Back in the day, Rachel once wrote a bucket list of fun things to do in Goa. While you can still do a lot of her recommendations today, many suggestions are no longer open! We’ve given her original list a much needed update to help you plan your own trip.

I, Jules, have lived in Goa now for 4 years and have been lucky enough to have family and friends visit quite a few times over the years. I have had to become lead tour guide for a lot of groups and because of this I have a lot of Goa’s must-dos, must-sees, must-eats, must-haves all up my sleeve. Below are the best things to do in Goa – some slightly random, some very important, and some only a “local” would know.

Planning your trip to Goa? Don’t miss our ultimate Goa ebook with everything you need to know about the area! You can also buy our ultimate India ebook for even more insider advice!

Agonda Beach, South Goa

Classic/Touristy Things to Do in Goa

1. Visit the Spice Plantation.

I highly recommend a trip to the Spice Plantation in Ponda to walk through a tropical plantation and learn all about the spices that are the backbone to most of the food you will be eating throughout India. It really is very interesting and you get lunch cooked with the same spices from the plantation. I would not recommend riding the elephants as they seem to be the only ones left in Goa and they are not treated very well.

2. Check out the old churches in “Old Goa”.

“Old Goa” is one of the only places you will need to dress appropriately. Cover your knees and shoulders, mainly directed at females, so worth bringing a sarong or a cardigan you can put on when needed. This can be done on the way back from the Spice Plantation. Have a look at the Patron Saint of Goa, Francis Xavier’s, embalmed body and take the drive up the steep hill to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount for a beautiful view over Goa. If you would rather join a tour try this one.

3. Get a photo of the cows on the beach…

…make sure they aren’t eating from your plate as you snooze on your sunbed and if you are feeling adventurous maybe even try a cow selfie. Cows in Goa are usually pretty friendly and love a little stroke or neck scratch but watch out for the bulls and their horns!

4. Visit Mapusa Market

Mapusa Market is a big bustling market full of bright colors, weird, wonderful, sometimes terrible smells and lots of shopping opportunities. Friday is the busiest day of the week for Mapusa Market but you can go any day, the earlier the better to beat the heat. Make sure you visit the fabric shops, flower section, fruit and veg, fish market if you dare and the meat section if you can stomach it. Here you will see lots of ‘typical Indian scenes’ – ladies sat in beautiful saris behind piles of their local produce – a great day out for any budding photographers!

5. In Arambol, check out the sweet water lake.

It’s just near the beach and is pretty cool to take a dip and some photos. It has become quite a common spot for tourists now so you are likely to share the lake with a lot of people. Please remember to take your rubbish with you when you leave. Here’s a little guide to Arambol.

Palolem Rock, South Goa

Adventurous Things to Do in Goa

6. Try SUP (stand up paddle board) at Vaayu.

Vaayu in on the road facing Mandrem Beach. You can also rent surf boards from them or try kite surfing classes. Their cafe, Prana, serves up delicious breakfast burritos, fish tacos and smoothies. This is a very cool place to hang out for the day.

7. You can go white water rafting.

Not even many locals or Goa residents know you can go white water rafting in Valpoi. This takes place in the off season when the rivers are full and raging. This would be great fun in a big group or a good way to meet new people and see a different part of Goa.

8. Have a surf lesson at Surfwala.

Surfwala is between Mandrem and Arambol. You can hire out surfboards or get yourself an instructor to help you conquer the not-so-large waves of Goa. You can spend the day chilling at Surfwala.

9. Try bungee jumping at Mayem Lake.

There is a new attraction in Bicholim where you can bungee jump off a 55M platform over Mayem Lake. This is one for the adrenaline junkies. You won’t find me anywhere near here!

10. Go-Karting in Arpora.

There is a Go-Kart track in Arpora next to The Saturday Night Market. Rachel was a Go-Kart lover; she and Ben used to test out a track in most places they visited together around the world. This one in Arpora is not really the most exciting but is a fun option to change it up from the usual Goa activities.

11. Kayaking at Patnem Beach.

Rent a kayak on Patnem Beach and go for a little paddle. And by little I mean a slightly strong paddle as the sea can be tiring. If you paddle out towards the South of the beach where the sea meets the river, it’s lovely and still. I was once surrounded by a mum and her baby dolphin here. Kayaks can be found to rent at most beaches in South Goa.

12. Take a B:Live Electric Bike Tour.

Try an electric bike tour where you can literally sit back and power the bike with the flick of a wrist. They have lots of different location options including Old Goa, Panjim, Chorao and Divar Island. If you are a bit nervous on the bike I would suggest one of the islands as the traffic on those is pretty non existent and you get to go on a little ferry across the river. Tours can be booked here.

13. Climb up to Chapora Fort.

Take the steep climb up to Chapora Fort to see the view over Vagator Beach. It isn’t the most exciting fort but it is a nice activity to get you away from the sun bed. And fits in perfectly with a deserved juice from the famous Chapora juice shop which is spoken about below.

14. Climb the huge rock in the sea at Palolem Beach.

Swim out to the huge rock at Palolem Beach, attempt to climb up, view the beautiful palm tree lined beach from a different angle and jump back off into the sea. It is easier to climb the rock at high tide and be careful of cutting hands and feet!

15. Go for the perfect beach run.

This may not sound adventurous to some but actually a great beach run can be a game changer for your day. Especially if it is at sunset or you are lucky enough to see dolphins – this happened in Agonda. Not all beaches in Goa are good for running and a lot of time it depends on tide timings as running on a slope isn’t so good for your knees. You can run any time of the day at Morjim, Mandrem or Palolem and only at low tide on Calangute, Patnem and Agonda.

16. Volunteer with the animals!

Rachel wrote about a few of the options here. This is pretty adventurous as you are likely to be out of your comfort zone whether it is helping out with animals or people. There are lots of great organizations needing your help and these add some really rewarding experiences to your travels. It can even be something as simple as taking a few dogs for a walk.

17. Get a tattoo at Inkfidel with Duncan.

If you are thinking about getting a tattoo in Goa please don’t go to one of the 3 million tattoo shops we have on every corner of every street. Duncan is the guy you need to speak to and the man who has drawn all over most of the residents of Goa. His work is great and he can help with any designs or ideas you want to create. Obviously only get a tattoo if you really want one as it is there forever! Check out @inkfideltattoo on instagram.

18. Go crocodile hunting in the mangroves.

Ok not actually hunting, no crocodiles will be harmed but go searching for the crocs that believe it or not, do live in Goa and hang out by the mangroves of Chorao and Divar Island. I did this trip recently with Uday, The Crocodile Man and we saw a HUGE sleeping crocodile. It is also just a lovely boat trip around the island. Contact Uday on +91 9021918613 to book.

Thalassa Sunset, Siolim

Relaxing Things to Do in Goa

19. Watch the sunset from Thalassa Restaurant.

Thalassa has moved to a beautiful spot in Siolim right next to the mouth of a river and a glorious sunset view. This is a bit over budget for a backpacker but if you had to treat yourself to a holiday experience whilst backpacking this is it. Dress up and eat lots of delicious Greek food.

20. Enjoy the lounge chairs at Antares in Little Vagator Beach.

This was a secret of Rachel’s, that if you eat at Antares you can use their sun beds which face the sunset and they have their own staircase going down to Little Vagator Beach. No seems to use these beds so you could have them all to yourself.

21. Take the long drive up North to Keri Beach.

Keri Beach is the last beach before Goa becomes Maharashtra. This is a very secluded area with not much going on at all. If you want the beach to yourself, take a picnic and your own umbrella and enjoy paradise for the day.

22. Let yourself have a foot massage on the beach.

Depending on which beach you are sat on, lots of ladies will come around asking to massage and thread you…give in, let yourself be pampered! You can also buy sarongs, anklets and other things you probably don’t need or want but it’s always nice to give them a little something. Just be firm that once you are done, you are done or they could end up sitting by your bed for the rest of the day offering another massage just in case you change your mind!

