India has a vastly changing landscape and as you travel from state to state, not only does the language change- but the clothing, the attitudes, the traditions, and especially the weather changes along with it! You can’t compare Manali with Kovalam, or Mumbai with Coorg… they are so different that it makes the traveler realize India is full of surprises.

So, if you can only choose one vacation for a couple of weeks, instead of choosing “beach or city?” why don’t you pick a country that gives you so much of everything! The ONE country that can make you feel like you’ve been to FIVE:

Some people say they have no calling to go to India or no desire to come because of the poverty or dirt, but I think they aren’t giving India a fair chance. If you’re asking, “should I go to India?”, here’s 5 reasons why!

Explore India’s 5 VERY different landscapes

1. India’s Deserts.

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Feel like wandering sand dunes, riding a camel, and seeing bright-colored turbans coming up over the horizon? You don’t need to head to the middle east, try Rajasthan! Explore the Thar Desert from Jaisalmer by camel. There’s not just sand desert, but the salt lowlands you see in South America, but instead here in Kutch. You’ll also find ancients forts out here, as well as Maharaja palaces.

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2. India’s Mountains.

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Fancy the Swiss Alps? Maybe you want to trek and play in the snow? You can do these things in India too. You can ride a yak in a wool coat and drink tea with people from Tibet and Nepal in Himachal Pradesh, or go even further into Kashmir- this is nothing like you’d imagine “typical India” to be. The people wear completely different types of clothing, have a different culture, plus there are Buddhist temples everywhere. You can fish for trout and eat homemade apple pie, or make a snow angel! Depends which mountain range you choose.

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3. India’s Jungles.

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Nevermind the Amazon Rainforest, what about the Andaman Island Rainforest, Assam, or the Western Ghats? See the wild elephants charge, run from silly monkeys, see 8 foot long pythons, giant crocodiles, and all the big cats (tigers, leopards, and more!).  Trek through hilly terrain or go deep into the forests, either way you’ll find adventure. You’ll even meet tribal people if you look in the right places.

4. India’s Beaches.

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It’s not just Goa and Kovalam, the islands of India have some of the most pristine beaches in the world. Snorkel in Andaman and Nicobar, or kayak or scuba dive at Netrani. Those bungalows you see celebrities staying at? Why not do the same at the Lakshwadeep.

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5. India’s Cities.

You’ll be surprised to find the cities of India to be more upscale in some areas than you would imagine. There is all the Indian culture you are curious to experience with heavy traffic, gorgeous saris, and busy markets- but there’s also a great culinary scene and poppin’ nightlife. In fact, Chris Martin just played at a club in Delhi and my hero Jamie Oliver is opening up a couple restaurants in India.

from this is sheena – read her post on hippie in heels about mumbai!

The post The ONE Country That Can Make You Feel Like You’ve Been to FIVE first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post The ONE Country That Can Make You Feel Like You’ve Been to FIVE appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Paia is this cute town 15 minutes from the airport. It’s on the North coast of the island, and as Hawiian’s will tell you, the North coast is always the chilled hippie coast of an island, like North Shore in Oahu. This is the “start” to the road to Hana and some tourists just pop in for a packed lunch in the morning. You should take time to actually stay in Paia! Look no further than Paia Inn.

Where to Stay in Paia Maui | Paia Inn

It’s smack dab in the center of everything but does have parking so you don’t have to parallel (10 bucks to park 3 shops down, or 20 bucks to park in the back lot) and it’s on the beach. It’s a historical site used as the only hotel back in the plantation days (used by Japanese in the 20’s) and now mixes that historical look with modern chic charm.

The rooms are a little small but that’s because they didn’t tear apart the original building. They have comfy beds that take up most of the space, mini-fridge filled with snacks, Apple TV (you can log in to your HULU and Netflix), spa like toiletries, safes, iPod dock, and surfer artwork (more on that later). The floors look like typical hardwood but are bamboo!

The staff are these little hippie Joni Mitchell girls that were so sweet. The lobby is adorable with shell chandeliers and leather couches. Complimentary breakfast included, wait for it…. POPTARTS! so clearly I was happy. There were other things to like coffee, biscotti, fruit, oatmeal and nutrigrain bars.

If you walk out the back you can chill on the beach side patio where they have towels, chairs, sunscreen, boogie boards, and a freshwater shower. The waves here can be rough and the beach is small (maybe Ben should build a reef here) so you have to be careful and aware of the rocks. There are lawn chairs so I just laid out and read. You can even rent a bike from them complimentary.

So, the artwork I mentioned is in every room and is really cool. It’s by this guy Avi Kiriaty and I saw it in some shops to purchase. They have his art in the lobby and in each room. It’s Polynesian style surfer pieces. Very cool!

It’s a 1-2 staff to guest ratio during the day, which is really nice since most hotels and resorts in maui are so big. So, there’s someone to help with bags, help you decide where to have lunch, and make sure you have what you need for the beach! The only moment we wavered at the Inn was around midnight when the AC wasn’t cold enough and no one answered the “night” number on the phone (we were going to ask them to turn it colder in our room, as you don’t have personal access). Although with a small 10 bedroom Inn, we understood why no one stayed awake in reception.

details of the Paia Inn

The smallest rooms are $199, our room was “standard” which go for $239 and up, and the suites go from $259-$999, while the extra 3 bedroom house on the back starts at $1199 and up. As stated, parking is extra at $10 or $20 per night depending on where you choose to park. Breakfast and WiFi are free and you can contact them on their website or email info@paiainn.com & call 808.579.6000

Food & Bars in Paia

Some of the top restaurants in Maui are located in Paia town. One of the most famous is owned by the one and only Willie Nelson!

1.  Charley’s Restaurant & Saloon

This is the one owned by Willie. It serves pizza, is crowded is as the night goes on they start to charge a cover.

2. Flatbread company

This is right next to the Inn and was pretty good. We got sausage pepperoni and veggies but it was really expensive with each topping an additional few dollars. There’s usually a short weight, and a 16 inch was too big for me and Ben.

3. Rock & Brew

We actually weren’t that impressed with this. I think the mac n cheese was microwaved… turkey sandwich was good!

4. Paia Fish Market

Really famous, really tasty, and not that expensive. I got fish tacos and two was too many. We also got seafood soup and Ben got the fish n’ chips. It was all really good. Everything closes early so be there by 8 at least.

5. Mana Foods

We went in here a few times and it was so good! It’s a grocery store with a deli counter (hot and cold). Ben loved the turkey meatloaf, and I was crazy about the deli turkey sandwiches and salad bar.

6. Ku’au Store

Kind of like Mana Foods, just past the town, this place had SUCH good sandwiches and hot dogs with coleslaw as well as healthy snacks that obviously I didn’t try ;) I loved the lemonade and homemade cookies.

One we didn’t try that are famous: Mama’s Fish house (too expensive to try), Cafe de AMIS, Ono Gelato, Cafe Mambo to hang out, and mexican food at Milagros. There was also the Hana Bay Picnic Company, but we liked Mana Foods so kept going back there.

Shopping in Paia

There are lots of cute boutique shops along the street. It’s just one (Hana Highway) and the intersection at Paia Inn were you can find a few more shops down that lane. They are very expensive and I didn’t anything to buy; not to say the stuff wasn’t cute, it was!

Some that stood out were: Wings Hawaii who has lots of local designers like dream catchers by Nana’s vintage dreams and littlest birds, then there was Puka Puka and lots of art stores. I liked Maui Hands for homemade items, particularly work by Mario Amata.

-I was a guest of Paia Inn, but absolutely loved it and all opinions are my own!

The post Paia Inn: a Hippie Chic Must in Maui first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Paia Inn: a Hippie Chic Must in Maui appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Remember when I shared about the cool people I met while backpacking India solo? Well, one of those girls introduced me to her hippie friend that lives on and off in Goa. The group of girls own Gyspy East, a unique jewelry company that sources silver and gemstones from all over the world (but mostly India) to make one of a kind pieces. I asked them to give us a few tips for buying jewelry in India and thankfully they said yes.

This is a nice insight not only into tips on buying gems in India, but how to tell if silver is real, and also just a sneak peak into how these UK girls got the company started in the first place in India where it can be hard to trust jewelers.

From the Girls of Gypsy East:

We headed to India as our first port of call after 18 months of traveling the world. We set off to Rajasthan in search of Indian inspired jewels as all our previous creations were based on their traditional style of jewellery.

It takes a while to build a relationship with local workshops and establishing secure contacts with people. We had a few dodgy deals & let downs initially, before discovering the family run workshop that has  been one of our most successful suppliers and  the creator of our own design ranges.

We source most of our crystals from our Himalayan crystal dealer. He spends 8 months of the year digging in the mountains with his father and has a cavernous room filled entirely of rough crystals that we select from each year. One of our favorite finds of last year was a clear quartz which had water trapped inside with two floating air bubbles that had been trapped inside the crystal for hundreds of thousands of years.

Once we have sourced the crystals we take a selection of them to our workshop to be silver capped and turned into pendants. The first release of these sold out before we made it past the first festival this season so we will be expanding out range this year.

A lot of the jewellery pieces we look for are picked up from markets, little dusty corner shops & street dealers in India. We like to have an eclectic mix! We don’t always source from the same supplier. Last year in Goa we came across the most beautiful set of druzy stones that looked like miniture galaxies. We got them made into rings in Kerela and loved the entire creative process.

