysore Guide

Rachel Jones — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 08:55:18 +0000

After spending about 10 days exploring this city with a tour guide, I sure as hell better be able to give you some kind of Mysore guide! If goMowgli taught me anything, it’s that even 10 days isn’t long enough to see this “royal” city and learn about it’s past. Actually, I’ve learned so much if I don’t share it all with you, my head might explode. Here are my top 7 things to do in Mysore you do NOT want to miss!

As of 2018, goMowgli who I toured with, are no longer operational. Instead, you can book on Viator to be connected with a local tour. They have this tour listed for Mysore. I’m trying to update all the goMowgli posts on this blog, but if you are interested in tours in India like this, check out my article on 18 epic adventure tours in India and consider booking one of those.

Don’t miss my full e-book for India, which you can buy here.

Why Visit Mysore

Sometimes called, Mysuru, Mysore is in Karnataka, India and was the capital city from 1399 – 1956 under the Kingdom of Mysore. This makes it a sort of royal city in India and its architecture and culture is one of the nicest in the country.

7 Things to Do in Mysore Not to Miss

1. Chamundi Hills

The holy grail of Mysore — you CANNOT visit the city without stopping here. It would almost be sacrilegious. This is sacred land for Mysorians and Hindus in general. Why might you ask? Well, that’s a story for another day… but let’s just say Parvati got 10 arms and defeated a monster = Dashara and Chumundi hills being a huge deal. Here is the full story of Chamundi Hills.

2. Ayurveda at IVAC

Although for Indians, Mysore is known for being royal, it is also known for four things to tourists: silk, incense, yoga, and Ayurveda. Although there are many places to get your Ayurveda on, I decided to spend 3 nights and 4 days at the famous Indus Valley Ayurvedic Center. I didn’t have the cash dollas to do all the treatments recommended, but if you are rolling in the money there is no better place to spend it than with oil or ghee dripping on you at IVAC.

3. Market Tour & Artisan Tour

Mysore market is the most organized market I’ve ever been through in India. The veggies were piled in perfect squares, the flowers were all in one place and the walkways were huge.

This is where you can buy all your perfumes (like Calvin Klein did and bottled it up!), incense, sandalwood oil, and yes… even silk! Be ready to spend a pretty penny.

Save time to see the Msyore artisans that are hiding out in the alleys making all the goodies. I couldn’t have found them without goMowgli and am so thankful to them for sharing the information with me!

4. Try South Indian Food

Eating in Mysore is going to take up a lot of your time. South Indian food is way different from the north where many tourists hang out, and it’s a far cry from Goan food. You’ll get to try tamarind rice, end each meal with curd rice (not my fave), and eat your thalis on banana leafs.

There are some cafes in Mysore that serve western food, but it’s not as sophisticated as other more touristy cities, so it’s best to stick to South Indian fare in Mysore. Dosas with sambar and chutney for breakfast and some Mysore pak for a snack in the market… wash it all down with almond milk! (for more on food, check out the best restaurants in Mysore).

5. Mysore Palace

This should be the first thing you do in Mysore, unless it’s a weekend in which case do anything OTHER than the palace tour. Saturday was packed full, especially because it was a holiday while I was there. Mysore was a place of royals and up until a month of so ago had a king of it’s own (but he’s passed away with no heir thanks to the Mysore Cure in Talakad.

all these people pictured have been caught pick-pocketing at the Palace

The Brits kind of changed everything up when they came to Mysore. The palace was stunning though. I did the audio guide, but actually goMowgli had taught me so much already over coffee and travels that I didn’t need the guide.

6. Folklore museum

This tiny little museum was very cute to talk through. In an old palace, it has the most random items from stethoscopes, to boats, and puppets. Strange, but more exciting than most museums. I couldn’t take photos in here and actually you’ll need to leave your camera and camera phone at the main desk or don’t bring it at all.

7. Brunch at Green Hotel

I stayed at the Green Hotel (which was once a palace built for 3 princesses) because it came highly recommended. People come here for lunch and to just hang and meet friends in the gardens. They’ve had farmers markets and vendor booths set up. A great place to spend the afternoon and the food was super.

Read my review here or book your own stay here

If the Green Hotel is out of your price ranger or booked up, check here to see more options in Mysore

For more travel in Karnataka

For general India travel tips and advice, check out this post on planning your trip to India and this post on how to dress in India. Plus, you can join my India travel Facebook group!

Don’t Forget These 10 India Travel Essentials

Pin for later!

