I have been a big fan of Kiwi.com for years now, writing about it several times and never sponsored by them but just showing you ways that I use them to save on flights. I get newsletters from them and a recent one said they had a new “nomad” tool. The Kiwi nomad tool is the coolest thing I’ve seen for travel this year and I had to share it with you because it’s definitely the cheapest way to find multicity flights that I’ve found.

If you want to know more about why I love Kiwi, you can check out these posts:

• How Kiwi works to get the cheapest flights
• How to fly all over Europe (9 cities) for $355
• How to fly all over India (7 cities) for $200

To sum up what Kiwi does: they look for the cheapest way to get from point A to point B and do not only use “code shares” which would mean that if I went from New York to Paris, I might stop in London. A normal booking site like CheapOair (who I also love) or Google flights will only look for code-shares like flying American Airlines NY to London then a partner of theirs from London to Paris, like British Airways. What Kiwi will do is get that flight from NY to London on whatever airline is cheapest, then find a budget European flight from London to Paris that isn’t necessarily a partner of your first flight (aka Ryanair, EasyJet, etc). That would be you have to re-check in and it’s basically like taking a totally new flight. But, don’t fret – if you are delayed and miss that second flight, Kiwi has a policy to re-book you on another flight on whatever airline is leaving next, for free. It works as I’ve had to do it and they re-booked me with no hassle. If you were to book yourself on a NY to London flight on say, Google Flights or Expedia, then go to the Ryanair site and book a budget flight on to Paris, there is no safety net there if you miss that connection. THAT is why I love Kiwi! When isn’t Kiwi great? When you need a visa at the place of the layover or when you have a lot of luggage as you do have to check in as if it’s a new flight.

Okay, so moving on to the point of this post!

Kiwi’s Nomad Tool: the new cheapest way to find multicity flights

So in the past, I’ve written about how you can use Kiwi.com’s multicity tool to fly to a bunch of cities in one booking, super cheap. I linked to them above: 9 cities in Europe for $355 and 7 cities in India for under $200. I showed how you can basically put in your starting point and use their tool to go all around the place you want to visit at the cheapest way possible. If you haven’t read those, check it out as it kind of is something you need to understand before you read on.

All flight booking websites these days have multicity tools. Kiwi’s is unique because again, it doesn’t use code-shares and finds all the budget airlines.

This NEW tool, the “nomad” tool does something different and takes that multicity price down even lower. You can read about it here on their website where they show how their multicity tool got a low price of 442 Euros forPrague to London, Stockholm, Pari, and Rome. But when adding in the nomad feature, the price went down to 276 Euro.

What Nomad does is let you put in all the places you want to go and how many days you want to spend in each place. Hit the Nomad button and let their program do it’s magic.

No more figuring out which order to go in to get the cheapest flights and doing from point A to B to C, etc. You can just put in all the places you want to go, use their tool, and know that you are getting the cheapest flights – if you are flexible enough to travel in any random order between cities. It basically made the multicity tool even better. I know it seems like I work for Kiwi, but I don’t, haha! I am an affiliate of them but to be honest, they pay me a lot less than if I were an affiliate of Expedia or Kayak, but Kiwi is what I actually use.

“Using its powerful algorithms and proprietary data, Kiwi.com is able to search for the cheapest route possible between cities on the dates that a traveller wants to leave and return. No longer will people be flicking through tabs for hours trying to find the perfect adventure.”

They explain it like this: “The traveling salesman must travel between a number of different cities, but doesn’t care about the order in which he does so. He just wants to find the most efficient way to visit each one. If the salesman is visiting 10 different cities, there are 180,000 different combinations of journeys that must be checked to find the most efficient route.”

So, let’s try it!

I set my departure city as Merida, my departure date as the 14th of August and set it to return to Merida at the end of the trip on the 14th of September.

I’ve randomly selected the cities of:

1. Merida, MX
2. Columbus, Ohio
3. Nashville, TN
4. Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Orlando, FL
6. Any NYC airport
7. Austin, TX
8. Seattle, WA
9. Merida, MX

$885 USD for 9 cities, leaving from Merida, Mexico and returning to Merida, Mexico. You guys, that is insane. A round trip flight from Columbus to Vegas last time I went was nearly $600.

As you can see, it created the order for me in which I’d get the cheapest flight. I think this is pretty amazing for when you are going to like 5 cities in Europe on a backpacking trip or spending two weeks bouncing around Central America. I mean, even the route I just did, if you took away Merida, imagine someone coming to the USA as a tourist and being able to hit up all those places – the rate is $885 because it’s coming from Mexico into the USA and back out, but if you took off that flight it’s even less at $535. That’s wild!

Yes, it’s mostly budget airlines but for that price, this is definitely something I’m going to be testing out on future travels. I just booked Merida to Atlanta to Ohio and back to Merida and that was $500 because I wasn’t flexible on the order – so you can see how being flexible on your itinerary can make for some insane savings!

Have fun planning your dream trip. I hope that you can find some deals with this tool and if you do, please let me know!

Pin this info on the cheapest way to find multicity flights for later:

The post This New Kiwi “Nomad” Tool Just Made Your MultiCity Trip Way Cheaper first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post This New Kiwi “Nomad” Tool Just Made Your MultiCity Trip Way Cheaper appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Cheap Flights to Hawaii With Next Vacay

When people think of taking a week or two-week vacation in the USA, they tend to go to Florida, North Carolina, or maybe California. Hawaii has always seemed like a “save it for the honeymoon” or “save it for later” kind of place. Why? Because the flights are often expensive and people always say it’ll cost a couple of grand to have a vacation in Hawaii. But this is often in your head. You don’t have to stay at a 5-star hotel on the beach. Actually, I stayed in Hawaii for a month and did a lot of Airbnb rentals, cooking at home, and staying at small inns rather than resorts. I rented surfing and snorkeling equipment from small shops rather than booking tours. You can do Hawaii on a budget – and it might even feel more authentic.

I use Next Vacay to be on the lookout for insanely good deals since they email me a few times a week (sometimes a few times a day). They emailed me this deal of $341 for Hawaii and I immediately called my mom to see if we should book a trip. The price was so low and I feel like people just don’t imagine that you can go to Hawaii for this price from the mainland. I get so stoked when Next Vacay send out deals like this and end up tweeting about it all the time because it just lets people actually go the places they dream about – wanderlust in action! Next Vacay has been one of my favorite websites for travel for over two years now. You can read my full review here.

After you get the flight booked, you get to start planning your trip! You’ll have to think about which island really calls to you. Each island is so different and while Oahu is often visited most because of Waikiki and the Pearl Harbor memorial. Many people will tell you the Big Island is totally overlooked and you should prioritize it in your plans. Kaui is known as the most beautiful (it’s where Jurassic Park was filmed) and Maui is definitely a chilled honeymoon spot. These are the four most popular and it’s usually best to pick just two on your first trip.

Try to use the money you saved on the flight to treat yourself to a surf lesson or book a touristy yet amazing luau even if just to eat the delicious buffet.

You can do a mix of pre-planned activities and finding your own adventure. For example, one day you might want to take equipment from the hotel to snorkel from the shore but another day you can splurge out on a catamaran tour to snorkel at a small nearby island. You don’t have to do tours for everything. With a rental car, you can go explore bamboo forests and find secret waterfalls all on your own. 

Visiting just a couple of islands means there’s always a great reason to come back!

You might just be rolling your eyes thinking “there is no way I can go”. Whether it’s money, time off of work, or family commitments, you’re more likely to find a reason to stay home than to go.

With my blog, I might be showing you MY travels, but the point of it all is that I strive to make YOUR travel dreams real, not just something you “pin for later” on Pinterest. Later may never come! I show you tools like Next Vacay and booking websites to save you money on car rentals and hotels so that you can do it now – not later.

I’m sure you all want to swim with turtles and eat shave ice under a rainbow (not an exaggeration; Hawaii has a bizarre amount of rainbows, ha!). Try to think outside of the box. Now that you know there is a flight to Hawaii cheaper than you imagined, what can you move around to make the trip work? Do you need a dog-sitter or babysitter? Maybe you can ask your family to help. Do you have some vacation time you have been avoiding taking for years? It’s time to take it!

Yes, we’re all busy and we all have bills – but my travels to Hawaii and beyond are things experiences I’ll remember for the lifetime and the some of the best money I’ve spent. One thing that brings ideas like this trip to Hawaii from my mind to reality is using Next Vacay – signing up for it two years ago brought me trips and experiences that I would have missed otherwise. Their cheap deals made my travels so much better (and more often).

So, Wait – What is Next Vacay?

I have been using Next Vacay for over two years. I reviewed them and it went viral – I get video messages sent to my inbox on Instagram thanking me for turning them onto Next Vacay. In my 4 years of blogging, I’ve never seen my readers react so positively to a brand and get this excited about travel deals. It’s been wild to watch Next Vacay grow, as I knew the brand when they first started out. In fact, I am the first blogger they ever worked with.
&nbsp

The main thing people ask before signing up is: “Is this real? It seems too good to be true.”. It’s real. It’s not too good to be true! It’s not a scam and there is no “hidden small print”. I can give you my word on that.

Let me sum up how Next Vacay works, don’t worry I’ll be quick!

You sign up with this link. You’ll get a month free trial, so you can cancel before your card is charged in that month. If you like it and keep it, you’ll pay their small fee of $25 which is for a whole year and input your closest airport and a couple of nearby ones. Then watch the emails come pouring in. I get a few a day as my airport is quite popular, but you might get a few a week. The prices listed are always a round-trip price. The email will tell you when and where you can get the deal and give you a link to click to book. You book through the link to a major airline site or Google Flights, not through Next Vacay.

The price for the membership doesn’t go up. It’s stayed the same price of $25 since I’ve been with them – and considering how popular they are, they could charge more but don’t which I appreciate as a member. They use their technology to find crazy cheap deals, only searching dates and destinations that make sense (not a two-day trip to Minnesota on a Tuesday in winter) and when one from your airport pops up, they email it to you.

The best part is that if you don’t find a deal you like in SIX months, you can cancel and get your money back. There’s literally nothing to lose. At the very least, you’ll get some travel inspiration in your inbox to keep your wanderlust alive.

For me, the best deals are ones from the USA to India, which is a flight I take a lot and they have saved me so much money finding deals on this. Rather than just reading my good deals, you can look at Next Vacay’s Facebook page to see the many users sharing the deals they’ve recently booked.

Ready for your dream trip? You can sign up for your free trial and plan it! Here are some other people’s reactions to Next Vacay so you can see what I mean:

Click here to get a free trial to next vacay

Pin these cheap flight to Hawaii deals for later (just hover over and the Pinterest logo will pop up for you to click it):

This post is in partnership with Next Vacay. I was paid for this post but only write about things I truly believe in. I have been a happy user of their services for over two years and not only love this company but think it’ll be the smartest $25 you spend toward travel this year!

The post Finally Cross Hawaii Off Your Bucket List With This $341 Round-Trip Flight first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Finally Cross Hawaii Off Your Bucket List With This $341 Round-Trip Flight appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

The following is a guest post from fellow travel bloggers who have done a RTW trip (round the world trip) and wanted to share about how much it costs and how you can do a year around the world, too.

How You Can Travel A Year Around The World

“How much does it cost?”

That’s the one question that comes up the most when discussing long-term travel.

Well, it depends on the countries you visit and the way you travel.

Are you going to Southeast Asia or the US?

Will you be sleeping in dorm rooms or fancy hotels?

These are decisions you need to make to be able to draw up a realistic budget.

Let me give you a real-life example: we, as a couple, traveled for a year around the world for $61,074. Yes, we tracked every single dollar.

Keep reading to find out if you could travel the world for $61,074 as well.

Note that these amounts are subject to fluctuations in exchange rates. It cost us $61,074 to travel around the world in 343 days for two people.

We traveled around the world in 343 days (from September 2015 to August 2016) for $61,074.04 to be precise. This includes every cent we spent during that short year of full-time travel around the world. Vaccinations, flights, gear, accommodation, food & drinks, activities, and so on. You can definitely do it for less, but you can splurge way more as well.

A year around the world for two people for $61,074 equals to $89 per person per day.

In Southeast Asia we stayed well below this average. In New Zealand, Australia, and the US it was the other way around.

These numbers include everything we did and brought with us on our one-year trip around the world. Notable exceptions: our laptops, cell phones, iPad, Kindles, and GoPro.

Here’s an elaborate list of everything that is included in this grand total of $61,074:

• All pre-travel expenses: Before you can even leave on a trip around the world, you’ll need to spend some money on vaccinations, travel insurance, and international travel documents like an international passport and driver’s license.
• All transportation: All flights and overland transportation like buses, trains, boats, taxis, tuk-tuks, cars, bicycles, motorbikes, and campervans. We used them all!
• All accommodation: We mostly stayed in hostels and motels, or on campsites in our rented campervan. Sometimes we stayed in an AirBnB apartment, and from time to time we splurged on a hotel as well.
• All gear: From our backpack to a headphone splitter, everything in terms of gear is included. Travel clothes and shoes, travel towels, a daypack, a good but compact camera, a mask and snorkel, a reusable water bottle, it’s all in there.
• All food and drinks: This includes the funds to satisfy our occasional Belgian beer cravings and some fast food here and there.
• All toiletries and other necessities: There are some things you (arguably) can’t go without, like deodorant, insect repellent, sunscreen, tampons (yes, I’m a woman), medication, haircuts, and laundry.
• All activities: Every entrance fee, day trip, tour, and even some gambling in Las Vegas is included. And we didn’t skip the expensive activities like scuba diving, bungy jumping and a ridiculous amount of theme parks either.
• All extra travel expenses on the road: Some of the things people often forget to take into account when drawing up a budget are visas, local SIM cards, paid WiFi, and ATM fees. It’s next to impossible to travel without these extra expenses.

Things that influence your RTW budget

When planning a trip around the world, it’s best to do your research about the cost of this amazing adventure ahead of you. You don’t want to be stuck somewhere without money, or have to return prematurely.

Make a realistic budget and stick to it.

While drawing up your budget, you need to think about the countries you want to visit and the way you want to travel. Here are some things that will influence your RTW travel budget.

The countries you visit

Asia is obviously cheaper than Australia, New Zealand, or the US. However, deciding to gradually make your way around the world, minimizing long distance travel, will keep your budget down too.

We spent 3 months in Southeast Asia, 3 months in Australia, 1 month in New Zealand, and 3 months in the US.

The food you eat

When you’re in Asia, it’s expensive to eat Western food, so stick to local food to keep your food budget down. Remember that food stalls are cheaper than restaurants, and alcohol can be crazy expensive. When you’re in Western countries, cook your own food to save some money.

We mostly ate local food in Southeast Asia, with the occasional splurge for a Western meal. While traveling Australia, New Zealand, and the US, we tried to keep eating out to a minimum and mostly cooked our own dinner.

The places you sleep

When you prefer the luxury of a private room in a fancy hotel over a dorm room in a hostel, you’ll obviously need to budget more for accommodation. Try alternatives like a campervan, AirBnB, or Couchsurfing if you’re up for it.

We mostly stayed in private rooms in hostels, and occasionally booked a hotel for a couple of nights. While traveling Australia and New Zealand, we rented a campervan and spent our nights on campsites. That’s transportation and accommodation in one!

The luggage you carry

Save money on flights (and yourself from a backache) by only bringing a carry-on on your travels. We did it, so it’s possible!

The mode of transport you use

Walking is obviously the cheapest way of getting around, but you can’t walk everywhere. Make use of public transport or Uber instead of taking a regular taxi or booking a tour or tourist bus. Maybe try renting a bicycle, motorbike, car, or campervan. That’s what we did!

The experiences you want

Many things in life are actually free. Why not go on a free walking tour instead of a sightseeing bus? Check out a free museum and take up geocaching as a hobby to find some lesser known gems, all by foot. That said, don’t be too stingy either. Bungy jumping and flyboarding in Queenstown was expensive as well, but we’ll never forget those experiences. Make sure to leave some room in your budget for those memories.

Things you should and shouldn’t take on your RTW trip

If we could do our round the world trip over, there’s only one thing I would change: the clothes I packed. Some pre-travel research showed that it’s best to bring travel clothes on your long-term trip. They dry quickly and don’t get smelly like regular clothes. Well, don’t!

Bring clothes you don’t mind wearing every day, on every occasion, for a year.

If your clothes get worn out, buy new ones on the road. They sell clothes everywhere, you know. There’s no need to hand wash them either. In Southeast Asia full-service laundry is crazy cheap. How about Australia, New Zealand, or the US, I hear you think. Well, we did our own laundry in coin-operated washing machines at the campsites or motels. Easy and cheap!

Brecht really loved his travel clothes though. I guess it’s different for men. We do recommend buying socks and underwear made from Merino wool or some similar fabric. They really aren’t as smelly as regular socks and underwear, and because they’re quick to dry, you can hand wash them when needed.

A couple of other often forgotten things we were glad to have brought on our round the world trip are [easyazon_link identifier=”B000HK1OOY” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Dr Bronner Magic Soap[/easyazon_link], a small first aid kit, and a reusable water bottle.

Record your journey

On a trip around the world you’ll see and do too many things to remember. Don’t let these great experiences go to waste, but write a journal or start a travel blog. It’s so much fun to look back on that awesome year through the stories and photos on our travel blog!

There’s just one thing I regret: not filming more. I get really jealous when seeing other people’s travel after movies. But between all the notes, photos, and Snapchats, I don’t think we could manage yet another way of recording our journey.

What do you think? Will you be able to beat us and spend less on your trip around the world? Don’t get too stingy though, or you’ll forget to enjoy your travels and miss out on some awesome adventures!

Interested in reading more about our journey and a full-blown analysis of where all our money went? Have a look at our website: Wandering the World!

Pin it for later:

The post A Year Around the World for $61,074: This is What We Learned first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post A Year Around the World for $61,074: This is What We Learned appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This is the question of the month:  ‘should I come to india with the demonetization’. I get asked this daily, so am addressing it here in the hopes to help you plan during these tourist issues with demonetization.

I wrote about the recent demonetization here in India on my This is India post when it happened, back on the 8th of November. Please read that to get an idea of what happened here. If you’re reading this, I assume you already know a bit about what happened.

Basically the Government announced with no warning they were taking away 500 and 1000 Rs. notes. That is like taking away $10 and $20 bills in the US (if 50’s and 100’s didn’t exist!).

They are the two biggest denominations. Bam, gone. 86% of the countries’ money taken out of circulation.

People freaked out. It didn’t seem real.

Why did they do it?

To fight “black money”. They thought people would have to put their money in accounts and then would HAVE to pay taxes on it.

They also thought that more than 50% of Indian currency is counterfeit, so they were taking it out of the system.

We were told we could go to exchange our money at the banks, but there were limits on how much each day. They said we could deposit it to bank accounts.

So many issues arose:

• Many people in India are illiterate, some have no birth certificates. They can’t open bank accounts. Most couldn’t even get to a bank.
• The bank lines were LONG. There are 1.3 BILLION people here and if all ATM’s were open, 200,000 ATM’s in the country. They guess only a quarter were open.
• New reports said people were dying in line. People were sleeping in line for DAYS according to the news.
• No one had change for the new 2,000 Rs note. With 500’s and 1000’s out of circulation, the next biggest note is 100 (just over a dollar) while 2,000 Rs. is about $50. Clearly an issue with change and people got scared and starting hoarding 100 Rs notes.
• The ATM’s needed recalibrated and were closed for days after the announcement. When they opened we could only take 2,000 Rs at a time. The lines were long and money ran out fast. Hours wait for just $30 dollars.
• People could only exchange a certain amount a day but were sending their staff to wait in lines to exchange more. Apparently they didn’t think of this, and so after a week announced they were going to start marking people with special ink to see if they’d already exchanged.
• Gangstas be Ganstas… they know ways around and everyone knew it. They were sending other people to exchange their money. It made the lines even longer. Let’s be honest their money is in real estate and gold anyways, unless it’s abroad.
• Tourists were stranded. People canceled trips. People went home. Tourists actually showed up at the Taj Mahal the day it happened with old notes and got turned away.
• In rural areas, people misunderstood and some even hung themselves according to the news.

