Before you head off to India, you might find yourself getting nervous about landing and getting from the airport to your first hotel. I want to ease your stress and anxiety by basically walking you through the basic Indian airport procedure and what to do when you arrive at the airport in India from abroad. It will be slightly different at each airport but very very similar. While writing this, I have Mumbai/Bombay airport in mind, with International arrivals.

I know the feeling as I was full of anxiety my first trip to India and I also generally get anxiety when I travel. Knowledge is power, though. So let this ease your fears! India has many new improved airports and has slowly been making the arrival process easier for people! It’s a great time to travel to India.

Indian Airport Procedure: You’ve Landed, Now What?

When you land, it’s likely your plane will be mostly Indian passengers. They have a knack for standing immediately and rushing to get off the plane, which is annoying. You don’t have to get into their stress and bustle; just keep your own pace.

Usually, planes go to the walkway but sometimes they land a bit far outside of the airport and you’ll have to take a quick shuttle bus to the airport.

As you get in, there will be signs leading you onward. There will be a split off for people who are going onward and are only in India for a layover. That would be a sign for “international transfers”. This is not you! Follow the signs to baggage claim/immigration.

The first place you will reach is immigration.

You’ll want to have already gotten your landing paper from the staff on the plane. Travel with a pen! There is always chaos before immigration where they run out of paper and have two pens for 50 people. Most international flights into India will give you the landing card on the flight and you can fill it out before you land.

There will be a few lines for immigration: E-visa tourists, Business class, Indian nationals, Non-Indians without E-visa (visas stamped in your passport longer than 60 days). Choose your correct line. It’s usually pretty organized and goes fairly fast.

You’ll have to have on your landing card the address of where you are staying and answer a few questions to the immigration officer. It’s quick and easy for most people.

Once they stamp your passport, keep it open as when you walk on someone will check it again before you get to baggage claim.

Get your bags.

It’s always the most annoying part, I have to say. Everyone in India crowds around the place where the bags come out which is so unproductive and staff at the airport will be pulling bags off and putting them to the side. Welcome to India! Find your bag, then line up in the “green” nothing to declare line to go through customs.

Find your bag, then line up in the “green” nothing to declare line to go through customs. They will then scan your carryon and personal item, not your checked luggage.

EVERYONE who lands in Mumbai needs to collect luggage. This is the rule for almost all flights: you must collect luggage at your first port of entry into the country and go through customs THEN you can recheck the luggage.

Either go to “exit” or to “domestic transfer”

If you are going onward within India to another city, then you need to follow the domestic signs. To the left (in Mumbai), you’ll see the signs for domestic transfers. If you want to exit just go straight out.

If you do have a domestic transfer, you will see most major airlines to your left with little booths where they immediately take your luggage and recheck it.

If you did NOT book your flight all as one trip to your final destination, you might have to pay for the luggage here. This is one good reason to book your flight as one itinerary. Domestic flights in India charge A LOT for checked luggage, by the kilo and up to around $200 for one 22 kg bag. Defintiely make sure this is sorted ahead of time, as many people book just for example London to Mumbai then book a cheaper domestic flight on an Indian website for Mumbai to Goa and don’t realize that checked luggage isn’t included. If you fly internationally, luggage allowance is really high and that will count toward the domestic flights too if it’s in the same booking only.

For domestic transfers, you’ll recheck luggage, then follow signs to go through security again. In Mumbai this means taking an escalator up, getting your passport checked, then another escalator, then you’ll be in the Mumbai departures area. Then go forward toward security (or go to get your onward ticket if you don’t have it). Security splits to International and Domestic. Follow the domestic one. Once through security, you can find your gate, have a coffee, and chill!

READ MORE: Sample India Itinerary

The next step will be about what to do once you finally exit the airport, so for those of you who fly to Mumbai and don’t go onward, then this applies to you but it’s the same as basically every airport in India.

*If you’re connecting domestic flight is on a budget airline like Spicejet, IndiGo, or GoAir, you will need to change airports to the old airport, which is the domestic (but only for these budget airlines) and they have done away with the shuttles so you will need to take a taxi between airports.

Exit: get money, SIM (maybe), and taxi (Uber?)

So once you have your bags and land to your final destination and exit you will have to get things sorted out to get to your hotel. There is WiFi at most all Indian airports but you need to have an Indian number to use it as they will SMS (text) you an OTP code to login. This is a bummer for foreigners!

If you are a nervous person, you will do best to have the hotel you are staying at send a driver who will stand there with a sign with your name on it. Then, that person can wait a few minutes while you get money and a SIM if you need it.

The other transportation options are Uber in the big cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Here’s an article on everything you need to know about Uber and which cities it runs in. Goa is not one of them.

Other than your hotel sending a driver or Uber, you can consider a government prepaid taxi (sometimes a ripoff) or something like MERU where you pay a fee to use them and they give you a reliable driver who will turn on the meter. I prefer MERU especially as you can follow on a map that they go the correct way if you have internet. If you are worried about being ripped off, keep in mind it does happen with taxis, but it’s unlikely it would be a huge chunk of change so don’t let this one thing stress you. Do not try and go outside the airport and negotiate. It’s chaotic and you’ll be way more ripped off this way! Use an official taxi.

Before leaving the airport, you’ll want to get money. You can bring rupees into the USA (bought from places like AAA or Thomas Cook), you can bring foreign currency and change it to rupees, or you can use your ATM card and draw out rupees. This article has what you need to know about handling money in India.

If you are getting a SIM card, rumor has it those on “evisas” will get one given to them. If you need to buy one, you could do this at the airport but I don’t think it’s the best option as if they do it wrong and you need to go back, airports are usually out of the way. It’s better to buy it in the area you are staying so you can easily pop in with any issues later on. Here are tips on getting a SIM card in India, which is not an easy process.

Once you have money and your transportation sorted out, then you are good to go! If you are arriving late, you might like to grab some bottled water at the airport in case the hotel/hostel you go to does not have any bottled water on hand late at night (the restaurant could be closed). Other than that, just head to your hotel and you’re ready to take a nap!

A little tip for those of you who aren’t going to have WiFi: You can download an offline maps app so you can track the location of the airport to your hotel. You could also take screenshots of the mapped out instructions in case that doesn’t work well, as a backup. Do have the phone number of the hotel on hand in case the driver is lost and needs to call. Do not just hop out of the taxi if the driver says you are “here” but you do not see the hotel. Wait until you know for sure.

• 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.

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The idea behind Next Vacay is genius and in my 3 year travel blogging and keeping up to date on travel websites and trends, I haven’t seen this pop up as an option. I really wish I was a tech person and could come up with software to do things like this. I am going to share this Next Vacay review and also how I have gotten deals using it.

Next Vacay Review.. spoiler alert, it’s amazing

Before I share about what Next Vacay does, I want to say who would love it:

• Frequent travelers who cannot seem to figure out frequent flier miles and ever get a discount
• Those who want travel hacking prices but can’t be bothered trying and don’t want to open credit cards for points and all of that struggle.
• People who get too excited about trips and just book them without researching, because they don’t have time for that!
• People who can travel with a couple of months notice

These are all VERY me and I can’t be alone. This is why I was so stoked about Next Vacay, so without further ado, I’ll share with you what it is and the sweet couple behind it!

Naveen and his wife, Shaylee, who live in Atlanta, made this software (because Naveen does fun things like that in his spare time!) which they used to search countless airfare sites to find cheap flights. They had plugged in the airports closest to them and limited the places that they would go to only useful, cool destinations, not just random places, as well as limits on only the best deals and money off. They would get alerts from their system saying only the craziest deals and started traveling a lot more making all their friends jealous.

They flew to India roundtrip for $300 each and Barcelona roundtrip for $600 each. They started helping their friends and eventually decided to share this with the world. Naveen took his father-in-law to Italy and got him a business class seat for $1500 roundtrip! That’s insane.

Their friends started getting the same flight deals. All of the following mentioned are roundtrip prices: wandering Paris for $425, chasing kangaroos in Australia for $580, ice-climbing in Reykjavik Iceland for $278, exploring downtown San Jose $273, and the watching the world’s best sunset at the stunning Greek island Santorini $393.