Tips for Buying Jewelry in India

• It’s important to always know the cost of silver and gold at the time of purchasing so you can take that into account when haggling with street sellers.
• When you buy amber you can you buy it by weight like you can a precious metal. Amber price equates to the current price of silver unless it has some exceptional feature like a fossilized insect.
• Just because silver is bendable, doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Actually, silver is soft. It is mixed with other metals to make it stronger starting at 92.5% hence the stamp 925.
• In England all sterling silver items have to be hallmarked by the Assay Office to verify that they are 925 silver. However in India you will find things are stamped 925 without any proof of the  silver content. 925 is not an “official” hallmark though.
• Fun Fact: Pirates would have bitten a piece of gold to test the quality- the higher the carrot, the softer the gold.
• Make sure you always ask for a bill that clearly states what you are paying for whether it is gold, brass, silver, or copper. For example with gold, it should sat the gold content on the bill and then the added cost for labour on top.
• The price of gold  is international! Don’t buy gold in India unless it’s officially hallmarked. There are 5 signs to tell if it’s really hallmarked
• Watch for scams. For example, it’s been known to have rings swapped at the last minute during packaging and gem stones being swapped to glass replicas whilst rings are being re-sized. It’s very easy to be sold a replica stone when you don’t want know your looking for.

Buying Gemstones and Crystals in India

Our crystal bible never leaves our side when we are buying and selling. It’s essential when purchasing precious and semi precious stones. It also gives a clear guide to their healing properties.

We always keep our tourmaline crystals on for protection when traveling.

When we produce our own design range we always produce in either rainbow moon stone, opal or labradorite. Anything that has irredescent properties or has a galaxy look to it works for us!

Rainbow Moonstone acts as a prism, diffusing energy throughout the aura. It provides psychic protection, clearing the mind and senses, and aids in lucid dreaming and calm sleep. It deflects negativity and eases emotional trauma. Aligned with the Goddess, Rainbow Moonstones connect with the energies and spirits of Nature, from plant devas to galactic consciousness.

Where to Buy Gypsy East

You can shop now on ASOS marketplace. Gyspy East will be carried soon at the Arpora Market in Goa and at TIA shop in Mandrem. They have a collection in Sri Lanka at a new pop up shop – location to be announced.

Connect with them on Facebook and Instagram and also feel free to inquire more via their email gypsies@gypsyeast.com

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 Gypsy East’s Tips for Buying Jewelry in India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Gypsy East’s Tips for Buying Jewelry in India appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Welcome back to the series “International Boho-Chic Designers”. I meet so many fashion designers and artists on my travels and as a shopoholic,  I love having unique items from abroad. I want to share them with you!  The designers featured here are those I really shop from and adore.

I’ve seen the FARA booth at the Saturday night market in Arpora for the last two years, just near the Thai place. I always peaked inside and looked at all the silky tie-dye and gorgeous raw silk dresses. They were over my price range last year, but this year I’m hoping to save up a bit a finally buy something from the team at Fara. Their clothes are some of my absolute favorites at the market and they have a new shop in Arambol. To celebrate their Indian silk scarf range they are giving one away to one of you readers!

Stall at Saturday Arpora Market

Varanasi Scarf

Giveaway: The scarves they make are hand-drawn by them and represent different areas of India. They are giving away Goa which is just a perfect match for Hippie in Heels. Scroll to bottom to enter giveaway.

The chicks behind FARA Boutique

Fumie and Rachel are the girls behind the brand. Fumie originally from Japan, studied in London at the London College of Fashion and since has worked for Alexander McQueen and Stella Mcartney! Fumie is a talented pattern cutter seemstress and designer.

Rachel grew up in London and studied at Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. After graduating she worked as a fashion buyer for Urban Outiffitters for 5 years.

Both are mothers to little girls, living in Goa and also London, and spend everyday together on the beach or in their shop, designing and creating.

FARA, the Brand:

FARA stands for Fumie and Rachel’s adventures. They met and became friends through their love of travel. Fara is now in its 2^nd season making simple yet design led clothes for women. Their clothes are easy to wear, yet elegant. They make these incredible hand-drawn (by them!) scarves that are so technical and sophisticated… but really fun and bold at the same time. I asked what FARA is as a brand:

 “Designs inspired by our adventures and dreams of those still to come”

examples of the raw silk

the flowy tie-dye silk… I love this skirt!

FARA makes a range of dresses, tops, shorts, trousers, skirts, kaftans, kimonos, scarves, and cushion covers. Their clothes are made from either 100% raw silk which is hand woven in Varanasi, 100% silk Haboti, or silk chiffon. Their stuff is so unique especially because they show India through their clothing and both of them are travelers who have seen vast amounts of the subcontinent.

The scarves which they are famous for are hand drawn illustrations painted with traditional Japanese watercolour. The same illustrations on on the cushion covers. When you look at the detail up close it’s just amazing!

Their four hand-drawn and painted scarves in order clockwise: Varanasi, Rajasthan, Himalaya, Goa

“With Fara, I rediscovered and rekindled a passion for drawing and painting, and with my knowledge of Japanese watercolour painting knew that these silk scarves woudl capture the essence of the love of travel with the love of luxury.” Fumie, FARA

I just love the scarves they have now, but they have even more coming making the decision of which to purchase even harder. While the old scarves represent their favorite places in India: Varanasi, Goa, Himalayas, and Rajasthan, the new scarves are based on Hindu Gods combined with Fairy tales like Shiva and the Little Mermaid or Hanuman and The Jungle Book. I saw the samples and they are stunning and so imaginative. I am so excited they are giving a scarf away to a reader (and also a bit jealous of the winner already!).

The Rajasthan scarf shows colors of pink Jaipur, camels, daffodils, and gypsy jewelry. For Varanasi they depict the smoking grey for the ghats mixed with Sadhus, cows, monkeys, and spicy chai. They even add in the pooja flowers- it’s the detail in these scarves which make them a great souvenir (and since these are also my favorite places in India, makes it so difficult to choose one!). The Himalaya scarf tells the tale of mountain travel with Buddhist prayer wheels, thangkas, and stunning scenery and the Goa scarf (which you can win!) shows our beautiful home: lush green countryside, cows in the market, Enfield bikes, cashew flowers and more.

Himalaya scarf above & all four below

I asked why their brand is the perfect for travelers like you:

“We wanted to convey imagery that was deep and meaningful to our own experiences. We consider these silk scarves as pieces of art as well as accessories and our customers often find they have their own personal attachments and their own memories of these special places in India.” -Rachel, FARA

Where can you buy FARA?

If you’re in India you can see their stock in person at FARA Boutique in Arambol, Goa. Also at the Saturday market in Arpora, Goa and Second Floow Studios in New Delhi. If you’re not in India and want to buy something please do check out their Etsy shop.

If you want to see their amazing photography and gorgeous models pop up on your socia media, be sure to follow FARA on facebook and instagram. You can email them rachel@faraboutique.com.

*FARA “GOA” Silk Scarf giveaway!!!*

This is the scarf you can win!! How cute!? I want it.

As usual, I am running this giveaway through rafflecopter so the machine can choose the winner. All you have to do is follow the instructions below which include liking both the boutique and I on social media. You have 7 days to enter. This giveaway is open to people from all countries. You will win the “Goa” scarf which is a 7,900 rs value (something like 150 bucks). It’s my favorite of the whole collection. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 International Boho-Chic Designers: FARA // India & a Giveaway! first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post International Boho-Chic Designers: FARA // India & a Giveaway! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Although my website has pretty much everything I know about Goa, I get many emails a day asking me to tell them MORE. Don’t I have some secrets or something I forgot to mention that I can share? So, here are 3 most asked questions about Goa, answered.

For more tips on Goa check out my 170-page e-book, Insider’s Guide to Goa. After five years of living in Goa, I am confident this book is the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide to Goa plus it has all my secrets inside. Click here to buy it now.

General Goa Travel Tips

• Safety Tips For Solo Female Travel in Goa, India
• BEST Places to Visit in Goa in 3 Days
• 50 Things to Do in Goa
• Best Place to Stay in Goa

FAQ Goa, Answered

1. The nightlife in Goa

“I checked out the Goa music scene that I’ve read about. We went to 9 Bar and Shiva Valley, but I just don’t like that type of music, psy/trance. Where can we go to dance and hear r&b, hip-hop, and rap? My friends and I want to drink and dance without worrying about men groping us.”

I hear ya! I thought the same thing when I moved to Goa. Although the psy music is growing on me, I prefer house or hip-hop. Although my friends here give me shit for it, I like to listen to Rihanna or Nicki Minaj! That’s exactly what Club Cubana does. They call it the “nightclub in the sky” and you can see the huge lights from all over North Goa. If I were to recommend one “club” in Goa, it’s Cubana.

Located in Arpora, near the Saturday Night Market (any driver will know the location), it’s a paid entry but drink for free place. They are careful not to let huge groups of single men in, so that girls can dance without having any issues. It’s a big club separated into different rooms that play 4 types of music. There’s a few bars scattered outside in a fabulous setting with a pool. Security is tight, drinks are FREE, and the cover is 1800 for couple, 1400 for single men, and 700 for girls. Wednesday is free for girls (so if you’re backpacking that means girls, you can come here on Wednesdays and just drink all night for free).

2. The beaches in Goa

“Calangute beach was gross! I got stared at and people kept handing me their children to take pictures with them. The food at the shacks was mediocre…. Is there somewhere better?”

Yes! I haven’t even been to this beach. I go to little Vagator beach on the regular. Lunch at Thalassa, laying out near Oltremarino, and drinks for sunset at Waters! Makes for a nice day.

If you want to splurge, head to Ashwem beach and get a table at the French restaurant, La Plage. I love the saffron risotto and the beef fillet. The beach here is great. You can lay out near the shacks and shop at Jade Jagger or the new luxury Le Souk. The beach is clean, men don’t stare, and you’ll feel very comfortable here.