So what HAS been happening here in India?

It’s all the news is talking about.

They said it would be sorted in a week and then the amount you could take out of the ATM would be upped to 4,000 Rs. per day. Guess what, it’s been over a month and that hasn’t happened.

It’s still 2,000 Rs and less than half the ATM’s in India are even recalibrated. Of the ones that are recalibrated, most aren’t open.

At the time it was announced, I thought wow this is crazy but if it works cool. But it’s a month later and no one seems to know what is going on.

Also, this is the land of bribes. So, all these people who had hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, hidden from the tax man, were screwed if they took it to the bank as during this time the % paid was increased to punish those that cheated.

Many have bribed bank officials to launder their money and take all their old notes for new. Every SINGLE DAY I see articles where police all over India are seizing huge amounts of money in new Indian 2,000 rs notes because they are bribing bank officials.

Gangsters are getting busted with the equivalent of 1 million USD in NEW notes. Their old money is worthless, so why not bribe? They’ve been raiding banks catching people.

So far they have seized 160 crore of NEW notes ($25,600,000 USD) in raids all together. These are just the people who have been caught.

People are protesting this.

In the cities, chaos ensued many times. Security guards fired shots in the air to calm people down. People were getting abused by guards. Videos of these are being shared all over Facebook.

Reports say it’s going to be months before things settle down. There isn’t enough cash at the RBI (reserve bank of India) according to some reports- but it’s hard to know what to believe and even the Government keeps changing the rules.

Apparently airport exchange centers had ran out of money, and many banks.

The new 2,000 Rs. note is too big which is why the ATM’s need recalibrated.

People are doing poojas to ATM machines.

Then came… a second announcement.

The Government said from the beginning you have until Dec 30th to exchange your old money. That made sense so people in the rural areas had time to get to a bank. Not to mention they may have had thousands in cash and you could only exchange so much each day, although you can deposit as much as you want. Some people can’t open accounts to deposit (and most banks are so busy they are telling people NO there is no time to open an account).

People rushed to the banks right away causing crazy long line. The PM announced asked people to please not rush to the banks and wait to help the lines shorten, saying you have until Dec. 30th… don’t rush!

Suddenly on 24th November the Government announced it was the LAST DAY to exchange money in a seriously confusing move since people were promised they had until the 30th Dec. Some were waiting patiently to exchange only to be left with old notes they were forced to deposit (but don’t have bank accounts). They did this hoping more people would open bank accounts and not just exchange.

Another scam started happening. Because they banks are SO overworked with people trying to open bank accounts they aren’t doing their research (or are being bribed not to). So, people with black money are opening an account under all fake credentials. There’s only a certain amount you can exchange each day but you can deposit as much as you like. They are then sending people each day to take out as much money as the limit allows in fresh new bills. They can get their money out before anyone notices the account was fake – therefore, not paying at tax on it. Axis Bank got busted with this when they found 44 fake accounts which were holding 100 crore together (15 million dollars) – but they can’t catch them all.

Announcement regarding tourists:

He also said that tourists can only exchange 5,000 Rs per week. That’s $73 dollars. You cannot travel India on $73 a week. They are taking passport details when you exchange, therefore you cannot lie around this.

picking up cashless hitchhikers is on another level these days! lol 

The situation now:

Bank officials are being over-worked. They are being threatened. People are acting crazy in some cities. No one knowns when it will settle. Indians with money and bank accounts are not really affected. In Goa we aren’t affected AS badly.

Those without bank accounts and the uneducated are seriously affected by this. There are reports of people saying they can’t feed their families or send money home to them (for those men who work in the cities but families stay back in the rural areas).

The ATM lines in cities are far worse than in rural areas like here in Goa where I live. Most of the chaos videos we see in the news are from big cities. The worst here was a 1 hour line I stood in at SBI in Mapusa about a week after the announcement. Guards made sure no one was cutting in line.

These days in Goa, you can stand in line just 15 minutes IF you can find a working ATM. Most are not working.

Tourist Issues with Demonetization

Western Union is not an option as no shops can full-fill your money order.

In Goa, they take card so it’s OKAY here for tourists BUT in most small towns, restaurants tourists go to, do NOT take cards.

You have to also keep in mind, if you keep paying with card you are getting a lot of bank charges.

The places that take card are usually more upscale so you’re going to spend more money than you thought.

ATM’s that have money are often in towns which means you’ll have to get a taxi to get to ATM’s sometimes. Plus the ATM charges up to 200 Rs ($3). You can only take out $35 so it’s a lot for that little of money.

I have seen many articles urging people to wait to come here to travel until next year. I have to agree that this is a HUGE blow to India’s tourism and it’s making it extremely difficult for foreigners, but you can still come this year!

Indians with bank accounts can draw out more money at the bank than the ATM allows. But foreigners need about 1,5000 Rs. a day. You’ll be in ATM lines every day while you’re traveling here. This is the reality. In one month nothing has changed or slowed down here. No ATM’s that were closed have opened back up.

Many people have emailed me saying that Thomas Cook doesn’t have money to exchange. Mumbai airport didn’t have a working ATM when my friend came through 2 weeks ago. Money exchanges are saying they can’t take foreign currency.

What you can do to help make this work if you travel here this year:

• Bring USD or UK pounds. Some shops will accept these and try to change them when all this settles.
• Don’t exchange with the money men ripping people off giving horrible rates. You need to download a currency converter app.
• Be aware what the new 500 note looks like and DO NOT take old money as change. People are still trying to give tourists old notes. They are worthless for tourists.
• US citizens can order Rs. from banks in America. You will have to get 100 Rs notes and smaller ONLY. They won’t have new 500’s or 1000’s and the old money is worthless.
• Sign up to Cleartrip.com to book all flights, train tickets, and hotels. Use redbus.in to book buses. You have to sync foreign cards. Do this ahead of your trip.
• When you fly into India try to exchange as much money as you can (5,000 is the limit per week, no way around it). Go to multiple counters if they only have 2,000 at one counter. According to reports the airports have RUN DRY but give it a try.
• Hit up every ATM on top of that, while at the airport. You’ll need money just for the taxi even to leave the airport.
• At any ATM you can use your card more than once. Yeah, you might piss people off. If there are guards, they’ll stop you.
• You can set up a Western Union account. From there you can send money to people’s bank accounts in India.  I have been paying as many people as I can this way.
• In big cities you can use Uber – but this isn’t everywhere.
• If a place says they take cards, double-check they take international cards. If they don’t you’re in a pickle if you’ve already used their service and your card doesn’t work.
• For more tips and resources check out Mariellen’s thorough post on this situation.
• Check out Anna’s post for even more tips on this situation. Hers is older, but there are some updates added at the bottom.

Overall, if it’s a question of should you come.. definitely!

You’re going to be annoyed by this situation.

You’re going to probably spend more money since places that take card are generally more expensive. You’ll also have to book hotels online so that means no negotiating price.

It’s going to add a headache on top of being in a country that is already difficult to travel and there is no easy fix I have to admit.

The best thing you can do is always be looking for ATM’s with small lines and taking out money every chance you get.

If you meet someone with an NRE (foreigners who live in India and have accounts) account, have them take out up to 20,000 Rs. NRE accounts don’t get taxes up to 20,000.  I know this isn’t going to work for most tourists. You have to trust the person!

So you have the run-down now. I’m sorry to say that all I can do is prepare you for what’s going on. India’s tourist season ends in March and I think these problems will end around that time too. If they didn’t do this during tourist season, it would have been in the hot months and people really would have suffered in the lines, so I think it had to be done this time of year.

India and many Indians feel this had to be done to curb the black money problem. We are only visitors here, so have to try our best to accept it and move on. I can’t imagine running a country with this many people in it so obviously I don’t know anything about how it “should have been done”. What I do know is they have made many changes from the original announcement and it is not going as smoothly as it was explained it would. So, we can expect that this will take months and just be the way it is until more new money is in circulation. We can hope that this does good for the country.

The post Ask Me Anything: Should I Come to India With the Recent Demonetization Money Issues? first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Ask Me Anything: Should I Come to India With the Recent Demonetization Money Issues? appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I reached out to all my favorite bloggers to see what their BEST tips for saving money while traveling. I wanted to know what their swore by, whether it was a website or a travel product. Some of these bloggers have been traveling for 10 years and have expert knowledge on the subject. I hope these money saving travel hacks will help you out.

Want to start your own travel blog? Sign up with Siteground. I used godaddy in the past and it wasn’t a company I can recommend. My new host has been amazing so far!

BEST Tips for Saving Money While Traveling

Do as the locals do

To save money, I tend to ask the locals where they eat, or how they get around. If there’s a truly local restaurant, I eat there too or if there’s a local bus rather than a tourist bus, that’s what I take. The locals, especially in developing countries where there is a big difference between tourist prices and local prices, are the key to traveling cheaply, and authentically! -Kristin, Be My Travel Muse (Kristin also has an ebook for girls traveling solo)

Get creative with layovers

I like to get creative when booking my flights. If you are strategic, you can get free, extended stopovers! I like to research multi-leg flights to see where I can go without having to pay extra. For example a roundtrip flight from LA to Cancun might have a 1 hour layover in Miami as part of the trip. Try searching for a multi leg flight, flying from LA into Miami, then a few days later flying from Miami to Cancun, then instead of returning directly to LA, you can try adding a leg from Cancun to Mexico City, then Mexico City to LA. This strategy works all over the world and often you won’t have to pay any difference in fare since those stops are considered layovers. I’ve been able to book month-long trips with multiple destinations using this method! -Kiersten, The Blonde Abroad

Choose your destination wisely

I usually find that if you travel and live the way the locals do then travel really doesn’t have to be expensive – actually I find it’s much more affordable than maintaining a comfortable lifestyle back home. You really don’t need much money to travel. Firstly, when traveling on a budget I make sure that I am traveling in one of the world’s cheapest destinations. I stay in local homestays or guest houses ( don’t book online – I often get a much cheaper deal just by turning up and asking around – the cheap places are not listed on online yet).

Instead of taking AC tourist buses and taxis I hop on the local bus for a fraction of the price, and instead of eating western food in fancy restaurants I eat street food or go to places where local people eat. By traveling like a local I can get survive on less than $15 a day in places like India and South East Asia, plus I get a better insight into the local life! – Anna, Global Gallivanting

Work abroad

Think outside the box with lodging

Try this arrival routine

We go with unofficial taxi drivers, we get in a rickshaw when the hotel is just a few blocks away, we end up exchanging money at a terrible rate because some ‘helpful’ person in the airport lead us to some sketchy money exchange booth while we were exhausted and confused after a 12 hour flight.

If we just stop and sit for 20 minutes, we can collect ourselves, relax and figure out how the official taxi system works, how much things should cost, who to avoid and more. This can be done online or by simply looking around and figuring out the signs or even asking the waitstaff or police officers or any trustworthy person for assistance. Then, once the 20 minutes are up and we feel more confident in our surroundings and how to reach our accommodation, we can proceed knowing that we won’t get ripped off or make any bad decisions that might lead to a rough start to our trip.” Derek, Wandering Earl

Try this important planning technique

I find this way of budgeting way more rewarding than simply trying to spend as little as possible on everything – I guess I’m more of a save hard spend hard kind of girl, ha. In fact, my focus on priorities helped me to save $44,000 in two years while living in Japan (you can read the full story of how I saved the money here. – Silvia, Heart My Backpack

Use the kitchen for TWO reasons

Experience over meals

Our biggest money saving tip is to find the accommodation that has a kitchen or at least has a fridge where you can eat meals in. We find that the majority of our budget seems to go on eating out. Once you order a bottle of wine, appetizers and dessert the bill can easily reach $200. Going to the supermarket to buy wine, cheese, bread and meats can save you a lot.

Pack a picnic snack for lunch and find a nice spot in a park or by a river to eat your meals. There are many creative ways to save money on food. Instead of blowing your budget on fancy meals, save it to out towards adventures and experience. -Dave and Deb, the Planet D

Go Slow

Travelling slowly is an amazing way to not only save money, but to really integrate yourself into the places that you visit. You’ll save money due to not having to pay for transport as often, but also because you’ll save on accommodation. The longer you stay, the cheaper your hostel / hotel / apartment will be.

Our second tip is to eat locally. Always go for the traditional food, and eat where the locals eat. Not only is the locally sourced food the cheapest option, but more often than not, it’s the tastiest! Nick & Dariece, Goats on the Road

Don’t pay for transportation

Try hitch hiking – it will save you money and it’s exciting. Jonathan and I tried it many time in South East Asia and Latin America. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s understandable to think that it’s dangerous, but in reality most people out there are good, you just need to use your common sense and trust your instinct. If you’re still unsure, then you can try ride sharing, where people with cars advertise the route they’ll be driving and try to find travel buddies to join them and share the expenses. It can be a great way to meet cool new people and to travel in a bit of extra style. Kach & Jonathan, Two Monkeys Travel

Don’t say no to an invitation

While I may not be the best person to ask about saving money while traveling (because I’m all for spending money on experiences and food rather than pinching pennies and cooking in a hostel), there are a couple of things I like to do. One is having a good site for searching flights. I met a guy while I was traveling around Easter Island who was on the road for 2+ years. He found all his flights on www.momondo.com, and I have since started using that site, at least for a starting point in flight research. Another thing I do is take advantage of invitations from international friends. The more you travel, the more you are likely to meet people overseas who will invite you to visit them in their home countries. I have used these invitations to stay with locals in Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, Denmark, Korea, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Italy, Spain and Hong Kong, just to name a few. (Shout out to Rachel for being a super fun host in Goa!) While visiting those friends, don’t forget to buy your hosts a nice bottle of wine or make them dinner or even bring a special gift from home. And of course, insist they come visit you once you’re home (or elsewhere in the world) so you can really return the favour! The guy I met on Easter Island made a stop in my hometown after we spent several days whipping around the island together. I was happy to show him around, and maybe one day I’ll make the trek to see him in Japan where he has settled. Colleen, Colleen Brynn Travels

Think ‘working holiday’

My biggest money saving hack for travel I’ve followed now for almost 20 years is to make it a working holiday! You don’t have to save as much to begin with and you can explore your new country while earning money! My strategy was to work in expensive countries, like England and the US, explore those regions while earning the local currency, and then travel long-term in less expensive countries, like Africa and South East Asia. My money went further and I could travel longer in between jobs. I now follow the same strategy, except this time I have my own digital business so no longer have to rely on working holiday visas. Caz and Craig, Y Travel

Choose less places to stop

My tip is something I really stick by when I travel- to pick less cities on my itinerary. When I first went to India I had about 3 places per state to see, while Lonely Planet says 7-10 are amazing. Once you narrow it down to the ones that really appeal to you (with a lot of research) you will be able to have a much better trip. Transportation costs are some of the biggest expenses on a trip, so if you stay put in each place longer, you’ll spend less on trains and flights.

As a bonus, you’ll be more relaxed and by getting to know a few select cities in depth, you’ll feel like you know the state or country better in the end. I’d also like to add that if you choose less stops on your itinerary it’s easier to plan and to think ahead for each place in terms of an affordable hotel and activities to do. When you rush, you end up somewhere with no hotel booked and spend more than you intend. Rachel, Hippie in Heels (had to add myself here!)

 Pin it!

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

The post Travel Bloggers BEST Tips for Saving Money While Traveling first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Travel Bloggers BEST Tips for Saving Money While Traveling appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Guys… I took a travel money belt to Europe when I was 19. We left the airport and got into downtown London and I needed to buy a water. I was way too embarrassed to pull out my travel money belt so went to the bathroom, took everything out I needed from it, and tossed it. Personally, I think travel money belts are so over the top and unnecessary and there are plenty of ways to manage your money abroad without one!

Let’s be honest, they are super dorky. But so are headlamps, and I love those! So, this is not just about looking cool it’s about just treating travel like every day life. If you rocked up to London and were couchsurfing like me, your host would carry a wallet like a normal person – why does your $100 need to be on your belly button hidden away?

Also, you should be carrying so much money/cards on your person that it would need to be hiding it, unless you are a drug smuggler but I think these days they swallow it and poop it out. Please guys, don’t swallow your money and poop it out.

Let me tell you how to handle your money without it being such a big deal!

More on money and travel:

• 9 tips to save money towards travel
• 13 ways to spend less money WHILE traveling
• 12 ways to travel the world for FREE
• 14 tips for EARNING money abroad

Choose the right bank

First of all, the very best thing I did was get a debit card that does NOT charge me for ATM withdraws or currency conversion fees. This is great even back in the US because I can go to the gas station and withdraw from an ATM that charges $3 and know that my bank is going to give me that $3 back. At the end of each money I get the money returned and when I’m abroad, which is always, the amount is usually around $40.00 which is a great savings.

Why is this so helpful? Because before I had this, I used to draw out the max of $200 so that I was withdrawing less. My old bank charged around $7 per transaction abroad. I didn’t like carrying $200 around with me. Because now I can withdraw without a fee, I can take out $50 at a time if I want to.

The bank I use is Charles Schwab. I’m obsessed with it. It’s actually a brokerage account but they offer checking linked to it as well. I get huge monthly envelopes about trading stocks and stuff, I’m like guys, you can see my bank balance, you know I’m not ready to buy stocks!

Capital One is another bank that I’ve heard doesn’t charge foreign ATM fees.

For UK folks, HSBC is the way to go from what I’ve read!

Tell your bank you’re leaving

You’ve got to let them know or they will see a foreign transaction as fraud. My old bank blocked my card when I was in the US trying to shop online from UK, but totally looked the other way when I didn’t tell them I was in Mexico and withdrew $400 in one day. Not cool! You want a bank that will help you out! PS I’m not affiliated with Charles Schwab, I just like them.

You should also make sure you:

• Know your PIN code for the ATM (especially if you are taking a backup card you don’t use often).
• Make sure the cards you are taking won’t expire.
• Make sure your online banking is set up and working.

Take backups

When I travel, I take my primary ATM card. I take another debit card that is to my home bank and has extra saving money in it. It is connected to my parents since it was set up when I was 15 and if I was in an emergency and my kidnappers were like give us 20,000 now or die, my parents would put money in that account and I could withdraw it. Although FYI kidnappers, we don’t have that kind of cash so don’t bother, you’ll be stuck with me!

I also take an emergency credit card which I have actually never had to use. If you’re traveling a lot I recommend you get into travel hacking and use a credit card that will earn you points. I really should be doing this *sigh, add it to the list! Here’s a guide to the best travel hacking credit cards.

Now, about the cash

I don’t take money with me in the currency of the place I am going. There is always an ATM at arrivals at the airport. If you have a debit card that doesn’t charge fees, this is the best rate you’ll get for money exchange. I take out around $100 at a time unless I know I have a $75 taxi ride, then I”ll take out $175.

• Do NOT use the money exchangers at the airport
• DO take out less money at a time near the end of your trip so you aren’t stuck with a lot of the currency of the country you are leaving.
• If you are stuck with it, DO spend it on luxurious duty-free face creams instead of handing it over to the money-grubbing exchange counters!
• FYI the duty-free in many airports is still way higher than Sephora, but still I like to spend it rather than exchange because you lose so much on the exchange.
• If you must exchange money DO know the value. You can download an app like XEcurreny for that. You can use this offline. It updates the values when on WiFi and saves them.

How to carry the cash

As stated above, I am firmly against money belts. I carry mine (shocker alert) in a wallet, in a purse. I normal wallet… and a normal purse. I do keep my purse close to me at all times, and I choose a purse that has a zipper (unless it’s really cute and I just risk it…). I love thick leather Fossil bags. I’m pretty sure they’re too durable to be “slashed” by those guys who drive by on motorbikes you hear of in the news.