The post 7 Things to Do in Mysore | A Complete Mysore Guide first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 7 Things to Do in Mysore | A Complete Mysore Guide appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

goMowgli VIDEO | One Month in Karnataka

Rachel Jones — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 07:30:32 +0000

As most people who read my blog know, I spent October of last year with goMowgli touring Karnataka. I raved about what a killer time I had in a review I wrote about the tour. While traveling with them I took my GoPro wanting to get more into video.

UPDATE: As of 2018, goMowgli is currently no longer in service. For tours of India, I recommend G Adventure. Please see my list of the best G Adventures tours here.

It took me months to write about everything I did and get it all posted on the blog. Now all of the tour is up on Hippie in Heels! I thought it’d be cool once I shared everything via words and photos, to show you a video of the highlights. There were times the GoPro was dead at cool places and I didn’t get footage or I forgot to film, so really this captures only about half of the amazing things I got up to.

This was my first time making a travel video. I’m no pro so some parts are shaky, but I’d like to keep making videos if it’s something you guys want to see more of. Let me know in the comments. If you want more information on this tour, check out the many blog posts I have in my goMowgli archives. Enjoy the video!

goMowgli Video

When I look back at this video I am reminded how grateful I am to have gone on the tour of Karnataka. People only associate India with pollution, dirt, noise, or chaos when they discuss travel. Some even say they aren’t too bothered about even seeing India in their lifetime. I think this shows that India has many sides and has beauty, clean air, amazing nature, and wide open spaces.

Since I’ve been posting about rural Karnataka, I’ve had many Indian people message me saying that they’re inspired to travel in their own country after feeling like a foreigner has seen more of than they have. All I know is this was only one small state, there is so much more of India to see! With how great things were with goMowgli, I hope they start up in new locations over the next couple years. I was never into tours, but as you can see I saw an India with them that most people will never see.

Thanks goMowgli & I hope you all enjoyed my goMowgli video.

The post goMowgli VIDEO | One Month in Karnataka first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post goMowgli VIDEO | One Month in Karnataka appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Goupushti Mahayajna | Protecting the Indian Indigenous Cow

Rachel Jones — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 09:17:32 +0000

I was not aware that some Indian cows have gone extinct! There used to be over 100 types of Indian cow, but now are only 30-35.

The Brits came in and were like, “your cows are weak, ours are strong, so here take some!”. The Indian people liked the strong cows better and therefore Indian cow breeds starting dying out. Here in this small town in Karnataka they’re trying to help save some breeds.

Goupushti Mahayajna | Protecting the Indian Indigenous Cow

In India, cows are the “Mother of the Universe” aka Mother India because they give life via milk. They have cows from all over with labels above showing which type they are. They breed them to bring back breeds that are dying out. They have gotten 8.2 Crore signatures for the banning of all cow slaughter in India.

Just recently, beef was banned in Mumbai for “animal cruelty” reasons, but many believe it has more to do with religious, as other animals are still killed.

One big reason they want to keep their Indian cows around is because they believe the urine of the cows offers medicinal value (they even use it to make organic cosmetics).

“From the ancient times the panchagavya (milk, curd, ghee, urine, dung) was used in Ayurvedic treatments. These medicinal properties are seen only in cow products of Indian breed cows. Cows are useful to human beings in the field of agriculture, energy production, food & nutrition also. Indian economy is dependent on Indian breed cows. Indian breed cows are on the verge of extinction…”

So they are saving the cows and also selling the products from the cows. Not unusual, I know of people in Goa who drink a little cow urine for health reason (I guess…). To me, it’s a little to “Eastern medicine”. They have two cows from the Krishnaveni breed and they are the only place in the world to have this breed.

Reading through the pamphlet, some things these products are indicated for are:

Diabetes, hypertension, infection, heart problem, and mental disorders seems to be the hardcore ones, while there are lighter usages like hair toner, skin problems, and colds. Some items are used for scrubbing baths and cleaning floors. If you want to buy this and try at home, I think you’re an interesting/brave/crazy person and would love to hear if it works for you… the website is below.

If you want more cute cow photos, I’ve got em! If you want to read more, how about that time I was headbutted by a cow in Varanasi?

Practical Information:

You can visit the website for more information and directions. The town is called Ramachandrapura
Fee: there is no fee but you can donate, or pay 10 rs to feed the cows. I was here with my goMowgli tour as a back-up for another trip that was canceled due to traffic/riots as mentioned in a previous post.