 Vagator

3. Cheap lodging in Goa

 “I swear I’ve read all your posts, but I just don’t know where to stay. I want something backpacking budget friendly. Can you just tell me where to stay?”

There are some hostels in Goa. I haven’t personally checked them out but know two called Prison Hostel and Jungle Hostel. You’re sure to meet backpackers here. There are even more hostels popping up all over Goa. Use Makemytrip or cleartrip to book. You can call and try to negotiate as well.

I think Laguna Anjuna, Casa Anjuna, and Casa Vagator behind 9 Bar are all nice.

For super cheap, I think Silvermoon Guesthouse in Anjuna fits the bill or Red Door in Vagator.

Did you enjoy these FAQ Goa? 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 3 FAQ About Goa, Answered: Nightlife, Beaches, Cheap Lodging first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 3 FAQ About Goa, Answered: Nightlife, Beaches, Cheap Lodging appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Welcome back to the series “International Boho-Chic Designers”. I meet so many fashion designers and artists on my travels and as a shopoholic, love having unique items form abroad. I want to share them with you!  The designers featured here are those I really shop from and adore.

The new shop TIA in Morjim / Ashwem is making waves in Goa. It seems TIA is the designer to be wearing this season! As you head to Ashwem Beach, look for this design on life size silhouettes outside her shop. There is a full map in the end of the post.

Shop Tia online at Etsy.

& a fabulous TIA GIVEAWAY!

I usually go into detail about the designer and where they came from, but I’ve done that already with Tia Cherelle with her brand Tia and Tan last year. Take a second to check out that post and learn a little about the ‘growing up Goan’ lifestyle that made Tia the unique designer she is now.

This year she is slowly merging Tia & Tan into TIA after rebranding. Her collections: the original high end silks and an additional affordable cotton beach wear came from some learning curves and adjusting to make sure everyone could afford the brand. She’s also added in a lot of one of a kind pieces and will even make things to order (but I’m next in line… no cuts).

TIA Silks

The new collection shows another journey. She started from scratch having artists draw what she envisioned and getting it printed onto silk, therefore all the fabrics are completely unique and took her awhile to perfect.

The collection is based on the story of Krishna in the jungle, and the bright colors come from the inspiration of India where there is never a dull moment!     -Tia

There are multiple prints like Krishna, Leopard, Jungle, and Birds as well as bold colors like peach, purple, emerald green, and whites all in a satin silk. She’s added sequin party pieces, retro 70’s crop tops with matching shorts, and bold embroidered shorts. Ok, now for photos of all these sexy models in her silk line because I know that’s what you all want!

TIA Cottons

The new range of cottons are perfect because they are affordable for everyone. Last year, so many people commented that they loved the brand but just couldn’t afford such high end silk. That was part of Tia’s thought process in re-branding and she added these colorful, easy beach looks starting at only 1,000 rs (20 bucks). Can’t beat that!

TIA Shop in Ashwem, Goa

If you follow my Instagram, you’ll know I wear TIA brand clothes a lot. It’s by far my favorite shop in Goa because they clothes always fit so perfectly. She’s also always made clothes for men as well, in super soft cottons. She’s got a new line for men coming soon. So, boy or girl, if you’re in Ashwem or the Saturday market (where she has a stall) take a second to check out her amazing pieces!

like this scarf? You can win it below!

inside of the Ashwem shop

new shorts & my favorite lungis / scarves… wear one almost every day with a bikini!

men’s shorts & woman’s sequin tops

Saturday night market stall

The main shop is just at the Morjim-Ashwem junction. When you turn right toward Marbella, you’ll see it on your right. Look for the psy black and white sign boards and silhouettes.

Here is the view from outside the shop & below is the map:

All Tia’s contact is on the flier above. Happy shopping! Sad you’re not coming to India to buy TIA? Don’t be, you can shop online on her Etsy.

The TIA giveaway! Win a silk Scarf

I love love love the scarf TIA is giving away, and really just want to keep it for myself but you guys put up with my poor grammar and misspelled words on the regular, so it’s about time I reward you with another giveaway.

This bird print pure satin silk scarf sells in Goa for 3,500 rs. Like all previous giveaways, I am using rafflecopter to select the winner. Just “like” both Tia & I on social media through all these buttons below for multiple entries. TIA will ship world wide so anyone is welcome to enter. You have SEVEN days before the contest closes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post International Boho-Chic Designers: TIA // India & a giveaway! first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post International Boho-Chic Designers: TIA // India & a giveaway! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I cannot even stress enough how much I love Jamboree Creek Yoga (in Ashwem, Goa). It’s just near Mandrem and Morjim area so you’re close to all the cool bars, clubs, and great restaurants like Prana Cafe, La Plage, Delicieux, and Burger Factory. This hotel is in a quiet area, is eco-friendly, and … wait for it.. has access to a secret beach!

It just so happens it’s the same secret beach that the resort, Elsewhere uses, where Brad and Angelina Jolie stayed with their kids.

Don’t forget to pick up my Insider Guide to Goa and my Guide to India

General Goa Travel Tips

• Safety Tips For Solo Female Travel in Goa, India
• BEST Places to Visit in Goa in 3 Days
• 50 Things to Do in Goa
• Best Place to Stay in Goa

Jamboree has a cute little mud hut as well as their cabins!

There are both A/C and non A/C rooms, but these aren’t your typical beach huts. They are made from proper wood and look like little cabins. The non A/C are about 3,000 but rates go up in season like they do all over Goa. Some rooms have a tv and one is a suite which has a mini fridge, cabinets, wardrobe and is much larger. The place is new (this is the second season) so rooms are clean and perfect.

Rooms have a full-size bed with big fluffy pillows and a soft mattress. Like I said, this isn’t a beach shack type place, and although prices are low it’s more like a boutique resort. It’s also not directly on the beach which is how it stays so private.

The bathrooms are what you hear all the guests raving about. The rooms have an attached bath with walls that look like traditional mud tile (not sure if they are) and are all painted a different bright color. Each one has an open-air rain shower! Ahh, maybe my favorite part about the room.

I loved laying out there in the hammocks drinking fresh hibiscus juice she learned to make in Auroville. There is a small farm where they grow their own veggies as well. After the beach, it’s great to rinse off at the open air shower by the pool.

The food at Jamboree Creek

Jamboree has a lovely chef who used to work at one of the top restaurants in Goa! She’s making creative healthy food at Jamboree and I like to just pop in for breakfast or lunch in their jungle vibe cafe and chill out.

Private path to the beach

As I mentioned, Jamboree Creek has a path that only Elsewhere and they can use for the beach. It’s pretty great! It’s about a 5-minute walk and someone can escort you there.

Perfect garden space & yoga shala

The grounds at Jamboree Creek have the most amazing gardening. It made me feel so relaxed. It’s the perfect place to stay and do yoga in the mornings, but still, a good base to go out and party. The gardens are SO full of flowers and plants, you will love it.

They do so many retreats here and have yoga and capoeira and so much more on hand most mornings. You can drop in for classes and learn something new with some of the top teachers who come here during the season.

Want to book?

• Rooms fill up around high season, Dec/Jan, so book early. Jamboree is listed on airbnb (use my referral code and get $40 off your booking if you haven’t signed up before.)
• You can also look at the Jamboree Creek Yoga website and get in touch by calling 0832.2247.111, or by e-mailing priyanka@jamboreecreek.com
• Amenities: laundry, WiFi, room service, pool, car hire, massage, dolphin trips

For more of my favorite places like Jamboree Creek in Goa check out my 170-page e-book, Insider’s Guide to Goa. After five years of living in Goa, I am confident this book is the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide to Goa plus it has all my secrets inside. Click here to buy it now.

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Boohoo, for those non-UK folks who don’t know is a massive online shopping site. It’s similar to NastyGal or ASOS, but with lower prices.

They reached out to me with a very interesting idea, but part way through it kind of fell apart to be honest. There was meant to be a giveaway of a backpack with a travel wardrobe inside for a reader- enough for a MONTH of travel! They gave me a few samples to try out so I could tell you guys a little more about them. Although the giveaway fell through, they are giving all my readers a 20% discount with the code HIPPIEINHEELS on the clothes in the “blogger shop“.

A little show and tell of Boohoo’s clothes

I am NOT a fashion blogger nor am I a model so let’s not give me too hard of a time for my lack of being Miranda Kerr. My friend took some photos of me and thank god for her, because I don’t think Ben would have been up to the task. She lives in this gorgeous old Portuguese house, so we took the photos there.

I think this dress was my favorite. It was light and colorful; perfect for Goa. The little black leather backpack will be good for a party night.

Boohoo asked me to pick out a capsule wardrobe, which I did on their site.  A capsule wardrobe basically means that the clothes will be easily mixed and matched to make up even more outfit options, which they pointed out is great for travelers. Other than the items here, there are 30 more pieces I’ve picked to make a capsule wardrobe which you can see on the Boohoo site under my blogger capsule wardrobe profile.

I have written quite a few posts about how to dress in India, in Europe, and tips about boho-chic designers that I love abroad. So, although I love writing about travel, I’m pretty fashion obsessed.

This is what they call a “shift dress” and the fabric was the softest of the bunch. I know it’s meant to wear out but there’s a slight chance I might wear it out and then wear it to bed as well- it’s very cozy!

This black skirt came with a long sleeve shirt that matches (you’ll see below) and the white tank was separate. The kimono goes great over it and I love kimonos… I’ve raved about them before.

So, here is the same skirt as above but with the shirt it came with, a cute light scarf that would be great for India!

The same scarf with the outfit you saw a few photos up!

So here’s the last example of the mixing and matching I did, all with just 8 pieces ordered!