Oh, how I’d love to go back to Santorini…

“Every single deal is reviewed and assembled by hand by us. We know you have bosses and family to talk to before booking. This is why we do not send last-minute deals. We put ourselves in the shoes of someone who has to request paid time off and coordinate with a partner who also likely has to do the same. The deals we send include links to real ticket itineraries for desirable weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.” -Naveen

Iceland doesn’t look half bad either ;) images via Moyan Brenn

How Next Vacay Works:

• You put in your airport nearest to you (only US, Canada, Europe, & Australia).
• Sign up for the month free trial.
• You get emails that only relate to your nearby airports and cheap prices! The prices they said/mention on their site are round-trip.
• They give you instructions to book directly with the airline. I love this part as booking direct saves your ass if a flight is delayed or canceled. It just simplifies things.
• If you like it so far, you pay the $25 annual fee… which is insanely low.
• Don’t find a deal you like in 6 months? You get your money back!

I’d love a deal to Australia! image via Les Haines

Why is this so crazy?

You have to do NO work! People spend so much time travel hacking to save points to get flights that are $300 to India, but this way you just wait and until the mail comes saying “guess what, a flight to ___ is only __ on these dates!”. You don’t have to sign up to a bunch of newsletters that send out deals that don’t relate to you to obscure places.

“No other website monitors every single airport for deals. Other sites expect you to find your own way to a big city to take advantage of a handful of deals. We’ve found a way to get amazing deals for members in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Billings, MT so even folks in smaller cities are taken care of.”

“I can send deals from Atlanta to Tulsa or from Cleveland to Baltimore but the reality is… that doesn’t make most people excited. That’s why I send deals like to Atlanta to India for $718, NYC to Iceland for <$500 and so on.”

If you pay someone to help you travel hack, you will pay more.

If you want these prices from collecting points, it will take ages.

If you search these out yourselves, and are anything like me, you’ll never find these deals.

The craziest bit of all.. If you don’t find a deal you like in 6 months, you can ask for your money back, no questions asked.

Deals For Me | Next Vacay Review

I have been traveling internationally since I was 19 or 20 and I have STILL never figured out travel hacking, never gotten a credit card to get points, and although I’ve signed up for a million discount airline memberships, I have never taken advantage of one because I can’t figure out how they work.

If I am having issues, and feeling unmotivated, then maybe you are too. Next Vacay is the best solution I’ve seen yet.

I tried it out myself after setting up an account for Columbus, Ohio thinking I could find flights for my parents to India. The first week, I got an email from Naveen.

When my parents came to India in “peak season” two years ago, it was nearly $2,000 for each of their flights. I usually pay $1,200 and tend to get the best deals on United. I have gotten it as cheap as $900 before “off-season”.

Naveen’s system found a United flight on Thanksgiving (high holiday prices usually) for $900 there and back. I took my first of many flights to India almost 4 years ago and I haven’t gotten this great of deals around a holiday. In fact, we just booked Ben’s flight back through United for this summer (off season) as we had a voucher (because they lost our luggage in the past), and the flight was $1200. No bueno!

They send flight deals to only interesting places and only when it’s a great deal. Another one that came and I loved was this: Hong Kong for $900. You can see how personalized the emails are as well. They also send you over the itinerary and explain how to book through Google Flights.

I love that they send deals that make sense. If you got this deal and it was over a holiday, if can actually make sense for you to take it. With airline emails, it’s always “wow this flight to Tulsa at 3 AM tomorrow is only $100″… well great, who needs that!?

What’s next for Next Vacay?

They are a new company and small for now, with him and his wife being the team behind the website! They hope to grow and hire people in Asia to offer deals there as well. I love working with smaller companies because you get a seriously customized service. They are going to soon start offering more personalized options which make it even better for you to get to your dream destination.

“One of the most requested features is to allow our members to pick just one top spot in the world they want to go to next. We’ll then text members when that deal is on sale so you can take immediate action. For example, if you live in Columbus, Ohio and it’s been a your dream to go to Bali, you’ll tell us to watch out for Bali deals for you. We’ll then tell you that we found a $371 deal from SF to Bali and your flight from Columbus to SF is $400 making the total cost to go to Bali $771 from Columbus which is still at least a $1000 per person savings.

You can sign up on their website and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. As a bonus for Hippie in Heels readers, they are offering the business class deal alerts for 3 months. Just use a link from this blog post which will let him know you came from the blog.

Tip: If you are planning a trip abroad do not forget two very important things: travel insurance and visa requirements. I choose to use World Nomads when I go abroad (it’s recommended by Lonely Planet). I also check on ivisa to see if I need a visa for the place I’m going!

I was compensated for my time in writing this next vacay review, but as always opinions are only my own! I am so glad I can now have someone else looking out for cheap flights for my parents – if one comes up to Europe at Christmas we are talking about meeting there!

The post My Newest Travel Obsession: Next Vacay first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post My Newest Travel Obsession: Next Vacay appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Technically, travel blogging is my job and I’ve been to and written about over 30 countries, but it really seems like my job is giving people India travel tips. I wake up to emails about it, check my FB messages, IG messages, and tweets to answer questions, and throughout the day answer blog comment questions and more emails. I’m like an India travel guide-book! :)

I actually really love giving advice about it and since I’ve been traveling here over 3.5 years straight, it comes naturally and easy to me. I do answer the same questions repeatedly though which means I’m not making the information clear enough or easy enough to find.

I have an insane amount of articles on my website that offer similar advice to this and I”ll link through on things that I go more in-depth on another article. In this post I’m just going to touch on the basics for those who are still considering what traveling India entails.

If you’re headed to India, you can also check out my Guide to India which is a 100,000-word ebook with 6 years of travel knowledge – it will make sure you have the most epic trip. Read more about it here.

100 India Travel Tips

General Tips on India & When to Go

1 People DO speak English in many places. It is one of the languages that is taught in schools in India and if you’re going to be on the tourist trail, which most people are, you won’t have many issues with this.

2. You should get health insurance for India. When my dengue fever was at its worst and I was supposed to get a platelet transfusion, a doctor said I should fly home and do it there. Although health care isn’t a huge expense here, emergencies are and World Nomads Travel Insurance is very affordable and very well worth it.

3. India is seasonal in part due to the monsoons which are not always fun to travel in. The months that lead up to a monsoon are incredibly hot and are best to be avoided. Read here to see which months you can go where and which places to avoid.

4. Northern India, including Delhi, can get very cold in the winter (jackets, boots, gloves) so bring warm clothing if you are coming in December and January.

5. The mountains close up in the peak of winter because the roads are impossible to drive on. There are areas called “passes” that shut when the roads are too dangerous and this can leave you stuck somewhere or ruin a planned trip. Traveling to the Himalayas in November to February is best avoided.

6. You need a visa. For a stay one year or less, you can now do it online through the government website or you can use a third party, like iVisa, so you don’t have to do all the work. iVisa charges an admin fee, but allows you to submit well in advance unlike the government site & does all the hard work for you. I have four articles about getting a visa in India:

• How to get a tourist evisa for India (for a stay under one year, done easily online)
• How to get a visa for India from the UK (longer than one year)
• How to get a visa for India from the USA (longer than ones year)
• How to get an e-medical and e-business visa for India

Transportation Tips to and around India

7. Getting to India is a pain in the but from the US and Canada! The UK is a lot easier and you can do charter flights from Manchester to Goa for super cheap. Flying from further west, you can get good deals flying with Turkish Air and Air France as well as Qatar. American and US also give okay rates but I am not a huge fan of them. I book on Momondo and Cheapoair. The least I’ve paid  is $900 USD from Ohio to Mumbai and back, and the most on the same route is $1400.

8. The cheapest places to fly in and out of tend to be Delhi and Mumbai. Sometimes Calcutta, and if you are going to Goa you can do a charter flight from some places.

9. You can fly direct from the states without stopping in Europe. It’s about 17 hours from NYC to Mumbai and I totally prefer this as it takes out one more hassle of layovers.

10. On transport in India, do not take anti-anxiety pills or sleeping pills (unless you take them normally) to help you sleep as it sets you up as a target for theft. You should be careful not to take food and drink from strangers unless it’s a family. There are stories and even signs in the stations warning people that they could be drugged if accepting things from strangers.

11. While you can lock you bag under the bottom seat of a train (I use a

The post 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

I adore Istanbul! Ten days was a long time to explore, plus I researched a lot ahead of time. This article will show you where to stay in Istanbul and how to get around! Plus I added a map so you can see everything laid out.