The post Goupushti Mahayajna | Protecting the Indian Indigenous Cow first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Goupushti Mahayajna | Protecting the Indian Indigenous Cow appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Nagara Fort / One of the Coolest Forts in Karnataka

Rachel Jones — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 12:03:21 +0000

Remember ancient Hampi? The place that looked like the set of the Flintstones?

Well, as it’s been explained to me, the people there were rich- like REALLY rich, perhaps the richest in the world in the 15^th century.

But as all things go, they lost it all to invaders eventually. The King’s head was chopped off. So, all the dudes around Karnataka were like, “we have no king. I think I’ll be king!” which obviously can’t work… this is where Nagara Fort comes in.

Shivappa Naik’s Fort | Nagara Fort

In the small places around Hampi, new fortresses started popping up with new self-appointed kings. This place was one of them, dated to the 16^th century.

When we arrived, the guard on duty told our goMowgli guides in Kannada:

“I’ve been here three years and haven’t seen a foreigner until now!”

So, needless to say we felt pretty special to be able to see this ruin of a fort that apparently no other travelers come to see (another thing missing from Lonely Planet like Banavasi temple!). I was also surprised there was no fee since everywhere else in Karnataka has a fee and an even higher foreigner fee.

We wandered for a bit. The place was covered in grass but the guides said in the warmer months it’s like a desert. Cows were roaming; the sun was shining… so we just took our time.

If you remember, a couple Canadian girls had joined up to travel with us and they were so much fun to have around. I actually have a post coming up dedicated to their adventures in India.

Oddly, we could hear a protest in the street. We felt safe behind our fortress walls… kidding, kidding.

The protest was in regards to a young girl who was kidnapped and raped by a political party member. Seems that the townspeople know who did it, but the police won’t arrest the guy due to his political party affiliation.

This was all over the news at our homestay near Jog Falls and actually with new curfews in place due to it, we had to change our journey and do some backup plans to avoid these areas. Not sure what came of this case as I couldn’t find anything when I searched later, but hope justice was served and that the girl is okay now (the news wasn’t in English, so not totally sure what happened).

You do hear horrible things like this in India (more often than you’d think) and I feel it’s worth mentioning because I always want to paint a real picture and not just say, “I love Indian unconditionally and girls should totally travel here alone because it’s 100% safe!”; because it’s not necessarily always how I feel. Although we were having this beautiful day, and us three girls felt safe, we were confused how things like this happen still. We had long conversations about it with our goMowgli tour guides. I don’t think I could have shared about this place with you without letting you know how upsetting the news was.

Practical Information for Nagara Fort:

I was on this tour with goMowgli and I slept on the way, so I don’t have that much to share about directions! I did google the location for you ;)
Location: Nagara is a historic village in the Shimoga district of the state of Karnataka, India. It is 17 km from Hosanagara or 84 km from Shimoga.

The post Nagara Fort / One of the Coolest Forts in Karnataka first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Nagara Fort / One of the Coolest Forts in Karnataka appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Tailoring Clothes in India | Khaddi Cotton Tour in Melukote

Rachel Jones — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 09:01:28 +0000

While in the small town of Melukote, the main attraction should have been the towering old fort, but for me it was the khaddi!

I was so excited for this leg of the tour so it’s no surprise I walked off with 9 meters of the best cotton in India. The plan was to take it back to Goa where I friend of mine would help me make clothes out of it because tailoring clothes in India is one of the many perks of living here. And she did! Pics to follow.

Tailoring Clothes in India with Khaddi

Basically, lots of designers in Goa will make things on a per-order basis for you. There are tailors everywhere but you don’t know if they’re any good. I got 5 meters of a tan/brown, 1.7 of pastel green, and 1.7 of blue. I made 3 short dresses, 1 long dress, and 3 crop tops out of this and still had fabric left. I just show a design of something I already have and have them “copy” it.

In all, the cotton cost me only 1,400 rs or about 25 dollars. It’ll cost a bit to have them made of course, but you’re still ending up with a better deal than buying them in the store, it’s the finest cotton that’s handwoven, and it’s going to look just how you want it to. The best part, I got to meet the women making it and watch them work!

Ok, so here are the items I had made! based of some of my favorite clothes I already had. Remember, this cotton will shrink, so pre-wash. If it doesn’t fit quite right, you can get it altered more just work together with your tailor.