So, I’m really bummed that the give away was canceled because that was the reason I did this partnership. No time in life to dwell, but want to be straight forward with you guys on the give away falling through. You can still get 20% off from the “travel wardrobe”, so I guess for my UK readers that might be worth posing awkwardly in these clothes ; Have fun shopping!

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‘.

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I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t read enough classics. I can’t seem to get around to reading travel staples like Out of Africa, 7 Years in Tibet and Travels with Charley, yet when Brandi Glanville, my favorite Real Housewife, comes out with a new book it’s on my tablet in a week. Priorities have never been in the right order with me.

I’d love to tell you all the most meaningful travel books written, but it’s safe to say I haven’t read all of the best. You’re going to have to google for a few seconds and I’m sure someone else will share. I also won’t be able to tell you about those girly travel books they say you MUST read, because I found ones like Wild and Eat, Pray, Love a little too slow or just not my style.

That being said, I do read often and most of my favorites have been read 10-20 times. Here we go!

The Best Travel Books that will Induce Severe Wanderlust… I’ve warned you.

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

Need a push to follow your dreams? Not sure if home is where the heart is? Can you fall in love anywhere in the world? He’ll tell you all the answers to life in every one of his books. Probably my all-time favorite book after Harry Potter. I was told once that in Brazil, Paulo Coehlo isn’t taken seriously, but the rest of the world looks at him like a philosophical guru; a spiritual warrior of life.

I couldn’t flip one page in this book without stopping and thinking, “wow, that was insightful”. I think half of my favorite quotes are from Coehlo and I’ve read at least half of his books. Here are some of my favorite quotes of his below!

2. The Beach by Alex Garland

I finally gave in an read this after seeing the movie and being at the beach itself, Maya bay in Thailand. Interestingly enough, the author was actually inspired by Goa, my home, as well as Bangkok and Thai islands! That’s what pushed me into reading. The book has a few differences from the movie and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Some backpackers think it’s showing them in good light, but Alex has made it clear that is not the case. He thinks tourists, travelers, and backpackers are the same thing, as he’s said in interviews. He has quite negative things to say about backpackers in general but that doesn’t bother me; so much of it is spot on.

“And me? I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for. Because it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something. And if you find that moment… It lasts forever.”

3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

A fun read, this has been a favorite since I was a little kid. You all know the story but why not give it another go? You’d be surprised how much of it is so much more cleverly written then you would have noticed as a child.

“Alice came to a fork in the road. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.
‘Where do you want to go?’ responded the Cheshire Cat.
‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.
‘Then,’ said the Cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.”

“Have I gone mad?
I’m afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people usually are.”

4. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

This one doesn’t need much introduction. If you’re into travel, I’m sure you’ve either read this, seen the movie, or maybe even go by the nickname “supertramp”.  I have such admiration for Chris McCandless and could read this over and over. He burnt his money, made his way solo up to the Alaskan wilderness where… well, I won’t say (but things didn’t go as planned.) His famous bus/house is a stopover for backpackers even now.

“It is easy, when you are young, to believe that what you desire is no less than what you deserve, to assume that if you want something badly enough, it is your God-given right to have it.”

5. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

This novel has been a favorite of mine since I was about 18. A mix between history, drugs, sex, booze, and hitchhiking, this novel gives us an inside look into the “beat generation” of the 50’s. Oh how things have changed! Lately, they’ve come out with a couple movies about him and his friends like “On the Road” and “Big Sur” (which wasn’t as good).

It’s a strange book because that was a strange time. He was kind of like the first hipster, but cooler. You can’t help but wonder if he’s trying a little too hard. He writes like he talks: fast, like the jazz music they loved during that time.

It’s hard to follow, but every few pages he says a sentence or paragraph that makes you re-read, grab a highlighter, write it down, or even tweet it out as we do in this generation when we read something life-changing. Let Jack take you on his true to life U.S. road trip with his best dude, Dean Moriarty.

6. The Travel Book: A journey through every country in the world  by Lonely Planet

One of my two coffee table books. The title is pretty self explanatory, but as well as giving you serious Wanderlust, this book is great for just reading a page a day to learn a little about a new place. I put tabs in the countries I’ve been to and love watching it fill up!

7. Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

I read this book right before my trip to India, which was my first real solo travel trip. I was incredibly inspired by this. Someone who was “living the life” let it go, but it didn’t seem fake, exaggerated, or forced.

Some of her adventures were more like she was an anthropologist and I respected her involvement and willingness to learn. She wasn’t exactly at gap-year age, starting her trip at almost 50 years old. I really related to her thoughts on leaving her family and how to deal with them- it was hard on her, as she left two children (although they were grown).

One quote of hers about females always resonated with me:

8. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Another childhood favorite, I have an incredible copy of this book that is completely worn in from many reads. Another one where you know the story, this is a great book to re-read. Why not remind yourself how simple the world can be, and how we can all do just want we want… after all, we don’t have forever or do we?.

“To die would be an awfully big adventure.”

“Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.”

9. Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips by the National Geographic Society

This is my other coffee table book and is the ultimate in serving up a desire to see new places. It is less dense on tips, but full of fabulous photos and ideas for your next trip. I already want to order the follow up: Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Best Hidden Travel Gems

The three books I have downloaded and ready to read next are below. I’ll let you know what I think!

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Che Guevera

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost

There are affiliate links in this post; if you make a purchase of a book it’ll give me a small percentage of the sale from Amazon. Thanks for supporting Hippie in Heels!

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While in Rishikesh, of course I followed in the Beatles footsteps like every other traveler in India, and stayed at an ashram.

There are SO many to choose from.  We across Ram Jhula to Swarg Ashram (an area, not the actual ashram). You could waste days searching for the perfect one so instead, we just went for it with the first one we could afford.

When you cross the bridge and turn right, and walk all the way down, you’ll come to Sri Ved Niketan, a hugely popular ashram near Parmath (another popular ashram where the Ganga Aarti takes place).

Sri Ved Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh

• 200 rs per night, we only stayed here 2 nights
• 100 rs per class because under minimum stay
• If we had stayed the minimum of 3 days we could have gotten FREE classes
• Large empty courtyard, huge meditation center, kitchen
• Yoga was two times a day, as were meditation classes
• Class attendance was not mandatory
• Curfew was 10 (typical at ashrams)
• No mingling with the other sex allowed
• Chakra and mantra teaching available
• No Wi-Fi, A/C, or hot water
• Basic room, hard beds, not clean
• Front desk was fairly rude & that has been noted on other reviews as well
• Was a little run-down & wasn’t really relaxing like I’d hoped
• Contact: viedniketan@gmail.com, +91 135 2430279

there are different room variations, this is the cheapest option

The Daily Yoga

I had been in India about two months at this point, and was starting to be very frustrated with Indian men. The waiter would fart as he served me dinner, the salesman would burp in my face, they were peeing in the streets in front of everyone. I would see men doing nothing but squatting on the street chit-chatting with chai, well women were hard at work. Better yet, the fifth guy that day would cut me in line and I’d have to hold back from losing my cool. I always talk about my love/hate relationship with India and as always I fluctuate. The LAST thing I wanted was an patience-testing little Indian man who hadn’t figured out his plurals to yell at me at 5 a.m. (now, I will say at least he can speak English- I can allow speak a few words of Hindi).

Our yoga teacher was as funny as he was annoying.

“point your feeeeeeeets”

“suck it in .. your belllllllly”

As he grabs my wrists to pull them tighter behind me to a position that is killing my arms, I almost want to walk out of class.

location was IDEAL with a nice courtyard that was empty and prime spot on the river

It’s not your typical yoga, but it was repeated positions, over and over and over and over… holding them for 3 minutes at a time, then repeat. Throught two hours, we would have done maybe six moves. Then it was hand stand time. I did get damn good at those in Pushkar. On the website the yoga style is called “similar to Bihar School of Yoga” with asanas and pranayama. Now sure what that is, but we didn’t do any warm up or sun salutations here. I have to say, the yoga was strange and very advanced. I do pranayamas at yoga now, which I love, and it wasn’t like this class, so not sure what it’s all about.

My Final Thoughts

All in all, the ashram experience was okay for a couple days, and is good for those on a budget. If I go back, I will try somewhere else, unless of course I become more broke than I was then, in which case I’ll be right back here.

Whether you pick this ashram or another, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss.

Book an Ashram for Yoga Retreats in India

There are a lot of crappy ashrams and retreats that are not legit. You need to do research because a true yoga retreat is not going to be cheap.

Click this link for the top listings for yoga retreats in Rishikesh and read all the reviews. You can use this link to see the top yoga teacher training courses in Rishikesh. This is the most legitimate site for yoga classes and Rishkesh is one of the best places to take one.

Heading to India on a big once in a lifetime trip? Don’t forget to get my India Guide ebook, which has 6 years of India travel all wrapped up into the perfect guide to India – it covers everything from preparing with health, visas, and WiFi, but itineraries with custom maps, experiences, monuments, and things to do, places to eat, etc in each place I recommend in the book! Check it out here.

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ALRIGHT, you all want to get all spiritual in India. I know this because you e-mail me about it.

There are stories galore about the Beatles in Rishikesh, because along with some other serious celebrities, they helped bring Transcending Meditation (TM) to the West.  Some were actually only there a couple weeks and were scared away by bugs. But ever since, Rishikesh has been the place in India people flock to to “find themselves” and for good reason.

lots of monkeys

I headed here right after my killer time in McLeod Ganj. I LOVED it.

So, what’s Rishikesh all about?