Of course, 10 days isn’t enough to “know it all” so this is just what I can share, while I’m sure there are many more great areas! I will be following up with an article on my time in each of these places.

Where to Stay in Istanbul

What’s the Best Neighborhood to Stay Istanbul?

There are so many neighborhoods in the huge city and lots of options to choose from. I’ll give you a breakdown of the Istanbul neighborhoods so you can decide.

Beyoğlu

Beyoğlu is the European side of the river, on the Eastern side, and is known for being a trendy area full of cobbled roads, great cafes, pubs, and shopping, as well as boutique hotels.

Inside Beyoğlu are the popular areas of Taksim Square a popular tourist area, Pera (Greek neighborhood), Galata (shopping area, Galata tower, also touristy), Karakoy (very cool, trendy, young), and Istiklal street (shopping street, very busy and touristy). Also in this area is Serdar-ı Ekrem,  a very popular road for shopping. There are a lot of trendy boutiques. The Soho House is also in this district.

Try one of the Airbnbs in the neighborhood, like this boutique flat or this loft only 4 minutes to Taksim Square.

Şişli District and Beşiktaş

Further from the tourist attractions of Istanbul, you’ll see the Şişli District and Beşiktaş, which holds they very upscale Nişantaşı. It might look very far apart, but for example, I stayed at Hotel W in Nişantaşı and could walk to Taksim in about 30 minutes.

Book here

You could also try this feminine chic apartment or this stylish apartment.

You can go even further out. As you can see Hotel Raffles, who I visited for a spa treatment, is way out there. Next to Raffles is the newest mall in Istanbul, Zorlu Center, which is a high-end designer mall with delicious food court!

It took about 20 minutes via Uber to get from the Raffles back down near Galata to Kilic Ali Pasa Hamamni where I met a friend. Even further out in Şişli is Bebek, which is known for its pastel-colored Ottoman Empire restored homes.

Sultanahmet

On the other part of the European side is Sultanahmet, which is the #1 area for tourism in Istanbul as it holds the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, and the movie-famous Basilica Cistern. You can stay here, but it’s a little more expensive in this area for shopping and food. By a little, I mean instead of a 6 Lira ($2) kebab, you could spend 16 Lira ($5). It doesn’t seem like much but you are basically going to double your food and drink costs while here.

Sultanahmet is very close to the Grand Bazaar. I think it was two stops on the tram and about 10 minutes. If you stay in the Beyoğlu area and head to Sultanahmet, you’ll take the tram right through Galata and the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market, making it really easy to stop and see everything.

If you stay in Sultanahmet, try Hotel Sultanahmet, which has views of the mosque, or this chic, luxury flat.

Üsküdar

Your last place to consider is the Asian side of the strait. Personally, I wouldn’t do it your first couple days in Istanbul, but once you get yourself grounded, it’s really not a big deal to cross the river. I went to Sumahan on the Water for lunch via their free ferry and it was SO worth it. Üsküdar is the cool area over there which you can see the whole of if you zoom out. Check out here what tourist attractions you can see on the Asian side. This website is also helpful in showing the ferry schedules.

If you stay in Üsküdar, try this cool penthouse or this fully restored residence.

The Bosphorus Strait actually does divide Istanbul into two continents. Taking a ferry ride at sunset is a big tourist attraction and if you stay on the Asian side, you can spend a lot of time on the water anyways!

Conclusion

Overall it seems to me Sultanahmet is the place with all the tourist attractions, Beyoğlu comes in second with things to do and see, then the Asian side, then going way out toward Bebek if you have a lot of time!

I know this is a lot of information to take in- but use the map and the stars and get a feel of the area before you go. It’s so worth it. It will save you time once you’re there by planning ahead and you’ll be staying at a hotel in the area you choose!

Top Places to Stay in Istanbul By Area

I stayed in two hotels in Istanbul and visited two hotels for their spa, and one for dinner. A few are ones that were on my well-researched list of places I was considering staying. All of these are top-notch awesome choices, with stats showing they are some of the best hotels in Istanbul. I hope you have found out where to stay in Istanbul from this article.

Sultanahmet Hotels

• Hotel Ibrahim Pasha – I stayed 4 nights. It was THE BEST with morning coffee on the rooftop looking at the Blue Mosque. Full review to come. Book here

Beyoğlu Hotels

• The Stay Galata (Çukurcuma)- fantastic old house modernized, with a unique bathroom setup!
• Witt Istanbul Suites (Galata)- for modern apartment life
• Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah (Pera)- Jumeirah do the best hotels in the world, and this one is very famous.
• Gezi Hotel Bosphorus (Taksim)- STUNNING views from these rooms… just amazing!
• George’s Hotel Galata (Galata)- modernized in a classic building with stunning views
• Ravouna 1906 Suites (Taksim)- another one with a view

Top Hotels on Asian Side in Üsküdar

• Sumahan on the Water (Üsküdar)– The best hotel on this side of the river according to everyone I spoke to. I ate here and the food was insanely good.
• Ajia Hotel (Üsküdar)- also meant to be awesome & looks stunning

Top hotels in Şişli and Beşiktaş

• W Hotel (Nişantaşı)- Stayed here 3 nights. Amazing atmosphere, very hip, awesome area of town to walk around
• The Sofa (Nişantaşı)- very sleek and upscale, sort of business looking hotel

How to Get Around Istanbul

The Tram

The tram system in Istanbul is amazing. I am terrible about public transportation being from Ohio and even I found it so easy to navigate.

You buy a toke for 4 lira (a little over a dollar) from a machine near the stop and then use that token to get to the entrance of the tram. They come every few minutes and in my experiences were never overcrowded.

I loved taking the tram around and it saves so much time from being in traffic. Because transportation was a breeze, you should not be too stressed about where to stay in Istanbul because if you can get to any area of the city quite easily and affordably.

Taxis

Taxis in Istanbul have a bad reputation of ripping people off. If you take a taxi or “taksi” it’s best to make sure they use the meter then follow on your phone’s GPS to see if they are going the right way. There are many one-way roads in Istanbul and drivers often take their own way which is faster, so don’t necessarily assume you are being ripped off if they veer off course.

Uber

By far the easier way for me to get around was Uber. I re-downloaded the app when I arrived and found it much cheaper than taxi driver rates. I used it around 10 times and only spent $60 all together.

I did a test by asking a driver a rate for to my hotel and got him down on price to 25-30 Lira. I told him nevermind and took an Uber which cost me 15 Lira ($5 USD), so it seems Uber is the best. It is an easy app to use as well! Download Uber here for iPhone and Android.

Black Lane

The other car service I tried was Black Lane who is all over Europe. I had vouchers for them so booked two rides, one of which was to the airport when I left. They sent a driver in a suit and very fancy car to pick you up. It’s all very business class! They also sent emails saying who the driver would be and when he was outside the hotel. It’s more expensive than Uber, but you get a more luxurious experience and you know they’ll show up whereas sometimes your Uber driver gets lost or cancels your car request.

The Ferry

When you want to go to the other side of the river, the “Asian” side, you can use a ferry. Ferry services are in too many places to mention. Some hotels and restaurants offer a free ferry. There are also water taxis in Istanbul but they are very expensive.

The Metro

Another way to go across the river is under it via the metro. I did this to save time as the ferries stopped due to the wind and the traffic on the bridge above was a standstill. It took about 5 minutes and shot me out right at a tram stop on the other side.

Istanbul Map

Take a little look at this to familiarize yourself before you read up on which area you want to stay. To give you an idea on Uber ride costs: a ride from Nişantaşı to Sultanahmet cost 17 Lira ($6). So if you’re worried about getting around and being far from tourist attractions, keep in mind Uber is affordable and the trams are very affordable and easy.

I’ve pinned all the neighborhoods I mention below plus a couple of hotels just as reference points so you can get an idea of where to stay in Istanbul on your trip.

Read More Tips for Istanbul

• My little guide to Istanbul
• Where to shop in Istanbul
• Walking tour of Istanbul

Have you been to Istanbul? Do you have any tips on where to stay in Istanbul? Let me know!

Pin for later!

The post Where to Stay in Istanbul (& How to Get Around) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Where to Stay in Istanbul (& How to Get Around) appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

We took a family vacation from Ohio to Toronto and on the way home wanted to see Niagara Falls. It’s easy to make a stop and only takes an hour if you need to make it quick. We did, as we had to pick our dog up from the kennel (poor Brandi!).