• Don’t carry everything! Keep only one ATM card on you.
• Keep extra cards in your luggage locked in your room or your rooms’ safe. To be honest, I’ve never used a hotel safe myself.
• Keep extra $50 (in US dollars) in cash in your luggage for emergencies. Most places in the world will accept USD in the case of an emergency.
• I keep my passport in my luggage in my room while I am out. I only carry it on me when I am going to the airport.

Bonus tips

• If your card does expire, go ahead and have whoever can access the new card at your permanent home (they are sent out automatically to your address on file) activate it. You can use it for all online purchases and start to use your back up debit card at ATMs.
• If you think your card is stolen then of course cancel it. They can’t send you a new one abroad though. This is where Western Union is great. One time Ben lost his debit card for a year and send money to himself via WU because we couldn’t get a new card to India. Go ahead and have someone activate a new card for you back home and you can send money to yourself. If you can’t get to your new card, you can do a bank transfer so you don’t have to use the card. A bank transfer is not instant like a card one and you may wait 1-3 days.
• Have money in your Paypal, which you can use to buy something online if you need a flight or train ticket and have just lots your cards.
• Write down the phone numbers of the “lost or stolen” number for your banks. They are on the back of the cards which does you no good when the card is missing. You can search online as well, but best to just have it. I keep a document saved in my email drafts with my bank contact information as well.
• For more information on paperwork to prepare for travel check out this link.
• Get travel insurance!! So important guys! World Nomads Travel Insurance is what I use.
• Visa seems to be accepted everywhere, and Mastercard some places, but American Express isn’t accepted as many places (in my opinion).
• Travelers checks… who even knows what these are anymore… I don’t!
• Not from the US? Check out this post about UK banks that are great for travel.
• Lastly, keep track of what you’re spending and keep a budget while you travel. I wrote about my $20 a day budget in India and how I stuck to it.

Overall, it doesn’t have to be as scary or as big of a deal as you think. If you lose your card don’t panic. You can imagine it happens to travelers a lot and guess what, your bank will help you out through it. You won’t be alone!

Pin it:

The post You Don’t Need a Travel Money Belt: How to Manage Your Money While Traveling first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post You Don’t Need a Travel Money Belt: How to Manage Your Money While Traveling appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I have been meaning to write a post about how to make money from travel blogging for a while. Other than “what do you do all day” (asked with a tone of “I bet nothing”) and questions about coming to Goa, another question I get asked from soon to be bloggers or readers, is how do you make money from travel blogging? how do you get paid to travel? and how can I make money traveling?

• 14 ways to make money while you travel (only one is travel blogging!)

Although, I could live in India off my blog alone, I couldn’t afford to live in say, Hawaii. Last year I also made spending money from ISLA candles and thai yoga massage, but blogging is my main source of income. Lots of people ask if I do my taxes (why they ask I don’t know…), but yes I do taxes! Bloggers from the US that live abroad still have to pay dollas to the US. I do mine with H&R Block India who specialize in expat taxes.

So, I wrote last year on my ONE year blogging anniversary (eww that sounds so lame) what it was like blogging and gave a few tips, but really just rambled per usual.

Now, it’s been TWO years I’ve had this crazy blog. So, this year I wanted to share the answers of how I make money. Basically, if you weren’t reading this, I wouldn’t make money at all! So thank you! I love writing this blog but it’s a lot of work, so I hope you don’t hate me for wanting to cash out sometimes.

How to get paid to travel… it’s not so easy!

There are SO many good posts to explain how to make money travel blogging, and they’ll probably be way more organized than mine and make less spelling errors, but since I get asked about this- I’m going to answer. Bear with me! and THANK YOU for reading (some of you for the whole two years, crazy!!) I’ll link to some other bloggers articles below.

how to make money from travel blogging

The first thing to know is that it can’t happen overnight, but it CAN happen if you work really hard at it. Blogs that make money have usually built up quality content over a year before they start making money, sometimes 6 months if they are working extra hard. Another thing to know is that in general travel blogging makes way less money than fashion or beauty bloggers, so if you want to make money blogging but don’t care about what type of blogging, maybe choose another thing you love.

A few things the blog needs to succeed:

1) engaged readers who trust you… you already knew that I’m sure ;) I find that just talking on my blog the way I do in person works best and the articles where I *attempt to be funny usually get the most reads. I don’t consider myself a great writer, so just try to type like I’m talking to a friend. You have to find what works for you.

2) self hosted site. I used to use godaddy and it was terrible. I switched to siteground and love it. My site started running faster, it was cheaper, and they back everything up for me fo free. I have renewed with them for the next two years. They are great if you have decent traffic already. If you want the cheapest option ever, go with Bluehost who are way better than Godaddy. This link will give you 2.95/month with Bluehost.

3) a niche, brand, and unique blog name… know “something” well. For me that is travel to India, Goa, luxury/girly travel. You might fall into a niche later you weren’t even expecting. If you are new to blogging, you can take a course to have a little shortcut on everything. I recommend Nomadic Matts super star blogging course.

4) social media followers… you can’t avoid SM as a blogger. People have written hundreds of posts on this, so I’m not going to go into it. But just google social media for travel bloggers and you’ll see.

5) Unique, fun content uploaded at a regular schedule. I started out posting 6x a week, then took it down to 5x but wish I was only posting 3x per week. I just have too much content that piles up.

6. A site that is easy to look at. I think this is more important than people want to think. A pretty site makes people want to stay on it. A messy site will have people clicking away. My blog is built on the Avada theme.

7) a media kit (blogging resume) to show off how great your blog is.

8) a product I have an ebook with five years of knowledge of Goa called the Insider’s Guide to Goa. Click here to buy it if you’re coming to Goa. Having an ebook is good passive income while also helping people. Win-win.

Another thing to note is that some bloggers post 1x a MONTH, promote like crazy, and make the same amount of money as someone who posts daily. Some people get all their traffic from Pinterest, and some people kick ass at SEO and get theirs organically from Google even though they don’t understand SEO (aka me). Some people make money just off social media, and some people with huge numbers of followers make hardly any money. Some people make nothing on affiliates, while others make 200 bucks a day. It’s different for everyone and learning the in’s and out’s of making money blogging really just takes trial and error. There are loads of articles about how other bloggers make money.

• How we make money travel blogging by YTravel
• So you want to be a travel blogger by Young Adventuress
• This is how I get paid to travel the world by Expert Vegabond
• How to find success & make money from a travel blog by BreatheDreamGo

Does traffic matter?

Some will say it doesn’t… but in my experience, as traffic goes up so do opportunities which means, so does money. Of course this blog isn’t all about making money, but if you’re going into travel blogging as a possible career, you’ll want to have monetizing on the brain. At about a year in, I had 65,000 page views monthly and now at year 2 (ah, I’ve had this blog 2 years!) I have about 130,000 page views. Hippie in Heels was in the top 50 travel blogs in the world, but has dropped off in the last quarter (hoping to get back on the list).

Some top bloggers (as in very well-known) have less than 20,000 page views but make WAY more money than I do, so it doesn’t necessarily matter.

Where the traffic comes from matters. My blog is about “glamorous travel” (which I completely made up) or travel in India but my readers are mostly American by a long shot, then Indian, UK, and AUS. If I had only Indian readers because I write about India, that would limit brands targeting foreigners coming to India. It’s important to have a business mindset and keep balance on a site with a smaller niche.

Ok so…. how I make money travel blogging

1. Traveling (press trips/campaigns)

This is the best way to make money blogging but will not happen first, it will most likely be the last type of income you get. This is where you are paid a per diem for going on a press trip. Often times, press trips take 20 bloggers at once, don’t pay and you get your airfare, hotels, and food (well everything) included in exchange for coverage of the trip on your blog. You have the freedom to write anything you want. But, if you are going on a trip within your niche and have a loyal readership, you should be paid a fair rate and discuss how to personalize the trip for your readers. To be transparent, an example of this is my trip with Bandung tourism where I was paid a per diem + the trip for 4 days covered and in return I was meant to write 2 articles. I wrote 3 because Bandung was amazing & I still continue to share about it on social media.

2. Sponsored posts/reviews

If a company contacts me asking if I will tell you guys (readers) about their amazing product, I check out the product and see if it’s cool. Usually, they send it to me and I try it out then decide if I’ll write about it. 90% of emails asking for reviews or mentions of their company go in the trash folder (I mean, do you want me to review swimming goggles, because that was today’s lol) but some are amazing so I share about them. An example of this would be Pinrose or GlobeIn. Usually when a company asks me to do a review, I ask them to give the product to a reader as well. It doesn’t cost them too much to do that, and it is a present for you guys!

I would guess over 90% (maybe even 95%) of my posts are just written by me, promoting no companies, and just giving travel tips. I only work with companies I love and I always say I was paid by them for the post. It’s fun to work with companies like a tour I’ve taken or fashion designers I love and am happy to share with you guys. In fact, most companies I work with, I have reached out to myself and asked them.

3. Ambassadorship

This is my second favorite way after travel to make money on the blog. This is where I work with a company I love (usually I’ve pitched and asked them to work with me) and we set up ways to promote for a specified fee. Usually on my end that means an article about them, a sidebar ad, and x amount of social media posts. Recently, I did a big campaign with Trover. Clinique has yet to get back to me about working together ;) haha. It’s important to be honest when you do a review.

After I worked with goMowgli last year, I wrote a review where I said the Pro’s and Con’s. I loved the company but wanted to share about it like I would to a friend and even when you love something there can be “cons”. They are my favorite company here in India, and after going on a trip with them last year, than invited me back this year (as well as any of my readers at cost value aka they make no money on it) which is great because you’re building a relationship with a company you really trust and feel good about promoting. Then, it’s not work.

4. Social media

Some people don’t even have blogs but are “social media stars” and make a killing on Instagram! I met some on my trip to Bandung actually. With my twitter, Instragram, and Facebook combined I have over 40,000 followers. This number is good for blogging, but actually not that good compared to the big shots. It means I can promote companies through social media, and sometimes not even mention them on my blog. This can work for a product where they want me to photograph it and link to their page. I charge less for this, so it’s good for companies that don’t have a large budget & I love doing fun shots for Instagram.

Below is a collage I made for an article on beachy things I love & and the images are from those companies websites. Whether they sell sunscreen or shampoo, they know what works on Instagram (which includes pineapples & bums more often than not). You have to figure out what works for yours. Usually an IG has a theme. By the way, I wasn’t paid by those companies just loved their stuff in Hawaii so wrote about it.

You can sign up for sites like socialpubli to earn money by tweeting and Instagramming things they want promoted. So far, I have done just 3 projects but it was easy cash.

5. Affiliates

I am signed up for Amazon Affiliates and when I talk about my favorite new makeup or what travel products I use, I often link to Amazon. If someone wants to buy the product, I get a small commission at no extra cost to them. This isn’t a huge income, but is a little cushion each month. I also have affiliates though commission junction for flights and hotel bookings, and while these make me almost nothing (because I don’t know how to best utilize them), they make some people huge amounts each day.

Update: I recently signed up for Affiliate Window and am making decent affiliates from their Etsy and Agoda programs. So, will probably try to switch everything over to here.

I’m a siteground affiliate, so that link up there was a commission link. The SocialPubli link was also an affiliate link! Normally, I would state that at the bottom of the post, but I’m saying it now so won’t.

6. Ads

I take side bar ads for companies I like and actually charge less for ad space for a month than a sponsored post. I also use ads from google adsense and Sovrn; there are two in my side bar and one at the bottom of the page. Similar to the affiliates, these are a passive income. Some bloggers are really good about reaching out and selling ad space, but I am not one of them.

7. Travel planning

I love travel planning for India! If you email me asking a questions and 90% of the time I just answer it. But if you ask every single question known to man about India and want help booking, I will tell you I charge for travel planning. I talk with people over Skype, get an idea of what they want, and send them an itinerary.

8. Freelance writing

Writing for other websites is a fun way to make extra cash. If I had more patience I would email pitches to travel websites, but I really only do freelance if the company reaches out to me. Recent partners are Bindi and Jeans  & Happy Trips. My newest job is writing for a TV channel, but I don’t want to say which one and jinx it! I try to share these in my Friday Roundups before the “This is India” stories.

9. Related text links (sort of)

This used to be the #1 way to make money blogging and was so easy (just add a random link to the blog post, even if it has nothing to do with the post). Then Google said it was illegal and bloggers stopped doing it. You can do it now and it’s legal if they are “nofollow” as in they won’t be tracked by Google (I know, it sounds confusing). I might do one of these 3x a year if they offer a lot of money and I always say at the bottom that there’s a link in the post to __ company and I was paid for it. It’s really too easy of money to pass up on and when you write 5 posts a week for free, it’s nice to make a little cash for a link.

10. Consulting

I help companies who are new and unsure how to utilize social media get started. I do this mostly in Goa, in person, and teach them how to use social media. I also may help with content creation for their websites, or even run their IG and FB pages.

I want to get started on Fiverr making Pinterest images for people and such, but haven’t yet. I do buy things on there from people and love it. There are so many talented graphic designers on there. I’m also getting in SEO and would love to take some classes on it and start helping people with that.

So, that’s it! Blogging doesn’t seem like a real job to a lot of people, but it does bring in the cash and could be a viable option for you. Just know, it’s a LOT of work and you will work hard for maybe a year or more before you start making money.

It also costs money to pay for hosting (I recently switched because my site was getting too much traffic for my old host to handle) and other things that will pop up, for example I just paid someone to optimize my site to run faster so people can read it easier. I also just bought a Mac book Pro with extra RAM, space, and processing speed which is not something I would have spent money on if I wasn’t blogging.

There are more ways to make money on blogging and ebooks seem to be a great way to make money passively. I’d love to write one about Goa as I know it inside and out, but you’ll see once you start blogging that you’ll have a list a mile long of things you know you should do but just can’t find the time.

I answer about 60 emails a day. That takes a lot of time, and it’s time you aren’t paid for… just like writing and editing photos… but you are building a relationship with your readers which is why companies will want to work with you. You have to keep your readers as the #1 priority and that means always telling them when you’re getting paid to share about something, even if you love the company. I would never say it’s too hard to start a blog, but I will say if you’re thinking about it, do it now and do lots of research before so you get it right the first time!

So, these are some of the ways to make money from travel blogging, or “how to get paid to travel”.  Do you want to start a blog? Do you have one and have more tips to share? Tell us!

The post How I Make Money from Travel Blogging AKA What IS My job? first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post How I Make Money from Travel Blogging AKA What IS My job? appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

You can make money while you travel and actually earn money. I recommend starting out with a bit of savings & making sure to stick to your budget, while also seeking out free options for travel, then you can start to travel and make money at the same time. Read more on these first:

• 9 tips to save money for travel
• 13 ways to save money while you travel
• 12 ways to start traveling with little to no money

Then, once you’ve figured out how to travel on the cheap you can use these tips to start making money so you can enjoy your journey even more.

How to Make Money While You Travel

1. Teach a class

This is one of the best ways to earn money while you travel. What are you good at? Yoga? Painting? Ask hostels if you can teach for a small amount to their guests. In Goa especially there are a lot of girls teaching yoga. Some people here who are good at working out starting teaching fitness classes. A place in Goa called Vaayu hosts “artists in residence”.

2. Do dishes or whatever work a hostel needs

I’ve done this at a hostel in order to stay for free or for a small amount of cash. It’s maybe only a 10 dollar perk, but sometimes exchanges like this work out well for a budget traveler.

3. Teaching english

It seems like half the other travel bloggers out there got started by teaching english abroad after college. It’s a high paying gig and some bloggers have saved thousands. You don’t have to be a blogger of course, but they are the ones documenting this. Try TESOL or TEFL certification. Many do this in South Korea. I considered it in India and would if there was a need in Goa but there really isn’t. Again, you have to invest a little money into the class. This article claims you can earn 300,000 USD in 5 years and another shows you the top 5 countries to make money teaching English: Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Gulf Arab States. This is the best way to start out earning money while traveling if you want to become a travel blogger.

4. Start a new small “business”

From the massage I do, to making candles, or my website, there are many ways to try to become an entrepreneur. Some may make you a lot and some may make you beer money. What sounds fun to you? If you can travel slow (which saves money in the long run), then get crafty. I’ve seen some people make bracelets, draw, paint nails, etc at markets to learn a little cash on the side. Goa is full of foreigners making and selling jewelry. You can even try starting a website and earn from ads or affiliate sales. If you’re thinking “I don’t know how to start a website”, well neither did I before I started this one by googling “how to start a travel blog”.

5. Learn a new skill

I leaned Thai massage & make a decent amount of money from this. Thai massage is a clothed massage on a yoga mat and I can do it anywhere. Although I was busy with it this season, I am not interested in growing this much and don’t even advertise anymore… but if I wanted to do this just for friends I meet when I travel for a little extra cash I could.

6. Work on a yacht

You can be the help on a yacht. From what I read it’s hard work, but you sure will get to see a lot. Here is an blog of a girl who does just this: Little Mermaid at Sea by a chick called Arielle (really!). You can also apply for jobs on cruise ships. This is an awesome way to get paid to travel and is one of the best travel the world jobs!

7. Pass out fliers

I’ve seen this like crazy in Thailand with kids passing them out for clubs or adventure activities. They’ll be paid for this and also get a free place to stay at the hostel in most instances. Some college kids do this and stay on the islands their whole summer.

8. Working on farms

Using sites like WWOOF help you find farms in exchange for a free place to stay. In Australia, you can apply for a working visa and make minimum wage (which is high there) for working on farms. Check out their official website. There are places in the US you can even cut weed legally for cash!

9. Become a tour guide

I just saw an ad yesterday for a company I love and write about, gomowgli, who is hiring tour guides and promoting it as traveling India for free. You can search out on Google for a position like this. Believe it or not, there are many. Jessica from Curiosity Travels is starting one as a guide in the US with Peak Adventure Travel. Cities that offer free walking tours need people to lead those tours. In big cities in Europe, you can even lead bar crawls and earn from tips on top- I met a girl years ago I introduced to you in this post who leads tours now and loves it. Below were my goMowgli guides!

10. Bartending

My friend Megan bartended at a hostel in Medellin and stayed for ages! It can be the perfect gig. I know places in Goa that hire every season and in places like some Thai islands, you don’t always need the proper paperwork (as in they will look the other way).

11. Become an Au Pair

One of my favorite bloggers, Ashley Abroad, started a whole website about Au Pairing so start out with some of her tips and you’ll be living somewhere cool with a family, learning local traditions, and earning a good income.

12. Become a flight attendant

I think it probably sounds more luxurious that it really is, but I know a few girls who do this and they get to stay in cities (on the cost of the airline) in nice hotels for a few days between flights. As you know, I think reading blogs is a great way to get inside scoop, so here’s a blogger that writes about the Flight Attendant Life.

13. Use your degree if you have one

Maybe you can do business abroad, or you can use that hospitality major to work in the Taj Hotel or the Alila in Bali! You might be able to do nursing abroad, PR, and IT. If you’re not in college yet, consider majoring in something that will allow you to travel!

14. Work online

This can be hard, but many do it. You can take jobs on websites like elance  or fiverr writing someone’s resume, editing papers, doing web design, and so much more. Once girl wrote about doing modeling on one! You can even start your own website as a portfolio for more work. It doesn’t have to be about travel- it can be fashion, or really specific about your love for nail polish designs. You’d be surprised what types of websites are really popular. Are you a vegan traveler, gluten free, traveling with diabetes, traveling with your 90 year old grandma – or whatever that makes your trip different – is something you can write about that SOMEONE out there will relate to. Become an authority on it. Many bloggers use sites like that and redirect them to another site which makes them money. For example a travel blogger may direct to another site which does tours, or an artist may redirect to hiring her digital design.