• Named after Lord Vishnu, it’s a pilgrimage for Hindu’s (and a playground for western hippies)

• The birthplace and capital of YOGA

• A major stopping point for Europeans along the infamous “Hippie Trail” in the 1960’s

• Where the Beatles spent the late 1960’s writing 48 songs, mostly on the White Album at the now famous ashram of Yogi, Maharishi Mahesh. They used psychedelic drugs during their six weeks of transcending meditation, although they announced publicly they were giving up drugs. Many famous people were there at that time. Dear Prudence was written about Prudence Farrow, about trying to get her out of his intense meditation “Dear Prudence, won’t you come out and play?”. Lennon brought his wife, but walked to the post office every day checking for telegrams from Yoko Ono. They left after finding out Maharishi made a pass a Mia Farrow on multiple occasions. He also asked the Beatles to put 25% of their next album profit into his Swiss bank account. Luckily Lennon could see through that and wrote Sexy Sadie about Maharishi. Later, they all made up.

• The place where you can get in the clean, cold Ganges, and therefore one step closer to moksha (or enlightenment). You can also raft it, because, why not?

• An absolute ABUNDANCE of ashrams to choose from.

• Yoga all day, every day. This is the main place people come to for yoga retreats and yoga teacher training. Click this link for information on YTT and this link for retreat information. These sites are the best out there to compare classes and rates as well as read reviews.

• Get Healed! Crystal therapy, reflexology, light-healing therapy, massages…

• Where you’ll see the new-age travelers sitting on the Ganges playing their sitars or doing yoga outside on the Ganga like these guys (who are a little hard to see) below

• Sadhus (Holy men) invite you to chill with them for the day.

• Laughing therapy! Really. It’s called Hasya yoga.

• End your day with the Ganga Aarti. Listen to the holy man, His Highness, sing and place a lit diya in the river. Actually, this ceremony is performed at dusk in Haridwar and Varanasi as well. The tiny candles on leaves that float down the river are a gift to the goddess Maa River, the goddess of the Ganges. The ritual in Rishikesh is the more spiritual and relexed of all places, and is held at Parmath Niketan Ashram directly on the stairs to the river across from the giant Shiva statue. The people at that ashram lead the night’s songs with the head of the Ashram singing into a microphone. These helpers of his are mostly western women (at least when I was there) and they are SERIOUS about it. I mean, I couldn’t even focus on what what happening because watching them was like they were in a trance. To be honest, they seemed a little too over the top…Details: Arrive early before sunset, keep your shoes with security, pay for a diya full of flowers from a cute kiddo on the street, and remember to bring matches. It will go on rain or shine.

• Meditate with the pro’s while they gong their bells and make their bowls sing!

• Eat veggie… it’s your only option & enjoy the families that are there on pilgrimage. Be respectful because this isn’t just a place to take acid and become seriously enlightened like John Lennon, but this is a place that is imbedded deep into Hinduism and is important to the local’s religion. I’ve explained how some drugs are okay in their culture, like bhang lassi & general smoking of hash, but there’s a fine line of what’s okay and what’s not in India. Use common sense people!

So, is it your next Dream Destination? Duh.

Sound like somewhere you want to go? Of course you do! It’s incredible.

Is it like it was for the Beatles? Not even close. It’s crowded, full of sham places, and a little overpriced at many ashrams and yoga shops (that you won’t even be able to tell if they are legitimate or not). The shopping is fairly lame but the streets have no car horns because cars aren’t allowed! Half the people are serious about spirituality, and half are either faking or just there out of curiosity.

You can rock up with no plans, like I did, and stay at whatever ashram you can afford, or you can plan ahead of time and get the most of your experience. I definitely want a re-do. My spirituality was on already on E even after being filled up to high and exploding due to so much soul-searching in Udaipur, hanging with the Dalai Lama, becoming a masseuse, and getting into the Buddhist lifestyle with the monks and Tibetans in Mcleod Ganj.

By the time I plopped down on my hard-ass bed in Rishikesh, I thought, “I don’t want to do yoga, I don’t want to wake up at 5 and I definitely don’t want to be told what to eat”.

But, when traveling, you have to remind yourself you can sleep when you’re dead. Go big or go home. 

So, I booked my stay at an ashram

I had my ashram experience (see here for post on details and costs) which included early morning wake ups, intense yoga all day, practicing massage on the Ganges riverbanks with Chloe, and being yelled at by a tiny little Indian man to suck in my belly and point my “feets” to the sky during a 3-minute head stand.

Important Details for Rishikesh

Rishikesh is in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, surrounded by forest with the flowing Ganga racing through.

Rishikesh is 25 km North of Haridwar (this is probably where your bus ticket will be to). You’ll take a local bus or rickshaw up to Rishikesh (and hitchhike back down when it’st time to leave, like we did).

No one stays in Rishikesh city center. From there, you’ll go 2 km north to Shivananda Nagar or Swarg Ashram (a small section on the Eastern bank is the “spiritual center”).

Head to suspension bridges, Ram Jhula & Lakshman Jhula. The bridges over the Ganges are pedestrians only, so you better be able to carry your backpack for a while! The two jhules lead to the “temple sections”. This is where most backpackers stay.

Across RAM jhula it is LESS touristy, but more busy and crowded, than across LAKSHMAN jhula.

When to go? October to March

Sleeping: We stayed one night up in the High Banks at New Bhandari Swiss Cottage. I don’t recommend it. They guy did not pick us up at the bus stop as we pre-arranged and was actually really rude. It was a 45 minute walk to Ram Jhula where we found our ashram to finish out our stay in Rishikesh. I actually don’t recommend the High Bank area at all.

Need Wi-Fi? Only place we found with it was Hotel Nirvana Palace. But the service was… questionable.

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‘.

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When we travel alone, there is obviously a hope to make new friends on our trip. A lot of backpackers and long-term travelers will ask “Ever notice after 10 minutes of meeting a new person you realize you never caught their name?”  There is a typical 3-minute backpacking conversation I have with everyone I meet on the road… and it doesn’t always involve finding out names!

“Where are you from?” “Where were you before here?” “Where do you go next?” “How long are you on the road?”

Often times, you can see the triumphant look on the person’s face when they say a longer time than you. There is definitely an undertone with people that can’t wait to brag how hardcore they are. These are the people to stay away from. Whether you are on the road one week or for years… it doesn’t matter. You’re great because you are trying new things. Any travel experience is what you make it whether you go to Burma or Texas.

• Read More: how I made friends when I moved to India

When I was traveling alone I would always hope for these small conversations to turn into “LET’S TRAVEL TOGETHER!” and to have a new best friend. But most often, they sadly ended after the introduction conversation, my new almost best friend went and I went our separate ways, and I wanted my three minutes back. It’s hard not to shut off because I started to ask myself, what is the point of these superficial conversations with people I’m never going to see/talk to again?

Well…

Sometimes I got lucky and made a good friend!

(Here are my tips for making friends in India)

At breakfast in Pushkar, I met Ashley, a cool British girl that taught me Ibiza is actually pronounced “Ibitha” in between getting her nose pierced by a nail on the streets and answering my million questions in detail what Hampi was like. We met up again in Varanassi, and hopefully will meet again soon in Goa! Seeing other strong girls travel alone is like a gift; it reassures my mind that “I can do this!” when I feel weak or lonely.

Ashley is always a ball of energy, even after being robbed she’s ready to go out for a beer. Nothing keeps her down!

There was Chloe, who I found on Couchsurfing.org. A French girl looking for a travel partner in the Himalayas- an area not recommended for traveling alone… although I found that not to be the case as we had no problems. Anyone who says the French are cold needs to meet this girl; she’s the opposite. She helped nurse me, the nurse, back from Dengue Fever with her kind hands and herbal pills. She taught me all the “psychic” things I wanted to learn about India: gemstone healing powers, color healing, chakras, and magnetic points. Chloe even used her gift to speak to my late grandma through writing. We became Thai yoga masseuses together, and saw the Dalai Lama’s teachings. My trip wouldn’t have been the same without her!

Meeting friends while traveling can seem be daunting when you’re alone, but don’t hesitate to talk to strangers at your hotel, dinner, etc. Even girls in big groups… sometimes they get sick of each other and want new friends too. Surprisingly it’s harder to make friends when you travel as a group than when you travel alone. I find you’re less likely to put yourself out there and people are less likely to come up to you.

Traveling in groups can actually make you less new friends

Most people aren’t traveling to seclude themselves. They want to make friends and learn just like you.  You can’t be intimidated to talk to guys as well (I met my boyfriend at a bar in India). Believe it or not, not all guys on the road just want a hook up. You can find something serious abroad.

[Side note: I think one of the biggest tragedies in life is when two people so meant for each other say goodbye because they have to go home. They decide it’s too hard to stay together. There is nothing sadder!]

On the road, I’d say I meet on average 10 people a day and it gets exhausting saying your introduction on repeat. I can be quiet when I meet someone I know I won’t click with. It’s okay not to engage in a friendship with everyone, but keep your heart and mind open because I’ve met some amazing friends traveling and moving somewhere new.

like this girl I met in North Carolina, and moved all the way across the country with:

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‘.

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Welcome back to the series “International Boho-Chic Designers”. I have met so many fashion designers and artists on my travels who I buy jewelry, swimsuits, clothing, etc from. I love having unique items and I’m creating this section to share them with you!  These are people I’ve met and personally shopped from/love, not people perking/paying me.

I have a little obsession with makeup, which is odd considering I rarely wear it. You have to spend quite a bit at Sephora to be a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) and I meet the quota easily. When I do wear makeup, I like to take my time and put a little of everything on. I’m pretty sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do…So, I happen to have a friend I met in Bombay that is a makeup artist for some serious clients! I figured I’d hit her up for some tips.

Introducing Makeup By Hongling

Hongling Lim was born and raised in Singapore. She’s another great example of someone who isn’t using their degree in the way they thought they would, but instead found a new calling. She didn’t start out in the makeup industry, but in an office. She knew pretty quickly she wasn’t into it that kind of work life so she took a break.