The post Tailoring Clothes in India | Khaddi Cotton Tour in Melukote first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Tailoring Clothes in India | Khaddi Cotton Tour in Melukote appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Mallandur Homestay & Waterfall Chasing in Chikmagalur

Rachel Jones — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 09:07:32 +0000

If someone tells me there is an amazing waterfall to hike to that I’ve just got to see in India… I’m not doing it! Waterfalls in India in November are cold and full of leeches. They sure are gorgeous though…

Mallandur Homestay in Chikmagalur

After a month of traveling with goMowgli, this was the last place we stayed. It was sad to be coming to an end, and we spent the morning driving from our homestay near Jog Falls to our little homestay in Mallandur (more of a guesthouse I thought) and had a big ass lunch of the usual: rice, chapatti, veg curries, sides, then headed off to the local waterfall.

It’s a guarantee here that you won’t see any other travelers. The homestay had no other guests and the waterfall is quite a secret that only locals know about (and now you too). It’s about an hour to go there from the guesthouse and the ride back is better to to do before dark.

After the trek at Thadiyandamol 3 weeks ago, I was still scratching at my leech bites. They take ages to heal and itch like crazy. The local guide from the homestay said there weren’t leeches here and we could wear swimsuits and swim. There were totally a lot of leeches. I’ll let you see all the photos and see if it was worth it. FYI, just assume there are leeches at all places you go to with water while in Karnataka!

It was very cold so I didn’t actually swim, and the hike was longer than we expected because it was mossy, slippery and hard to walk on the rocks. Wear sturdy sandals or tennis shoes (but check for leeches in your shoes). Because the ride back is an hour, if you’re all wet you’re gonna hate it! We luckily didn’t submerge ourselves.

The homestay luckily had hot water and started a bonfire for us where they brought out tea and onion and pepper bajji while we waited for dinner. I guess I am not making this sound as cool as it would be. We had gotten a late start in the AM and hit traffic, so arrived late which is why it got dark and cold. Had that not happened, it would have been really nice in the hot sun.

As you can see, the room is pretty basic. It did get cold at night (this was in November). My bathroom had a leaky toilet as well. The food was great though and the owner was very nice. It peak season times, the prices in this whole area are high and a lot of homestays don’t have a nice quality. Although this wasn’t my favorite, it was still a cozy safe place to sleep.

Practical information:

This homestay was quite pricey at 1400 per person plus food, whether you shared a room or not. I think it was also more of a guesthouse. The general consensus was that it was priced too high.
The goMowgli vehicle can’t make it to the waterfall due to rough roads, so the jeep from the homestay was an additional fee. We did voice the concern that it was overpriced, so hopefully they will include the jeep ride from now on.
If you’re coming here with goMowgli, this is part of the Chikkamagalur loop.

The post Mallandur Homestay & Waterfall Chasing in Chikmagalur first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Mallandur Homestay & Waterfall Chasing in Chikmagalur appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Birding Boat Ride at River Tern

Rachel Jones — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 08:40:09 +0000

Ah, back to the Jungle Lodge properties… I’ve seen about half of the ones in Karnataka now although I wasn’t there to sleep in the cozy cabins this time- just there for lunch and a safari with goMowgli.

River Tern Jungle Lodge Boat Safari

All safaris should probably have a lunch first. We arrived a little late, so missed the water activities like kayaking and such, but we were okay to take a long lunch. As all these resorts do, it was buffet style. Everything was delicious. The fish was great but had lots of little bones and I had a hard time eating it.

Looking back at these pictures of food, I’m not surprised I was about 5 kg thinner by the time my trip in Karnataka ended. If you don’t over do the rice and bread, it’s actually quite healthy to eat in South India compared to the North.

But back to the safari… in the off chance a safari isn’t your thing, this place offers lots of fun activities to pass the afternoon: kayaking, trampoline in the water, rafting, and more.

The boat safari doesn’t offer as much of a promise to see wildlife as the jeep safari, and this lodge in general doesn’t see as much wildlife as somewhere like Kabini River. They said animals may come to drink, but as wet season is just ending there is a lot of water inland for them so they don’t come down to the river much. We didn’t see any of the “good” stuff: elephants, tiger, leopard, guar, etc.

We did see Kingfishers, peacocks, little baby “water crows”, and something I never knew existed- sweet water jelly fish. Sweet water just means freshwater, and I have only heard it called that in India so not sure if other countries do as well. The jelly fish were tiny and there were hundreds and hundreds! Tried to take a goPro pic, but failed miserably in the dark water. Apparently these ones don’t sting you.