Another way you can make money (sort of) online to travel for free is through airbnb. Anyone can become an affiliate like I am. Basically,use this airbnb link to book, receive $20 off you first booking, and get your friends to sign up through YOUR link to get $20 each time they do. You get the money in airbnb credit and can get a nice hotel for free!

remember to read these as well: 9 tips for saving money for travel, & how to stay on budget

Combine these tips so you can stay on the road longer!

The post 14 Ways to Earn Abroad | How to Make Money While You Travel first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 14 Ways to Earn Abroad | How to Make Money While You Travel appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

When you are planning a trip abroad or in your own country, each step is important to make sure you save the most amount of money. Once you’re on the road it doesn’t become a free for all; you still have to manage your expenses so you don’t end up going home earlier than you want to.

13 Tips on how to Save Money While Traveling

1. Take Longer Trips

The best way to save money while traveling is to take longer trips less often rather than many short trips. The longer your trip, the more time you have to take slower transportation.Obviously you save on taking less flights. Instead of paying 200 bucks for a short flight, you can take that 6 hour bus. (read more for tips on domestic flights in India)

2. Track Your Spending

While traveling I don’t write down everything I spent on, but I do jot down every time I go to the ATM. I tend to take out about 200 bucks at a time while I’m backpacking, especially in India in case I end up somewhere with all the ATM’s empty, which happens quite often to me! If you write it down you’ll see how often you pull out money and think ahead asking yourself, “if I continue pulling out 200 bucks a week and I going to have enough money to complete this trip?” If not, you need to cut back.

TIP: There are apps to help you track spending like Trail Wallet and Mint although I haven’t tried them I hear good things.

3. Travel Off Season

I’ve written a whole post on this topic (linked above) because it’s such a huge component of my travels. India is not the only seasonal place; even the Greek islands have an off-season. Do some research and see when the best time to go is- it’ll be the month before or after tourist season kicks off. Usually WAY off-season is either scorching hot or monsoon in many places so not always a good choice. Those times are fun to travel too though.

4. Don’t Shop Near Tourist Attractions

This should go without saying, but I see people shopping near them all the time so it must not be well known enough. These prices are usually much higher and instead you should look for a local market to shop. For example in Goa, anything you pick up at a stall in Anjuna Beach is much cheaper in the local Mapusa market where less tourists go.

5. Careful on Food and Drink Spending

I’m pretty bad about this as I am the biggest eater ever. I just live to eat. My budget is usually over 50% on food and drinks.

• Try not to eat at the tourist “international” joints where the menu has a little bit of everything.
• Try not to eat right on the beach in expensive places.
• Do take away when you can as some places charge service fees, luxury fees, and seating fees.
• If you’re in hostels or have your own kitchen in a condo, cook sometimes.
• Try to stay somewhere that offers free breakfast. In Asia, you can usually negotiate a free breakfast into your stay- you almost always can in India.
• When it comes to drinking, if your plan is to get pretty drunk then you should have a few at home before you go out.

6. Avoid ATM Fees

I bank with Charles Schwab. Other than occasional card blockages to “prevent fraud”, I am a huge fan and actually have gotten so many people to switch to banking with them! I have NO ATM fees via the bank or currency change fees. They do come out when you swipe the card but at the end of each month they are refunded to your account. This is great because in more dangerous places you can take out smaller amounts of money.

7. Pack Appropriately

If you pack what you need, you’ll prevent buying it on the road. In countries which are cheaper this isn’t as important, but in expensive cities or even islands with high prices like Ko Phi Phi, sunscreen can set you back $15 USD. Check my travel packing list to see what I recommend. Research your destination. For example, as an American with no health insurance, I don’t take any medicine to India. I buy what I need cheap in India as I go. As an Indian traveling to America, you’re better off stocking up on anything you may need.

8. Pick Up Work While You’re Abroad

You can pass out fliers while you’re on the Thai islands, take some farm work, or bartend at a hostel. You can work on a yacht for the summer, teach English as a second language, or even be a parade girl in Ibiza! There are options out there and bloggers write about ways they work abroad quite often like Alex in Wanderland’s Series Earning Abroad. I became a Thai masseuse and because that doesn’t need a massage table (it’s done on a yoga mat), I can do that anywhere I move or travel to just by putting up fliers. You can find work on Fiverr, I hire people on there all the time.

9. Make Your Flight Bookings Smart

You really need to do research. It might be cheaper to fly into a nearby airport and take a train onward to your destination. I use multiple sites to look for flights.  I have all of this written about in my travel resources.

10. Take Advantage or Discounts and Freebies

• Google “free things to do in _____” and see what comes up. Usually there are walking tours, museums, and neat local markets to visit.
• Let hotels know if it’s your birthday or anniversary- you might get a bottle of wine!
• If you’re a student, see if a tourist attraction gives a student discount and show them your student ID. Booking sites like cheapoair offer discount codes to students, military, and senior citizens.
• Before you book on any site do some research and see what discount you can get. I do this with shopping too. For example the same way you can google “[store name] discount code”, you can search your booking engine, like [expedia discount code] and see what pops up. I always find at least 200 rs off my makemytrip bookings.
• Another thing that is helpful is to sign up for e-mail alerts, or if you hate getting spam, you can “like” your favorite booking sites FB page so you’ll see any new deals they have running.

11. Don’t Book Ahead ALL the time in Asia

When you do use Agoda to book a room, but while traveling in Thailand I can say we always got better prices just by showing up and negotiating when it comes to budget huts and guesthouses. You can’t very well do that in Paris! In India, 100% it’s better to show up and negotiate for a budget property. What I do is call first and ask how much and negotiate a little on the phone and tell them I’m coming. Call a few places and see what rate they can give. Once you have a few in mind go check them out and see in person what rate they’ll do. Booking sites are almost always higher for budget lodging, but in my experience for a 3 star or higher, you want a booking engine. They compete with each other and might be running a special so it’s worth checking around- these nice places won’t negotiate anyways so a deal online is better than full price on arrival. To sum up, it might be better to book ahead in a nice hotel in Bangkok, but not on a smaller Thai island where you can check out a few places in only 15 minutes.

12. Take Advantage of Travel Bloggers

When you find out where you’re going, Google “__[insert city]__ travel blog” and see who is a pro at the region you’re visiting. They probably have hundreds of tips on their site to help visitors save money plus can tell you the best hotels that are up to date rather than only look at what Lonely Planet is telling you. Some of my favorite restaurants that are insanely popular in Goa have never graced Lonely Planets pages. I am thinking about going to Beijing soon, so of course have to reach out to Beijing expat bloggers like Joella.

13. Make a Realistic Budget & STICK to it.

The key thing here is realistic.  If you know you want to buy a necklace in each city you visit and you want to go skydiving or white-water rafting, you better think ahead and add that to your budget. If you don’t prepare for a realistic amount and find yourself overspending constantly, not only will you possibly run out of money, you’ll find yourself in a sour mood and cutting back on things you might need near the end of your trip. I see many posts that say “travel India on 10 bucks a day” and YES you can, but why would you!? You’ll be freakin’ miserable. I wrote a post on traveling India on 20 bucks a day which I think is more realistic and you’ll probably spend a little less meaning you’ll be less stressed throughout the trip & happy when you have cash at the end.

Bonus: 14 ways to EARN money while you’re traveling and 12 ways to travel the world for free!

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

The post 13 Tips on How to Save Money While Traveling first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 13 Tips on How to Save Money While Traveling appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Another post for my “ask me anything” tag because this is a very FAQ about India. Everyone wants to know how much India is going to cost them and if I can break that cost down into categories for a backpacking India budget and daily India budget.

Sure, why not!?

Daily India Budget for Backpackers

For 6 months in India, traveling as a broke-ass backpacker I think you’ll need about 3,300 USD (not counting your round trip flight, travel insurance, and visas). You can work hard and do it for less and you could easily slip up and do it for a hell of a lot more as well.

That’s about 550 USD per month.

This comes out to about 8,400 rupees per week, or 1,200 rupees per day (20 USD).

It’s easily doable knowing that some days will be a lot less and some days may be more. It will average out. I actually did it on only 1,000 rupees (16 USD) per day easily, but I hate to give people too high of hopes for cheap travel in India- I might have just gotten lucky.

Before coming to India do not forget these two very important things:

1. Travel Insurance. I use World Nomads which is what Lonely Planet recommends
2. a VISA. You would be surprised how many people email me saying they showed up without one and got sent home. Click here to see what one you need and GET IT ahead of time.
3. Want more tips for traveling India or better yet to have me plan your trip? Buy my India Guide ebook and even if you ONLY read that, you’ll be 1000% prepared for your trip. It’s 6 years of India travel experience all wrapped up in an organized easy to read manner.

Budget for food in India

If you want to stay on budget, try to eat Indian veg options. You can eat a meal for about 100 rupees on average easily ordering either a thali or a rice and veg curry with roti. If you start ordered 2 cheese naans and a coke at every meal, you’re doubling your food budget. If you start ordering crappy “American” pizzas and “chicken burgers” you’re tripling it. You’re going to be disappointed with western food from backpacker places for the most part outside Goa, so it’s best to stick with Indian or Indianized Chinese anyways.

Want to go even cheaper? Stick to street food, although mostly deep-fried and unhealthy you can get a couple samosas or a handful of momos for 10-20 rupees, or a chai for 5 rupees.

Each meal: 100 rupees

Daily food budget: 300 rupees

Lodging budget in India

200 rupees per night // Shimla

300 rupees per night // Mcleod Ganj

500 rupees per night // Pushkar

I don’t think I ever spent more than 500 rupees per night on a room- except the 700 I spent (and split with a friend) while I was sick in Varanasi. This was over 3 years ago so prices could have changed… I know I’VE changed lol and couldn’t stay in these rooms anymore ;)

I got rooms for 50 rupees a day (dorm, which is rare), up to 500 (but only when I had a travel partner to split with). When I was alone I didn’t spend more than 300 per room. Sometimes I had someone to split that with, making it 150! These are basic rooms (150-300): bed, bucket shower, cold water, charging outlets, maybe a bottle of water, and a fan. The rooms that are nicer (400-700) will have hot water, A/C most likely, and possibly a softer bed. In the cold months, don’t expect a heater unless you pay extra. If you want to pay 1,000+ really the only thing you’ll get extra is a tv which won’t have English channels.

You should call ahead and negotiate on the phone. I used to say don’t book online but I am updating this now as I feel like things in India have started to change and evolve a bit. You can just show up in person still and many do, but I tend to book online now.

For booking online, I recommend Agoda. I used to stick with Indian booking sites, but Agoda is really killing it lately with the deals. All the Indian hostels are on Agoda as well and because it’s not an Indian website you won’t have issues with your cards not working at checkout & customer service can be better.

You will get these rates at backpacker guesthouses like the ones listed in Lonely Planet by showing up, but don’t expect it as easily in Goa. In Bombay there is a YMCA you can stay at for 50 rupees. Look for places like that in the city to save money. Basically anything that’s 50 rupees or a dorm is going to be roughing it, like really ROUGH.

Check out this post for the best budget hostel chains in India.

Each night’s sleep budget: 300-500 rupees on average

Transportation

2nd class A/C train

nice airy sleeper bus

Your highest cost while in India will be transportation… petrol is expensive everywhere. Ways to save are:

• Take the sleeper class (SL) of the train for big journeys –it’s FINE, I promise. 400 rupees for an 8 hour overnight in sleeper class, but on average about 100 rupees per 100 km in 3 A/C. See my train booking tips.
• You can go even cheaper on the train in third class or “general”, but you won’t have a seat to lie down on. It’ll only cost you a dollar for an overnight 15 hour trip!
• Lowest class trains are usually cheaper than sleeper class buses, and more comfortable; for overnight bus trips you’re talking 600 rupees. See my sleeper bus tips.
• Try to take local buses instead of rickshaws when possible for shorter durations. Local buses can be as low as 10 rupees for 30 minutes.
• Use rickshaws, not taxis, You’ll save about half the cost. Using bicycle wallahs is even cheaper. I took a taxi maybe two times. See my taxi tips to avoid scams.
• Share rides with people from train and bus stations to the “backpacker area” if no local bus is available.
• Know that the more you hop around the more you’re paying in transportation. Staying in a city for three days will really help your budget stay stable.
• Rent a scooter in places that have no local buses and expensive rickshaws.
• Lastly, here’s a little tidbit on how to be safe on transportation in India.
• If you want to go from North to South don’t waste two days on a train, you can get flights for $20-$60 bucks! Use Kiwi to book.
• Make sure to read my itinerary ideas.

Weekly transport counting all small trips: no more than 3,000 for sure. Probably only 1,500 if you take only 2 big journeys.

Daily average based on 3,000: 428 rupees. It will not be this high, I’m just preparing you for the worst, so based on 1,500 it’ll be about 210 rupees per day.

Internet / WiFi / Phones

It’s always going to benefit you to eat somewhere that offers Wi-FI and use your own smart phone. Paying 20 rupees for a soda to use the Wi-Fi is a better deal than 20 rupees per 20 minutes at a crappy internet café.  The internet shops have a high rate in backpack areas so avoid them. Even if you find a guesthouse with “free Wi-Fi” its been added in your nightly rate anyways. Nothing is free!

Bring a crappy smart phone (look on craigslist or used electronic stores) and buy a SIM at the very beginning of your trip. Use it for domestic calls to check hotel prices or call a friend you met in India. This way, 500 rupees will last you two weeks or more if you’re not roaming. Read my article on SIM cards and phone suggestions here.

Internet and phone average: 20 rupees per day if you don’t spend time online except to making bookings

If you are online a lot and don’t have a phone which is unlocked for Indian SIM’s then consider Trabug. It’s a phone ready to go that is delivered to your hotel in India. If you have to buy an unlocked phone anyway, this will come out cheaper (and way easier).

Domestic flights

Avoid if you can. Yes, they can be cheap and you could get lucky (once I flew Bombay to Goa off-season for 2,000 rupees, but this is rare). The best thing to do is make your route easily done by train so you don’t get stuck flying. In Peak season a flight from one side of the country to the other (let’s say Delhi to Goa) will cost about 10,000 rupees. It’s only a couple hundred USD, but it’s over a week’s budget.

Domestic flights average: shoot for zero! If you do need one, use Kiwi. 

Attractions and tours

Most things like temples are free. The Taj Mahal is the most expensive place you’ll go at 750 rupees. If you’re here six months you won’t be seeing attractions every day. You might go two weeks without having to pay for one at all. If you’re going to visit the National Parks and do a safari these are also expensive. If you average this all out I’d say:

Attractions: 30 rupees per day.

The final cost of your backpacking India daily budget

When I add all this up it comes to under 1,000 rupees per day. I tell you 1,200 because when making a budget it’s good to have some wiggle room.

That leaves you 200 rupees extra a day or 1,400 rupees extra a week to splurge on something like a camel safari or boat ride on the Ganges. Plus, you’re going to want to SHOP and get those 500 rupee massages.

A few more tips to meet your daily India budget of just $20…

Everything in India is negotiable- fruits, veg, clothing, hotel rates, taxi… don’t be afraid to barter. When the rate is listed at a hotel, it doesn’t mean it’s fixed price. It’s the culture to negotiate and you should not feel bad about it. If they don’t give you a price you like, walk away and you’ll find it elsewhere or they’ll call you back and agree.

• Things that are fixed price are items in grocery stores. They will have the cost typed on them so make sure you pay only that.

• Tipping isn’t customary in small restaurants in India and when Indian people tip it’s usually 10-50 rupees even on a big meal. I am a tipper though, it’s the American in me. I round up at least and in fine dining restaurants I do tip 10-15%. In some places tipping is customary- these will be westernized places like Goa or any westernizes restaurant in any city.

• Don’t be tricked into buying Himalaya brand shampoo, etc. It’s good stuff but you can get so many others cheaper and people go overboard wanting to try them all and spend more actually.
• I use a bank card which doesn’t charge me ATM fees (Charles Schwab). This saves me bundles!
• The longer your trip, the shorter your daily average will be. I promise you that!
• If you’re coming to Goa, consider buying my Insider’s Guide to Goa. Click here to buy it.
• Learn to read the taxi meter chart. It will tell you exactly how much your rickshaw should cost, but make sure you’re reading the daytime rates, not the higher night rates.

• • Like I said your India visa, flight to India and back (check Kiwi), and your travel insurance aren’t included in this budget breakdown. You obviously HAVE to get the visa and flight! Travel insurance really is NOT the way to cut costs. A friend of mine owed 2,000 USD for letting a UTI get too bad, and another 1,000 because they got talked into a scan at the hospital when they went in for stomach issues. A broken wrist from falling on a scooter could easily cost a foreigner a lot here. They can take advantage of you at the hospital. It’s best to get the scans and whatever they recommend than assume they are taking your for a spin and just have insurance that will reimburse you regardless. I used World Nomads, which is approved by Lonely Planet and is used by all the travel bloggers I follow as well. You can get a quote here!

 Pin this backpacking India budget for later:

The post Your Backpacking India Budget: 20 USD per day first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Your Backpacking India Budget: 20 USD per day appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This October, I’m going to be touring around Karnataka with goMowgli! It’s a state in India I haven’t seen nearly enough of. They’re going to be revolutionizing the way people travel in India- so take a second to check out their site.

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

To me, Karnataka is the “real jungle”.

I’ve been to Karnataka a couple times to Bangalore, into the waterfall areas at the border, and made a road trip to Hampi. It’s the only place I”ve been that while stopping on the road to use the toilet I’m afraid a giant cat may attack me. Signs through the jungle read: “don’t get out here- there are tigers”

Well, I’m about to see a lot more of Karnataka because I’m about to do something I’ve never done before: a hop on hop off bus tour!

Obviously, it would have to be a pretty damn good tour to get me interested, and it is. I am so positive the young, extremely educated owners of goMowgli, India’s first backpacking bus, are bound to change tourism in India forever… and I want to be a part of it!

Sunset at the ruins of Hampi, Photo by Subbu KL

Some of the places I’ll get to go are Mysore, Coorg, Hampi, and Gokarna.

Unlike most tours, goMowgli doesn’t plan out your days unless you want them to. I’ll get more into it later, but they get you there safely, tell you what’s cool in the area and let you go do your thing. They have connections for discounted stays which it’s your call to use or not. If you have nothing planned then goMowgli hooks you up like only locals would know how. I LOVE to get the local hook up! In India it literally makes all the difference for whether you’ll love or hate the country.

The owners of goMowgli are travelers themselves, which is what got me interested.

The goMowgli Team with the Support Staff

It wasn’t some 50 year old disconnected man trying to start a company, it was these young adventurers with a passion for backpacking- which I would say is rare here. They have backpacked not just their home country but all around the world. Thanks to those comparisons, they know where the gaps are for backpackers in India and how to fill them.

Incredible Stone Carvings at Somanathapura Temple

So, who are goMowgli?

They are a hop on hop off backpacker bus service in Karnataka. Their tours are experiential and truly off the beaten track. If you want that “real” Indian experience this is the way to do it. You’ll eat as local as it gets and chill with the people who make India the colorful country it is. I always tell people who want to come to Goa, it’s 10x better when you know someone. You get that with goMowgli. It’s like staying with a friend; they take you to those secret places you never would have known about on your own.

“Someday, we want to enable backpackers to backpack across India on a single ticket with goMowgli. All 3 million square kilometers of it on a single ticket. And fall in love with every inch of it.” –Sunil, goMowgli

Wildlife Spotting in the Western Ghats, Photo by Subbu KL

The BEST part about goMowgli: flexibility

You have safety conscious, local, english-speaking guides who drop you off. Then, it’s up to you. If you want to couchsurf, stay with a friend, find a cheap guesthouse, or check into a 5 star hotel- go for it. They will take you as close as they can and pick you up when you’re ready- BUT if you don’t have a hook up, they will tell you the hotel they like the best and you’ll get their special discount for staying there.