Out of boredom (and a little interest) she took a makeup class and it stuck. Being brought up in an Asian family, she was told it was a job with no prospects, but she knew it was the right fit for her. FYI all the photos below unless noted are all shots of Hongling’s work!

Hongling’s Brand

Her work is all about enhancing her client’s natural beauty, which is so evident from her photos. The less it looks like you’re wearing, the better! Makeup artist Pat McGrath, who is considered an industry legend, is one of her biggest inspirations.

work of Pat McGrath, Hongling’s idol

I asked Hongling to tell me a little bit about her makeup routine when she’s traveling:

 “I have light makeup on when I travel. I don’t want to look like a raccoon at the end of the day and I like to avoid touch-ups. I’m quite lucky as my skin holds my makeup base well; some blotting is needed and that’s it.”

“I bring along a Kajal Eye Liner
whenever I travel even though I’m typically for the natural look. I never know when I’m going to hit the club; and if I do, the kajal liner is enough for me to create a soft smoky eye.

Let’s ask Hongling to help us poor souls do our makeup…

What exactly does your job entail?

A typical day of my job starts with lugging my heavy suitcase and bags around! That just comes with the job.I enjoy the time when I’m actually working on my model’s face. We talk about anything under the sun! We share our stories and joke around.

Ok, now tell us: what are you 5 specific products you can’t live without?

1. Maybelline waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

2. M.A.C eyebrow pencil

3. Laneige BB Cushion

4. Cle De Peau Concealer

5. Sugar Tinted lip balm

What is the one mistake are most girls making with their make up?

They too often mess up their eyeliner! Some girls wing it out from too far within the eyes, and some make the wing too thick and too much in general.

Is lip liner really that important? Now that bright lips are in style, I feel like I might need to get some.

Lip liner is essential when you want to give your lips definition, especially when you have uneven lip shapes and want to “justify” them a little. Otherwise, using just lipstick is fine.

In Asia, some (the TV commercials) imply lighter skin is ideal, but for those who like a tan what product do you recommend?

I’ll recommend products that make my client’s skin glow. It makes your skin looks healthy and somewhat sexy. Tanning in the sun does dry your skin so be careful!

In high humidity, like during monsoon, what products are necessary?

In places like this, waterproof or smudge-proof eye makeup products are must haves! Also general long-lasting makeup products! Start with Eyeshadow Primer, the Maybelline liner mentioned above, waterproof mascara, K-palette , and dust over with a finishing powder.

How do you set make up when it’s SO hot out?

Firstly, you must prep your skin well. You need to have on makeup base like mentioned above. Once your makeup is done, brush on some setting powder, like Make Up For Ever HD finishing powder to hold/set the makeup. You can even spray on some oil control setting spray when needed.

What product will help clear out pores when there is high pollution like Bombay?

A good makeup remover is important. This should be followed by a cleanser routine to ensure skin is deeply cleansed and no particles remain to clog your pores. I start with Chacott Cleansing water or Bioderma Sensibio H2O  to remove makeup. After cleansing, I use Mario Badescu Silver Powder to treat my skin. After a few uses, you will notice that your pores, breakouts and black/whiteheads are reduced! It helps in oil control on T-zone too.

What are your favorite 3 lip products?

I love any moisturizing lip balms, Yves Saint Laurent Lip stain #27, and bright pink lip colors to create that Korean lip makeup that everyone’s going crazy about (intense on the inner lips, pale on the outer lips).

Have you tried the new idea of “oiling” your face? Josie Maran Argan Oil is a trendy item that I’ve just started trying & like so far.

I don’t use oil on my face, but I’m not against it. Imagine applying olive oil onto areas of dry skin on your hand. Having it on for a short period of time nourishes your skin, but do remember to wash it completely off your face so it doesn’t cause adverse results.

I write a lot, a LOT, about jet lag but tell me, what do you do to keep your face from drying up after a flight or before?

It’s all about the mask! I’ve tried putting mask on everyday for a week; I can see noticeable results. The mask I’m using is Beauty Dairy Mask, which is a huge craze in Asia! (Editors Note: BB cream came from Asia.. so maybe this is next!)

Are there any new make up trends our products that we should avoid?

Please avoid the raccoon eye makeup unless you are going for a Halloween party!

How do you give models that “dewy” Victoria’s Secret model look or that beachy skin look? What products do you reach for?

Try Laneige BB Cushion for the dewy look. Alternatively, you can use wet products with a glow effect over the face, after you put on the base.

What is the one brand/color nail polish you couldn’t live without?

Any black color is my staple!

Anything else you want to share?

Less is more when it comes to makeup!

How you can work with Hongling:

Hongling Lim is a talented makeup artist in Singapore. She works freelance so you can contact her to make an appointment. Check out more of her work on her Facebook page Makeup By Hongling and make sure to follow her on Instagram for behind-the-scenes glam, Singapore views, and awesome food photos. You can contact her via e-mail at hongling921@yahoo.com.sg or call her at (+65) 94558681

The post International Boho-Chic Designers: Makeup By Hongling // Singapore first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post International Boho-Chic Designers: Makeup By Hongling // Singapore appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Are you planning to come to Goa for a vacation or a stop-through on a backpacking trip? First, check out my Ultimate Guide to Goa; which puts Lonely Planet to shame ;)

I get e-mails asking what extra top tips for Goa do I have? It’s usually people who have already read my ultimate guide, so I have decided to share the five things I always reiterate via e-mail.

For more tips on Goa check out my 170-page e-book, Insider’s Guide to Goa. After five years of living in Goa, I am confident this book is the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide to Goa plus it has all my secrets inside. Click here to buy it now.

General Goa Travel Tips

• Safety Tips For Solo Female Travel in Goa, India
• BEST Places to Visit in Goa in 3 Days
• 50 Things to Do in Goa
• Best Place to Stay in Goa

5 Top Tips for Goa

 1. Rent a car or scooter. This is just the MOST important thing to do when you arrive. It is going to save you bunches of money and give you all the freedom you could desire. The roads are safe in Goa! The drivers are maniacs, but you’ll get used to that. Just drive slow, sober, and let people pass when they honk.

2. Avoid Baga, Calangute, and Candolim unless it’s to check out of the top restaurants in Goa, some of which are located there. Other than fancy ones I’ve listed, the rest are pretty crappy tourist ones with high prices. The beaches are packed full with tourists, some of which haven’t been the beach before, so they get shit-faced and roll around in the sand in jeans. It’s not the chill experience you’ve come for and it’s not the trance scene either. It’s the drunk, young, Indian male party scene.

3. Stop making plans to “stay” in Panjim for a couple days. Is it really that historical? Just take that rented scooter and drive in one day to check out the architecture for one or two hours. Grab a Subway if you miss western food. Exit. The same goes for Old Goa. It’s a nice day trip that takes about an hour to walk around unless you’re really interested in Portuguese influence here.

4. Don’t choose between North and South Goa. With your car or bike rental give yourself time to see both. They are really different and even with 10 days or so you can cruise along the coast. It’s only 2-3 hours, depending how you drive, to get from Anjuna down to Palolem. My advice is to start in the North (near airport), check out Arambol, Ashwem, Anjuna, Vagator, (keep heading south…) the secret beach, to eventually Palolem.

5. Skip end of Decemeber. It really is my least favorite month being that it is SO crowded. It doesn’t affect my budget much since I have a house and car here, but for backpackers this will destroy your budget. Even coming in November will make things half the price of late Decemeber. November and February are my favorite months in Goa.

Everyone asks if they should come in monsoon because it just so happens they are in India at that time. Although I wouldn’t have my friends fly across the world to come in monsoon, why not if you’re close by? No, it won’t be the same- but it’s interesting nonetheless.

So, those are the top tips I tell people who e-mail asking if I have any extra advice up my sleeve! Goa is an easy place to get to and to be in- you can’t mess it up. There isn’t a lot of “must do” things in Goa. It’s a chilled out place. Just go with the flow!

The post 5 Top Tips for Goa first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 5 Top Tips for Goa appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I figured this post on jet lag was perfect for today while I start my 38-hour journey back to Goa. I am NOT looking forward to it! FYI, I won’t be posting tomorrow because of the flight and I hate scheduling posts- it makes me feel like a robot. Anyways, back to beating jet lag…

If you travel often, you might be the one saying jet lag doesn’t affect you anymore… you can just go about your day like you didn’t just fly half way across the world. You probably don’t even think you need to read this!

But just because you’re body and brain isn’t feeling affected, doesn’t mean it’s not showing on your poor little face that was smashed up against a window.

Maybe you’re the one who still hasn’t recovered from jet lag three days later.

Jet lag used to affect me for many DAYS. I thought I’d never escape it. After 5 years of traveling often, I have finally beat that hoodlum, jet lag.

Read More: 18 Travel Beauty Hacks You’ve Got to Try

I’m already shared a few easy to do tips to help you skip the hangover but I haven’t until now combined products that will help the signs of jet lag disappear from your pretty face and help you to feel fresh as a peach when you walk out of the airport in your fabulous new destination! Many of these I’ve seen recommended in magazines over the last couple years and gradually saved up to buy them.

 Best of the BEST Jet Lag Beauty Products

Moisturizers.

This is a no-skip. Most people are used to 60-80% humidity, but there is only about 10% on planes. Your face is literally having the moisture pulled from it. For my face and neck, I use Clinique Moisture Surge (it’s my favorite) Extended Thirst Relief, the one in the perfect pink jar or if I’ve packed it I spritz on Clinique Moisture Surge Spray (travel size bottle) or the more expensive equivalent Caudalie Beauty Elixir for some intense moisture. Next, I’m looking to try out putting on a drop of Kate Sommerville Quench Hydrating Face Serum that I’ve been recommended. I love her products! The tanning towels are especially nice (Sephora will give you samples if you ask!) You might also love this Gold face mask that’ll make you feel luxurious after a long flight.