If you want to stop at Niagara Falls on your way home from Toronto to Ohio, it’s easy to do just before crossing Rainbow Bridge. From Toronto you get on Queen Elizabeth way to 420E which takes you right to the falls. There are signs everywhere saying to get off at the falls, just follow the arrows. Then after seeing the falls, you can follow signs to “USA” or “Rainbow bridge” easy peasy!

Parking at Niagara is easy as well and there were places all over. You can take a boat ride out or you can just take pictures from the sidewalk. There are places to eat and it’s actually a cute little town withe Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, and Hershey store.

Niagara falls was amazing and totally worth a stop! You’d be crazy not to. In case you’re unfamiliar with the falls, they are 3 waterfalls between NY (USA) and Ontario (Canada) called Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe falls are the most famous. They are not only a tourist attraction, but they create power!

In 1901 a school teacher went over in a barrel. She lived to tell the tale and the daredevil trend has stuck around with more people wanting to try. If you have time to share check out more stories of people who jumped into the falls.

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I sometimes share e-mails under the tag “ask me anything“. I get a lot of very similar e-mails which means there are a lot of people out there thinking the same questions. Why not address them to everyone? You can search more like these by clicking that link above.

I got the most interesting e-mail from two girls coming to backpack India:

“…planning a four month trip to India from July – October. I was just wondering what you thought about buying a used car for the 4 months instead of getting busses and trains? If you think it’s a good idea, too much driving, safer or too expensive? “

First, I told her she was ballsy as shit to consider this option!

Second, I told her she totally should not buy an old car.

So, here’s my two cents on why buying an old car isn’t good for travel in India:

1. Driving in India is stressful, best to be avoid when traveling is stressful enough. Why stress more?

2. Filling petrol is expensive. The car plus the petrol will be a lot. Plus time getting lost will waste petrol.

3. You’ll get lost. A lot.

4. Buses and trains are SO inexpensive. You can take a Volvo instead of local bus and a 2AC train instead of sleeper and be fine.

5. Police problems: crossing state borders without proper plates, driving without Indian license, insurance problems, paying bribes just to drive because they can…

6. Getting ripped off buying the car, the car breaking, repair costs, getting ripped off during repairs (welcome to my life with my Omni! lol we didn’t get ripped off buying, but repairs we’ve gotten screwed)

7. It’s so hot, you’ll need AC and it’s not so cheap to find a used AC car.

8. Do you know the Indian road rules? It takes a long time to learn how to deal with cows, scooters, no traffic laws, roundabouts which are totally ignored, and more.

9. Legally as a foreigner, I’m not sure you can buy and insure a car. Even my car, although paid for, is not technically- it’s an Indian friends and I’m borrowing it so to speak.

10. That time when you and your travel buddy are argueing over directions or that you need to pay the other back for petrol, you could be sleeping on a cozy train instead instead of a hotel (saving on room for the night as well) waking up where you want to be, hassle-free.

Now, here’s my two cents on when it does make sense to buy an old car!

If you’re going to be in ONE state only, you have an international drivers license, you have the cash to buy a used car (at least 1,000 USD), you are a good confident driver, you know you’ll be needing wheels everyday, you are staying in a place (like Goa) where taxis are insanely priced and renting a scooter is cheaper, you can’t ride a scooter, or you’re going to be in India a while… these are times getting a car makes sense.

Ben’s omni (that I share) cost about 1000 bucks. It breaks, but it works and has been in our care for two years. We need a car and any expat in India should get their own set of wheels, even if only a bike.

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

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After my first time to Europe and visiting only the popular cities in the West, I was dreaming of Eastern Europe the whole next year in University waiting for summer to come around. It took ages to plan my sample Eastern Europe itinerary – and I’m going to detail it all here for you now that it’s said and done.

I’ve written about all these cities before so there will be links throughout with proper guides. As I mentioned in my sample western Europe itinerary, I didn’t have the funds at the time to go to Ireland and Spain as they would have required flying with my time constraints. Therefore, I made sure to hit those up first before heading East.

I mentioned Ireland and Spain in my Western Europe itinerary and as I said you could do Ireland first, then the Western Itinerary I wrote about, ending in Spain, then flying to Greece so start this “Eastern Europe” itinerary. So, I will start with Greece now!

Sample Eastern Europe Itinerary for Backpackers

1. Athens, Greece. Flying into Athens was exciting, but nerve-wrecking as my backpack didn’t make it and I didn’t have anything but almonds and my journal in my carry-on. First thing to know about Athens, is in July and hot months no one is there. They are on vacation because it’s so hot! The city was a little dirty and desolate to be honest, but interesting and of course seeing the ancient ruins at Acropolis was very cool. Tips for travel to Athens.

2. Mykonos, Greece. Mykonos is a party island. From Athens, you need to take a ferry to the closest port and you’ll want to find a travel agent in town to book your ferry tickets. They’re a little pricey if you’re comparing to Thailand islands. Mykonos was gorgeous, expensive, had delicious food, and there are quiet areas if you know where to look; we found a cute apartment in a secluded area. Read more: The Best of Mykonos Greece

3. Santorini, Greece. In terms or partying and gorgeousness, Santorini takes the cake. There’s no question as to why this is the most tourist island. It’s stunning. You have the famous sunsets and that white on blue rounded architecture everywhere you look. Food was a little pricey but scrumptious and the shops were full of the cutest stuff. I couchsurfed here mainly to save money and also because we hadn’t experienced Greece like a local. We stayed with a model/scuba instructor and had a blast club hopping the whole time and exploring the island on bikes. Read on for tips: What I love about Santorini Greece: Scuba and the Gods

4. Corfu, Greece. Corfu is the “green” island. The water is so clear, but with lush green forests in the background. Actually, it looks a lot like Thailand. We stayed at popular party hostel the Pink Palace, which is retrospect was a mistake as they trap you a bit from seeing the local parts of the island.

5. Tirana, Albania. So Albania was a bit of an accident. We pretty much were stuck in Santorini and told we had to go to Italy in order to get to our next city (Dubrovnik). The only other option was taking a ferry to the southern bit of Albania and going via taxi north, as local buses are hit and miss. We did take local buses / hitchhike through Albania through Montenegro to Croatia. We started via local bus to Tirana and met a cool chick, Bena, who shared all the secret local hotspots of Albania with us, from beaches and bars to UNESCO sites.

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia. After a couple of days of unplanned travel, we made it to Dubrovnik and I was overwhelmed with how much I loved this city. If there was one place I wanted to go back to and take Ben, it would be this town. I know it’s become more touristy partially with help from Game of Thrones filming on the castle. It’s a medieval wonderful town. Fabulous food and so gorgeous overlooking the sea that I didn’t mind the small crowds. We stayed at a Sobe in the Old Town which I 100% recommend. They will find you at the bus station.

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia. Sarajevo was a bit of a culture shock after being in beach party towns, not to say we didn’t party in Sarajevo (I was only 20 after all). A place not so long ago destroyed by war, you can still see the destruction today and learning about the history of that war is very important. This was the first place I’d been that had a call to prayer, but was interesting in that there were also Christian churches and Synagogues in the same intersection. Also, the food was incredible as well as the coffee! Definitely buy a coffee set here.

8. Belgrade, Serbia. Not only interesting, but affordable. It’s a cool town to see but I was there only a short time. There was a beer festival in Belgrade happening so you can only imagine what I was up to. We found a hotel online and it was 3 bucks a night with breakfast. How is that possible!?

9. Budapest, Hungary. The first thing I learned about Budapest is that one side of the river is Buda and one side is called pest. I recommend doing a walking tour of the city to learn, and I also couchsurfed here. Mostly, we learned about what happened there during world war 2, which has always interested me. Make sure to visit the famous Szechyeni baths, which is a highlight of a trip to Budapest.

10. Krakow, Poland. Although I liked the walking tour and learned a lot, I found the city a bit boring. Perhaps the weather had something to do with it. I did enjoy the town fair and markets. I’m sure it was a fluke that I didn’t have a blast, but I would go back. Read more tips for visiting Krakow.

11. Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is incredible! Spend as much time here as you can. Affordable, great food, amazing history and architecture, and a fun nightlife. I couchsurfed here and loved seeing the city from a locals view. Read for some tips on Prague.

12. Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. This place is about 4 hours from Prague by a cheap bus that offers hot chocolate and a movie! The town is the “last bohemian town” with a castle uniquely hand-painted to look like it’s more fancy architecture than it really is. There is a moat with beers, lots of little homey bars, and your hostel will possibly offer you a joint fix on arrival.

So, there you have it, my sample Eastern Europe itinerary based on my own trip. All in all I started the trip flying into Irelend, then flying to Spain, then onward via flight to Greece. The rest is as you read, then after Cesky, we took a bus back to Prague to fly to Ireland to catch the roundtrip flight home.

I had more fun on my trip to Eastern Europe than Western Europe, and although some people think it’s not as easy to travel, I found that wasn’t true except lack of buses in Northern Albania and Montenegro. It was very affordable and I learned a lot.

I hope you found this Eastern European backpacking itinerary helpful! Remember to find a cheap flight using my tips and get some travel insurance that covers adventure sports. If you’re planning a trip, check out my tips on how to plan a trip from scratch.

Pin this sample Eastern Europe itinerary for later:

The post Sample Backpacking Eastern Europe Itinerary first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Sample Backpacking Eastern Europe Itinerary appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Bombay (Mumbai) can be overwhelming on your first visit, but after multiple trips it’s much easier to get around with ease and see more of the amazing city. I’ll share with you where I took my parents in Mumbai when we only had one day. With just one day in Mumbai, here is what you should try and do.

One Day in Mumbai: Tips on what to do with only 24 hours in Mumbai

1. Get Enough Sleep Prior

First, if you have guests coming or you’re flying in late – get a hotel room even just for half a night. My parents arrived at 2 am and I had Sai Palace pick them up. The business hotel was only 130 USD with free airport pick ups and drop offs. They were professional and it was clean. That night Ben stayed longer for work, and my parents napped at his hotel, Sahara Star, a very popular airport hotel. Sahara Star is pricier as it’s a 5 star but check for last-minute deals on makemytrip and cleartrip. These are both in Andheri East just 5 minutes from the airports.

Sahara Star courtyard

2. Transport: local train, hired car, or rickshaw

You can hire a car for 8 hours in Bombay for less than 2,000 rs which will be cheaper than picking up cabs and leaving them for another between each location. I recommend taking the slow local (tips on riding the local train in Mumbai here) from Andheri to Colaba to miss traffic and experience that “rush” of the city. Bombay is a great place to get in a rickshaw and take a cheap ride through the traffic. I made sure to take a hired A/C car for my mom and dad and we took the new(ish) Sea Link for a great view.

3. Explore Colaba: Gateway of India, Taj Hotel, & Colaba Causeway

Colaba is at the Southern tip of Bombay and much of the tourist attractions are here. To be clear, Bombay isn’t set up for tourists and there aren’t many attractions. It’s the “experience” you want. First we checked out the Gateway of India, but the line was insane so we looked from afar. This is the #1 attraction in Bombay by far. It was built in 1911 after King George showed up, and years later, the last Brit soldiers would leave through this very gateway.

Next, we toured around the Causeway and let my parents peak in on every day life (in such an upscale area: think high-end stores and restaurants) before popping into the Taj Hotel to see the Christmas decorations. Ben had a friend staying there so we could explore the pool and other areas. There was a terrorist attack here in 2008, so security is tight. This might be the most famous hotel in India. Really want to shop in Colaba? Hit up:

1. Bungalow Eight

2. Bombay Electric

3. Good Earth

4. A Beer at Leopold’s

Leopold’s is a bit of a let down, I’ll admit, but its the nostalgic aspect that brings people back for more booze here. Made famous by the book Shantaram (read inspiring books about India here), and world-famous during the 2008 bombings (you can still see bullet holes), tourists come in for their mid-day beer. This was once a backpacker’s spot and even two years ago while backpacking myself, I made a stop in and met a couple of friends.

5. Chor Bazaar “thieves market”

A very cool place in South Bombay (Kind of in northern Colaba but better if you drive than walk), this is known as a place to get antiques and vintage items. They say it is where you’ll find your stolen goods (chor means thief in Hindi and Marathi) but these days, it’s where interior designers come from all over the world to find ancient pieces. My parents were amazed.

Jugaaadu electrician

6. EAT!

While there is loads of street food at every corner, my parents weren’t quite up for that yet since they arrived only the night before, jet lagged. If you can do street food, this is the place to try it all. Because my parents were starving from the plane and wanted to wait on the Indian, we ate at a Mexican place (the only cuisine we don’t get in Goa… I guess I had some say in this lol) called Sancho’s in Colaba. Other favorites are the Irish House in Lower Parel and Indigo Deli in both Bandra and Colaba. For dinner, I love The Table in Colaba. Here’s a list of all the best eats in Bombay.

We finished all this by about 4, then my parents wanted a nap. Jet lag is real! ha! For more ideas if you have the rest of the day ahead of you, here goes:

• National Gallery of Modern Art & Prince of Wales Museum, near Fort are the most popular museums.
• Koli Fishing Village.. try Bombay Duck (which is a fish!)
• Victoria Terminus in Fort district.. or just wander Fort area.
• Near Victoria, at end of Fort, is Jyotiba Phule Market or as everyone knows it, Crawford Market. This is less intense than Chor Bazaar and a great place to wander.
• We drove down Marine Drive, past Chowpatty Beach, and all through Worli. If you have a driver, it’s a great way to get back up north.
• Feeling over the rush? Shop at Phoenix mall and have lunch at a yummy restaurant, although I always just get TGIF while here.
• Find an NGO to tour Dharavi slums in a respectable way. It’s the largest slum in Asia. The area covers 212 acres. Personally, I haven’t done this because it seems like exploitation to pay to walk through, and if I ever went I’d want it to be because a friend/driver wanted me to come there for tea or something and I was actually invited. An Indian blogger I follow wrote about his experience on a tour of Dharavi Slums here. I would trust his opinion!
• See a Bollywood flick at Regal Cinema
• Dhobi Ghat, a unique laundry system as pictured by a friend, Chandell:

Getting ready for your trip? Pin this one day in Mumbai guide for later:

PS: Make sure to check out my article on getting started planning your trip to India. It’s a free 5,000-word blog post with all my tips from visas, to trains and hostels. Read it here. If you’re only coming to Mumbai, check out my luxury guide to Mumbai and the best restaurants in Mumbai. I also wrote a book about India, it’s a complete guide to traveling here with step by step how to plan your trip with custom maps and itineraries, experiences, shopping, tours – you name it, I’ve covered it. Buy your copy of my book here.

The post Guide for One Day in Mumbai (Bombay) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Guide for One Day in Mumbai (Bombay) appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Usually a month or two around Europe is people’s first big step into their gap year. You’ll want to see Big Ben in London, the Louvre in Paris, and visit Vatican city- and although all these places were amazing to look at, it seems the experiences I had in Europe are more vivid in my memory than the monuments I saw.

Make sure you aren’t just checking things off a list and going to bed early each night, just to wake up early and sight-see. Party your butt off! Go to festivals. Save a little extra money for adventures like skydiving. Do a little research so you don’t miss out of amazing opportunities.

Top 10 Backpacking Europe Experiences

1. Going to La Tomatina or San Fermin in Spain. Running with the bulls in Pamplona can be dangerous and I’ve met a couple of guys who did it and said “never again” but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch from a balcony above. La Tomatina is a giant tomato throwing food fight, and is a world-famous party. There are more famous ones like Zurichs summer parade, and of course Oktoberfest. Check out this article on Tomatina from Nomadic Matt’s site.

2. Adventure thrills in Interlaken. I wrote a piece on how Interlaken is a tourist hub, but that should divert you from going. Tourists go for a reason, whether it be canyoning, ice climbing, sky diving, or hang-gliding. Interlaken is a tiny town between two clean glacier lakes in Alps, and probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

Canyoning and hang-gliding in Interlaken.. unforgettable. 

3. Party Hard in Barcelona. Sounds cheesy, but truly this city is a machine. Sight-see, have some sangria and tapas, then explore the nightlife. Don’t bother going to the clubs until after 1 AM and you’ll be out past sunrise. My favorite strip of clubs was at Port Olympic, easily accessible by local transportation. Here are more tips on Barcelona. And remember, it’s not bad to party while backpacking (as long as it’s not all you do); nightlife is part of a country’s culture.

our couchsurfing host in Barcelona- perfect way to explore the local nightlife scene

leaving Barcelona a happy chica!