Bhutanatha Temple at Badami, Photo by Subbu KL

For all those girls that want to travel India and are afraid to be solo:

I think you’ve found your answer with goMowgli. Instead of hopping around local buses and sleeper class trains (although quite fun) you can relax knowing you’re safe on goMowgli buses, but at the same time it’s no typical “tour bus”. You still have your indepence once you arrive at a location.

Expect equal amounts fun and budget friendly backpacking.

Trek inside the Western Ghats, Photo by Subbu KL

Passes:

The passes are valid for 6 months (check out pass options).  In and around Mysore, Melukote, and Srirangapatna, they have some one, two, or three day passes. Each offers something different from coffee tours to local temples. There is a 9 day filter coffee pass which is all about the rich heritage and the Dharwad Peda which is a 6 day tour through Northern and Coastal Karnataka. 

All the passes are named after local foods, and the biggest pass: Masala Dose, is a 19 day pass (32,000 rs) that covers A LOT of ground. I’ll be going on this tour. You can hop off as long as you want in each place.

Keep in mind the days of the pass are “travel” days on the bus. You can take up to 6 months to complete the 15 legs of the tour!

“Just like the Masala Dose, this pass offers pretty much everything on offer in Karnataka. The rich heritage of Mysore and Hampi is contrasted by the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats stretching from BR Hills to Coorg to Chikmagalur. We discover the ancient kingdoms of Hoysala, Chalukyas and Viajayanagara. The temples of Somanathapura, Belur and Halebid compete for excellence with Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole. There are wildlife spotting opportunities at BR Hills, Kabini and Bhadra sanctuaries. There is that misty peak of Mullayanagiri along with the solitary beaches of Karwar and Gokarna. The pandi curry of the Kodavas, the kadabus of the Malnad cuisine and the seafood along the coast. There is so much to do in Karnataka. And we deliver it to you on a single platter.. err.. plantain leaf, accompanied by a butter masala dose, of course. “

Mysore palace, got our cycles loaded on to a volvo bus to bangalore back, Photo by Subbu KL

When guides are passionate it makes all the difference and did I mention the complimentary activities yet? There are fun things to do along the route, like popular treks, tours, and markets which are included in your pass costs and even more you can opt to do at a fee. The buses are A/C and at each destination you get a map with all the important things you need to know: ATM’s, chemists, supermarkets, toilets, and cafes in case you want to go on your own.

Of the highlights mentioned in the pass information, here is what I’m MOST excited about:

• Buying everything at the famous silk markets in Mysore
• Bathing elephants at Dubare elephant camp
• Tribal dancing with the Soliga tribe at BR Hills
• Driving 4-wheelers in the Western Ghats
• Trekking to Coorg’s highest peak at Tadiandamol, all 5,500 feet of it
• Camping on a secluded island near Karwar

Bathe the elephants at Dubare Elephant Camp

Rockclimbing at Chamundi Hills

Sunil’s team sees the challenges for backpackers in India, and recognizes the negative images that media portrays. They want people to come and see for themselves and are giving them an afforadable option to do so. As Sunil said, backpacking is a phonomenon really yet to take of in India; the infrastructure isn’t available everywhere. They have built that in Karnataka and connected it in a safe way.

“The Indian tourism industry is still largely unorganized and not as professional as the world requires it to be. We are here to change that forever AND spread the word that the world is not as bad a place as it is made out to be. If a kid can be raised by wild wolves, there is still hope for this world- and this was the inspiration behind the name ‘goMowgli’

Trek atop French Rocks near Mysore

Beach Trek along Gokarna, Photo by Subbu KL

I will be a guest on the Masala Dose tour with goMowgli this October and will be filling you in along the way. I’ll introduce a hashtag before I go so you can follow along in real time! I’ll be instagramming and tweeting all through the jungle with live updates.

I get e-mails very often from readers who want to get off the beaten path in India, and you can’t really get more rural than a lot of these locations so I am so excited to share these new places with you. Want to know more now? Read up on the goMowgli FAQ.

Some photos courtesy of Subbu K as noted. UPDATE: After taking the month long tour, I wrote a full review here: The Nitty Gritty | A Review of goMowgli

The post Big News! Touring Karnataka with goMowgli, India’s first backpacker’s bus first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Big News! Touring Karnataka with goMowgli, India’s first backpacker’s bus appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This post is an incredibly detailed guide, step by step, for how to apply for an Indian visa from USA for US citizens. I have applied myself and taken notes and screenshots of every step of the way. You don’t find a more detailed guide than this online. If you are from the UK, check out my article on how to apply for an Indian visa for UK citizens where my English boyfriend documented another detailed step by step guide. This post is updated often to stay up to date.

This complicated paper visa application is if you coming to India and want a visa longer than one year. If you are going for less, you need an e-visa which is valid up to one year. Disregard everything below if you only need a one year visa or less and go to this blog post which tells you everything you need to know about the e-visa application process. 

PS: If you are planning an epic trip to India, you need to download my India Guide which will guarantee that! Read more about it and get a copy here.

How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA for a Long-Term Visa – Step by Step guide

Everything is being outsourced to Cox and King. Any questions I had while writing this, I called up Cox and King to get the answers so that all information is correct.

This is a step by step guide on how to apply for Indian tourist Visa from USA. Again, you can check the post about how to get a visa for India from the UK on this post.

How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA

Step 1. Start at the India Visa Center for Cox and King website to see what type of visa you need. I’m only discussing tourist visas in this post, so be sure that’s the type you’ll want. [If you need a visa type other than tourist, you still do all these steps but will have more questions and more forms to fill out]. Next, under “visa” in the top left dropbox, click “visa application – get started”. You’ll then fill in the page that pops up with some initial information. This is the easy part! You will be told your “mission” here based on the state you input. Remember this! For Ohio, mine was New York. Also, you’ll get a “temporary application ID”. You need to write this down and keep it. At the end of the form when you review everything, it will ask if it’s all correct. Once you say YES, you cannot change anything later. You will have to start over on a new form.

Step 2. Make sure your passport is okay for use: “Original, signed passport valid for 6 months from day of application, and with at least two blank visa pages for Indian visa stamps. Amendment pages are not acceptable for visa stamps.”

Step 3. Start the application paperwork that redirects to the Indian site. It is “step 2” and Cox and King automatically takes you here after you save your initial information on Cox and King. You will be redirected to the Indian website for this part. It will ask if this is okay, say “yes”. Click the big orange button that says “click here”.  You must fill out the parts for step 2, then come back to Cox and King right after: “You must return to the CKGS website within 1 and a half hour otherwise your Current Session will expire and you will have to fill in the Government Application form again.”

Another page will pop up which is the actual application, as I just mentioned. You want to click the orange button that says “regular visa application”.

Fill out the information very carefully. Once you go to page two of this form, a NEW application ID will come up. This is not the same as your original temporary application ID. You NEED to save this. It’s very important. I will now talk a bit about the questions asked on the India visa form.

Step 4. At the very top is a “select missions office”.  You were told this in step 1 but if you forget, you can go to find your jurisdiction by clicking this link. See which state you apply from is correlated to which embassy. For example, Ohio is to send documents to New York. So on your application over temporary ID select USA: NY.

These following steps walk you through how to fill out the India visa application on their website, although they change it every few months and you may see some different ordering of the questions. It’s the same gist, though!

Step 5. While filling out this application, refer to FAQ About the Visa Application form and read number 9. It starts with how many months should I enter if I go only two weeks? Note from C&K: “If the applicant has a middle name, it needs to be written as the “Given name” in the online application and it MUST match up with the name in the passport.” Lastly, on that page it will ask if you have another passport and once you click “no” if you don’t, the other questions will disappear and you’ll copy the captcha “access” code and click “Save and Continue”.

Step 6. Fill out page 2 with your address (click box for “same” if permanent and present are same), parents details, etc until it’s finished and refer to those FAQ for any section you are unsure of.

Step 7. Click save and continue and move on to page 3. Type of visa: tourist visa. Places to visit, just say the cities in India you are interested in, whatever fits in the box. Duration of visa in months: 6 (is what I’ve always done, but they do offer more now). The number of entries: multiple (this is for backpackers who may cross over to Nepal or something. You could pick single entry if you KNOW 100% you are going into India one time only in that 6 months.) Purpose: Tourism. Next when you’re flying there and what airport you plan to fly into. The middle parts are easy, then at the end you put your contact person in India. You can put a hotel, but put an accurate address. If you don’t have anywhere planned to stay, find a hotel online and enter something. If you are visiting a friend, put their information. Lastly, a reference to a friend in America that can vouch you’re not a terrorist.

* Remember the date issued STARTS the 6 months you have in India, not the date you arrive in India. Also, it says to make sure you put your e-mail and cell phone number, which should be in the application form.

Step 8. Upload photo. I had issues with this (shocking, I know) but it did work after two tries. Later, you will glue your same printed 2×2 on the application.  When you click save and continue, it takes you to the page of “is everything correct?”  This is that last chance to make changes or you have to do the WHOLE thing over if you notice something after printing. Check and double check then verify and continue. Now print it. It should also show you a FILE NUMBER/ Reference ID / Application number. This is not the same as the temporary ID and needs to also be written down and kept in case you need to print another copy of this later. Note from C&K: “Please make sure that the Application Form prints completely with the port of entry and exit completely printed at the bottom as well as the bar code.” 

Step 9. Be sure to sign on BOTH PAGES: Under the photo on the first page, and at the bottom of the second page. Other than the signature do NOT write on the application. Do NOT make handwritten changes on the application or it will not be accepted, so the website says.

Step 10. Attach your 2×2 photo on glossy paper with a white background and no glasses to the designated spot. Use paper clips or glue but do NOT staple. Your face should be in 80% of the frame.

Step 11. Gather your proof of residence document & any other you need. Here is a list of documents needed via Cox and King; at the top select “tourist visa”. It will show you a list of everything you need to include in your packet and actually walk your through filling out the forms. It will take you through the “additional particulars form” and show you the rest of what you need to send and fill in, like the “Religious undertaking letter”. Always print each form it prompts you to fill out. For proof of residence (if you need it) Here is what they call proof: “State Issued Identity cards i.e. Valid driving license, Utility Bills for water, Gas, Electric, Sewage, copy of valid lease, with signature of Landlord AND tenant to be provided. Do not cut any document to smaller size like Driving size, passport copy. Utility bill must be from last 90 days.” Here are some documents which they will NOT take: Cell phone bill, credit card Statement, bank Statement, cable bill, insurance forms, any address with a P.O. Box. A commenter added that if you send a photocopy of your driver’s license- they want it in COLOR.

Step 12. If you are a minor (under 18) refer back to the FAQ’s on the documents page (from step 3 on the website), which adds a few extra documents.Applicants who have dual citizenship with the US and another country must apply on their US passport, if living in the US except for applicants who hold dual citizenship with Pakistan. Pakistani citizens who have also acquired US citizenship must apply for a visa on their Pakistani passport only. If the applicant is a student, retired, self-employed / freelancer or house-wife, bank statement for the last three months is required to be submitted.

Step 13. Payment. Again, it will redirect you here. You will choose your shipping options. You can easily pay by a USA card. There is only one order form per applicant allowed, so if you are sending two passports, you fill out two of these forms. For shipping, your shipping address MUST be the same address as your permanent address listed in the application, or it will be denied.

NOTE!! I talked on the phone to a Cox & King rep who confirmed EACH person MUST pay $15 even if two, three, or four passports come in together, all of them must pay $15 each to get their passports sent back. They must be sent separately and have their own barcodes.

Step 14. Once you’ve paid, you MUST print and send a copy of that payment receipt with your bundle of visa documents. It will now populate a list of everything you need to send – although you can also use your new “application ID” to login to your account and re-print any forms you forgot. You must print your shipping label and a barcode which will be pasted to the FedEx envelope.

Step 15. Gather all the documents for the parcel to be sent out. So far you have your application with photo and signatures, your proof of residency, your order form, your additional particulars form, your PASSPORT, a copy of the payment receipt, the visa checklist, and your courier service form. Double check the address for your jurisdiction and paste the address on the front. Note on address writing: “At this time all CKGS Application Center, USA locations, are unable to use manual hand written labels from any courier. Please provide a computer generated label from the courier website or retail store with your postal application.”  If you need to reprint the label, enter the requested information or you can ask FedEx to make you a label at a fee. The address you return the passports to must be the same address you use for proof of residency. 

Tips: when you ship your package from FedEx make sure the envelope has a plastic seal so rain or snow doesn’t ruin your documents and separate the packets within the envelope for different applicants applying together. I did the overnight option, but I’ve also done the airway bill option (cheaper but more work).

Step 16. IF YOU DO NOT PAY $15, Put inside the package a pre-paid self address traceable envelope and airbill. 

A note on sending more than one at a time:  “If there is a group / family of four applicants and applying for the same service (only Visa or only OCI) applicants can send 1 prepaid return envelope but if they are applying for different services then they need to send different return prepaid envelopes. In 1 envelope we can send only 4 passports; if there are more than four passports we require separate envelopes.” If you are a family of four needed the same type of visa you can send them together with one envelope for them to be sent back in. 

Step 17. IF YOU DO NOT PAY $15, It’s a FedEx airbill you need if you think you can get it returned cheaper than $15 or if it makes sense because you have multiple passports. If you go into the shop they will help you. Here is a note from the folks at Cox and King about your airbill: “Applicants must not provide a handwritten or manual FedEX air bill. Airbills with credit card information, handwritten airbills or blank airbills with information typed in cannot be used by CKGS office. All such passports will be held back in CKGS office and may lead to delays. CKGS strongly recommends using a traceable airbill from FedEX. CKGS also recommends that return shipping package is insured.” You CANNOT pay with credit card; I actually set up an account with FedEx and the money was deducted from my bank account, but from what I remember it wasn’t easy and for one passport, $15 is a good price (and half what Travisa charged).

Step 18. On the outside of the envelope, they ask you specify department name. For visa applications, write VISA. Send your package and track it via step 6 on the website. It may take longer as offices are merging and Cox and King is officially taking all other visa companies outsourced applications. According to the Cox and King rep I spoke with, it should take from 5 business days up to two weeks max.

Omg, thank god I’m finally done writing this! Why can’t they make getting a visa easier!? I have to say, the whole system is a nightmare & the people at the call center are confused on what’s right and wrong. Finally, though this post is accurate and up to date! I hope it helps someone.

Now that you have your passport and visa, here are 15 documents you need to take with you abroad. This has nothing to do with the visa, so not to confuse, but it’s photo ID you’ll need abroad, copies of things in case you lose your credit card, etc.

• Disclaimer: The Cox & King site & India Visa regulations change often so make sure that you’ve completed everything per their standards, not the standards of this post. This is only a guide to help not a direct source of Cox and King information. I did call them a couple times to verify things but they are located at a call center in Bombay and nothing they say can be proven! Prepare to be on hold about 20 minutes.

Does all of this seem like too much hassle? If you come to India for less than 60 days, you can get an evisa and avoid this. iVisa charges a fee but takes care of everything for you if going for less than 30 days: click here for iVisa.  They have a “zero frustration” policy aka they do everything for you.

Ready for the next step of planning you India trip?

I’ve been in India for over five years and have traveled a huge amount of this country. My blog has over 800 articles with tips on travel, most of them about India. From how to dress to how to book a train and where to stay in every town – it’s all here. I’ll link some tops blog posts to get your trip started as well as resources for planning out more on travel insurance and flights.

• Step by step guide to plan your India trip from scratch
• 100 tips for traveling in India
• You need travel insurance. World Nomads is recommended by Lonely Planet, Nat Geo, and me!  You can get a quick quote here. Check out what exactly it covers and doesn’t.
• Budget travels, check out this hostel guide to India here which has top chain hostel brands in India. Otherwise, I love using Agoda to compare different hotels.
• Want a tour? G Adventures is for you!

Pin How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA for later:

The post Step by Step: How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Step by Step: How to Apply for Indian Tourist Visa from USA appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I’ve been answering a lot of questions from potential travelers to India. Some of the questions are things I never even think to post on this website. I’m going to address the basics of travel to India now with some reader e-mails I have received, so perhaps you’ve even been redirected here in a reply from me about FAQ India & India travel tips.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE getting emails from my readers, but found that I was answering the same questions very often, which was a failure on my part. It means I didn’t have enough information on Hippie in Heels.

Most of the time when friends travel for the first time and get nervous, I just tell them it’s a bit of culture shock.

THEN there’s India for the first time. Culture shock times 10. It’s gonna blow your mind. You’re going to have moments when you freak out and cry and other times where you’re just happy and making friends with locals. Every day SOMETHING will shock you. But you’re going to LOVE it, and I have never met anyone who has regretted coming to India.

Why Can I Answer These Questions?

• I’ve traveled India extensively! Whether it’s budget travel or luxury travel, I’ve experienced it all. And, yes, that’s including the grosser aspects.
• I’m an expat in Goa and have been for quite some time. I actually just wrote a whole, comprehensive guide to Goa that’ll make Lonely Planet outdated! You can purchase the e-book here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel to India

Here are all the questions I’m asked about travel to India! This is a long post, but do tell me if I missed anything!

Do I need a visa to travel India?

UPDATE: There is now a 60-day visa on arrival for select countries. iVisa charges an admin fee, but does all the work for you and allows you to submit it way ahead of time, which the government one doesn’t allow. It’s your buffer so you don’t deal directly with the government site and they assure your documents are all sorted. You can easily get a quote here for it.

Here is my guide for a Step by Step Indian Visa application for Americans if you are staying longer than 60 days and another guide for UK citizens applying for their Indian visas.

You can get your visa expedited by going into the office. You must mail them your passport- this can be scary for people the first time they get a visa but is completely normal. Use FedEx and do immediate delivery, which is quick and can be tracked.

Make sure that your passport has at least six months left before expiration. Your visa will last six months from the time it is made, NOT the time you enter the country (this is the case as of when I got mine in 2012. I cannot find information if this has changed). Plan accordingly! You’ll need to apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa.

What airline should I fly with to India?

It’s less about what airline and more about which airline is the cheapest at the time. I use Kiwi to search and book. They combine low-cost carriers so you can fly a big airline to India and a low cost from Delhi/Mumbai onward. (Check Kiwi prices here)

Read here for more on how I book cheap international flights

This is dependent upon which country you are coming from. From the U.S. I always find great deals with United Airlines/ British Airlines, and I’ve since signed up for Star Alliance to gain points with them. When looking at last minute bookings for return flights, it seems Air France offers a great deal. Round trip from Ohio to Bombay I pay no more than $1,400 if I book a month in advance.

Do I need travel insurance or are hospitals cheap?

You DO need insurance. For something like a broken arm, you will be out 3,000 USD. It’s as low as $200 for 5 months in India. I got sick in India multiple times and having insurance is a good way to feel safe and secure when they say you need extra testing done.

I strongly recommend World Nomads! It’s super easy to get a quote, and you’d be surprised by how much it covers for cheap!

Here’s my post on what exactly is covered in World Nomads

Do Indians speak any English or is it impossible to talk to them?

Many people speak English especially in big cities and tourist towns. Some may speak English only a little, but it is one of their national languages along with Hindi. You can’t bank on that though in very very rural areas that have never seen a tourist. It won’t make much difference as you most likely won’t be in very rural areas since they are unsafe (I’m talking TRULY rural, like

It won’t make much difference as you most likely won’t be in very rural areas since they are unsafe (I’m talking TRULY rural, like the middle of nowhere Bihar). In the touristy places, the drivers and such will at least know enough to get you around.

If you want to make friends with the locals, bring perfume samples for the women! They LOVE them! I am taking loads back when I get to the US to stock up.

What resources do you use while traveling in India, including books and websites?

I use Kiwi for booking all my flights international and domestic.