23. Go to the “secret” beach.

I won’t name it here, but please check out Rachel’s article and review for the hidden beach resort or you can skip and just use this link to book and see where this resort is ;)

24. Go to Snips Salon & Spa for a massage.

It’s much cheaper than back home and is fantastic. Treat yourself to a massage, hair spa, manicure, pedicure or all of the above if you are feeling fancy! There are two salons in North Goa now – Calangute or Porvorim.

25. Spend the day at Nilaya Hermitage’s swimming pool.

Pay Rs 500 to spend the day at Nilaya and use their amazing swimming pool. This is my favorite swimming pool in Goa. Have lunch here, try the grilled fish, and soak in the beautiful view over Arpora.

26. Get an amazing gel manicure to last your whole trip!

If chipped nails stress you out then go to Tanya at Sparaddise in Calangute where you can get the best gel manicure you will ever have. This is an inside local tip that most visitors won’t know about. Girls, thank me later!

27. Watch a sunset from Vagator Hill for a full panoramic view.

This is not such a common tourist spot as you have to know where to park your car but if you drive past La Rive in Vagator and leave your car at the bottom of the hill you can walk up to the top and have a beautiful panoramic view from Anjuna to Morjim.

28. Go bird watching at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.

Take the car ferry over to Chorao Island and have a walk around Salim Ali bird sanctuary. There are lots of beautiful species of birds in Goa with lots of them being seen around the quiet mangroves. You can also take a boat trip around the island which is a great way to see a quieter side of Goa.

If bird watching is your thing you could also try this bird watching tour.

29. Hit up Fort Aguada Taj Hotel for drinks.

Take in the amazing view over an old Fort, sit in a fancy chair and order yourself a fancy cocktail at the Taj. This is a lovely hotel so dress up and try and make it for sunset.

30. Stay at Jamboree Creek!

If you want a cute jungle hut and swimming pool at decent prices, this is it. They have daily yoga classes, meditation classes and private access to the beautiful Mandrem Beach. Book a stay here.

Food Stalls at The Goa Collective Bazaar, Vagator

Foodie Things to Do in Goa

31. For traditional Goan Food…

Strangely it is actually quite difficult to find good Goan food in Goa. Try Bhatti Village in Nerul which resembles the kitchen of an old Goan Grandmother. The menu changes depending on what is available. And Nostalgia in Panjim which has recently opened in Fontainhas selling all the Goan delicacies. Try the xacuti, prawn rissois and beef croquettes.

And if you make it to The Goa Collective Bazaar, I have a food stall called Go Local where you can taste freshly made local food only on Fridays. The caldin, cutlet pao and tendli pickle may change your life!

32. Try “rava fry fish” and squeeze lime all over it.

This can be found all over Goa and is a must have if you are trying something new. Seafood in Goa is usually fresh and delicious, so try some prawns rava fry, mussels rava fry, fish rava fry, everything rava fry. It is basically fish coated and fried in spices and semolina. Yum!

33. Taste a bite of South India at Gunpowder in Assagao.

This was Rachel’s favorite restaurant that she always made time to eat at and was conveniently located not so far from her house. The veg curry and chili pork ribs were Rachel’s go-to but the chicken curries are what most go for. I love the andhra prawns and potato ishtew. And definitely get a couple of heavenly malabar parathas!

34. Eat Goan Sausage, Ros Omlette Pao, and drink a Sweet Lime Soda.

Goan sausage is apparently the Indian chorizo. Try a Goan sausage dish at a restaurant or a choriz pao at a street side vendor. You can also try a ros omlette pao which is Xacuti (coconut based curry) gravy with an omelet inside a soft pocket of bread known as poie which is the local Goan bread. Yum! A fresh lime soda, either sweet, salty or mixed is exactly what you need daily to keep you hydrated in the Goan sun. If you’re really branching out you can try the local liquor, cashew feni, which in my opinion smells like nail varnish remover. You are guaranteed to have a fun night and a sore head in the morning drinking feni cocktails.

35. Chill out and have a juice at the famous Scarlet’s juice center in Chapora.

This juice center is famous in Chapora with lots of locals hanging out here. This is a fun people watching spot, a great place to meet new people, or to just watch the world go by.

36. Take time for a long lunch at La Plage.

This is a beautiful lunch or dinner spot set back on the beach at Ashwem. It usually opens in December and closes in March so if you are in Goa in that window make sure you don’t miss out. It can be busy on weekends so you will need to book – which you rarely need to do in Goa unless you are a big group. The tuna is their famous dish but everything on the menu is amazing. Their Bloody Marys are very unique with an added curry flavor and are a huge local favorite. If you are with a big group or you love dessert, order the chocolate Thali, you will not be disappointed!

37. Eat at as many food stalls as possible at The Goa Collective Bazaar – The Friday Market.

The Goa Collective Bazaar which takes place every Friday from 4pm onwards at Hilltop in Vagator, is not just a market for shopping but also has some great cocktails and a huge food court. There is food from all over the world and lots of seating available. Come with an empty stomach and have a little nibble from as many as possible. Some recommendations are Eddie’s Khao Suey, Morgan’s Pizza, Bean Me Up, Irori Sushi, Freshly Baked Cupcakes, Falafels, Burrito Boys, and, of course, Go Local.

38. Have a coffee at Old Quarter Hostel in Fontainhas.

If you are planning to explore Fontainhas, the Portuguese style streets in Panjim, then stop for a coffee and rest your feet at Old Quarter. Bombay Coffee Roasters operates here so if you feel you are in need of an actual coffee and can’t bear to look at a Nescafe instant ever again, this is where you need to be.

If you would like to join a tour of Fontainhas, you can book here.

39. Have a beer at Joseph’s Bar.

Joseph’s Bar is a very old school hangout in the small back streets on Fontainhas in Panjim. It is a tiny bar with 2 tiny rooms that give you the real Indian feel. Sit down, have a beer, have a snack, and speak to the owner about how long he has been running it and all the issues they currently face with the neighbors and noise complaints.

You could also join this bar crawl of Goa which takes place in Panjim.

40. Eat a traditional Portuguese lunch or dinner at Venit.

Venit is down another great, tiny Portuguese-style lane in Fontainhas. You will feel you like you are in Portugal if you choose to dine on one of the tables with the balcony overlooking the street. The walls are covered with wise words from travelers who have been and gone and the menu has some of the best traditional Goan/Portuguese food.

41. Taste some typical Goan snacks from Mr. Baker in Panjim.

This bakery has been around since 1922 and has some delicious traditional Goan snacks you can munch on while you explore. These are the kinds of snacks that are served at all weddings, anniversaries, birthdays all over Goa. The options include beef chop, prawn rissois, beef croquette, veg chop, meat/veg samosa and lots more. If you are feeling adventurous try the dessert, Bebinca, which is a Goan cake that uses 24 eggs!

42. Treat yourself to a whole new eating experience at A Reverie.

Book yourself a table at A Reverie in Calangute where your taste buds will be in for a treat and you will be 100% wowed by the menu and the food presentation. They have amazing cocktails and dishes usually have a twist. You could feast alone on the starters as these are the most fun but the mains are also delicious.

Try the mushroom chai, Mexican pani puri, Goldrush coconut chips and the chicken lollipops. If you manage to have space for dessert the de-constructed Banoffee pie and the chicken or the egg are amazing. This place comes with quite a steep price tag compared to what you will be used to paying elsewhere but is a lot cheaper than what you would pay in your hometown. Highly recommended.

43. Try some of the best gelato in town.

Head to the local hangout in Anjuna, cream choc gelato, for the best ice cream in all of Goa. Yep in all of Goa! They have a nice seating area outside with a few cute resident dogs, including Tripod, the 3 legged dog that Rachel rescued after he was hit by a car. Try the salted caramel, dark chocolate and the delicious fruity sorbets!