For my body, I’m really into Origins body lotion, but have been fresh out for almost six months and have been replacing it with simple Jergens Aloe Vera lotion. To be fair, I don’t notice that much of a difference! I lotion my arms and legs after I wipe them down with baby wipes. It’s so important after a flight to add moisture to your skin. The cabin air-pressure might be keeping you alive but it is NOT doing your skin any favors! Check out some of my drugstore beauty faves.

Clean & Fresh

Don’t wear makeup on the flight. Keep moisturized before takeoff and even add a layer of lotion while you’re in flight or on a layover. The lack of humidity can cause breakouts if you have a face full of makeup on. If you’ve boarded the plane with makeup on, try Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Cleansing Wipes. If you want to buy another brand like Nivea, Garnier, etc, just read the packaging and make sure it doesn’t have too many ingredients or you’ll feel like you need a wash!

I recently read in a magazine that you should put on a moisturizing mask half way through like the celebs do. Seeing as though I’m obsessed with Clinique’s Moisture Surge line, I suggest the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask by Clinique. You can actually think of those 9-hour flights as a time to get some spa treatments in! You can actually put the serum (the Kate Sommerville one I’m dying to try) under a thick layer of moisturizer and it will feel like a mask. You’ll definitely need to ask for a warm towel when you land, as well as endure weird looks from all other passengers.

Tip for Clinique: if you buy from the true Clinique counters, do so when they are giving out gifts (you only have to spend minimum 22 dollars, but they run out) or buy from Sephora when they run a “gift set” sale with a combination of sample size ones, perfect for travel.

Coverage

If you really want some coverage when you land, I would go for my favorite Boscia B.B. Cream which has the tiniest bit of coverage; it really just blends to look like a mineral powder, but with added moisture, toner, and oil-free sunscreen. If you like more coverage than that I do sometimes use NARS Concealer, which is super smooth, on obvious spots and a more full-coverage B.B. cream I used to “borrow” from my roommate is Dior Hydra Life BB Creme. I find that Dior makeup is really decently priced and because it has fuller coverage a bottle can last a whole YEAR! Same goes for the Boscia.

 The BIG Secret

I cannot live without Smashbox Cosmetics Under Eye Brightener, not to be confused with its partner, the Primer. I bought the wrong one the first time! It’s a highlighter for under eye circles, instead of using a drying, dull concealer. You are meant to put concealer over this primer, but I’ve given up on that completely because I love this look so much, and it seems repetitive to me.

Lips

Christian Dior Addict Lip Glow brings out the natural pink of your lips. It honestly works like magic and every single one of my friends who has tried mine has gone out and bought their own. It also lasts forever and is very decently priced considering who makes it.  When I first bought it I used it very sparingly because it was so amazing. That was TWO years ago, and I still have half a bottle left, so I use it all the time now.

The balm that I love is Creme de La Mer, which is ultra-luxurious and can actually be used on your skin and nail beds too! I sadly don’t have a bottle of this, but a very, very nice Indian women let me use some on a plane once. I’ve been drooling over it ever since. These expensive bits are the perfect items to buy duty free at the airport. If I want a bit more color, I love the Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry and the Clinique Almost Lipstick. The “almost lipstick” might be my favorite product of theirs and I wish I were more tanned so I could try the “black honey”, but for now I’ll stick to “flirty honey”. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with Clinique- maybe because my mom uses it- but I really love almost all their products!

Add Some Color

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Pink Escape is LIFE-CHANGING. It is a really important step for me to not look dead after a flight. I always come off the plane looking one shade paler and this crème makes it look like I’ve just pinched my cheeks a bit. You can use on lips as well!

I use the tiniest hint of bronzer under my cheekbones and around my forehead to help me look a little more tanned and spruce up my dull after-flight skin. I use Bobbi Brown Bronzer, but I also love the Nars blush/bronzer duo, the packaging of the Tarte bronzer, and I think Sephora brand makes a nice bronzer as well.

Make your Eyes look Awake!

I skip eyeshadow (except maybe a dab of Smashbox Creme Shadow in Topaz, sorry no link available but you can ask in Sephora for it! Or the lightest shade of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz if I’m going to be meeting people, ) because when I’m sleepy, I can’t help but rub my eyes a little bit throughout the day. I put on a thin layer of mascara, not any of my high-impact, make your lashes fuller and longer so they can rule the world mascaras, I just use a tiny swipe of Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara in Jet Black. Or some of these other eyeliners.

 Lighten Up

Lastly for makeup, but most importantly, ILLUMINATOR. I die over the original NARS The Multiple (I use Copacabana) but for daytime, they are a bit much on the shimmer, which is why I cannot wait to try their brand new NARS Matte Multiple. Until then, I use whichever I’ve packed that has less shimmer (I have way too many): either Benefit or the Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold.

Extras

A fun little tidbit to try: put a few drops of essential oil that you love, like vanilla, on a cotton pad in your luggage (check-in and carry-on) and when you arrive your clothes will be smelling fresh and fun! I get the vanilla lavender from Bath and Body Works (on sale for $3 dollars now). I also spray myself with my everyday perfume, Burberry Brit or Burberry Body, boyfriends which I buy at airports exclusively now that I can’t find it in India.

For my hair, which is wavy, I use a surf spray and let it go naturally. But, if you have curly hair, you might like these tips for traveling with curly hair. Girls with straight hair have it pretty easy!

As you can now tell, I really like makeup. It’s part of what made me come up with the name Hippie in Heels. I’m either not wearing ANY of it for weeks or I’m wearing a little bit of everything I own for a big night out. I love buying high-end makeup because since I don’t wear it often it lasts forever, and makes it more fun/special when I do take the time to put it on. I’m finally wearing more colorful lip products on the regular mboyfriend’sdismay. When I started this blog, I knew I wanted to share girly tips like this, not just travel tips. If you’ve seen my tagline- it’s all about glamorous travel!

*There are affiliate links in this post. The price isn’t affected, but if you’re planning to buy any of these products, consider doing so from these links as I will get a small commission! x

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The post The Secret Jet Lag Beauty Products Celebs Use to Look Fresh first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post The Secret Jet Lag Beauty Products Celebs Use to Look Fresh appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

If you’re planning a trip to the mountains, most likely you will fly into Delhi and head north from there. You might be going all the way up to Leh or Kashmir but it was November and we were soon to find out that we couldn’t go so far north at that time.

We stopped first in snowcapped Shimla hill station, where a nice man at the tourist center explained that our planned route was completely idiotic, so much so that it was worthy of grabbing a few of his friends to laugh and talk about how dumb we were in Hindi. Nice!

Although, he was nice enough to give us an alternative route (which was equally shitastic).

This is the story of our detour to unknown Sarahan, where we were close to stranded in a snowy November.

The plan that was laughable in November: Shimla, Kullu, Manali, then Leh…maybe even Kashmir. Rohtang pass was closed to Leh so it would be impossible. I wanted to do some trekking and maybe visit the Great Himalayan National Park.

The NEW plan: Instead of going north from Manali to Leh, we were told go around NE near Tibet, to the east of Pin Valley and go around to get to Leh. Including: Shimla, Sarahan, Sangla, Rekong Peo, Kalpa, Nako, Tabo, Kaza, Keylong, (Some of these are tiny little towns you only pass through).

this photo shows route 1 straight north and route 2 to the east (which I didn’t complete mapping out)

So we were off to explore the Himalayas while most people laughed wondering what in the world two tourists were doing this far north in November. This time of year there are no tourist buses, so local is the only option. We took a 7-hour ride then switched to 2 more local buses, sometimes standing for an hour or two while people were hanging out the doors in the freezing cold.

What’s interesting is travel on the East side of India at this time isn’t as secluded. You can visit Sikkim & Darjeeling later in the year with a little less difficulty.

When we arrived, we quickly found Hotel Srikhand, which was right on the corner in this tiny town. For Rs 150 they offered us a dorm room. The hotel was owned by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism board and was similar to the YMCA in Shimla.

It looks great, right? Well then he walked us to the dorm. Should have known for Rs 150. “No other hotel?”, we asked.

The room was…. horrible. The bathroom was unbearable. It was beyond freezing. We were in desperate need of showers but barely rinsed off with the ice cold water in the bucket. Worst “shower” I’ve ever had!

We were easily the only tourists in town; everyone kept reminding us. Since no one else was in the dorm, we stole all the blankets, each having about three, and still barely managed to stay warm. Plus the fact, this is when the rash symptom of Dengue Fever decided to kick in. Strongly. I was up all night thinking I was allergic to something, rubbing tiger balm and hydrocortisone all over myself.

I think you guys might already be guessing the moral of the story: don’t backpack this area of the mountains in winter. 

In the morning, I had my first intro to the fresh apples that the valleys gift each year. I have never had such good apple juice and pies!

What Can One do in Sarahan? See a Buddhist temple. It’s nice. The end.

We wandered for all of five minutes and found nothing else in the town. We asked around, and people confirmed there was nothing for us, matter of fact, why the eff were we even here? It came time to book a bus.

“Hi Mr.… where’s the bus station?”

“Oh, the bus station closed. No buses.”

This was the start of an uncomfortable realization we could not get a bus north through Spiti valley as the nice man in Shimla told us to. We could either get on the bus we came in and spend another night/day going South on the same miserable route we’d just come up, or hire a care to take us on the dangerous path east through the mountains.