In general for hotels, I stick to Agoda these days as I’ve gotten some good deals but honestly, it’s always changing.

In Goa, I highly recommend Airbnb for a villa instead of an expensive hotel. Sign up now and get $35 credit toward your first booking. The credit doesn’t expire. 

For specific search results, I like reading blogs more than travel guides. Travel guides make everything sound amazing and wonderful when it’s not always the case.

I download Lonely Planet to my tablet AND took the printed book. I use it less for restaurants and where to sleep, but so I know which temples and such to see and like to read the history of a place before I go. Absolutely buy the book and research ahead of time.

Of course, if you’re going to be in Goa a while, I recommend my e-book.

Also! I have a Facebook group exclusively for travel to India! Join here and ask away!

What port should I fly into?

This is dependent upon your chosen itinerary in India, but most likely you’ll enter through Delhi or Mumbai. Budget airlines in India are incredible, so even when I’m flying round trip Goa to USA, I still only book Mumbai to USA and back. I book my domestic flight in India separately.

In Delhi, Mumbai, and other major airports, there are both domestic and international. You will take a free shuttle between to the two to get to your connecting flight. When leaving India, make sure you are very clear to your drive which airport to go to.

You MUST have a ticket, whether printed or on your phone to enter most airports in India. The line is longer to get in the airport that to get your bags checked often times. You will need to run your to-be-checked bags through a security check as soon as you enter the airport before you line up for your boarding pass. They won’t tell you to do this, but you must or they won’t check your bags.

Keep in mind; if you fly into Mumbai in the evening, the last domestic flight to Goa is at 10. If you miss that you will have to wait until the earliest flight at 6 am. It’s a bitch. I usually get in around eleven which is not quite enough time to get to a hotel, shower, sleep, and come back.

If you take an airport taxi, choose a government approved one. Not all prepaid taxis are the same.

Fields of Munnar

How much will I spend? I’m going for six months.

UPDATE: Full India budget breakdown here based on 20 USD per day.

I think you would be safe to say 1,000 USD a month if you are traveling like a bum backpacker which is what I did a couple years ago on my first trip. I never chose the higher priced option, always stayed in the cheapest guesthouse (usually anywhere from 4-10 USD and luckily could split that with a friend for one month). I feel like each year the prices go up and I don’t know if you’ll get these same prices.

Because I live here and am not hopping around, I can stay in nicer places. This amount also only counts if you travel by LOCAL bus and LOWEST class train, if you don’t shop a lot, if you get only one massage a week, and eat the cheaper menu options (which is usually Indian fare at about 3 USD per meal). I also didn’t do tours other than the camel safari in Rajasthan. With this budget you would be able to afford cabs; rickshaw only for you- or better yet, walking.

Read: How to haggle in India

If you plan to take 3rd class A/C or 2nd class A/C, stay in mid-range guesthouses, shop quite a bit for souvenirs, take one flight, and eat western food, that price is easily going to jump to 1,500-2,000 USD per month.

You can’t think “just because it’s India, everywhere is cheap”. Today (in India) Ben and I spent 120 USD at the grocery store and 14 USD at a coffee shop. If you want a true vacation and want to live it up, you can quickly accidentally spend as much in Mumbai as you would in London.

Where should I go and what route should I take?

I explained the itinerary I took in India, but that’s not for everyone. You have to decide if you’re here to party, to live in the city and club life, or if you want the “spiritual” route. I chose the so-called spiritual one, although skipped hotspots like Auroville hippie commune and French Pondicherry.

For more suggested Itineraries:

• 2-month Indian backpacking itinerary
• 1-month India itinerary
• Itinerary with video
• 10 day Kerala itinerary
• Karnataka 9 places to visit

I don’t want to go to touristy places. I want a unique experience. What do you recommend?

In the nicest way possible, I recommend you let go of that worry or concern. India is off the beaten path. It is unbelievably unique and intense. I’m all about finding new places, but I’ve been in India almost 4 years all together and am very comfortable with that. Initially, I don’t recommend you trying random places on a map.

You can go all day in a “touristy” place and not see another westerner. They aren’t that touristy! I’m all about trying rural places, but I’ve been here a while, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone their first trip to India.

Again, try Airbnb instead of hotels if you want to be in with the locals and not in the backpacking scene. It’s not always more expensive especially here where a hostel is a novelty at 700 rs and you can get a room in a house for 500 rs or less. Here’s that code again: Sign up now and get $25 credit toward your first booking.

Fore more reading, these are my 5 favorite cities in India!

What are the best budget airlines in India?

In general, I search on Kiwi for all my flights since it includes budget airlines and doesn’t rely on code sharing.

My guide to budget airlines in India could prove helpful if you want to know what airlines are ranked higher than others. They are pretty much all the same, though.

I’m nervous I’ll get sick from the food or get malaria! What medicine should I bring and which vaccinations should I get before departure?

It’s okay to be nervous of the food, but I feel like the food actually made me feel healthy (although I gained loads of weight!) and I didn’t get sick from it. Here are 15 tips for not getting sick in India on street food. Anytime I have gotten sick, it’s imported European food. Indian food never makes me sick. Of course be careful with street drinks with ice. Other than that, chai and street food is okay. If you’re really nervous, just know that worst case you can eat rice, bread, and steamed veggies if you’re on a budget. If you’re not on a budget, you don’t have to eat Indian food at all if you don’t want to.

Feel free to drink juices from restaurants, and eat raw fruits and veggies. Just make sure they are washed! You can ask politely and you won’t offend anyone. Even Indians will want to make sure their lettuce is washed before they chow down on a salad.

Because I’m a nurse, I get so many health questions which I am okay with. I must say though, this is all my opinion and it differs greatly from what many doctors will tell you. I don’t take malaria medication, there is no prevention for Dengue which kicked my ass, and I didn’t get extra vaccines. Here are the vaccinations I already had, and this is what I pack in my first-aid kit, which is super tiny.

I do recommend health insurance and used World Nomads when backpacking India. You can use this box to test how much it’ll cost you for health insurance backpacking India:

You say you are a hippie and I hear India, especially Goa, has great drugs… So, can you tell me how much they are and where to get them?

No, no, no, no! Sorry, guys. There are drugs like everywhere else in the world but you need to be very careful and know that even though people bribe police, you can’t bank on that and you could end up in prison. Like any country, they are illegal. I did write about bhang lassi in Jaisalmer, as it’s a culturally accepted drug, but that’s all I have to say on the matter.

Ok, is it true- do I have to eat with one hand and wipe with another? What IS the toilet situation?

Well, you got it right. First off, you will eat with your hands sometimes. If there is silverware on the table, use it. If not, finger food! Why bother with forks or chopsticks! Totally unnecessary. Use your right hand. Your clean hand.

Ok, on to the toilets: You will see western (normal) toilets or squat ones. No matter which it isn’t that hard to figure out and you won’t think much of it until you get sick to your stomach and wish you had somewhere to sit!

Toilet paper access…. you’ll have it some places which is great but you can’t always flush it- you need to throw it in the trash. You can bring wipes with you to keep in your purse, which is what I do in places like Mumbai, or rural areas, but definitely on trains and buses for late night stops. When you have neither option, there will be one of two things, a water hose to spray off, or a bucket and tap. The sprayer is genius and actually incredibly clean like having a shower. It’s what I use at home. The water bucket is the worst. You will fill it and use your left hand to splash water on yourself. It’s hard sometimes to get used to. Always wash up after!

What are the hostels like? I am afraid my things will get stolen while I’m out. How much will one night cost? Will there be showers?

Hostels are new and novelty in India, meaning they are expensive for what you’re getting. I only recommend them if you are worried about being alone. Usually, a shared dorm and bathroom goes around 400 Rs to 700 Rs.

Most likely you’ll stay in “guest houses”. If you have only traveled in Europe, this will seem strange at first. If you’re familiar with SE Asia, it’s quite similar, although half the price. You’ll have a room to yourself with a huge padlock and an attached bath. The places I stayed were always listed as “budget” options. I paid no more than 500 rupees (10 dollars) a night, and that was rare. Usually 200-300 rupees for a non-A/C room. I only had a shower a few times, but actually, a bucket shower is going to be easier especially since you may not have hot water. Once you get used to bucket showers, it won’t seem like a nuisance at all.

At beach locations, there are many stories of huts getting robbed while you are out. You may want to take your own padlock, make sure the windows lock (if there are any), or as the front desk to lock up anything valuable.

In Rajasthan, you’ll be lucky enough to stay in Haveli’s, which is just beautiful with amazing courtyards. Make sure to pick one out. It’ll still cost the same!

More hostels are starting to pop up in the bigger cities and I’ve heard good things about Stop Hostels and Zostels, while personally have stayed at Vedanta Hostels which were clean and full of travelers, like these ones below.

I want a “life-changing”, soul searching experience. I want to find myself and hear India is the place for that. Eat, Pray, Love!

Great to hear. Make sure you stay true to yourself. Check out an ashram in Rishikesh. Do Vipasanna at a quiet location for ten days of meditation. Do early morning yoga every day every city you stop in. Sunrise hikes. Sunset yoga. Take a class to learn reiki, yoga, massage in the mountains, or art in the desert. Find love in Goa! Go to Auroville and live in a true hippie commune. Spend time exploring the Western Ghats.

Here are 5 spiritual events in India you could plan to partake in.

But most of all, realize that the trip as a whole is what makes it life changing. Have fun with it! India will change you even if you don’t want it to. You could go there and not have one single plan, but you’ll eat too much, pray at hundreds of temples, and probably love too!

I want to take a week long yoga retreat in India or do a yoga reacher training course – where should I do it?

The top places for this are Rishikesh, Goa, and Dharamshala but you’ll find courses everywhere like Mysore and Kerala too. There are two reputable sites for this that compare review from yogis.

Use bookyogaretreats.com for retreats and bookyogateachertraining.com for YTT. Filter by the top recommended then compare reviews to see what sounds like the best class for you. Don’t book something without reading reviews. India does have scams. I recommend this site because so many readers use it to book their classes and all say it is the best resource they know.

What is the Indian Head wobble?

The more I turn Indian, the more I wobble! It means yes, no, maybe so, or maybe not. It’s so funny and you’ll probably start doing it before you even understand it. You’ll catch on to gestures before you do words. Eventually, you’ll be able to tell the subtle differences or wobble for what the person is saying, and even if they have a little bit of attitude!

Is it safe to travel alone as a girl? 

I started Hippie in Heels as a way to share my tips on how to travel safely as a girl and just overall to tell girls to stop even making that an issue. It doesn’t matter what sex you are- you can travel safely in India! As I write this I am on a plane alone to Chennai, and only because the trains were booked. Read these 14 tips for solo female travel in India and check out why backpacking India is an incredible option for a unique gap-year.

Make sure you dress appropriately. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts.

I answered an e-mail for a reader asking how to get rid of those butterflies before a solo trip, check it out if you’re a little nervous to travel alone.

Most recently I wrote this article The Truth About Traveling Alone after hearing a lot of feedback from readers who traveled India alone after feeling overwhelmed. Please give it a read.

I’ve also written specifically about traveling alone in Goa as a girl.

Travel agents I’ve talked to don’t have much information on India and say they can’t book my trip. Can I get a travel agent in India to sort everything for me?

Before going to India:

Travel agents in the US can book things for you (hotel, flights) but I don’t recommend this. If you want help planning or to do a tour, I 100% recommend going on a tour with G Adventures so everything is cohesive. I know many people who travel India with them including some amazing readers who emailed me feedback and I am so happy that they do such a great job here!

While in India not on a tour, traveling solo:

Unless you are Indian, speak Hindi, and are a great negotiator, then no, you shouldn’t use an Indian travel agent to book your trip. You can and should use them to book individual legs of your journey, like a train ride from point a to point b.

I know it can be stressful to wing it, but it’s no exaggeration to say that you will pay 10 times more money AT LEAST for a driver to take you around India and 5 times more money for them to book your hotels, train tickets, bus tickets, etc.

It also leaves you no freedom at all to change course and stuck with a driver that does this route for a living and will try to take you in every textile shop on the road to make a commission.

Don’t worry about getting places in India. They have a way of getting things done here. “Anything is possible” people always tell us, and it’s true. You can book a day in advance by bus to go just about anywhere in India. You’ll have freedom and it’ll be a hell of a lot cheaper. Give it a whirl and don’t give in to the offers for travel agent bookings. They are going to rip you off. Everything is negotiable in India including hotels and taxis. Not only will they not negotiate, but they will make a higher rate so they can take a cut and the hotel still gets paid more than they typically would.

What should I pack for a six-month trip? I’m going to be on the beach and in the mountains so I have no idea how to fit it all!

You have come to the right place. I’m a pro at packing. I have lists galore on Hippie in Heels about packing, but the one that you should start with is my ultimate packing list for backpacking India. From there, you will see more links to other packing tips.

And so many ask me, “Should I even bother bringing a bikini?” Yes! Of course, you can.

Will be computer blow up if I plug it in? I’m afraid the electricity will break my gadgets. Should I take something to protect them?

Refer to my post on what to pack (question above). I talk about the tech gadgets I travel with in India. I use a universal adapter to plug in my US based products and have had no issues, although as the Globetrotter Girls recently found out, computers can get altitude sickness, so keep that in mind while in the mountains about 10,000 feet.

I’m worried about train and bus travel. I’m afraid it isn’t going to be safe. Don’t they crash a lot too?

When it comes to the safety of person and personal belongings, you don’t need to worry as long as you follow a few safety rules & pack a chain for the trains. I actually find bus travel safer in India in regards to theft than in SE Asia and many big cities in Europe, like Barcelona. They might scam a little because they get greedy, but they are not thieves for the most part. I know I’m generalizing but I am grown to trust so much more in India than when I first arrived.

They will put your bag under the bus or on top, but always keep valuables on you. On trains, beware of people getting on and off at night as it’s not regulated in the lowest class. How to book and choose classes of trains and how to choose between local and tourist buses takes some getting used to, but after a few weeks you’ll have it down.

Trains and buses can crash. Obviously, take a look at your driver and see if he’s drunk. This is more an issue with rickshaw drivers than bus drivers. The mountains can be a little crazy in the winter and sometimes buses won’t run. Yes, they crash. It’s in the news a decent amount. But like a plane ride, it’s a risk you take. I actually worked with a nurse who crashed on a major highway and has back problems to this day because of it.

Are there ATM’s in India and do they accept foreign cards? How much should I withdrawal?

You’ll be able to find an ATM most places. I can almost guarantee you won’t end up in a place with no access to cash unless the ATM is empty- fresh outta dolla bills. I take out 200 USD at a time. 10,000 rs is usually the max on ATM withdrawal.

When should I go? I want to see all the different regions like the mountains, desert, and beach but have only 2-4 months in which to do so.

India is very seasonal with the monsoon in the south and the snowy road closures up north. Luckily these happen at opposite times so you can plan your trip better. I went to India and started my itinerary in October went to the mountains off-season which wasn’t ideal, but made for an interesting experience.

You should try to go at a reasonable time to make the best of your trip, but if you make a mistake or go somewhere “off-season”, it’s all going to be okay. There are perks to traveling off-season. I have outlined the seasons in India elsewhere on Hippie in Heels.

you won’t see green like this in Goa unless you come off-season

I’m going to travel alone. Will I make friends easily? I’m worried I won’t meet many other backpackers here.

Making friends in India as a backpacker is not like Europe. I want to be open about that because you can’t come alone with the expectation you will find someone to travel with. Here are some tips for meeting friends in India, a post I wrote because I get this question a lot.

In India there aren’t hostels like Europe, there are guesthouses, which you will have a room and bathroom to yourself. You can meet people in the market or at a restaurant, which is why lonely planet guides are nice to tell you where the tourists (aka your new best friends) are. My first 4 weeks in India I met some cool people, but never shared a room, never took a bus with anyone, or shared anything with anyone. I was completely alone. I never met anyone on the same path as me.

You must be prepared for solo travel. After a month, I needed a friend. It was fine and dandy, but I was starting to get bored at night. I met Chloe on Couchsurfing message board- a girl looking for a travel buddy in Himachal Pradesh. We messaged a little and met up in Delhi. I traveled with her for the next month which was so fun, plus saves a ton of money.

Here is a post on where to meet people traveling in Goa, specifically.

surfing lessons in Varkala

When you see someone that looks friendly, it might be the only backpacker you see for a couple days. You need to approach them! You won’t make friends being an introvert. If someone doesn’t seem interested in chilling with you, remember you are in a place that people come specifically to “find themselves” and all that, so they may need peace and quiet.

I hear such bad stories about the toilets and traffic. I’m afraid it won’t be relaxing enough or what I’m looking for. Should I go to Europe instead?

India can make even the most saint-like patient person, CRACK…. Lose their mind… go bonkers. It’s just a chaotic, crowded place. I’m sure you‘ve read it before: the smells, the sights, the cows in the road, the beggars, the traffic and honking, the scams, dirt, and pollution.

Whatever you are expecting, times it by 10. It’s like nowhere else on earth and love it or hate it, you’re going to have to suck it up and get by.

Every time you want to scream (which you will), there will be another day where you feel like the luckiest person on earth and you start to cry for no reason other than the feeling of being blessed.

You live in Goa, I was wondering if you can give me the insider tips that you’d give your friends.

Happy you asked! I’ve written an entire post dedicated to that- the Ultimate Guide to Goa as well as a Guide to the Goa Monsoons,  Top 5 Tips for Goa, and 3 most FAQ about GOA. You can also search Goa in my search bar to the right for all Goa posts on food and nightlife.

Want more? Here’s how to spend 3 days in Goa and here is 50 things to do in Goa.

What is the internet connection like and should I get a phone or will there be internet cafe’s to get on Skype?

The Internet is great in India whether 3G of Wi-Fi options. Most hotels offer it, although some only have connection near the main desk. Make sure you ask if you need to pay extra. One time I was told after, “I saw you use the internet on your phone many times, please pay for that [insert obscene amount]” even though when I asked for the password nothing was said.

Restaurants will have Wi-Fi and give you the password on their request. They change them daily so no one steals! I used my iPhone and connected to Wi-Fi often, but also had a crappy Nokia I got in Bombay for 1,200 rupees and bought a SIM Card for. SIM’s are convenient, cheap, and easy. I recommend them to everyone coming to India. If you don’t have a phone that can take a SIM card, then I recommend Trabug.

I don’t want to travel on a budget- I want to live it up in the most luxe places on offer!

Go for it! If you want to live it up in Mumbai or Delhi it’s going to cost you twice that of Goa. The Leela’s, Taj, and Intercontinental’s are incredible 5-star hotels all over India. I’m also dying to stay in an Oberoi. There are world famous restaurants and chefs all over, not only cooking Indian but Thai, Japanese, Italian, Fusion- you name it.

You’ll try the best Indian wines and drink bottles of champs all night at fancy clubs, where you pay extra for VIP seating. You can hire nice cars to avoid buses or fly everywhere. There are even luxury trains. The beach resorts fill up with people like Brad and Angelina, and Kate Middleton and Prince William on the regular. Rich Indian women own 11% of the world’s gold, so you better bet they dress to impress! Have fun with it.

PHEW! That was a lot of questions.  A few last minutes bits of advice:

Here are 100 travel tips for India you HAVE to read.

Indian time is not on time. The person you met most likely will be late.

There are plenty of places that do laundry on the cheap, usually right there at your guesthouse.

Do NOT fall for the 20 most common scams.

Pudin Hara will cure your belly problems. Just ask the chemist.

Only got one week? That’s a little odd, but I think you should then do the Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur.

GET TRAVEL INSURANCE! I do recommend health insurance and use worldnomads when backpacking India.

Keep in mind some temples, it’s NOT ok to take in your leather purse.

10 mistakes everyone who comes to India makes

Men are peeing everywhere, all the time. Ew. The streets in some cities just reek of urine or a little cow poo. It’ll be okay though and these negatives are small compared to wonderful India.