4. Couchsurf. Even compared to the US, Europe is more “free” and open-minded. I loved learning from my couchsurfing hosts. You’ll make a new friend, have a tour guide, a free place to stay, and get a locals point of view. Do your research and find someone who meshes well with you. You might get lucky like I did staying with scuba instructors on the beautiful island Santorini. Here are 9 safety tips for couchsurfing. It’s a great option even if you are a solo traveler. Remember, that you need to give back by not only being a great guest, but by hosting people in your home as well!

• SIGN UP here and create an account, it’s free!

5. Go to a Huge Music Festival. I went to one in Serbia that was very unique and it made me want more. The queen of documenting music festivals might be Alex in Wanderland (read her tips on Tomorrowland in Belgium). The one I’d love to go to is Glastonbury in England, mainly because of the great acts and Kate Moss wellies ;) Other huge ones are Exit in Serbia, Calvi on the Rocks in Corsica, and Roskilde in Denmark. Check out this guide: 15 music festivals to go to in 2015.

6. Traveling by train. This may seem like a no-brainer, but for us Americans, we don’t use train travel and unless we grew up in a big city, might not have used public buses or even metros. Learning how to navigate a metro and running to catch a train last-minute are all part of the backpacking experience. You’re bound to make at least one mistake (FYI the trains sometimes split apart and go different ways mid-journey). Buying a Eurail pass makes it all a bit easier and more affordable but do know that you’ll have to pay reservation fees sometimes and still book your train ahead of time.

7. Go Sailing (Party sailing!). I hadn’t heard of this when I went to Europe or I would have been ALL OVER IT. The first I saw about it was this article: Sailing Experience with the Yacht Week Croatia then I saw a negative light of it with this one: Review of Party Yachting with Sailing.hr So make sure you do your research and it seems like it’d be the best week of your life.

8. Play tourist. I feel it’s necessary to say it because it’s not all party, not learning while in Europe. There’s so much to learn and it’s easy to do so cheaply with the help of FREE walking tours (tips only and will help you to see all the most famous monuments), city passes, passes for kids under 26, checking out signs up in your hostel, and checking out museums.

9. Eating out even if your budget is small. Lots of backpacking cook in their hostel, even I did sometimes. It saves loads of money. If you’re that tight on your budget, it’s best to couchsurf and ask your host to teach you to cook something local (you should pay for the groceries), but better yet save a little more and go out to eat! You don’t have to go to a fine dining establishment (which are usually more intercontinental anyways) but instead have street food! There’s no better way to experience a country than through its food.

local cevapi in Bosnia, affordable and delicious!

10. Try to go East, but don’t kick yourself if you can’t. Seeing Eastern Europe is so exciting and different from Western Europe, but it’s also a big step to try to “see it all” and can sometimes be better to save it for another trip. Don’t let people tell you going to London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome is too touristy of an option. There is a snobbery around traveling, that you are better than! Only see what you have time for and travel slow.

Now, a little inspiration so you can book that flight!

The post Top 10 Backpacking Europe Experiences first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Top 10 Backpacking Europe Experiences appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

While on a tour through Karnataka, I met Siobhan Carrick and Chandell Kelly. I’d briefly spoken with them on Instagram, and I knew they followed my blog. We had some amazing times together on the Chikkamagalur loop of the goMowgli tour & they kept me cracking up telling me stories from their last two months in India. Backpacking India two months in one go is tiring but you can see and do so much in that long amount of time.

By far the best (and worst) was when Siobhan shared how sick she was on a local bus that after puking out the window, she actually laid on the floor of the bus with her cheek on the ground. It was a new low. Even I hadn’t been that sick! Although it sounds terrible, these stories are things travelers love to share with one another…. and it got me thinking, why not share their trip with you? So I’ve asked them about their highs and lows, booking advice, and what they wished they’d known before coming to India.

If you are coming for just a month, I have a similar post from friends who break down their month here in India in huge detail. You can read it here.

Before coming to India do not forget these three 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. If you’re staying less than 60 days, here’s how to get a tourist e-visa for India. If you’re staying longer than 60 days, I have step by step guides to get a visa for India from the USA and get a visa for India from the UK.
3. Your phone needs to be unlocked to add a SIM card. Many USA phones are not. You can buy a SIM card in India. 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.
4. Start with this post to see how to plan a trip in India from scratch step by step the easiest way possible.

PS: stayed tuned to the very bottom, because this post is FULL of great photos all taken by them.

at the river Ganges, Varanasi

relaxing in Hampi on one of the many boulders

touring around in a Kerala houseboat

Backpacking India Two Months Itinerary & Tips

• Dates in India: Sep 19th – Nov 20th (this is just before peak season and the PERFECT time to travel India)
• The flight to India was booked through Kayak on Air India (they flew Toronto, NY, to Mumbai)
• The flight home was actually from Colombo, Sri Lanka and booked via Skyscanner on Sri Lankan Airlines
• Flight cost: 700 to India and 450 back
• When booking, they didn’t have a set plan therefore didn’t book a round trip. In the end, they got a better price than I ever have (da fuk!?).

• Budget: On average about 1000-1200 bucks per month. They weren’t on a typical backpacking budget with a few splurges like: Hostels (new and can be a splurge in India compared to a cheap guesthouse), safaris, Elefantastic in Jaipur, and a GoMowgli tour. All in all, they were pleased with the amount they spent.

with a Sadhu in Varanasi

camel safari in Jaisalmer

playing around in front of the Taj Mahal

2 month India itinerary

These chicadees saw SO much in their time in India! It’s amazing. They traveling at a nice pace being sure not to wear themselves out, but also continuously sought out unique experiences rather than just wandering aimlessly. Here is the cities they went to in order (with links to articles I’ve written about them):

1. Mumbai
2. Udaipur
3. Jodhpur
4. Jasailmer
5. Agra
6. Delhi
7. Amritsar
8. Dharamsala
9. Rishikesh
10. Varanasi
11. Goa
12. Hampi
13. Gokarna
14. goMowgli tour in Karnataka
15. Mysore
16. Allepey
17. Varkala

So, I asked them some more questions…

When asked which place was the worst: Agra. See Taj Mahal and leave same day.

Which place could you have spent less time: Jodhpur no more than a day. See the fort and get out if possible. Also, a week was too much in Goa. It was too westernized and they missed the chaos of “real India”. 

Which places were favorites and needing MORE time: Hampi and Udaipur

Where they wished they could have gone but didn’t make it: Ladakh (parents worries kept them away)

the blue alleys of Jodhpur

painting elephants with Elephantastic! in Jaipur

Backpacking India Advice

I asked them quite a handful of questions about their time in India including their highlights and low lights. If you’re considering coming, I’m sure you realize it’s not always an easy place to travel. This whole post is filled with photos from their trip which I think serve as excellent inspiration to plan your trip to India.

Highlights of traveling India:

Friendly people, culture shock (the good and the bad!), experiencing and learning about spirituality and religion, camel safari, Dharamsala, Varanasi, elefantastic! in Jaipur, Udaipur, Chandell loved the food while Siobhan didn’t as much, and “gaining perspective on how much we have in the western world and appreciating it while also reflecting on how we sometimes forget the simple and important thing in life.”

Lowlights of traveling India: 

They say hostels were the main way they met other backpackers. When I traveled, I rarely met other friends, so it seems hostels may be the new way to go! They didn’t stay at Zostels Hostel but they said they heard good things from backpackers. 

The post Backpacking India for Two Months | A Sneak Peek & Tips first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Backpacking India for Two Months | A Sneak Peek & Tips appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Today my bestie for the last 7 years, Alex, is going to tell us everything we need to know about LA. I got to visit her only once but she was the perfect tour guide showing me so much in just four days. This guide is great for first-timers because it has all the hot tourist spots but also all the restaurants and bars that only locals know about. So, let’s thank Alex for such a complete and practical guide (like I could have expected anything else from her)!

Guide to LA from a local party girl!

I lived in West LA for 2 years after college. I loved everything about my experience…except the traffic of course. There are so many things to do and places to go while visiting LA. It would be impossible to do everything in one trip. So I will just give you a little taste of my own personal experience and the places I would take my LA first timers.