44. Eat the famous chicken at the Saturday Night Market.

This chicken is genuinely famous in Goa. The queues are always huge and if you decide to line up you will know why. Ask anyone where the chicken man is and they will point you in the right direction – note he is only at Ingo’s Saturday Night Market.

Seasonal Things to Do in Goa

45. Celebrate Holi in Goa.

Holi is always a lot of fun in India. In Goa, it is nowhere near as crazy as other states as for some reason different neighborhoods celebrate it on different days and the Hindu community isn’t as comparatively large in Goa. However, you can always find some colorful powder to buy and some people to have a little color fight with. The best option is to go to an all day Holi party. Try La Rive, Sinq Pool Party or Hilltop. And of course you need to wear white!

46. Hit up the carnival in Arambol.

Arambol is probably the hippiest place in Goa although it wasn’t back in the day (Anjuna was). They have their own carnival every year in February. Head up to Arambol to celebrate the hippie lifestyle with drum circles, live music, hula hooping and lots of fancy dress.

47. Make sure you’re here on a Saturday for the Saturday Night Market.

There are now two different Saturday Night Markets, both in Arpora which can be confusing. The original one is called Ingo’s and is located just next door to the go-kart track. This is my preferred option as I know my way around it and there are some great food and shopping stalls here.

The newer market, Saturday Night Bazaar, sometimes has a fun fair – which I wouldn’t recommend – and always has a full car park. Be careful as some taxi drivers will pretend the other market is closed. This usually begins beginning of December. It has a great vibe and is a great evening out with shopping, live music and food.

48. Don’t miss the Panjim Carnaval.

This “Carnaval” takes place along North Goa as different areas compete for the best floats. The parade begins early in the day so make sure you go early to get a spot and witness all the creative and sometimes very weird and random floats. This is a great day out and a real treat if you are here during your travels. End the evening in Samba Square with live music and lots of snacks and drinks.

49. Go Narkasur hunting in October/November.

A Narkasur can only be found in Goa on the evening before Diwali. It is a strange tradition where different areas build the biggest demon possible and then burn their creation at a silly time in the morning. It is amazing to see the efforts people put in and the size they are able to build these monsters. I went on a little car journey with some friends to see what people had done. Each Narkasur usually has a group of people surrounding it dancing to some terrible EDM until the early hours!

Hideaway, Vagator

Nightlife Things to Do in Goa

50. Definitely experience a trance party at Hilltop or Curlies OR Shiva Valley or Soro.

There are a lot of trance parties in Goa. A lot. Goa is so known for this way of life that you really should experience the scene for yourself. Check wug.com for dates and this post on the best party places in Goa.

51. Watch some live music at Hideaway.

If trance is not your thing, like me, then head over to Hideaway in Vagator for some great food, great cocktails and an amazing vibe. They usually have a live band on a few nights a week so check their Instagram or Facebook page for updates. This is where you will find lots of locals and residents spending their weekends.

52. Go to the silent disco at Neptune’s Point on Palolem Beach.

At the furtherest South point on Palolem Beach is Neptune’s Point where they have a weekly silent disco every Saturday. Depending on the time of the season (not during monsoon season), it could be packed or it could be pretty empty. Either way, experiencing a silent disco on a beautiful beach in Goa is always going to be a win.

53. Catch a late night DJ set at The Goa Collective Bazaar – Friday Market.

The Goa Collective Bazaar which takes place every Friday always has a few live acts on throughout the evening. As the evening goes on and some of the stalls start to pack up the techno/trance DJ set begins until about 2:00 AM on good days. If you are in the mood to carry on, head to La Rive which is a short 5-minute drive away.

54. Hit up Soro for some old school Hip Hop on Thursdays only.

The only authentic Hip Hop night in Goa that actually plays good tunes. Head over to Soro in Assagao for a fun and very busy night.

55. Watch a great Indian dance show on Wednesdays.

This is a slight secret but if you head over to Chalston Beach Resort on a Wednesday evening and have dinner at their restaurant you can also watch their live Indian Dance Show for free. The show has quite a few different outfit changes as two amazing dancers take you through the different types of traditional dances found within India. You are encouraged to get up and move for the last one so wear your dancing shoes!

56. Hit the dance floor in Cavala on Fridays for retro music and some salsa.

If you are looking for some old school retro music then Cavala is where you need to be. Filled with lots of local regulars who have been dancing at Cavala for years, you will have a great time singing along with the band and watching the famous salsa dancers.

57. Check the ever-changing evening DJ line up at Prana Cafe.

Prana Cafe is not just great for lunch and a smoothie bowl; they also have select evenings with cool DJ lineups. The DJ area is pretty cool with a large lit up tree as the backdrop. Try the Piña Coladas and Tropical Rum Cocktails.

58. Don’t miss the shows at Thalassa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Table bookings are essential for Thalassa. Probably the most famous restaurant in Goa, it is buzzing nearly every day of the week. Sunset tables are usually booked way in advance but if you are coming to party then the book the evening slot and stay until it closes which can sometimes be 3:00 AM. They have a large dance floor, a huge cocktail menu and a few shows that take place through the evening. Fire throwing, a very special Greek dance, a robot laser dance show, and sometimes the infamous male belly dancer. This place is not really backpacker budget friendly but you are definitely in for a fun night.

Shopping Things to Do in Goa

59. Buy some spices and tea as souvenirs.

You can’t come to India without buying some of the very colorful spices from the very cliche picture you hopefully took at the market. You’ll see them so much that it’s hard not to and of course they make great gifts. See what else to buy in Rachel’s India souvenir guide.

60. You better be here on a Wednesday too!

The Wednesday Flea market is one of the most famous hippie markets in the world. It’s located in Anjuna leading up to the beach and goes until sunset. It is a huge market that is very easy to get lost in. You could easily spend the whole day here but due to the heat it is better to get there early, make your way through the market, and then end up at Cafe Looda for a drink at the beach.

61. Buy an “India” scarf for the perfect souvenir from Fara.

These beautiful scarves are hand drawn onto silk and make great gifts or the perfect treat for yourself to remember your trip to India.

62. For more shopping, hit up Alchemy in Ashwem.

Fara (from above) and Studio TIA opened up a shop together called Alchemy, and it’s located in Ashwem. You can see some of her outfits here and check out her shop on Etsy too! These are beautifully designed pieces of clothing that you won’t find at home in your high street stores.

63. Get some clothing tailored and make your own fun designs at great prices.

You can take one of your favorite dresses to a local tailor who can copy for you in any fabric you desire. This can be great fun whether you want to make a suit, a new beach dress or the perfect festival shirt. Here’s how to get clothing made in India.

64. Visit Paperworks in Panjim for all your stationery needs.

This is a semi-secret shop in the far end of Panjim with a very confusing entrance. But once inside this shop will make you want to throw your clothes away and fill your bags with all the beautiful stationery they have to offer. Everything from beautiful writing paper, painted cards, wrapping paper to journals, diaries, bags. Everything.

65. Treat yourself to a trip to Rangeela.

This beautiful shop can be found in Assagao. Make time for a visit to see their beautiful collection of treasures the owners have found around India, Bali and on their travels to Africa. It is impossible to leave this shop without picking up at least one, if not more, treasure to take home.

66. Buy a secondhand book from Literati, the beautiful book shop in Candolim.

Check out Literati in Candolim for the perfect secondhand book for your travels. Or have a look through the shelves that line every single possible wall for the perfect brand new book. Books are a lot cheaper in India than in your hometown, so definitely worth buying them along the way rather than filling your bag. If the cafe is open, stop for a sweet lime soda and a sandwich.