Get Henna done by a girl and give her a nice tip because they charge so very little. Consider doing henna on your nails!

Embrace the bindi. It’s a beautiful accessory. Any night I go out, I wear one.

10 tips for first timers to India

Everyone will want a photo with you. It’s fine not don’t take them with each boy individually. Tell them one group photo only. Set a limit or you’ve just given up the next hour of your day while the line grows.

Massages are different. They massage really close to your special bits haha. That is normal! They won’t exit while you undress either.

Not sure about coming to India? Here are 10 reasons you need to come to India now.

Rickshaw negotiations can be intense whether you are white or Indian. Try not to let it get you down but also stand your ground. Don’t pay outrageous prices, or they’ll never stop doing it.

Cows can and will head butt you and throw you down if you get in their way!

Also Read:

• 10 Tips for First Time to India
• 10 Mistakes People Always Make in India
• 5 Little tips for Girls Coming to India
• 100 tips for traveling India

Pin “Travel to India FAQ” for later!

The post Most Popular Travel to India Questions Answered first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Most Popular Travel to India Questions Answered appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

You’ve shown up at the destination you’ve been dreaming about for years… are feel let down. It’s too expensive. It’s too crowded. You can’t get a beach chair. You can’t even see over everyone to get a photo of the famous sunset.

 Santorini sunset

The worst time I felt this was in Koh Phi Phi, which I left feeling pretty underwhelmed. It seemed like every Brit was on holiday from University and having a massive spring break party on the littered beach. There is a way to avoid these problems.

How to Save Money on Travel Expenses.

I’ve saved hundreds of dollars traveling off-season.

Travel to your favorite locations when no one else wants to; when the weather isn’t ideal. You might just find it’s even better during those times. Maybe you won’t get as dark of a tan, but you’ll save money and see a completely different side to the towns you visit.

Goa in monsoon

I do this often in India, a place where you have to be very careful when you plan to visit- as it’s very seasonal. It’s the same in Europe and even America. It just takes a little research online. Simply ask google when peak season is to the place you want to go- and go right after that peak. This will work for anywhere that isn’t perfect year round.

The Perks of Traveling Off-Season

 1. Flights are cheaper domestically, and sometimes internationally during off season. In India during peak season a flight from Delhi to Goa can easily cost 20,000 rupees. During season time it might be only 4,000. Ben and I flew to Bombay a couple times during monsoon last year from Goa for only 1,000 rupees each, round-trip. That’s about 20 bucks. They have to fill those seats up somehow during off-season, as the number of flights in India won’t change- so they drop the price lower.

2. Take advantage of “combination deals”. This is about the only time I use combo deals. In India, I use Make My Trip, but in the U.S. I’ve done this with a Groupon to Florida. During low season the combination deal might be unbeatable. We flew from Goa to Bombay round-trip and stay at the Taj Presidente for 12,000 for two nights. At peak season, it is 12,000 just for the room. Killer deal!

The Leela in Kovalam

3. That brings me to my next point. Choose your off-season trip as your time to bliss out in hotels. 5 star resorts are less than 50% of the going rate during peak season. Not just resorts, but hotels and guesthouses drop their rates. In Asia you’ll see on most websites a chart with rates that show on season, off-season, and peak season. Usually the rate for off-season is negotiable because they want to fill up. Most beach huts will just shut down during monsoon, but the big hotel chains are open… and empty. Since the weather won’t be perfect, at least your hotel will be.

Amarya Shamiyana before season kicked off

4. Traveling off-season means you’re going to have everything to yourself. The hotels are only packed when a wedding or festival occurs. The beaches will be empty. It might rain- but the trees will be greener than usual, blowing in the heavy winds. The fauna will be at it’s best’ lush and vibrant. I personally love the monsoon and think it’s an amazing idea to travel into the storm and have an amazing vacation at less than half the price.

From the Goa Fort in monsoon, 2013

5. In general everything from taxis to adventure sports will be cheaper for you. The shops will be less expensive because they have less people coming by- meaning they really need to make a sale. At peak season, if you don’t pay the asking rate they may tell you to kindly fuck off and wait for the next tourist to walk past. Since you may be the only tourist that day… or week… you’ll get great deals.

before season started, the market was empty and prices were low. We could even take Huck with us!

6. You’ll have different options in off-season. During hot months the water dries up and you can’t white-water raft in many places, but during the rains you can. During season time you can trek in Manali, but in the coldest of winter you can learn to ice-climb!

7. Availability is no issue for you. You’ll get the nicest room, probably with a free upgrade, and the best table at dinner. All the top-ranked hotels will have room for you, and you won’t have to spend time waiting in long lines anywhere.

8. Get to know the locals better. In Manali, Sarahan, and McLeod Ganj I got to talk to many more locals than usual. It was November, and no one really goes that far north on a backpacking trip in the winter. People were much more interested in approaching my friends and I, maybe because they thought we were crazy- or maybe they were bored from having no visitors the last month.

I love a beach storm

9. If you’re coming to learn you’ll get loads of one-on-one time. Whether it be yoga, meditation, art, or massage, your teacher will have less students leaving more time to make you better at your chosen craft!

10. Because everything is cheaper, you’ll get to take more excursions to surrounding towns. Car and bike rental will be at least half the price and hiring a driver will be much lower than normal. With a group, it can actually be more cost effective to hire a driver for a few days than to take the tourist buses.

from Sarahan to Manali for 11 hours, 4,000 Rs that we divided

11. Free stuff! Believe it or not, hotels will give you free nights if you book for a longer time. If you stay 3 days, maybe the fourth will be free. These are things you can negotiate. You can ask for free meals including with the rate, or at least breakfast. If they usually charge for pool access, you can ask for free access. The salons and spas will surely have special offers so you can get a luxurious massage for the same price as a beach one.

Read more on money & travel

• 13 tips on how to save money while traveling
• 14 ways to EARN money abroad

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 My 11 Secrets: How to Save Hundreds on Travel first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post My 11 Secrets: How to Save Hundreds on Travel 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.

I love rain. I grew up in Ohio where springtime meant rain for a month or more straight. A lot of people told me, “The Goa in monsoon season will be ten times more than what you’ve ever experienced,” but I have to say, it isn’t that bad. I hear it’s unbearable in Calcutta during the second monsoon. That’s why it’s important to understand the seasons of India before you visit.  Goa in monsoon season isn’t much worse than Ohio’s spring except it lasts longer and power outages occur.

Check here for the top new hotels and shops opening in Goa in 2018

Monsoon season in Goa is actually something that I look forward to. All through the winter we party and have fun at the beach, especially on holidays like New Years, but by April I’m ready for the tourists to leave. Then, May rolls around, and it’s so hot, you don’t want to step outside. You start to hope the monsoon season comes early. By the end of the month, the rain finally hits! Although it never cools things down as much as you think it will!

PS: 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.

More Goa Travel Guides

• BEST Places to Visit in Goa in 3 Days
• What I’ve Been Wearing in Goa
• One Week Itinerary for Goa
• How Travel Goa with Kids
• How to Experience a Yoga Retreat in Goa
• Solo Female Travel in Goa (and tips for solo female travel in India as a whole)
• 50 Things to Do in Goa

I think this photo shows that, yes, you should come to Goa in monsoon season!

When is Monsoon?

It’ll rain end of May, through June, July, August, and September. By October I’m begging for the sun- my tan will have completely faded again, and I’ll be bored wishing the tourists would come back. Last year in October it rained on and off through the middle of the month.

Just because it’s monsoon season doesn’t mean you won’t get sun and beach time. It rains for hours straight sometimes, but then it can clear up and allow for a nice, hot day.

Many Indians prefer to come to Goa on vacation in monsoon season so you’ll still have a fairly large amount of tourists, although typically they chill around Baga, Calangute, and Candolim.

Anjuna & Vagator are pretty empty and the guesthouses along the beach all close. The restaurants too!

The e-mail I always get:

“I’m going to be in India during monsoon and wonder if it’s worth coming down to Goa, but I’m afraid everything will be closed” –lovely Hippie in Heels reader

 What I answer is:

While I wouldn’t have my friends fly half-way across the world to see me and Goa during monsoon season, if you’re in the area you might as well come down since it’s one of the best places to visit in India! Domestic flights are pretty cheap, and you can check Kiwi for the absolutely cheapest options.

During monsoon season you won’t see the “psy” party scene which Goa is popular for. You definitely won’t get to try any of my top 5 Restaurants or most of the outdoor activities I mention in my Ultimate Guide to Goa.

It stays lively in the Baga area, which isn’t typically my scene. As a traveler, it is still worth checking out. There are fewer options for shopping than the high season due to no big markets being open in monsoon.

You’ll be able to try the local Goan fish curry rice, rent a bike on the cheap, and stay near the beach for 50% of the cost. You can swim in the ocean at this time, but make sure it’s a calm day because there have been drowning’s in Goa- although; I’m told most were drunk.

I made a list of all the restaurants I go to in monsoon season. All of them stay open!

photo credit Flickr

Things that are better in Goa during Monsoon

Hotels are Crazy Cheap

Goa in monsoon season is the time to stay at the 4 and 5-star hotels at crazy low rates. There are two Taj’s (Exotica is better than Vivanta), a Park Hyatt, Leela (the best), and the Lalit (Intercontinental). I personally love the Alila Diwa in South Goa. There are so many monetary perks to traveling off-season in India and elsewhere in the world.

Check all hotels in Goa here

Because guesthouses close, you can’t just find a place in Lonely Planet and show up. You will need to call ahead to make sure the hotel is open, but as always when you show up you can negotiate lower, as they have no one staying in the monsoon! It’s a fine line to cross. I suggest calling to ask rates, not booking or holding a room, and showing up a couple days later knowing in the back of your head what they offered so you can negotiate better.

For all my where to stay in Goa guides:

• Should I go to North or South Goa?
• What’s the Best Place to Stay in Goa?
• Best 5 Star Hotels in Goa
• 14 of the Best Budget Hotels in Goa for Backpackers
• The Cutest Luxury & Budget Airbnbs in Goa

The Lushness

The best part is the green lush tropical vibe. The rice paddies are incredible, although don’t go running through them or a snake might get you! It’s also fun to watch how they work in the fields using water buffalo.

Everything is fresh, wet, and clean.

The streets get washed off like a fresh start each year. Near our house, the creeks that were dry and cracked dirt, become fast flowing rivers.

The sunsets are even BETTER!

You can tour Old Goa without all the crowds and heat.

Dudhsagar & Mangeli waterfalls are best during monsoon.

You can drive there yourself or hire a driver.

Celebrate Sao-Jao in Goa

Last year, celebrating Sao-Joao in Goa was my favorite part of monsoon. It’s a Christian festival celebrating John the Baptist, due to Portuguese influence, there are many Christians in Goa. On this day we run around jumping in wells and splashing water! It takes place in June.

Gambling boats in Panjim are still rocking.

This time, though, they’re filled with Indian tourists. I actually want to go on one this monsoon just to watch them party! Indians can make anything a party- even a “nature hike”

Eco-tours are cheaper too.

As I said places are cheaper in monsoon. Two resorts I’m looking forward to checking out are Swa-swara and Wildernest, which are both “nature” places with eco-tourism and trekking. Supposedly they are both great for bird watchers.

The view from Fort Aguada in monsoon is amazing! Keep in mind it closes at 5.

Visit the Spice Plantation Near Ponda.

Spice plantation near Ponda, which every driver knows of, stays open during monsoon. I would imagine playing with elephants in the rain would be way more fun that in blistering heat. You can rent a scooter and drive there yourself; check out my top 5 Goa tips.

Nightlife is still fun.

As a tourist, you might find the nightlife interesting. It won’t be the awesome trance scene of season time, but instead loads of ABBA and Indian bands playing cover songs in crowded bars. It’s worth a night out to people-watch.

For me, I look at monsoon as a time to chill out, watch movies, get work done, take Huck on long pretty walks, and cook dinner with Ben! Not a shabby outdoor office:

An empty beach all to yourself.

If you’d like to know more about visiting Goa, check out these tips!

• You need a visa to visit India, no matter where you go. I use iVisa, and you can easily check the costs and what you need right on the site.
• To check cheap flights for Goa, check out Kiwi and how I use them here.
• Since monsoon season can be unpredictable, you always want to be safe with some travel insurance. I use World Nomads.
• Wondering what to pack? I have a few posts on packing in India:
  • Dos and Donts of How to Dress in India
  • What to Wear in India: My Exact Outfits
  • Backpacking List for India
• Here’s a 3-day itinerary if you’re short on time.
• If your phone doesn’t come unlocked and you can’t get a SIM card for India, check out Trabug.
• Looking to travel in a group or want some tour options? Check out G Adventures for full itineraries or Viator for smaller trips.

Pin this post for later!

The post FAQ: Should I Come to Goa in Monsoon? first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post FAQ: Should I Come to Goa in Monsoon? appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I read once that as a travel writer you shouldn’t use the word “paradise”, but there is truly no other way to describe Goa. Imagine people who love their lives completely. They came to Goa to start a business they dreamed of, play music, or sell paintings. With a low cost of living, people can actually do work they love. Everyone is happy in Goa. You’ll see the slogan “Live Happy” all over. This is an intro to the ultimate guide to Goa, but my e-book is where you’ll find all my tips.

I’ve gotten pretty used to where to go eat, the best beaches to tan on, and how to avoid crowds. I get emails pretty often asking me for tips so it’s time I gave them.

I wrote a 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. (If you join my Facebook group there is a 30% off code in there)

If you’re coming to Goa, I guarantee this book will make your trip 1000x better than if you just showed up here without reading it.

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

Guide to Goa: an Intro

Goa is separated into North and South, North being more “party” and south being a place people go to relax and get away from the party scene in the North.

In the future, I hope to give you great advice about South Goa, but as I live and spent more time up north, I’m going to stick to this part of Goa. 

Read more:

• 50 things to do in Goa
• how I would spend 3 days in Goa

Ultimate Guide to North Goa 

THE BASICS.

In Goa they speak Konkani. Time is GMT +5.5 (IST). The currency is rupees. It is not an international airport unless you take a charted flight from say Manchester or somewhere in Russia.

Getting there:

Most likely you’ll fly in from Bombay- which mean only a secondary 45 minute flight to Goa. I suggest booking all the way through on Kiwi as they also search budget airlines in India and you won’t have to pay for extra luggage.

It’s hot and tropical. There is a risk for malaria and a small risk for dengue. There are fabulous hospitals and many come to Goa for medical tourism to get plastic surgery or dental work on the cheap. You cannot drink the water. Tipping is expected to hotels, services like massage and hair, and nicer restaurants, but not to drivers and other basics. To call India start with country code +91.

You need travel insurance. Goa is more expensive that most of India and hospitals can be very expensive if you crash your scooter or whatever may happen. I swear by World Nomads Travel Insurance.

DO check into what visa you need. Use ivisa.com to figure this out.

WHEN TO COME.

October through April is best, but by end of April it’s HOT HOT HOT. December is the peak and it is crowded to the max. You’ll need to book ahead at this time and expect to pay 5x as much as normal. Monsoon is in the summer, May through September and although I love it and stay, most people try not to come during this time.

Here are more tips for seasonal travel in India.

FOOD.

There is nothing more important than food in Goa and for this one I’m going to redirect you to a recent post I’ve written on the topic:

Top Restaurants in Goa 2015

What I don’t mention on these is Sri, a popular little spot in Vagator that everyone from locals to Bollywood stars stops in for a bite. Personally, the food isn’t my favorite, but the scene is pretty cool.

I also didn’t mention a cute little place in Assagao called Vinayak which you’ll pass on the way to Villa Blanche. It’s a local spot with great curries. I love their garlic butter prawns.

Unlike the rest of India, you’ll be substituting chai for sweet lime soda, typical snacks for lime drizzled corn on the cob, and picking up street snacks like Isreali inspired shwarmas, Goan samosas (little less spice I think), and Goan sausages (great on pizza).

The inexpensive local dish is any fish curry rice or chicken xacuti, which is a coconut curry. Goans eat fish almost every day! Also yummy and Goan is cafreal, vindaloo, sorpotel eith fermented rice cakes and chouris.

The local drink is cashew feni, which is very hardcore moonshine- beware!

The local bread is pao, which is delivered to each home by bicycle! Fresh and warm, these buns are great for sandwiches!

YOGA.

Many many people come here for yoga. You can choose either yoga retreats or if you’re already a big yogi, you can do yoga teacher training (YTT) here.

Click this link to see a list of the top yoga retreats in Goa. This site is the most well-known booking site for yoga retreats and courses for YTTbecause it only lists the best and there are tons of reviews on there.

OUTDOOR FUN.

Check with your guesthouse for hook up, but you can go whitewater rafting (more on this later), hiking, waterfall chasing, paragliding, SUP, kite-surfing, or head south to the spice plantation to ride an elephant.  Of course you need time to beach out! There are dolphin boat trips, river houseboat rentals, Tai Chi, Yoga all over the place, and Silks and dance at Tito’s White house.

BEACHES.

My favorite beach is Vagator, which actually is three beaches. Love going there for a beach shack lunch or a nice greek lunch at Thalassa. We take Huckleberry, our dog, here for a swim on Ozram beach often, the smallest bit of Vagator beach.

Anjuna beach is more crowded, but still nice. At night this beach comes alive with trance parties. You can get 30 minute foot massages for about 200 Rs at both beaches. Women will come by selling sarongs and such- they can be very persistant, and YES there are cows on the beaches ;)

Keri farther up north is gorgeous and empty and known to locals as the best.

Arambol is where you’ll find the hippie drum circles and little beach parties. Here’s a guide to Arambol.

Mandrem/Morjim and Ashwem are nice beaches and I like to go there on Sundays for lunch and lounging! I guess I would call these fancier beaches? People say they are too Russian, but I say who cares- they are great beaches and I don’t get what the problem is with all this Russian talk!

Baga, Calangute, and Candolim are not only three beaches I avoid, but in general I don’t go to these areas very much and if you have limited time they can be skipped. There is much more to Goa than this!

SHOPPING.

Goa has THE best market in India, if not the whole world: the Saturday night market, followed closely by the flea market. These aren’t the only places to shop but are a great place to start.

The two biggest markets are only open on season: end of October through March-April.

As I wrote this, it got quite long (go figure my shopping information is the most detailed) so I’m linking separate posts:

Anjuna Flea Market: A Hippie’s Paradise

Ashwem Boutique Gems

Ultimate Shopping Guide to Goa

SLEEPING.

Goa is the place to stay right on the beach. Shacks are typically non A/C (you don’t need it most of the year). If you are coming peak season (December and Janurary) you need to book way ahead of time.

I tell backpackers who e-mail me to stay one of two areas.

1. Way up north in Ashwem/Morjim

• Vaayu, who offers kite surfing and SUP
• Glamp it up at Amarya Paros
• Marbella the party place with a pool
• Wanderers Hostel to meet friends

2. The other option is in Anjuna/Vagator/Siolim area. There are great backpacking options in this area like:

• Jungle Hostel where lots of backpackers stay
• Bean Me Up vegan restaurant, very hippy
• Evershine cheap guesthouse, have your own room

If you’re looking to splurge out a bit, which most people are who email me… here are some options that I have reviewed and LOVE in Goa:

• Siolim House to get the old Portuguese style
• Elsewhere, a secret beach with affordable cottages or expensive houses
• Sur La Mer boutique style with a pool
• Noi Varo totally amazing house with cook, staff, etc

For more places to stay check out these 3 articles

LUXURY hotels in Goa

My FAVORITE hotels in Goa

Budget hotels in Goa

NIGHTLIFE.

It’s not secret that Goa is psychedelic, and probably the trance capital of the world. The hippies may have left, but the scene is still psy.