Practical Information:

Location: Behind Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Road to Bhadra Forest Resort, Bhadra Project, Lakkavalli, Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka 577135, India
Pricing: Lunch was 350 rupees plus tax, the boat safari is 1400 rupees, the jeep (which we didn’t do) is 2250 rupees, and for water sports you pay 350 rupees for one hour to use the trampolines or kayaks.
Personal opinion, I think that the safari was cool but if you’ve done a bird safari (this was my 4th that month) and aren’t particularly interested in birds, then this is something to skip and save your money. Hang out by the river instead and kayak! I was on this safari as part of my tour with goMowgli.

The post Birding Boat Ride at River Tern first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Birding Boat Ride at River Tern appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Chikmagalur Homestay & Trekking the Highest Peak in Karnataka

Rachel Jones — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 07:38:51 +0000

Once we made it up the mountain and stepped out of the car, we were so shocked at the cold air! I hadn’t realized how high we climbed, although my stomach had and I was feeling so carsick. We’d had a long day already of seeing Nagara Fort and the cow sanctuary (more on that later).

Gonakal Homestay in Chikmagalur

The homestay welcomed us with the cutest soft dog at the front door. The style of this house is something I’ve seen in Goa where the inside is an open courtyard without a roof, and the rooms are all around the edge. What a brilliant idea for a homestay style place.

Although cold, the place had hot water, big cozy rooms with plenty of blankets, and hot chai waiting on us. Being the clean freak I am I always shower before doing anything else once I get home for the day. I put on my cozy clothes and had a yummy dinner with everyone: rice roti, jeera rice, a bean curry, papad, and waterever that dill-like salad is called that I love!

Desert was the sweet carrot desert with nuts. I’m not big on Indian sweets but managed to eat half. For breakfast; puffed rice and uppit which I hadn’t had before in South India and loved! Super spicy though.

I recommend bringing warm clothes if you come in the winter. We were here early November and it was cold. There is no cell service and WiFi is set up but wasn’t working during our visit. They grow coffee so you’ll have lots of good filter coffee here.

Hiking to the highest peak in Karnataka | Mulayengiri 6,300 feet above sea level

Oh wait, did I say hiking? I meant driving to the top and walking up 10 minutes of stairs because this was the second to last day of my month in Karnataka and I was dead-beat! The girls traveling with us were tired as well (backpacking India is hard work!)

It was a cloudy day but the view was stunning. Even though this is the highest, I think the views at Thadiyandamol were even better! There was a Shiva temple at the top, a few cows, and a cave. Caves just smell like bats and I don’t like walking in them so I kind of just peak in.

As always, I found an adorable dog to play with. She had orange eyes! She wanted in on the photo shoots and I think made the photos even better.

Practical Information:

Location: This is in Mulayengiri in Chikkamagalur, Karnataka.
Prices: 1,700 rs per night per person (not by room) including lunch, dinner, and breakfast the next day. Apparently this is an area more frequented by tourists so the prices are a little higher all over. I did think this was overpriced.
I visited these spots while on my tour with goMowgli.

The post Chikmagalur Homestay & Trekking the Highest Peak in Karnataka first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Chikmagalur Homestay & Trekking the Highest Peak in Karnataka appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Where to Stay Near Incredible Jog Falls | Gundimane

Rachel Jones — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:07:11 +0000

What a fabulous day it was! Jog Falls is this 300 meter waterfall in Karnataka that I’ve been wanting to see for a while. Makes Dudsagar Falls look silly! Here’s a little peak at the famous waterfall and where to stay near Jog Falls.

Sadly, it was low on water during a visit, although still a magnificent sight. But to be honest, what really made the trip to Jog Falls memorable was the homestay and the mom that ran it rather than seeing the actual falls themselves. I don’t recommend just driving to the falls then going home. I think staying in the area was really fun and can’t say enough food things about our homestay.

I was stoked that two Canadian girls joined up on the goMowgli tour for this last loop through Karnataka (starting in Gokarna and going through the Jungle to Mysore). They were just what I needed at the end of a long month in Karnataka to give me an energy boost. They were also both nurses, one a travel nurse, so right away we had plenty to talk about. On a side note, they had just come from Wagah border and we heard that day there was a terrorist attack on the Pakistani side killing 60 which is just devastating. They had so much to tell me about their journey that made me very nostalgic to when I went to same towns as them, that I’ve asked them to let me share some of their stories- coming soon!

Jog Falls, Karnataka

Back to the falls… They were great, but the best time to go is in monsoon (July-Sept). There weren’t as many people there as I expected, although we did get bothered a little bit for photos by some men- something that’s kind of unavoidable here. I don’t mind taking photos with families because that’s cute and it’s actually really fun to hold some random person’s baby! I actually will try to take selfies with people’s babies sometimes so I try to oblige the random photo people want of me.