67. Venture to the Friday Market for some premium goodies.

Yes, I have mentioned this market in nearly every section but it deserves to be here! It really has everything you will need for your Friday night out. So head to The Goa Collective Bazaar for your not-so-common shopping experience at Indian markets. Here you will find good quality items, one off designers and lots of premium goodies.

68. Buy some local art from Studio Arpora.

Check out Studio Arpora, the cutest gallery in Goa with the most beautiful paintings by Shireen Mody and the loveliest illustrations by her daughter Saffron. Prints can be bought that can be easily packed and added to your luggage. Don’t miss out on seeing Shireen’s palm tree series in real life!

Villa Alina, Calangute

Luxury Things to Do in Goa

69. For a “splurging out” stay in South Goa…

Try the beautiful Alila Diwa in the South. It was Rachel’s favorite 5 star hotel in all of Goa and she treated herself to a few getaways here.

70. Treat yourself to a Sunday Brunch at the Grand Hyatt.

This really is a special treat but is so worth it. Spend a lazy Sunday at the Hyatt in Bambolim. Fill yourself up at the mouth watering food stations and then roll yourself out to the sun beds to make the most of their lovely pool. I would recommend booking ahead for this one as it does get busy. Lots of 5 stars offer Sunday Brunch deals so if you don’t feel like trekking to Bambolim have a look at some of your closer options.

71. Stay at Villa Alina – perfect for larger group stays!

Villa Alina offers six bedrooms to a single group of up to 16 people. Treat yourself to a whole villa experience with your own private infinity pool, daily maid service, 24-hour security, sunset views, breakfast included and the comfiest beds in all of Goa!

Check here for even more luxury stays in Goa

Expat Things to Do in Goa

72. Consider renting a house.

If you do end up staying in Goa for a month or more, it may be worth looking into renting a furnished place rather than staying at hotels or hostels. You can look on Airbnb or you can just stay in a guesthouse until you find somewhere. Here’s a guide to renting in Goa. There are lots of cute little Goan houses available for long term rent at great prices.

73. Take some classes at Tito’s Whitehouse or Artjuna.

You can do kickboxing, yoga, pilates, and more. Classes are affordable and happen every week. It’s a great way to meet people who live in Goa.

74. Sign up to the Sensible Earth co-working space.

Sensible Earth is a beautiful spot in the backstreets of Porvorim. They are a co-working space dedicated to finding sustainable solutions to help the world become a better place. They have an amazing open space that allows the breeze to fly through whilst being surrounded by trees and all things green. This is also a great way to meet new and like-minded people.

75. Catch a movie at the Inox Cinema at Mall De Goa.

This is one of my favorite activities in Goa that makes me feel like I am back home in London. The cinema in India is way better than in London. Your chairs recline; you can eat mixed cheese and caramel popcorn (yes this is the best thing ever!); they have an interval in the middle so you don’t have to miss any of the movie for a toilet break; they usually have air conditioning (take a jacket it can get cold!), and the price tag for one ticket in London is about the same as going 6 times in India. Try it, it’s a nice break from the non-stop travelling if you have been on the road for a while.

Hopefully this list of things to do in Goa will keep you going for a long time! Let us know what you enjoyed or if you have any must do’s you think should be added. Enjoy!

For More Goa Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Goa Travel Tips

• Should I go to North or South Goa?
• Goa One Week Itinerary for the Beach Lovers and Foodies
• Traveling in Goa India With Kids
• Safety Tips For Solo Female Travel in Goa, India

Trip Planning Tips

• The 30 Best Places to Visit in India
• Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide
• 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read
• 10 Tips for First Time Travel to India

Logistics

• How to Get an India Tourist Visa
• Travel Insurance for India
• How to Book a Train in India As Foreigner
• Do You Need a Filtered Water Bottle For India Travel?
• Money in India: How To Get Rupees & Handle Money

Packing Tips

• How to Dress in India: the Ultimate Dos and Don’ts
• 10 Travel Essentials For India
• Men’s India Packing List
• The Only Backpacking Through India Packing List You Need

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The post 75 Unique Things to Do in Goa You Don’t Want to Miss first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 75 Unique Things to Do in Goa You Don’t Want to Miss appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This is one of the more practical posts Rachel wrote as it something she was often asked about weekly. While she has a more general guide on how to handle money abroad, this one is specifically about money in India and how to handle rupees, the local currency.

With the help of Jules, our local Indian expert, we’ve added a bit of an update for 2020 to help answer all your rupee-related questions. Don’t worry, though, as Rachel originally said, this is a pretty basic post! Even in India, money is quite straightforward.

Still planning your trip? Check out our India ebook, born out of Rachel’s six years living and traveling through the country! It’ll help you plan every aspect of your trip all in one place!

Money in India: All You Need to Know

The 2016 Money Crisis in India

Back when Rachel wrote this post in 2017, India had just experienced a tourism disaster in late 2016 when the government announced they were pulling all 500 and 1,000 notes from circulation. She covered it here and had advice for visiting here. Of course, even back then, the issue had passed and was no longer a problem in India. The main result was that 1,000 notes were no longer valid.

Additionally, because of this money crisis, all over India a lot of places installed card machines. Today, it is a lot easier and acceptable to pay by card. Especially in restaurants, shops, cafes and other establishments. However, remember you will need cash for transport, markets, and other things along the way.

Two Types of Bills

Another point to remember is that after the introduction of the new 2,000, 500, and 200 notes came the newly designed 100, 50, 20 and 10. These are all a different set of colors as seen below and look a lot like monopoly money. Just to make it confusing for visitors, all the old notes, except the 500 Rs, are still in circulation and are valid.

Basically, there are 2 different possible notes for 100, 50, 20 and 10. You will get the hang of it and they are very clearly labelled with the amounts. Just watch out for the purple 100 and grey 500 as they can sometimes easily be confused!

How to Get Rupees BEFORE your trip to India

In order to prevent tax evasion, it’s nearly impossible to TAKE rupees out of the country. The max is 10,000 Rs.

In the USA, you can get rupees at AAA. Rachel’s parents got 50,000 Rs there before their trip to India. You can also order them through some banks but not all and, of course, many have different exchange rates.

In England, you used to be able to get Rupees at Thomas Cook. However, now you will have to call and ask your bank if they can order some in.

Some people will say that you cannot get rupees outside of India, but you can: Rachel has done it both through her small town bank and AAA in the USA.

Other than these countries, I do not have details further, but we would imagine it would be similar in Canada and countries in the EU. Check with your big travel agencies and also your bank as banks do exchange money, too. Don’t be alarmed if the wording is “buying foreign currency” as technically, that is what you are doing.

How to Get Rupees DURING Your Trip in India

In our opinion, there really isn’t any reason to stock up on rupees before you come. Rachel used to only ever keep around 10,000 Rs or less on her at all times in case she lost any or got robbed.

Banks/Cards to Use

The easiest things to do is to just go to the ATM and take out money at the airport. The fees are usually cheaper than exchanging at any of the foreign currency exchange counters. Bonus: If you use Charles Schwab, which is what Rachel used, they’ll reimburse you for any ATM fees and foreign transfer bank charges.

If you are coming from the UK then one of the best cards to have is Monzo. You can get the best exchange rate through here when paying by card and they waive ATM fees. The app that you should download for your phone lets you know exactly how much you have spent in your home currency literally a few seconds after payment or withdrawal. And if you are in a group and you all have a Monzo, it is a great way to keep tab on what everyone is spending and you can easily transfer money between each other.

Can you travel with foreign currency?

Rachel also used to travel with some US dollars in case of an emergency. Bring about $100 in $20s with you to save and put somewhere else hidden away. 

It is also very easy to exchange home currency notes to rupees. In most tourist places around India they have money exchange windows where you can usually get a pretty good rate – much better than at any airport. There will be a man with a drawer full of money who will happily exchange your notes. It is better to bring higher denomination notes. For example $5 and £5 are not commonly accepted everywhere.