Popular psy parties: Shiva Valley, Disco Valley, Hillop, Club 9, Westend, Curlies (maybe),

Techno/less trance like clubs: Teso, Chronicle, Terrace, Waters, Katzensuppe, Bardo, Guru, Marbela, Sunset Ashram, UV Bar, and Bubble Brunch. These are the ones that I love going to!

Clubs: There are a handful in North Goa. I know near Baga and Calangute there are loads but I haven’t been. For one, I know they are full of drunk dudes on vacation. In Arpora close to home there is Club Cubana though. On Wednesday, it’s ladies night (aka free) at Cubana and I enjoy the music there a lot. They are strict at the door on who enters so you can go and drink without having any issues from men. I mention this on my post about FAQ in Goa for my favorite place to hear r&b and hip hop in Goa and actually have some discount passes if you’re interested.

Special Tips!!

Snips Salon is where I get my hair done and they have amazing facials and massages.

If you’re curious about Old Goa and Panjim, take a day to hire a driver and see them. Don’t stay in Panjim! You can get a cuter cheaper place right on the beach, next to great restaurants.

Glamour Salon in Arpora between the Saturday market and Club Cubana will do eyebrow threading for 20 rupees. She does a great job!

I like to go to Resort Rio for a massage and to chill by the pool while eating pizza!

Even if you don’t stay at a 5 Star Hotel, doesn’t mean you can’t go to them for drinks! Try the Taj at Fort Agauada!

The neighborhood I live in, Assagao, is adorable. Some call it the “beverly hills” of Goa. Look into staying here.

Think about renting a villa if you have 4 or more people. Airbnb is cool now in India and you can get great deals. Even my complex has our villas on airbnb. I have a discount code for you: $25 (1,555 Rs) off your stay if you use this airbnb link to book. I found great places in India and Hawaii on here!

Bike rentals are the way to go. It’s about 200 Rs a day for a bike and 500 Rs petrol will last you at least all week! You can also rent a car if you have more people. This is Ben and I’s omni!

Although I’m no pro on South Goa, I can recommend this secret beach in Goa.

Check out What’s Up Goa for to find out where that night’s party is at. It’s very off and on so make sure you know the best place for that day.

Check into Couchsurfing in Goa. It’s the ideal place because it’s best when you know a local.

While this post gave a little insight into Goa, I wrote a 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.  

The post Ultimate Unique Guide to North Goa first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Ultimate Unique Guide to North Goa appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

My follow up product and brand packing advice for an American moving to India. It’s the best way I have come up with to explain to others moving here what products you’ll get the same of and what you may wish to bring from home. If you haven’t read Part 1: Beauty and Hair, start there. I have lived in India now one year and am going home for a visit, so while I was making lists in my head of what to bring back to India, I figured I’d share for people in a similar situation. My American moving to India packing list part 2 includes clothing, electronics, and everything else.

*Disclaimer: You can get anything in India thanks to world shipping but it will cost a lot more and take longer. It’s best to stock up on what you know you use most.

Part 2: Everything Else 

This time around, I’ll start with food.

India has: I’m a big eater so not having my little favorites puts a damper on my mood! I’m only talking grocery store here, not restaurants of which there is a lot of variety. Some popular western food I can get in stores which makes me a happy camper: Salsa, Doritos, Poptarts, Mac n Cheese, English candy, Heinz soup (so not as good as Cambell’s), skittles, all kinds of gum, Oreos, Goldfish, Special K cereal, butter popcorn, Kool-aid, and Lays (Bakers) potato chips. Because it’s all imported, Doritos will cost you 10 bucks! Kool-aid is crazy expensive as well.

A pile of goodies my mom sent with a friend who visited (PS can’t get fruit poptarts here, only chocolate!)

I bring: Real Ranch dressing (I literally cannot live without it), some favorite candies like sour patch kids and Hershey’s chocolate- no one agrees it’s better than Cadbury, which you can get in India, low-calorie water flavoring packets, granola bars, cheddar pretzels, kettle corn, and decent mayonnaise (which you can get in big cities for higher prices).

Clothing & Shoe Shopping

India has: High-end fashion is all over India. If your budget can include Gucci and Louis V, don’t worry you’re all set to shop up a storm. If you’re more into Forever 21 you’re shit outta luck. They do have some, as well as some Zara and H&M but the options are limited and what they do offer at Western stores, I honestly think must be different than the clothing in the States because I never like any of it and I find it shockingly much more expensive than the U.S. List below:

What you will find in big city malls: Sunglass Hut, Accessorize, Guess, Nike, Converse, DKNY, Deisel, Mango, United Colors of Benetton, Adidas, The Body Shop, Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Moda, Puma, Quicksilver, Wangler, Levi’s, and Marks and Spencers, among many others that I haven’t heard of prior. Like I said, I’ve noticed that what they sell is different than what is in stores in the U.S. so I’m starting to think they make different designs for India. If you haven’t heard of Marks and Spencers, it’s a huge store in England and you can get decent clothes as well as lingerie designed by Miranda Kerr.

Mall in Bangalore had most of the shops mentioned

I bring: Shoe options are limited so bring more than you think you need. I once saw a Steve Madden, but I can’t find a cute pair of heels and really miss Aldo, Macy’s, and Bakers. In general for clothing and shoes I’ll do most of my shopping while at home. I explained before how online shopping from Western websites is a terrible option. Clothing I do buy in India is direct from up and coming designers in Goa and are always cute options like Tia & Tan, Doe Designs, and La Vie Boheme.

I wrote an ENTIRE article going into detail about the clothes you need to move to India.

Electronics

India has: Samsung, Apple, Sony, Bose, and Croma are everywhere. You can get almost anything on Amazon India. Since living here I got a Croma tablet rather than an iPad mini (a genius decision I was talked into by my techy boyfriend), a military shock resistant Transcend 1 TB external hard drive, rechargeable batteries, and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones and speakers.

I bring: A few items I wanted and couldn’t get because of specific brands: a Wi-Fi extender, a travel size power strip that will fit Indian plugs, and a solar portable charger are items I’ll bring from home next time.

Luggage:

I’ve got a post on what luggage I took abroad. Most of the luggage I got in India has fallen apart, so it’s better to bring nice ones from home. Read here: Luggage expats need.

If you have Bad Eyesight…

I did see an eye doctor here and ordered my Acuvue contacts at about half the price of the U.S. but will buy my glasses at home because they frame options here are limited. I get my solution and eye drops at the doctors office bcause there are more brand options like Opti-Free and ReNu.

Appointments to make before you leave the U.S. of A.

This is not really directly linked to this post, but I do see the dentist, eye doctor, dermatologist, and primary care doctor in India. Other than getting my glasses at home with the prescription I received here, I don’t need to make any appointments while I’m back. I spent about 10 bucks for a teeth cleaning and guess what? The eye doctor was free.

I also get my hair done here. There are plenty of high-end salons and spas that do a great job and it will cost about the same as the U.S. because most are trained through L’Oreal or other popular hair schools.  In salons, you can find even more hair products.

Other Random Items I Miss & Will Bring for Next Year:

• Candles from Yankee- the ones here are so weak! Seriously, haven’t found a decent candle. I love incense but candles at night were an obsession back home. What I wouldn’t do for a Buttercream one.

• I will bring two or three bottles of Bath & Body lotion. There are some scents I really miss. You do get Body Shop here, but it’s still foreign to me.
• A warm weather robe and slippers. I have looked all year for these in India and can only get big bulky robes or cheap silk ones. Where’s the middle ground? I have stolen a few hotel slippers… but those never last.
• I’m going to take Cranium out of its box, which will actually make it fit well. I love board games because I’m an old woman. During monsoon, we played Monopoly, Scrabble, and Life a few times but got sick of them. Need a new game for next monsoon!
• A few personal touches, I can’t think of what yet. Our place is pre-furnished and we don’t have one single item that is “ours”. I want to bring at least one mug from home for my morning coffee. It’s these little things you should think of when packing that will make your move feel less intense.
• I want so badly to bring my favorite fancy sateen sheets. I haven’t found any nice ones here, even at Fab India, so I’ll try to stuff those in.
• Goody brand claw hair clips, ties, and blonde-colored bobby pins
• I’ll bring decent biscuits for Huckleberry Finn. They do carry Pedigree dry and wet food, but the snacks here are off-brand and have no nutritional value.

• He also needs a retractable lead. Really, the Indian ones are cheaply made. We have tried every brand we can find and they all break in a week. Everything else for dogs, like Frontline you can get here under a different brand (Protektor).

I will follow up this post with more information on what clothes, purses, accessories you will need to pack to live in India. Also, make sure you have all affairs in order with this newbie expat checklist. If you have questions about other brands, leave it in the comments and I’ll reply or add it to the post!

The post American Moving to India Packing List Part 2: Everything Else first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post American Moving to India Packing List Part 2: Everything Else appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

When you make the decision to move permanently to India you’ll have a lot to do but the most time consuming is trying to think of American (and other Western) items that you won’t be able to get once you live in India… and will sorely miss.

I wish before I left I could have found a list online of what I might want to consider taking that I won’t be able to find. In Bombay, Delhi, and Bangalore you’ll be able to find quite a bit as well as airports, but in Goa or Kerala, you’ll have less shopping options once you arrive.

I’m compiling a packing list of products and brands for an American moving to India. It is three parts. I warn you these aren’t things you need to live, but it’s just my personal list of what I know I’ll miss from home. You’ll have to personalize it to fit your own needs. I’m literally going to use this list when I go home for a month to help me pack up for my next year in India. My American moving to India packing list part 1 will include all things hair and beauty.

*Disclaimer: You can get anything in India thanks to world shipping but it will cost a lot more and take longer. It’s best to stock up on what you know you use most.

If you’re moving to India, make sure to check out my checklist of what to do before you move abroad. I also have a post on what luggage to take when you move abroad.

PART 1: Beauty and Hair

all photo credits on pinterest

Western Hair Products in India

India has: Herbal Essence, Pantene, and other drugstore brands. Occasionally Biolage, and Toni & Guy are available online. I hadn’t heard of Toni & Guy prior to moving but it’s apparently very popular in Australia and England. I love the Toni&Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray and it’s almost equal with B&B.

I bring: Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray (until I learn to make my own… hello one billionth Pinterest project) and Aussie hairspray, which I’m aware, is terrible for your hair, from the U.S.

these are some of the items I pack while traveling within india: all but the acne cream and comb were bought in india. 

Western Lotion & Face Washes in India

India has: All the drugstore lotions and most face washes with Garnier, Nivea, and L’Oreal being most popular. I occasionally find a Neutrogena product, including sunscreen. I have switched to L’Oreal Paris HydraFresh Toner which I like a lot. Luckily they have Dove soap and shower gel, and Venus razors, which is what I used in the U.S.

I bring: From Bioré I bring warming face scrub (although I have made a homemade lemon one), pore strips, and Biore Pore Perfect Ice Cleanser, which is my favorite face wash of all time. I use Clinique Moisture Surge lotion, Clinique Overnight Mask and Clinique Moisture Surge Spray, which I have only found at the airport and for much higher prices than Sephora.

Make-up Brands Available in India

India has: Brands like L’Oreal, Revlon, and Maybelline on Flipkart or Amazon India. In store, they have make-up but not all the color options. I really miss Sephora! I don’t buy much makeup here but have been sampling to see what I can replace with a similar drugstore brand. If you use drugstore brands already, you’ll be fine. You can easily find BB and CC creams.  I can get MAC lipsticks and Clinique “almost lipsticks” and chubby sticks in Delhi or at the airport. I also buy my Burberry Brit perfume at the airport. In general, just bring your favorite makeup from home.

I have approximately 200x this amount of make up but these are my weekend getaway items of which I brought all from home. Some are available in India but at higher prices. 

I bring:  Nars, Smashbox, Benefit, Urban Decay… ok basically ALL my makeup is name brand from Sephora that I can’t get here. I buy in in the U.S. and bring what I need for that year. Bronzer should be brought from home as well as any tanning lotions. It’s all about skin whitening here. My most important items that I bring two of: Boscia B.B. Cream, NARS Concealer, Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Pout, Laura Mercier Lip Glace, Smashbox Cosmetics Under Eye Brightener (haven’t come close to finding something like this here), Christian Dior Addict Lip Glow, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, and of COURSE NARS The Multiple.

**Keep in mind make-up melts in India! My lovely back up of Boscia under eye brightening basically dissolved and my Smashbox lipsticks look very sad.

Lastly for this list, Nail Polish

I haven’t once found Essie or O.P.I, although an Indian beauty shop will ship Essie to you at about 20 bucks a bottle. I’ve found that Lakme’s 9-5 isn’t a bad nail polish option, but brought quite a collection from home. I suggest getting a mini-kit. They are easy to travel with, will be used up before they go bad, and will give you a better rate overall. The only negative is the brush is smaller too and makes it a little harder to paint your nails. I love the Opi Take Ten Mini Kit which includes my three favorites: ‘bubble bath’, ‘lincoln park after dark’ and ‘you don’t know Jaques’.

Up next is Part two: food, electronics, misc to pack when moving to India. After writing that one, I realized I should write in more detail about clothing as I get so many emails about it, so please check out Clothing to pack when moving to India. Make sure you have affairs in order before you move abroad- here’s an expat checklist to help.

Update: After almost three years in India, I wrote this article which may be of use to you: Indian Replacements for American & UK Beauty Products.

The post American Moving to India Packing List Part 1: Beauty & Hair first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post American Moving to India Packing List Part 1: Beauty & Hair appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

No matter how laid-back and fly by the seat of your pants you are, there are some important documents to take while traveling. It’s better to just put them in a pocket of your backpack and have them ready than have to chase down a copy machine or printer at an internet cafe. Some of these will be specific to India, but most you will need anywhere you travel. India is a little over the top on security.

15 Documents you NEED while Traveling

1. Passport, obviously…

2. Visa, I would think it’s obvious but actually, a lot of my friends say they want to book a flight to visit and are shocked when I say they need to apply for a visa. Use websites like iVisa to see what countries you need a Visa for. You can get your visa to most countries through iVisa directly for a small processing fee. I’ve used this site many times and love it.

India Visas:

Coming to India for LONGER than 60 days? Because I love you all so much, and the visa process can get complicated here is a step by step guide to getting your visa to India (for Americans) and another guide for an India visa for those from the UK. You need a lot of paperwork!

Coming to India for less than 60 days? I recommend using ivisa.com who gets you an E-tourist visa without all the paperwork.

3. Some territories in India or other countries require entry permits if you have gotten one make a copy of it.

4. Copies of passport front photo page and copy of most recent visa. When will you need this? Booking a tourist quota train ticket, getting a SIM card for your phone, staying at hotels that don’t have a copy machine. They will send you out to find a copy before check-in, which is a pain in the butt when it’s 5 am and you want to sleep.

PS: If you don’t want to deal with getting a SIM card, Trabug is a travel phone that you can have shipped to your hotel in India. This phone has the internet and all kinds of India travel apps on it. It’s more expensive than a SIM, but SIM cards are sometimes a huge hassle for foreigners in India. You don’t want to be in India without access to the internet.

Why do they need a copy at the hotel? Because they must fill out a C Form for each person that stays with them. Your first time in India you might be shocked by how documented your trip is with the government. Copies of passports and visas for each train, bus, hotel… your entire trip can be tracked. Even if you stay with a friend (like me!) you have to fill out a form and we take it to the police station. I think 1/10 times we actually do this, so… whoops.

5. A 2×2 passport style photograph. You’ll need this to purchase a SIM card, meeting the Dalai Lama, for staying at some ashrams, among other reasons. You usually won’t know ahead of time when they’re going to ask for one, so have it handy. Print about 10 and keep them in a little envelope. I waited in line to see the Dalai Lama not knowing I would need one, but luckily I had that little envelope in my wallet! Crisis averted.

6. Driver’s license. Most often you need a local license to legally drive anyways, but at least if you’re pulled over on a scooter you can show them something that might confuse them enough to let you go. Also, I’ve been guided by an Indian that has lived in America for 20 years that you can receive an international license without a test or fee at the DMV in the U.S. I’ll find out if that’s true when I’m back in May.

7. If you’re in college, it doesn’t hurt to take a student ID. You can get discounts at museums and attractions or even movie tickets (not so much in India, but in Europe, for example at the Acropolis).

8. If you have travel insurance (should you get travel insurance) then keep copies of that paperwork in your backpack with phone numbers of who to call when it’s needed. World Nomads Travel Insurance

9. Some places (like Uganda) required me to get specific vaccinations. These were stapled into my passport and still are there. If you have to get anything like this, keep a copy of it in case it comes loose and disappears. PS: Yellow fever for Uganda does not equal the same vaccination as yellow fever for India; there are different strains. Make sure you don’t assume one will carry over to another country’s guidelines. Immigration will turn you away on arrival without proper vaccination paperwork if it is required.

10. If you have been given an “exit card” from the airport, like in Thailand. Keep this stapled in your passport. I’ve lost one before with no problems, but you never know what kind of mood the officer will be in.

11. I write down my debit card numbers in case my card is stolen. Sometimes I even photocopy them. It’s difficult to get a new card sent out and what I find is easier in case of a lost card is

1. Using those numbers to book as much as I can online
2. I can send Western Union money to myself when I need cash

This is only for when it’s impossible to get a new card sent out, because you’re moving too frequently. It’s also convenient if your bank wrongly closes your card for fraudulent overseas purchases. Even if you give them information that you’re exiting the country, it happens.

12. On that note, I also write down phone numbers. I had Visa’s ‘lost card number’ (it’s on the back of the card, which while lost obviously is inaccessible to you) so I can call them right away when I don’t have Internet to look up the number. I write down family members’ numbers in case something happens to me. I also have the numbers to my banks in case they block my card, which happens quite often.

13. I love the planning aspect of travel (this post explains my technique) and I usually type up an itinerary or list of places I’ve read about in the country I’m going to and say what sounded nice about it. It helps me make decisions later when I have to choose between two places.

Taken directly from my last itinerary:

As you can see, I make very detailed itineraries that are helpful to basically no one including myself. So that my parents can keep tabs on me, I give them a copy of this program. Useful, huh?

14. Specifically to India, some airports will not let you enter without a copy of your E-ticket. If you do not have internet to pull this up on your phone (which they’ve just started allowing) you do need a copy of your flight whether international or domestic.

15. Last but not least, a bit of necessary paper is a journal. I highly recommend keeping at least some record of your travels even if it’s a quote you saw and liked, a tea recipe learned, or a business card you tape it. You’ll forget so much after your trip and it’s a great way to look back.

*Bonus Tip! If you have a camera, iPhone, etc write down the personalized codes on back of them. In the case they are stolen, police will ask for this. In Thailand, my friend’s iPhone was stolen and they wouldn’t even talk to her without that code. Say, someone turned in her phone- that is the ONLY way they can verify it’s hers. Since the code is on the phone, there was no way for her to know. Something similar happened to me when my camera was stolen- luckily seeing a girl cry was enough for the police to believe me.

Where all these travel documents

When it comes to packing, I keep the 2×2 photos in my wallet and the rest of the paperwork in my backpack. I keep the card I use most in my wallet, and my backup debit and credit cards in my backpack. If I go on overnight transportation I keep it all in my purse.

As for my passport, I keep it in my purse more often than I should while backpacking because it seems whenever I need it to book something on a whim, I have to go back to the hotel to grab it. Somewhere like Bombay, that’s a huge pain in the ass. Once I’m stationary somewhere for a week or so, I keep it in the room.

If you’re reading this it’s probably because you are a planner at heart like I am. Check out my blog post about how to plan a trip from scratch without stress here. You can also see where I get all my flight deals from (I have a site that I love) in this post. This article is where I buy my travel clothes.

Pin these 15 necessary documents to take while traveling for later:

The post 15 Documents To Take While Traveling (Especially to India) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 15 Documents To Take While Traveling (Especially to India) appeared first on Hippie In Heels.