Getting around

As you can imagine, LA is a large spread out city. Unless you are staying in one specific area for the duration of your trip such as downtown, Hollywood, or Santa Monica, you need to rent a car. There is public transportation (buses) that goes from downtown to Santa Monica as well as a downtown Metro. But my advice is to rent a car and use UBER or LYFT cab companies when out and drinking.

Hollywood Walk of Fame / Kodak Theater / Griffith Observatory

Most people who have never been to LA want to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To me, this is a very underwhelming experience. Go to the Walk of Fame for a short run through and see the Kodak Theater then drive to Griffith Observatory where you can either hike or drive to the top (depending on your fitness level) and see a great view of the entire city. Griffith is close to the Walk of Fame so this combo would be a great day trip. Remember that traffic is intense so you can realistically only do a couple things in a day.

Rodeo Drive / Beverly Hills

Another thing people want to do is walk down Rodeo Drive. Unless you have the money to shop at those stores, it is a much better idea to drive down Rodeo to see it and then drive up into Beverly Hills to see the celebrity mansions. You don’t waste time parking and getting out on Rodeo or trying to buy tickets for celebrity tour buses. This will only take a few hours and you get the fulfillment of getting to see where celebrities live and shop.

The Grove / Farmer’s Market

My favorite place to go in LA is The Grove, a big outdoor shopping center in West LA. It is a great day trip where you can shop in a variety of stores and eat at the famous Farmer’s Market. If you choose a restaurant instead of the Farmer’s Market, go to Mendicino Farms across the street from the Farmer’s Market. You can also visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), which is less than a mile from The Grove.

Santa Monica Pier / Venice Beach

Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach and boardwalk take up a whole day. You can rent bikes to conveniently ride from Venice beach to Santa Monica Pier. The Venice boardwalk is crazy. It comprises of hippie vendors selling an array of eclectic trinkets and art, bums sleeping, singing, and dancing, as well as medical marijuana stores with weed pushers at every corner. Restaurants line the boardwalk so you have many food options. Santa Monica Pier is the historical end of Route 66 with lots of food, games, and entertainment. The Third Street Promenade is a street full of shops and restaurants just inland of the pier. It has all price ranges for any traveller’s budget.

Unfortunately, I did not travel downtown frequently but can recommend a game at the Staples Center or Dodgers Stadium. Below will include some downtown restaurants and bars.

Hottest Restaurants in LA

Classic LA Eats

Pink’s Hot Dogs-Hollywood
El Coyote-Mexican-Fairfax District
Canter’s Delicatessen-Fairfax District
Phillippe’s The Original-French Dip Sandwiches-Downtown

LA Healthy Eats

Mendicino Farms-Fairfax (multiple locations)
Earth Café-Melrose
Tender Greens-Santa Monica (multiple locations)
Lemonade- Beverly Hills

LA Brunch

Goldie’s-near Beverly Center
Tart-Fairfax District
Blu Jam Café-West Hollywood
The Hudson-West Hollywood

Hip/Popular Eats in LA

Sugar Fish-Sushi-Beverly Hills (multiple locations)
Tatsu-Ramen-Melrose (multiple locations)
Plan Check-Burgers-Fairfax District
Petty Cash-Tacos-Taqueria-Fairfax District
Wurstkuche-German-Downtown

LA Bars

Davey Wayne’s-Hollywood
Harvard and Stone-Hollywood
Bar Lubitsch-West Hollywood
Public School-Culver City
The Bungalow-Santa Monica
Saddle Ranch-Sunset Blvd
Seven Grand-Downtown
Booty LA-Echo Park

Side Trips from LA

Malibu

Drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, about 20 miles north of Santa Monica Pier, where you can paddle board, surf, eat delicious seafood, or go to the Getty Villa.

Newport Beach

Newport Beach is my favorite place in Southern California. I lived there for the 1st 3 months of my California residency. Eat at Mama D’s on the peninsula, watch surfers at the wedge, then drive 5 miles south for a breathtaking sunset followed by a beach campfire at Corona Del Mar.

Disneyland

Travel about 30 miles southeast to Anaheim and find the happiest place on earth…literally.

Alex Woytek is a ray of sunshine. She is qualified to write about where to eat in LA because I have seen her eat- she means business. She is qualified to tell you about nightlife because this is a girl who has drank her way through festivals, Olympic games, hillbilly 7-shot line ups, Chicago’s St Paddy’s, Kentucky Derby’s, and every home OSU football game. Doesn’t sound that intense? These things start at 7 am and go on all weekend. Also notable: while vomiting on my 21st, she didn’t pack my back she told me to RALLY and dragged my ass to the bar!

The post Guide to LA from a local party girl first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Guide to LA from a local party girl appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

As I mentioned, living in India as an expat is much breezier than backpacking through India for a variety of reasons like budget and familiarity.

Before I started my kickass goMowgli tour of Karnataka I had to get myself to Mysore from Goa. I’ve been on a bit of a I-hardly-have-an-income budget, so instead of flying I opted to go by bus. GoMowgli staffers use the Volvo’s when they come to Goa and assured that it’s a breeze of a 16 hour ride. I figured okay what the hell- I’d rather do 16 hours straight and watch movies/sleep then have to take a train which switches in Bangalore with a small wait in the middle of the night.

All was swell… the bus had about 10 people on it. All men, but I wasn’t bothered because I’m used to being the only girl and on a Volvo it’s always safer than local transport (I would explain why, but I’d probably come off saying something politically incorrect).

The Bollywood music was blaring on the TV in the front and I was struggling to sleep… but all while in my cozy A/C bus with an empty seat next to me, legs stretched out.

Little did I know it was about to all change. The Volvo Fiasco.

We’d been on the road about an hour and half when the bus stopped and some men got out and starting tinkering around with the this or that and after an hour informed (not in English I might add) that the clutch was broken and we’d have to take another bus, but no fear, it had arrived!

I looked out to see a packed to the brim local bus and let out a, “Oh hell no!” I am not taking an effing local bus all the way to Mysore!

“oh no ma’am, this is just for 10 km, then we get to a bus station and get a better bus.”

Well in that case…. okay. (looking back, he was obviously lying to avoid getting yelled at by a crazy foreigner.)

I grabbed my backpack, small electronics backpack, and FULL SIZE PILLOW I brought thinking “hey, it’s a Volvo and I’m going on a proper bus tour after, I might as well be comfortable.”

I literally could barely fit in the local bus and struggled holding all my stuff for the 30 minutes to the bus stop.

Once at the bus stop, we waited around for about 45 minutes while local bus after local bus came through packed too full to fit us 10 stranded Volvo people.

Finally, the last bus of the night came and we were told:

get on or get a hotel.

I talked to Ben who knew some people near where I was but I finally decided screw it, if I don’t do it now I’ll end up doing it tomorrow all day. Ill sleep in Mysore.

To say that my anxiety was high would be downplaying it. I don’t know what came over me, but I had tears in my eyes telling the Karnataka Bus People (whoever they were) that this was bullshit- we’d paid about 10x the price for a nice bus and now are jammed on a local one STANDING with all our luggage (on local buses in India there is no place for luggage except tiny space on top which fits all of nothing) for 13 HOURS!

I got on begrudgingly and dropped my purse while trying to get up the stairs. With my big backpack on my back and the small one of my front, I looked down but like a pregnant person couldn’t see my feet. I was looking and couldn’t find it as the bus pulled out. Like a lunatic I yelled, “Stop the bus!! I can’t find my purse! I think I dropped it at the station”  The bus attendant picked it off the floor, rolled his eyes, and said something extremely hilarious to the other Kannada speakers on the bus. Ha, ha crazy white chick is having a melt down! 

Then I almost got lucky.

After time I got a seat, only for the bus attendant to decide he’d like it and I’d have to get up. Back to standing.

Ages later, a seat opened which was a 3-seat bench already seated with a mom, dad, and child. The child was in their lap and there was space for me! I sat down but within 5 minutes the sleeping 5 year old was lying across us all with her head in my lamp. My god…. I couldn’t even put my pillow in my lap and lean on it, lest I suffocate her.

Around 4 AM a new seat opened and I called it faster than I’ve probably done anything in my life to luckily get two hours of sleep on and off before arriving in Mysore.