Of course if you are going off the beaten track, to a hill station, a village or high up in the mountains then money exchange may not always be as common. So stock up when you can in cities. 

What is each bill worth and how much should I take out at the ATM?

As of the time of updating this post, May 2020, you can get the following bills/coins in India:

• Coins: you can get lots of different coins here, but the largest, 10 Rupees, is worth 13 cents. I often leave any coins as tips when I travel.
• 5 Rs bill (also a coin) = 7 cents
• 10 Rs bill = 13 cents
• 20 Rs bill = 26 cents
• 50 Rs bill = 65 cents
• 100 Rs bill = $1.31
• 200 Rs bill = $2.64
• 500 Rs bill = $6.59
• 2000 Rs bill = $26.35

As you can see there is a huge difference between the 500 note and the 2,000 note which is the largest note. This is because recently the 1,000 note was taken out of circulation with no news that it would re-enter.

Because of this, it’s difficult to break 2,000 notes outside of fancy restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels. When you can, try to break this big bill so that you have smaller change. Having smaller change will also make it easier to negotiate when you are shopping.

Max to take out at an ATM

As we said, take out no more than 10,000 Rs rupees at a time which is the maximum amount you can take out at most if not all ATM’s. You could, of course, use the ATM twice in a row and take 20,000 Rs and pay the fee twice. We only recommend this if you have to do something like pay for a week-long hotel in cash. Otherwise, you don’t need to have that much on hand as 10,000 Rs will likely last you around 5-7 days in India. Here is a breakdown of my India backpacking budget so you know how much to expect to spend (I go for $20/day).

If you need a large amount of money, compare the rates from your bank ATM fees and foreign currency transfer fees to the fees of Western Union. Often, it’s cheaper to send yourself money on Western Union which is very simple in India and can be picked up at most travel agent offices.

And there you have it. All you need to know about money in India and how to travel with rupees. Let us know if you have any questions below!

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

• The 30 Best Places to Visit in India
• Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide
• 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read
• 10 Tips for First Time Travel to India

Logistics

• How to Get an India Tourist Visa
• Travel Insurance for India
• How to Book a Train in India As Foreigner
• Do You Need a Filtered Water Bottle For India Travel?

Packing Tips

• How to Dress in India: the Ultimate Dos and Don’ts
• 10 Travel Essentials For India
• Men’s India Packing List
• The Only Backpacking Through India Packing List You Need

Itinerary Tips

• One Month Backpacking India | Itinerary, Hostels, Tips
• My Guide: the BEST Itinerary for India
• Kerala Backpacking Tips & 10 Day Kerala Itinerary
• Have The Perfect Rajasthan Trip By Copying This Two-Week Itinerary
• Goa One Week Itinerary for the Beach Lovers and Foodies

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The post Money in India: How To Get Rupees & Handle Money While Traveling in India first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Once upon a time it was pretty tricky trying to figure out how to get a tourist visa online. We’ve done a massive update to Rachel’s original guide to reflect how much has changed since she first had to get hers all those years ago. Read below for the quick and easy guide!

PS: Check out our India Guide eBook. After 6 years living there, Rachel’s experiences from backpacking to luxury travel have been put into this 100,000-word book which will help you plan the most amazing trip in India. Read what’s inside and reviews here.

Types of e-Visas for India

The e-visa can be broken down into:

• e-Tourist Visa (30 days, 1 year, 5 years)
• e-Business Visa (1 year)
• e-Conference Visa (30 days)
• e-Medical Visa (60 days)
• e-Medical Attendant Visa (60 days)

Chances are, you’re only going to need to be concerned with the e-Tourist Visa. We do have a post on e-Medical and e-Business visas here if you need those.

There are 3 options for the e-Tourist Visa are as follows:

1. One Month e-Tourist Visa: Valid up to 30 days and includes double entry.
2. One Year e-Tourist Visa: Valid up to 365 days and includes multiple entries.
3. Five Year e-Tourst Visa: Valid up to 5 years and includes multiple entries.

Important Note: For the 1 and 5 year visas, this does not mean you can stay in India for the whole time. You must exit the country after 90 days. If you’re from the US, UK, Canada, or Japan, you can stay for 180 days before needing to leave. If you have multiple entries selected then you are able re-enter India but you must leave before your visa expires and continue to stick to the capped number of days per visit – 90 or 180. For visas that allow you to stay longer, check this post for USA applicants and this post for UK applicants.

FAQ About the India e-Tourist Visa

Which airports is the e-Visa valid for?

Airports include: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Portblair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Vishakhapatnam.

Seaports include: Cochin, Goa, Mangalore, Mumbai, Chennai

You can, however, exit through any other authorized Immigration Check Post (ICP) in India.

Are the e-visas like visas on arrival?

No (unless you are from Japan, South Korea, or the UAE).

If you’ve ever applied for tourist visas to other countries, like Vietnam, those are typically visas on arrival. This means you apply online, get a letter of approval, and at the airport before you go through customs, you go to a separate area where they take your passport and add the visa.

The India tourist visa is not that, though you will get an email of your visa, which you need to print and bring with you to the airport.

Is the e-visa good for all parts of India?

Not all but most. It is not valid for restricted or protected areas such as Northeast India, Sikkim, Jammu, Kashmir, and parts of Himachal.

Can I apply for my visa right before I fly?

No. Even if you rush it for an “emergency visa” it’s going to take minimum of 2 days through iVisa‘s 2 day super rush processing.

Trust me, people get this confused. Rachel got many e-mails from people who didn’t realize until the night before and had to change their flights.

Usually the visa takes about 72 hours to process, sometimes faster. If you haven’t gotten it after 72 hours, you’re encouraged to call +91 11 24300666 or email indian-evisa@gov.in.

Can I just do a one way ticket to India?

No. You must have a return ticket or onward journey booked. This is a serious part of the Indian visa application process and they take it quite seriously. You will often be asked by the airline before you can even board your flight to India.

How much does the e-tourist visa cost?

Base on this calculator from iVisa, the government fees for a US Citizen are:

• 30 Day e-Tourst Visa: $26 USD
• 1 Year e-Tourist Visa: $41 USD
• 5 Year e-Tourist Visa: $82 USD

This should be roughly the same for other countries.

When does my e-visa time period start?

The e-visa will begin from the date you arrive in India.

It’s valid from the date of issue, and you can apply as early as 120 days before your intended arrival date. The latest you are recommended to apply is 4 business days before departure.

Who can get an India e-visa?

Most countries are eligible for the e-tourist visa, but not all. Check this list of countries valid for e-visa to India to see if your country is.

How many times can I apply for an e-Tourist visa?

You can only apply for TWO E-tourist visas in one year.

How to Apply for Your India Tourist Visa

There are two ways we’ll go over in this post. The first is the most straightforward way, which is through the Indian Government website and the other is through iVisa, which Rachel always preferred. We’ll outline both below. First up:

Through the Indian Government Website

Luckily for you, the process has become a lot more straightforward over the years. This way allows you to do everything yourself, and you simply follow the directions the website has laid out.

Warning: Just a word of warning that if you mess anything up with your application or wind up canceling your trip, you can not get a refund and must go through and pay all over again.

Step 1: Go to this page

This is the government page where you can begin your application. As you can see they now have a lot of information to help you out while you’re applying; including a sample application page.

Step 2: Fill out your application

At the bottom of the web page, click the button for “Apply here for e-visa.” Once you go through the application, you’ll be asked to upload a passport photo of yourself and a photocopy of your passport. Keep the specifications they have for each in mind and make sure your passport has at least 6 months left.

Step 3: Payment

You’ll them come to a page that prompts you to pay now or pay later. If you choose to pay later, you still must pay at least 4 days before arrival. You can choose between Payment Gateway or Paypal. Payment Gateway will have a 2.5% fee while Paypal will have a 3.5% fee.