The road leading to Leh is on many lists of “most dangerous roads in the world” and these small connecting roads, we were told, were very scary. It took some time to find a driver, but during off-season people are always looking for work and we found someone willing to take us west on an unusual route.

Car hire was Rs 5,000 for about 11 hours to Kullu. The plan was to stay there one night and head to Manali which was LITERALLY where we were meant to be before the Shimla man laughed at our plan! Unreal. Sometimes a little extra planning can go a long way. The car ride was the most beautiful part of it all!

There are so many places to trek in the Himalayas that you can plan out if you aren’t into getting lost like I did, lol.

Regardless, it was a nice adventure in a beautiful place, although it took a few days and cost a chunk of extra money. I hadn’t put enough thought into traveling in the mountains in the winter. India is very seasonal. 

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 Lost on the Dangerous Roads of Himachal Pradesh: Sarahan first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Lost on the Dangerous Roads of Himachal Pradesh: Sarahan appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Delhi was not kind to me and Delhi scams can be harsh to handle. Luckily I had already been in India a month before I came here or I would have thought India was a drag. So what happened in Delhi?

1. I got Dengue Fever

2. Couchsurfed at a creep’s place

3. Almost got scammed while the police did nothing

Doesn’t sound like fun, does it?

Many travelers in India have had negative experiences in both Delhi and Bombay. After re-visiting Bombay many times with friends that were born and raised there, I see a whole new fun side of the city. Delhi could have been the same way, but I’m not looking forward to going back because my experience was so negative.

As a backpacker, I would advise either wandering Delhi with a friend, or meeting a female couchsurfer to show you around and help you avoid popular Indian scams.

I go by my policy of India, that if you keep and open mind and heart, India will show you its magic and beauty. But, if you let the negatives of India bring you down, India will stomp on you until you book an early flight home or decide not to leave your hotel room.

Sadly, I let the negatives bring me down in Delhi; I was punished by seeing none of its charm!

credit: flickr

credit: flickr

credit: flickr

I was meeting a French girl, Chloe, in Delhi. We met on the Couchsurfing page as we were both looking for someone to go to the mountains with. I’d been solo for four weeks and was hoping for a travel buddy. The host she got for us said last-minute he only had room for one, so she found me another guy on Couchsurfing as I was moving around and had no internet. Traveling solo in India is safe for females if you’re smart about it, but I was happy to have a friend in the empty mountains off-season.

Acquiring Dengue

Unbeknownst to me, there was an epidemic of Dengue fever in Delhi while I was there. I got bit 4 times on the metro and that was it- I was delirious from the fever. Damn you Delhi mosquitos! If you haven’t read about what having dengue is like, you should. It’s worth a few minutes of your time.

It also made me SO thankful that I had travelers insurance because I spent the next month in and out of hospitals and clinics. I use World Nomads Travel Insurance.

This is my second time using this Snooki GIF on my blog; someone slap me

The Couchsurfing Creep

I went to our public meeting place, which is one way to stay safe using couchsurfing, and my host was about an hour late. When he did show up, he asked me to pay for a cab to his place, and I said okay not thinking anything of it. I should have sensed something was off when he was trying to negotiate a cab down to hardly pennies while showing signs of anger that the drivers wouldn’t budge.

I was promised a separate room with a single bed. Seeing that he could hardly pay for cab should have made me perk up and think, “wait then how does he have a two bedroom home…?” Maybe I was just too sick to think.

We arrived at his place. One room with a hard floor or a yoga mat type piece I could have shared with him. I was annoyed by this but didn’t say much because my fever was getting worse. It was way too late at night to wander around looking for a hotel. Plus, on this trip I didn’t travel with 3g only calling, so had no way to search and Delhi is not the place to trust a driver to take you to a nice hotel.

He had no bottled water and told me it was “too dangerous” to go buy some. He offered me water from his fridge saying, “it was from a bottle that I poured in here.” I was pretty sure he was lying but drank it anyways as I felt like I had a furnace inside me.

In the middle of the night in his non-A/C room on the floor I started getting delirious. I didn’t know it was Dengue and thought I’d been given bad water. I tried to wait it out.  I asked if I could turn the fan on, and he said “no, I don’t like it”. So I went through the fever in 105-degree heat while on the verge of tears.

Around 5 am I said that I felt like I was dying and needed to go to a doctor. He tried to hold me hand and rub my chest, as if that would calm me? This guy was a weakling so I wasn’t afraid of him, I just pushed him away like “ew you whack job”. I told him basically to fuck off, and I left to find Chloe at the metro early.

Chloe’s host said he’d make room for me so Chloe came with me to get my things and we were off to her host’s place. Thanks for that guy being awesome and dealing with me staying at his place while I was seriously sick. He was from somewhere in South America; I hate to make such a bold statement but don’t stay with an Indian man in Delhi on couchsurfing. There are some good guys, some of my best guy friends are from Delhi, but it’s not worth the risk.

Keep in mind when I was there the infamous “Delhi Gang-rape” hadn’t happened and there was no tales of women at risk in the papers until after that made international news. I didn’t have fear in Delhi because I didn’t know better.

I did some research seeing where other bloggers prefer to stay in Delhi and hostel chains that I’ve worked with in other areas of India who have opened rooms in Delhi to make a little list of options for you to consider. It’s the same list I’ll be referring to when I go back.

The Leela for 5 star heaven

If you want hostels, these are come highly recommended: Zostel, Madpackers, & Moustache 

Shanti Home & Scarlette Boutique hotel for boutique properties in Delhi that are under $100 a night

The Delhi Train Ticket Scam | Delhi Scams

After Chloe and I met, and she probably assumed I was a bit pathetic because I just kept saying, “I feel like I’m dying”, we went to find a ticket out of Delhi, while stopping every twenty minutes for me to sit down as blackness came over my eyes and I fought the urge to pass out.

We walked for ages looking for the train station, neither of us having a map or internet. Once we found it, we saw that the tourist quota line was shut down for construction.

Tip: Now that I know how 3g works in India, there’s no reason not to get a SIM and pay the 100 rs for 1 gb data!

The trains were booked out, so the tourist quota I’ve used before helps travelers like her and I keep backpacking with separate reserved seats. They (men in uniform) told us to go to the new office, gave us the address, and a rickshaw driver knew just the place.

The place was his friends fake train ticket office.

We walked past a police officer into the fake office where about four guys were eating lunch and no computers were in sight.

One guy pulled a laptop out and said he’d book them for us. He told us there were no beds on the trains and we’d have to take a bus. He said there were no sleeper buses, just locals, and it was going to cost a figure that I knew from experience was at least 5x the normal rate.

Being that I had no sleep thanks to dengue, felt like I was going to vomit all day, had just been walking in the hot sun for a few hours, and had a guy try to rub me down… I lost it a little. A little… a lot…  I called him on his scam, realizing it wasn’t even a ticket office, and the site he was on wasn’t the booking site.

Him and I yelled at each other, he waved his fist in the air calling me a bitch. It was messy. I went completely bonkers. Chloe told me to chill out and we would just leave.

I told the cop outside, “you know they are fake, how can you just stand here!?”  I haven’t had this much aggression in me since my soccer days when girls would elbow!

I judge a cities safety on whether or not I can trust the police. In India the answer is no, you cannot trust them. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Delhi gang rape I mentioned above. It shook the nation. That year 1 in 700 people were actually prosecuted for rape. There is a culture here that puts the blame on women and this video by an Indian comedy group explains that a little bit more through sarcasm. Just read the comments by Indian men and you’ll see what women here put up with.

We finally found the real “new” office and got tickets out immediately just so I could get sick on the bus as it winded up the mountains. Turns out, other bloggers have written about getting scammed by this same exact thing and it’s one of the top India scams. Real shame I didn’t know about travel blogs a year ago!

Giving Delhi a Second Chance

Looking back, I hate that I got so mad at the man. I think it’s a perfect example of how you don’t know what a tourist has been through before an incident happens. India had been beating me up and I was ready to snap. Now that I’ve found peace with the sometimes-unfair rules here, India has become an easy place to live and travel in.

I was in such a bad mood that little things were upsetting me. I was annoyed at the pollution, traffic, and car horns. Why did the men get 5 lines at the metro, and the women had to wait in one seriously long line? Wasn’t that sexist? Why were the Delhi scammers so much meaner? How dare that man kick that little dog! Why am I getting charged three times more for my chai? It’s the same all over India, but because I was feeling low, it was all intensified.

What did I accomplish in Delhi? Nothing. We went by the red fort but it had shut down for the evening. I know I need to give the city another chance, but I did have two of the worst days in my travel history in that crazy city. Now that I have some friends who live in Delhi, I will go and stay with them and see it from a more relaxed local point of view. Luckily I didn’t start in Delhi; I’d already seen a month’s worth of kindness and beauty before these horrible two days.

I can’t imagine how my trip would have changed if this had happened at the beginning of my trip. I wrote in my journal, “Delhi is the worst place I’ve ever been. Everyone is cheating, lying, and pushing”. It can only get better on a second visit.

I was handed this baby when the bus stopped, once we got off I couldn’t even find his parents for 10 min. I thought they’d left him!

If you see a tourist snap while you’re traveling, don’t get mad at them, because you don’t know what they’ve been through leading up to that moment. Solo travel isn’t always fun, and backpacking India isn’t always easy; when things get hard you need a friend!

Thank God for La Fe Chloe and finally making it to the mountains (all while holding a barf bag to my face). First stop: Shimla.

Update: It’s been 6 years since I wrote this blog post, and I never left India. I’ve been traveling all over and even wrote a book which is the ultimate guide to traveling in India. Read more about it here.

The post Don’t Go To Delhi Until You Read This! first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Don’t Go To Delhi Until You Read This! appeared first on Hippie In Heels.