 Why am I venting about this little thing? Because…

This kind of thing happened ALL THE TIME as backpacker. But I haven’t “backpacked” India in two years. I forgot how hard it is. Since being an expat, I fly more or take 2AC trains. I drive a lot and local buses have been a thing of the past. Even shitty food is in the past since Goa has the best food.

It’s seriously stressful and annoying. Luckily, I slept all day in Mysore because I wasn’t there as a backpacker, but I remember when I was on tight schedules to see everything and would skip sleep to see temples or palaces. Sleep was never a priority when backpacking.

Expat life in India is a spoiled existence. I love it. Thank god for this goMowgli trip- it was my first tour but came at a great time because I am no longer a sleeper class, local bus, 250 rs guesthouse girl. I can do Volvo bus, even 3 AC train, or a 500 rs a night guesthouse… as long as the bus doesn’t break down.

If you’re lugging a backpack around Goa, I promise I’ll stop in my Omni and give you a ride wherever you’re going (for 15 rs per km. JK!)! I needed my own backpacking India Pep Talk.

Seriously, people who backpack India, especially solo, deserve some kind of award… most likely an award of Patience.

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

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The post A Reality Check |I forgot how hard backpacking was appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This small town has a few good reasons for visiting and you could spend a full day here. It’s just a 90 minute drive from Mysore. The drive itself was very pretty and I was happy to be going by car with goMowgli rather than bus so I could stop to take photos or to just look around. There is a Melukote Temple, Khadi being made, and Iyengars roaming about.

This is one of my 8 favorite day trips from Mysore.

The coolest bit might have been the Melukote Khadi Shop and the organic Khadi Farm we visited. I bought a good amount cotton to get some clothes made back in Goa. We watched the women work and I was truly amazed- I’ll post more on this later and how to get clothes made in India.

Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple

Also in Melukote, a town meaning something like ‘High Fort’ in Kannada … surprise surprise has a big fort!

The name of the fort is Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple but only ruins remain.  We didn’t go up as I was exhausted from the hike up to Bahubali that morning. I suggest you go up and not be lazy like me, but after seeing so many forts and temples I just didn’t have the will power!

The Iyengars

We toured the town, had lunch, and watched as the Orthodox Vishnu worshippers called Iyengars brought items from the temple to their homes for a puja. While Shiva worshippers draw lines horizontally on their forheads, Vishnu worshippers draw them vertically.

Everyone born in the town is a strict sect of Vishnu worshippers called Iyengar and the men have little ponytails in the back.

This is one of the many places I visited using Mysore as a base and is a perfect day trip from Mysore. I love seeing smaller towns outside the big cities and this was one of my favorites… ok, it might have had something to do with the khadi!

We were here most of the day and had a traditional lunch of tamarind rice which I have to admit was not my favorite. There are lots of places to eat here though, so have no fear you won’t go hungry. You can pick up snacks in town like fried banana chips and other sugary Indian sweets.

I visited this town with gomowgli, but all opinion are my own. 

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

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The post Melukote Temple, Khadi, & Iyengars 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.

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The Wagah Border is the only passing between Pakistan and India, two countries that sort of want to blow each other up. Everyone said go to the border, it’s “interesting”. They put on a show everyday and open the gates for two seconds.

So we went to the Wagah Border Parade. We knew nothing, so I decided it would be fun to show you a video of what we saw and let you feel as shocked and confused as I did! Then after the video I’ll explain a little more about it. FYI, this was before I had a blog and quality is well, horrible but still worth a watch!

Woah!

We didn’t know whether to laugh, dance, cheer, or stand there with our heads to the side like a confused dog.

First of all, when we arrived they took us to a different line and without a word checked our passports (you MUST take yours) and send us to the “foreigners” section which was quite small, but still larger than I thought it would be.

It was set up like a sports match. The Indian side was PACKED, while the Pakistani side was very small and males and females were separated.

While the guards practiced high-kicks in the background, Indian girls danced in the center to fun Indian music while the men ran up and down the isles with Indian flags. Everyone was so happy. It reminded me of a Saturday outing to a baseball game… sort of.

The guards then did their show. With similar outfits to the Pakistan soldiers, and similar high-kicks, it made me wonder if they practice together. The show was fun-loving while they held serious, mean faces. It was all fun, no tension.

After the gates on each side opened for just a couple seconds, they were closed again and it was all over. The crowds disappeared and we all got bags of popcorn on the way out, asking each other, “what the hell just happened?”

It was fun and I would go again. I did expect it to be more dangerous and exciting, rather than fun and suitable for four year olds, but the surprise of the show kind of turned me into a child again!

It was as strange as seeing snipers standing on a Gandhi sign…

Practical Information: 

• The border crossing is 30 km from Amritsar’s Golden Temple. I came here on a day trip from McLeod Ganj because we had a day off massage class. We saw the temple first as it’s 24/7 but you should be at the border by 4 pm or earlier. Although we hired a driver, there are buses and trains you can take with ease.
• If you want to cross the border, it must be pre-arranged.
• There is VIP, foreign, women, and general seating. In case of busy days like holidays they may get full, but you can watch from the fence.
• NO PURSES/NO BAGS. You must put your camera and or phone, money, and passport in your pocket. We left our purses with our driver (eek, finger’s crossed… we owed him about 5,000 rupees so assumed it was okay.) If you have nowhere, they will lock it up for you.

The post Wacky Wagah Border: India & Pakistan [video] first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Wacky Wagah Border: India & Pakistan [video] appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Best of the BEST Jet Lag Beauty Products

Moisturizers.

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

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

Clean & Fresh

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

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

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

Coverage

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

 The BIG Secret

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

Lips

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

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

Add Some Color

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

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

Make your Eyes look Awake!

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

 Lighten Up

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

Extras

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

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

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

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

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

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

After a few relaxing days and becoming MTV India movie stars (just kidding), we were ready to say peace out to Manali. It was pretty empty and we were hoping to meet some more people to make our days a little more interesting. Chloe really wanted to find a Thai yoga massage class and there were none on offer in Manali.

We both wanted to go to McLeod Ganj, so it worked out perfectly to continue traveling together. From Manali to Dharamsala was a 10 hour overnight bus. We were traveling on a really tight budget. Chloe was trying to save even more so she could continue on to Nepal. Because of the budget, we decided to go local. Local buses in India can be easy and comfortable, but this one was NOT.

I’ve shared a little about travel by bus in India, and this was the one I mentioned where through the winding icey roads, they bus would stop on turns to make half the passenger get off so that the bus wouldn’t tip over and roll off a cliff!

Local buses are the size of a school bus. It was probably 0 degrees and the windows didn’t all close. The doors were open with men hanging out. Two drunk guys got in a first fight and one got kicked off in the middle of nowhere.

Whenever a fight happens, you better believe that every Indian guy on the bus wanted to get involved with that. They give their opinion (the right one) on what happened. My Indian friend tells me that guys like that are called “rubberneckers”– the same one who pull over to see what’s up when they pass an accident on the highway.

To make matters worse I was super sick to my stomach and my patience with Indian men was waning. There was no storage on top of the bus, so Chloe and I had to put our huge backpacks at our feet and curl up with our carry-on bags on our laps. We had literally no room to move for 10 hours. We linked arms and curled up to sleep on each other.

Then it happened… some guy sat on me.

I had my leg crossed over with my foot on my other thigh. It was a pretzel like position. Some of the Indian guys were holding on to the handles above, heads dangling, for hours… some even slept that way. Well, one got too tired, because he plopped right down.

Now, here’s the kicker. He seemed absolutely appalled that I wanted him off! BAFFLING.

Another annoying thing: Teenage Indian boys.

In general teenage boys suck, but particularly when they play music on their phones loudly while the bus tries to sleep. No one tells them to stop. There are old people, babies, and women trying to sleep, but these boys don’t have any respect- coming from the midwest it’s pretty shocking.

So this was the longest, coldest, most cramped 10 hours of my life. But it makes for an interesting story and only cost 10 USD. You’d think I’d learn my lesson and stop taking local overnight buses, but I did not. I never was one for learning from my mistakes…. whoops.

Stay tuned to find out what happened after we arrive in Dharamsala/ McLeod Ganj!

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 The Indian Bus Ride from Hell first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post The Indian Bus Ride from Hell 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.