Step 4: Approval

From there, within 72 hours, you should have a copy of an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Go back to the government website to confirm that your ETA status is GRANTED, and you can always track the status of your application on the site.

Step 5: At the Airport

You’ll need a physical copy of your approval with you at the airport, and there they will stamp your passport.

Through iVisa

iVisa is a 3rd party site that will handle everything for you for an additional $35 fee. It is the ONLY 3rd party site we recommend.

Rachel always preferred using iVisa and paying the extra fee because often the information around applying changes and can be confusing. And, of course, if you mess up, you wind up paying around $35 or more to redo your application.

Over the years, she had gotten THOUSANDS of emails about getting the e-visa. People have had issues with the government site (card not accepted to pay, site crashing over and over, no receipt of submitting it, and more).

iVisa on the other hand has a “zero frustration policy” and is like an added insurance policy. If for whatever reason you’re rejected, they’ll cover the cost to try again.

Here’s how it works for them:

Step 1: Go to this iVisa link.

Just a note this is an affiliate link for iVisa, which means we make a small commission if you visit through us. It’s no added cost to you, and we wouldn’t recommend the iVisa if it didn’t help countless HIH readers over the years make the whole process hassle free.

Step 2: Fill in Your Information

Simply add your nationality and where you’re traveling to (in this case, obviously India).

Step 3: Pick which e-Visa you want

Choose which e-Visa you want. They offer all the tourist visa options as well as the e-Business and e-Medical. Click “Go to Application Form” once you’re done.

Step 4: Fill out your application

Same drill as with the government site.

Step 5: Choose processing times

• Standard Processing: $35, 5 Business Days
• Rush Processing: $65, 3 Business Days
• Super Rush Processing: $100, 2 Business Days

Step 6: Finish Application and Pay

Finish your application and make sure all your details are correct. Then you’ll be prompted to pay. You’ll get a pop up that says “Status Incomplete.” Just click “Complete Now.”

You’ll then be prompted to make an account.

Step 7: Upload Your Passport Photo & Copy

Make sure your passport copy is in a PDF format and your passport photo has a white background and is in a JPEG format. Click Save + Continue.

You’re done! Click “Save and Complete request.”

Step 8: Print & Travel

Once you hit this, you’ll have a confirmation email from iVisa. Once they have your e-visa, they’ll send it to you over email. Print and show at the airport.

If you have any issues, you can use their customer service, which is available 24/7.

And there you have it! Everything you need to know about how to get a tourist visa for India! It’s not difficult, just a lot of detailed paperwork. We recommend starting the process as soon as you’ve booked your flight so it’s one less thing to take care of.

For More India Travel Advice

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India:

Trip Planning Tips

• The 30 Best Places to Visit in India
• Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide
• 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read
• 10 Tips for First Time Travel to India

Logistics

• Travel Insurance for India
• How to Get a SIM Card in India
• How to Book a Train in India As Foreigner
• Do You Need a Filtered Water Bottle For India Travel?

Packing Tips

• How to Dress in India: the Ultimate Dos and Don’ts
• 10 Travel Essentials For India
• Men’s India Packing List
• The Only Backpacking Through India Packing List You Need

Itinerary Tips

• One Month Backpacking India | Itinerary, Hostels, Tips
• My Guide: the BEST Itinerary for India
• Kerala Backpacking Tips & 10 Day Kerala Itinerary
• Have The Perfect Rajasthan Trip By Copying This Two-Week Itinerary
• Goa One Week Itinerary for the Beach Lovers and Foodies

And, of course, we recommend joining the Hippie in Heels: India Travel Tips Facebook group if you have more specific questions.

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Rachel first visited and wrote about where to stay in Goa a while ago. With the help of one of her close friends, Jules, we’ve given this post a much needed update with even more hotels and accommodations. If you’re trying to figure out the best place to stay in Goa, here are all your best tips!

Still planning your trip? Don’t forget to pick up our Insider Guide to Goa and Ultimate Guide to India.

I, Jules, have lived in Goa now for 4 years. I have spent a lot of time exploring the beauty Goa has to offer and the hidden and not-so-hidden gems while also running my family heritage home, Villa Alina. With the villa, I’ve spent my seasons hosting many guests, so I pride myself on having a never-ending list of recommendations for restaurants, bars, clubs, beaches and accommodation!

Goa is one of the best places to visit in India, whether it is the end of your long backpacking trip, a few days of respite in the middle of exploring the madness, or a two week chill, beach holiday. Just know that if you’re able to, you will end up spending more time here than planned. Either way Goa is a must see in India, and I can guarantee you won’t find any other state like it!

FAQ to Determine the Best Place to Stay in Goa

Whenever I have someone ask about where to stay in Goa, I ask them a few questions to gauge what type of holiday they’re looking for. This helps figure out where they should stay and what kind of hotels or accommodation I think they’d prefer. After all, if you’re looking to experience Goa’s nightlife, you won’t want to stay stay on any of the quiet beaches.

How much time do you have?

A few days…

If you have just a few days in Goa, don’t try and do it all. Stick to the North or South and pick one place as your hub and explore from there.

A week or more…

For those with a week in Goa or more, you could do half up North and half down South. It takes approximately 3 hours by taxi to get from North to South depending on where you start and finish. You’ll want to add on another couple of hours if you take a bus instead.

Do you want to just relax on the beach or do you want to do a bit of exploring too?

This’ll help you decide whether you want to stay in North Goa or South Goa.

North Goa is the busier side with a lot more to do than just lie on the beach. Here you’ll find a much larger selection of restaurants, bars, party places, and shopping markets. This is where you can immerse yourself in the culture of Goa, choose from hundreds of places to eat, sing karaoke, feel the buzz of Goa’s busy-ness whilst also beach hopping along the coast.

If you’d prefer something more relaxed, then you’ll want to go to South Goa, which has the more beautiful and secluded beach resorts. Go here if you want to stay in stilted beach huts, fall asleep listening to the waves, and spend most of your time stretched out on a sun bed with a cocktail, coconut, or beer in hand. You won’t find too many late night parties but you’ll still have your pick of restaurants, sunset spots, and lazy beach days.

What is your budget?

In Goa, we have everything from eco-resorts, beachside stilted huts, huts in the jungle, hostels, homestays, B&B’s to luxurious villas, yoga retreats, and super fancy 5-star resorts.

Below I have split my recommendations into areas rather than accommodation categories and then added a $, $$, $$$, or $$$$ depending on cost. This way you can figure out which beaches or areas to stay in and then narrow it down to a specific hotel that fits your budget.

Note: Also keep in mind that this list is based on October until the end of April. Many places shutdown for the monsoon season in Goa. If you’re coming from May through to September, you may not find your chosen option open. However, it’s worth contacting them directly to see if they’re open and can even offer you a cheaper rate.

Where to Stay in North Goa – Top to Bottom

Arambol

Arambol is the furthest North in Goa and is a very busy town full of tourists, backpackers, locals and “expats.” I have to be honest and say I very rarely make it this far up the coast but I know a lot of backpackers end up getting stuck here for longer than planned. Think drum circles at sunset, Goan Trance and a lot of dreadlocks. Have a try at surfing at Surfwala.

Places to Stay in Arambol

• The Noname Guesthouse $
• Rudra Holidays Guest House $
• Laughing Buddha $

Mandrem

This is my favorite beach in North Goa – very secluded and not a lot going on. Don’t expect late night parties; expect chic hippie vibes and an empty beach waiting to be walked along for miles. Shop at Alchemy, a very cute boutique facing the sea and owned by Rachel’s best friend Tia.