Even off-season here, the water can be flowing; it’s all based on if the dams are open. It’s the second biggest falls in India (the first is in Assam) and it generates power through a nearby power plant.

Gundimane | at home with nature

We stayed at Gundimani (meaning big pit) which is un-shockingly in a valley! It’s just 10 km from Jog Falls. It’s pretty hidden in the Jungle, but so worth going to check out! This area is the Western Ghats, but more specifically it’s called Sharavati.

The rooms were amazing, huge, and clean. Big fluffy pillows, comfortable beds, hot water, and hiking trails to amazing viewpoints over the river. Don’t even get me started on the food… some of the best I’ve had in South India. If you stay, you might get lucky and use my FAVORITE pillow & soft Fab India pillow case that I forgot there :( After lugging a FULL size pillow around Karnataka for a month, I lost it with only 4 days left on my trip. It was so worth taking though.

We hung out with the family, had some Mysore pak and tea, and played carom (although I didn’t play, I caught up on work!). There were four cute dogs outside, although they were on chains so we couldn’t play too much. The first thing I noticed at this homestay was the Grandpa sitting on the porch… and once you see that, you know it’s going to be a cozy place!

The guides were outside playing carom and I joked I was going to lock them out on the patio. Well, as I walked away, out of habit I did lock the door and lock them out! LOL They were telling me through the window to let them in and I’m saying, “you guys, I didn’t really lock you out..” They’re like, Umm yes you did. hah!

If you’re on the goMowgli tour and want to relax, I think this is the perfect place to “hop off” for a while. There are lots of hikes and waterfalls to see, backwater tours, and spice plantation tours. Water sports are available nearby like boating, kayaking, and rafting. They can arrange local transportation to these areas.

Even if you’re not considering a goMowgli tour, this homestay is highly recommended. They offer something called a moonlight dinner (and an island lunch) that I’m curious enough about to go back with Ben!

It’s crazy how we fit all our bags in! & these were the most energetic dogs I’ve ever seen. I wanted to let them off to play with them but I think they were young and would have run away.

Practical information for Jog Falls and Gundimane:

Location of Gundimane: Aralagoda 577421, Sagar Taluk, Shivamogga District, Karnataka. To book visit the website http://www.gundimane.com, email gundimane@gmail.com, or phone +91 8186243131
Price: 1700 for a room (not per person) and there is a dorm being added soon. Food is 130 for lunch and dinner and 75 for breakfast.

The post Where to Stay Near Incredible Jog Falls | Gundimane first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Where to Stay Near Incredible Jog Falls | Gundimane appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

8 Adventures in Dandeli, Your Jungle Weekend Getaway

Rachel Jones — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 12:50:11 +0000

If you’re looking for adventure in Karnataka, Dandeli seems to be the place to go. With so many options, it’s the perfect spot for a weekend away in India.

8 Adventures in Dandeli

1. Visit Syntheri Rock.

It’s a big hike down and even harder to walk back up, but quite worth it. It’s a nice little rapid. I didn’t think much time needed spent here- more of a “see it and go” place.

2. Head to the river for white water rafting, kayaking, zorbing, boat rides and more.

I didn’t want to try the zipline, but went for kayaking since rafting was canceled on the day of my visit. We went to White Water Resort. It was a cool place, the curries smelled great and staff was nice. I didn’t sleep here, but think for backpackers it’s a cool spot with tents to camp out. Swimming in this river was so peaceful after all the sightseeing I’ve been doing! Cost of rafting for foreigners is 1800 rs and kayaking for 30 minutes is 250 rs.

3. Stay at a homestay.

Ours, Amara, was very cool. It was only 10 km from Syntheri rock which made a morning visit very easy. The place is pretty popular, so book ahead. It’s 1800 for foreigners and 1400 for Indians whether you stay in a tent or hut. The tents each have their own bathroom behind.

Food was very good and the staff was nice! I also got to enjoy a little girls birthday party which was really cool (although not the quietest night of sleep I’ve gotten).

4. Backwater tour on Kali River.

You can book this through a variety of places, but it was offered from our homestay. It was a bird watching tour for the most part and is on the same river as the rafting. This area of Karnataka is famous for bird watching, so a great option for an afternoon.

5. Eat Local!

I got to have tasty meals from the homestay, which is part of the fun of staying with a family rather than a hotel. Food in Karnataka (and southern India in general) is healthy, fresh, and oftentimes veg only.