Wigwam $$

A newbie on the scene, only 2 seasons in, this is a really cool, chic and beautiful place to stay. Set on a quiet village road at the top end of North Goa you can stay in a luxurious tipi, jungle hut or the apartment. Some options come with a private outdoor shower – if you haven’t ever showered under the stars, this is a must do! Yoga classes are included and they offer add-ons including meditation, massage and cooking classes. This is a little bit on the upper side of a budget but you definitely get what you pay for. Book here

Vaayu

Vaayu $$

This is one of my favorite places In North Goa. It has the perfect beach vibe set just across the road from the perfect beach and swimming spot serving some of the best food in Goa. They have a selection of rooms for different budgets and offer surfing lessons, paddle board hire, yoga and much more. They also put on some cool nights during the week and weekends, so it’s a good place to meet a nice crowd. If you stay here make sure you try the fish tacos! Book here

Jamboree Creek $$

Jamboree Creek is a great secluded spot with lovely wooden or mud huts as rooms. It is an eco-farm homestay with lots of yoga workshops, capoeira and private access to the beach which is just behind the rooms. This is owned by Priyanka who was a really good friend of Rachel – if you are looking to join a little community and have some peace, quiet and relaxation this place is highly recommended. Book here

Riva Resort $$

This is more of a hotel vibe than the others with a larger space and a lot more rooms. Riva has a beautiful sunset view and the hotel has a private walkway onto the beautiful Mandrem Beach. This is where Sunsplash, the yearly Reggae Festival in January has been hosted the past 2 years. Book here

Elsewhere $$$

Elsewhere is a beautiful family run business with different size old style Portuguese houses for rent right on the beach. This place gets booked up well in advance and you can see why from the pictures. It’s on the higher end of the price scale. Book here

Ashwem

A bit busier than Mandrem with more beach shack options. Ashwem Beach has lots of delicious restaurants all within walking distance along the beach. Be sure to eat at La Plage!

Anahata Retreat

Anahata Retreat $$

This is one of my favorite spots to lounge on the sun beds at Ashwem beach. I haven’t ever stayed here but the rooms look amazing from the outside. They have lots of different round wooden cabins just a stones throw away from the sea. They have a yoga deck and a restaurant serving delicious food and cocktails. Book here

Yab Yum

Yab Yum $$$

These are spacious wooden cottages that look like something straight out of The Hobbit movie. Again built on beach sand, you are likely to fall asleep to the sound of the waves. Book here

Palm Grove Beach Resort

Palm Grove Beach Resort $$$

Another high end beach front option with concrete beach huts leading up to the beach. They have 2 separate areas Little Palm Grove, near the yoga shala and Palm Grove which is closer to the restaurant and the beach. They have their own sunbeds and a lovely view of the sunset. Book here

Morjim

Still a lovely part of the beach with Turtles nesting at one end. A few more beach clubs can be found on this side but still relatively quiet. Be sure to check out Burger Factory for lunch or dinner!

Marbela Beach Resort $$

This is a beach resort that is also a club so not a good idea to stay here if you aren’t interested in partying. There are also a few other clubs nearby. It opens out on to the beach. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Morjim

• Amarya Paros – “fancy beach shack” style $$
• Sur La Mer – right by a lot of popular party places $$
• Wanderers Hostel $

Siolim

Siolim is a residential area with my favourite beautiful white church. This is a good location to be in to explore different beaches along the coast. However, Siolim doesn’t have it’s own beach and can be very busy with traffic. If staying here you must go to Thalassa for a sunset drink or Greek evening dinner – one of the most famous restaurants in Goa.

Shunya Noi Varo

Shunya Noi Varo $$

Rachel stayed at Shunya Noi Varo with Ben and his brother, Josh and loved it. Their prawn curry rice is some of the best Goan food she’s ever had, and it’s pretty inexpensive if you book it in a group of 5 or 6 people. Book here

Siolim House

Siolim House $$

Another spot Rachel stayed and wrote about; this is a huge heritage house with a nice pool. Book here

Other Place to Stay in Siolim

• Ishavilas $$$

Vagator

Vagator isn’t as happening as it used to be but it still has a few nice spots. Little Vagator/Ozran Beach is down a steep set of stairs and used to be the hangout for a lot of hippies back in the day. You can find a few more parties this side – Hilltop, Antares, La Rive, Chronicle. Make sure to visit The Goa Collective Bazaar aka The Friday market at Hilltop.

Pappi Chulo $

A hostel on the backroads of Vagator a short walk from Little Vagator Beach. Close to Hilltop, the famous Goan Trance venue. I haven’t stayed here but seems like a nice colourful, family vibe going on here. And it has the same name as my dog so a special mention from me! Book here

Other Places to Stay in Vagator

• Jungle Hostel $
• W Hotel $$$$
• Casa Vagator $$

Chikli

This is very inland and I haven’t ever heard of it but Rachel recommended Casa Colvale here, which does look lovely. Book here

Anjuna

This is the backpacker side to Goa where a lot of the hostels can be found. Anjuna is a good place to start your journey in North Goa as its homely with lots going on. There is a good community here and lots of touristing to be done including the famous Wednesday Flea Market. Check out Curlies, Shiva Valley and Café Lilliput for beachside parties. Do note the beach in Anjuna is not the nicest in my opinion.

Granpas Inn

Granpas Inn – Bouganvillea $$

This is a great location in Anjuna with an amazing pool. It has separate rooms/huts with a very homely feel. Book here

Laguna Anjuna $$

You’ll probably find a lot of expats and locals here to use the pool and eat at the Italian restaurant as the food is really good. You’ll have your pick of the rooms in the old Portuguese/Goan style, and it’s affordable enough that one of Rachel’s friends stayed here for a month. Book here

Other Places to Stay Anjuna

• Prison Hostel $
• Funky Monkey $
• Bricks and Bamboo Hostel $
• The Red Door Hostel $
• Crazy Hostel $
• Casa Anjuna $$
• Roadhouse Hostel $
• OYO 2693 Evershine Guesthouse $
• The Orange House $

Assagao

This is the trendy inland area of Goa which should be visited whether you are staying here or not. Lots of very cool shops not to be missed – Rangeela, No Nasties, People Tree and food spots you have to try – Edible Archives, Susie’s, Gunpowder, Sublime, Vinayak, Villa Blanche, Mojigao and The Project Café Goa. Gunpowder was Rachel’s favorite!

Namaste Jungle

Namaste Jungle $$

As the name suggests these are rooms hidden away in the jungle of Assagao. If you are looking for some peace and quiet alongside birds chirping, this tranquil spot is for you. Just a short ride/drive from local beaches. Book here

Tamarind $$

This is between Anjuna and Assagao, has a nice pool and lots of room options. It feels like a little resort and has cool live music nights, a delicious bakery selection and a great restaurant. Book here

Another Place to Stay in Assagao

• Hotel Astoria $$$

Arpora

This is a very sleepy inland area with not much going on except the very big and loud Saturday Night Market – Ingo’s is a must visit for all the Indian tourist souvenirs you have to buy for your friends at home. Take a trip to Studio Arpora to see amazing paintings of Goa and purchase some beautiful illustrations from a local artist.

Nilaya Hermitage

Nilaya Hermitage $$$

This is one of my favourite spots in Goa up high on a hill so you can see the sea as well as North Goa from above. They have the best swimming pool in Goa with a big waterfall at the back. The design of each room is different and they have a special blue room where you can whisper on one side and it travels all the way around to the other side, if that doesn’t make sense ask the man at the front to show you!

Even if you don’t choose to stay here you can come and use the pool for the day for Rs 500 and have lunch. Try the grilled lemon fish! This is on the higher end of the price range and has had the likes of Richard Gere come to stay. Book here

Calangute

This is the epicentre of Goa, the Leicester Square (London reference), meaning it is not the nicest area as it is heaving with tourists and is always busy. However, I believe it is the original and real Goa.

There are some really nice parts of Calangute, you just have to know where to look. For food don’t miss A Reverie (may top your list of best restaurants ever visited!), Pousada By the Beach, Navtara and for beach shacks – Cafe Roma and Aggie’s.