I also lucked out that instead of lunch in town, the driver Anand, invited us home to have dinner with his family. It was so sweet of him and the food was delicious. They were shocked I started digging right in with my hands (I think they didn’t realize how long I’ve been in India) and they laughed while I ate.

a dosa from a dhabba… yum

6. Bird Watching at the Old Magazine House.

This is a government run Jungle Lodge property that most people come to Dandeli for, although I wasn’t so impressed. This place is for serious bird lovers. I’ve stayed at two Jungle Lodges (Kabini River and Sloth Bear Resort) and thought they were incredible. I actually think the bird watching at those was more natural and cool than at Old Magazine house.

I’m told that the variety of birds at Old Magazine is better, but it was some plastic chairs sat in the edge of the drive with a fluorescent green fence up with holes to look through. Not anything compared to the bird baths they had in Sloth Bear Resort. Overall, the property wasn’t as nice as the others looks a bit run down and the cabins didn’t look as nice either. I’m pretty sure it’s free to bird watch.

7. Kavala Caves.

Quite a famous spot that needs pre-arrangements to see; I wasn’t able to on this trip, but it is something that was offered from my goMowgli tour if you’re willing to wake up at 4 AM. It’s through the forestry department and you’ll have to go on a safari as the only way to see the caves. The safari is 450 for Indians and 1000 for foreigners.

PS, through all of Karnataka, the prices were higher for foreigners whether government run or not, sometimes the price different was far too much and as an expat earning a living in rupees, it was quite a shock and could prevent me from going back to some places.

8. Tour a Spice Plantation.

I was lucky that the homestay was on a betel nut and spice plantation, which of course we were given a tour of. If you’re not so lucky, you can search one out on tripadvisor.

Practical Information for visiting Dandeli:

Dandeli was a 3 hour drive from Hubli. I did this trip with the tour company goMowgli.
Rafting is based on if 2/3 dams are open. If not, they won’t allow rafting.

The post 8 Adventures in Dandeli, Your Jungle Weekend Getaway first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 8 Adventures in Dandeli, Your Jungle Weekend Getaway appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Aihole and Pattadakal | 100’s of barely visited temples

Rachel Jones — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 08:47:45 +0000

Before the Chalukya ruled Badami and made all those cave rock carvings, Aihole was the location of the Empire with the capital in Pattadakal. I visited Aihole and Pattadakal these places with goMowgli on a three-day tour from Hampi.

Update: As of 2018, GoMowgli is no longer in operation. If you want a tour to Aihole and Pattadakal, check out this one from Viator which includes the nearby awesome caves of Badami which I wrote about here.

Aihole

Here at Aihole there are over 100 temples, but like Badami aren’t in the best condition. They are from the 4^th and 5^th centuries, made of sandstone, and have town people living here per usual, so what can you expect? I think knowing all that, it’s amazing how intact they are. This was the playground of architecture for the Chalukya. They did some practice here before shifting to Badami and making all those cave temples, some more than one story high.

cave temple

FYI it smells like bats inside! yuck

The one people rave about is the Durga Temple, where you’ll have to pay a very worth-it fee to see the temple, an optional more to see the museum behind. Other popular temples are the Ladkhan and Meguti. The first being the oldest, and the last the later type. There is a Buddha temple that has a great view that my goMowgli guide took me up to see. Because many of the idols are broken, most of these temples aren’t in use.

I was getting a little templed out to be honest, and actually really enjoyed just walking through the village here and taking photos of the kids and animals. It wasn’t hard since everywhere I looked was a sleepy cow or little girl who wanted her picture taken.

Pattadakal

This was another trial place for Badami in terms of architecture and was the capital of the Chalukya empire. Three main temples to see are the Jain Papanatha temple, the Mallikarjuna temple, and the Virupaksha temple with a huge Nandi next to it.

you can see numbers here where these stones were added later as renovation

Unlike Aihole which has multiple complexes spread around, here there is just one complex that foreigners pay 200 and Indians (I think) 30 rupees to get into. Temple wise, this one was my favorite. You can see where they experimented trying to find their own style with temples from the South and North of India.

Practical Information:

From Badami, Pattadakal is 20 km away and Aihole is 40 km away. You can take local bus. I was with goMowgli on this tour so used their hop-on hop-off services.

When leaving, your closest big hub is Hubli which is a ~~crappy~~ unique little city with well, ~~nothing~~ not much. The hotel I stayed at had terrible customer service, no WiFi (even though they actually had it and wouldn’t give me us the password), and no working electricity sockets in my room. There is a KFC which I didn’t see until on the way out, but if you’re touring Badami, Aihole, etc you’ll be eating hotel/dhabba food- which for me means sort of starving- so that KFC would have been ideal to fatten up a bit! Apparently Hubli has a really nice train station though- so there’s that…

The post Aihole and Pattadakal | 100’s of barely visited temples first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Aihole and Pattadakal | 100’s of barely visited temples appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Why You’ve Got to See the Badami Cave Temples

Rachel Jones — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 08:42:41 +0000

There was once an empire called the Chalukya’s. Yes, I also didn’t know that. But I was about to find out a hell of a lot about them! Just a 3 hour drive from Hampi, it’s another awesome spot for temples and hiking, yet none of the tourists come here. Oh wait, I did see one guy, so there’s that.

They used to have their Empire in Aihole / Pattadakal but then moved it to Badami in 500 (ish) AD. This was part of the goMowgli Hampi Loop and after a night of sleeplessness in Hampi, we were off to Badami first.

Update: As of 2018, GoMowgli is no longer in operation. If you want a tour to Badami, check out this one from Viator which includes the nearby awesome caves of Aihole and Pattadakal which I wrote about here.

the entrance to the main caves

Badami Cave Temples Galore

People come here for one thing only, let’s be real. It’s to go see the cave temples then get the heck out! It’s a noisy run down city with not much on offer in terms of quality hotels and restaurants… but the thing is lots of amazing places in India are in towns like this (Agra home of the Taj Mahal, anyone?).

Badami means Almond in Kannada, named from the color of the stones. Unlike the massive granite boulders of Hampi, these are made from soft sandstone so they haven’t all held up as well, not to mention they’re about 10 centuries older.

I’m almost hidden if it wasn’t for this purple shirt! (that my dad got me 5 years ago at Gap, thanks dad!)

Badami used to rule it all: Tamil Nadu, AP, Kerala, etc but as the story always goes, someone took them over. Interestingly enough, they were secular people so in the caves you have a Hindu temple (Shiva and Vishnu), Jain, and Buddhist. The archaeological museum isn’t huge, but it has some seriously old tools in it I found very interested to look at.

Cave 1 is for Shiva, cave 2 is for Vishnu, 3 is for both, and 4 is for Jainism (that’s what they are actually called, by number). You have more natural caves that are simpler. They are all overlooking an amazing lake called the Agastyatirtha Tank which is where you’ll see the Bhuthanatha group of temples on the other side of. Guides will also show you the South and North fort.

view from one of the 2 main hills, to the other with the famous lake between

If you choose not to go with a guide or tour group here, you may miss things as they’re kind of spread out and not kept up with well. You could easily accidentally only see half the area and miss some of the good stuff. If you’re going to come all this way, I recommend doing it right and having someone explain things to you or at least lead you where to go.

The Mythology here can get confusing especially when trying to understand the history of the Kingdom, but even if you skip the museum it’s a great place to hike and just look at the ancient carvings and sculptures. You’ll end at the Buddhist cave, which has a super tiny entrance you have to squeeze through.

To be honest, even with the goMowgli guide here, it was difficult to understand all the carvings which always tell a story, but it was still very worth seeing. Usually an temple tells a story that interlinks and I can follow, but here there where many stories from Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Parvati (and more!) written on the walls with carvings.

Secret Cave Paintings and Wandering beautiful blue streets

When you’re all done for the day and you have some extra time, it’s nice to walk into the alleys where everyone seems to paint their white houses with blue doors/ blue frames all around.. or a light turquoise /green. It’s so gorgeous! They must have thought I was nuts taking photos of doors.

Practical Information:

To tour you’ll need about half a day. It’s a little tiring and monkeys are manic, more so than usual.
As always with goMowgli you have your pick of where to stay, but do know pickings are slim! We stayed at a Lonely Planet recommended Hotel Rajsangam which was basic. I asked if there was “garum pani” and I was brough a bucket of boiling hot water. Rooms were spacious and WiFI was in reception. BUT there were light up stars and a planets on the ceiling bringing me a very peaceful night!

If you want something luxe, I looked up other options and it seems Hotel Badami 2 km outside town is super legit with a pool. GoMowgli can help you find this place if you’d rather!
If you aren’t with goMowgli, you can arrange a tour here from Hampi or you can get here by local bus. The bus stand is actually just across the street from the hotel I stayed at.

The post Why You’ve Got to See the Badami Cave Temples first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Why You’ve Got to See the Badami Cave Temples appeared first on Hippie In Heels.