Chalston Beach Resort

Chalston Beach Resort $$

A family run hotel set on the beach with your own private sunset spot, sunbeds and a beach side restaurant. They have live music and a cool Indian dance show on Wednesdays. You can stay in standard rooms or treat yourself to a garden cottage. Book here

Villa Alina

Villa Alina $$$

If you are in a large group a Villa may suit your needs perfectly. This is my heritage home which sleeps up to 16 people in one large group with 6 bedrooms. I know I am biased but it is hard to find the same luxury, family, home style vibe elsewhere! It is built on beach sand, a few minutes walk from a lovely part of Calangute beach and has a private infinity pool. This is on the upper end of the price scale. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Calangute

• Le Meridien $$$
• Zostel Goa $
• Gabriel Guesthouse $

Candolim

Candolim is another busy area connected to Calangute. There are lots of restaurants and places to stay along the main road and there are some lovely beach shacks on quieter parts of the beach. This area is full of tourists mainly from the UK and around Europe. Eat at Calamari, a higher end beach shack and D’mello’s both found on the beach.

Wildflower Villas

Wildflower Villas $$

This is nice eco resort with an infinity pool that’s located in Candolim. Good if you want to get away during the day but party at night. Book here

The Amrit $$

This is a newly renovated colorful hotel in the old Portuguese style. There aren’t too many rooms so it won’t ever feel like too crowded. There is a shared pool on the grounds and the beach is a very short walk away. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Candolim

• Hilton Goa Resort $$$
• Capella Retreat $$

Sinquerim

This is the last coast side area before Panjim. Here you can have a walk up to Fort Aguada, take a look at the lighthouse and even see the gates of the the famous Fort Aguada prison which is now closed. Eat at Davide’s, Wok and Roll and party at Cohiba, Showbar and Sinq.

Taj Aguada

There are two options for the Taj Hotel here, both located very near to each other and both very fancy. I think the Fort Aguada Resort & Spa has a better view of the sunset and coastline – which is of course very important!

• Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa $$$
• Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa $$$

Saligao

Inland residential area with not much happening. Lots of beautiful old school Portuguese houses to see. Have a drink and a dance at Cantare – salsa night is on a Monday!

Shanti Morada $$

Shanti Morada a heritage style house is ranked quite high in Goa, and Rachel’s friends who’ve stayed here thought it was amazing. It’s in a pretty peaceful location, and it’s incredibly decorated with pools and waterfall style decorations. Book here

Nerul

Another quiet inland area alongside a beautiful river and some lovely churches. Not much happening here except for the very large nightclub, LPK, which used to be busy back in the day but not sure how well it does now. Restaurants to try are Lazy Goose and Bhatti’s Village – the latter you can taste delicious home cooked Goan food which is surprisingly hard to find.

Sol De Goa $$

A very cute hotel set in the green fields of Nerul with lovely boutique rooms and a small swimming pool. A nice place to stay if you are looking for some peace and quiet. Book here

Coco Shambhala $$$

Coco Shambhala is a resort of luxury villas with a shared swimming pool. This is a great place if you don’t want to leave the property as it has everything you will need with the options of a private chef, spa services, beauty treatments, gourmet dining and if you want to leave, a private driver can be organized. This is on the upper end of the price scale. Book here

Porvorim

This is not a beach side area at all, very residential with lots of restaurants, the cinema and the only mall in Goa – Mall de Goa.

• Casa Britona $$$

Olaulim

A very green unexplored area of Goa. Inland and away from the beach, Olaulim is a sleepy village with not much happening. Perfect for some peace and quiet.

Olaulim Backyards

Olaulim Backyards $$

Rachel loved this place and wrote about it here. Lots of readers have stayed here since and said they loved it. You can enjoy nature, go kayaking, eat the best prawns, and stay in a little, natural cabin in the jungle. Book here 

Bambolim

I wouldn’t suggest staying in Bambolim unless you are staying at the Hyatt Hotel as there is not much happening around here at all.

Hyatt Bambolim $$$

This is a beautiful hotel with a private beach and lovely swimming pool. They have an amazing Sunday brunch which I would recommend going to even if you aren’t staying here – you need to book in advance. It is a huge hotel with really beautiful decor. Book here

Panjim

The capital of Goa and a must-visit to see a real old school Portuguese town alongside the beautiful Mandovi River. Here you will find the 9-5ers, the casino boats, beautiful churches, impossible parking and what feels like the real world of Goa. Restaurants to try, Tataki, Nostalgia, Konkani Kitchen, Café Bodega and Blacksheep Bistro. If going to Panjim you have to take a walk through Fontainhas which is like taking a walk through the colorful streets of Portugal.

Old Quarter Hostel

Old Quarter Hostel $

This hostel is set right in the heart of Fontainhas surrounded by beautiful colorful houses and just opposite what used to be my Grandmother’s house which is now a school. If you stay here, make sure you have a beer at Joseph’s Bar, a short walk away. Book here

Other places to stay in Panjim

• Goa Marriott Resort & Spa $$$
• Hotel Venite $$

Batim

I know nothing about Batim other than it is in the middle of nowhere and is on the way to the airport from most tourist areas up North. This is a real village, very green, surrounded by palm trees and probably not many other tourists in sight.

Casa Menezes

Casa Menezes $$

The reason I included Batim is because of Casa Menezes, a beautiful ancestral Portuguese homestay that has been converted to separate rooms. If you want to experience the village side of Goa then stay here and use their bicycles to cycle along palm tree roads. They have a restaurant across the road that serves delicious local Goan food. Book here

On The Border of Goa

Off the Grid $$

Close to the Karnataka border, this eco resort is run by an English couple. Like its name suggests, it’s hidden and immersed in nature. Ask the owners about white water rafting in Goa if you’re looking for adventure. Book here

Wildernest $$

Located near the Chorla Ghats, this is a super popular getaway with a fun infinity pool. It’s one of the more expensive eco-resort options but it’s a great place for trekking and taking families. Book here

Where to Stay in South Goa – Top to Bottom

The next few areas are not too far from the airport and are a bit more South than North Goa but still feel central. The beaches here feel untouched, secluded and some even have silky white sand. There is not much going on around these areas but there are a few nice places to stay and eat.

Utorda Beach

This area is where the luxury Planet Hollywood is located – $$$

Majorda

Eat at Zeebop and have fresh crab at Martin’s Corner.

Vivenda Dos Palhacos

Vivenda Dos Palhacos $$

This is a very cute place with a lovely pool surrounded by palm trees. All rooms are different and it has a very homely vibe with a few resident dogs.  Rachel had lots of friends stay at Vivenda Dos Palhacos and love it. Since it’s a homestay, you’ll get home-cooked meals! Book here

Other Places to Stay in Majorda

• Alila Diwa $$$
• Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa $$$
• Jes Guest House $

Benaulim

Similarly, not much happening in this area other than the 5-star hotel experience and a deserted beach.

• Taj Exotica Resort & Spa $$$

Cavelossim

This is a very secluded part of Goa and the main attraction in this area is the Leela Hotel $$$ and what must be a very secluded beach.

Cabo De Rama

This is a sort of secret spot as it’s still a bit unknown but I will let you in on it. You can visit a crumbling fort – Fort Cabo De Rama and walk down to an amazing deserted beach. There is literally nothing to do here and only 2 places to stay.

The Cape $$$

This place is nearly always booked up in advance so if you manage to find a date that works for you, book it. These are luxury rooms with a beautiful sea view and your own personal jacuzzi. Book here

Cabo Serai

Cabo Serai $$$

A beautiful spot on a hill with panoramic views of the sea. This is a new spot that has only been open for one season. The rooms are all made of bamboo and have that eco-resort feel. I haven’t made it to stay here yet but it is on my list. They offer nature walks, bird walks, picnics, yoga and more. Book here

Cola

Cola is probably one of the first beaches along the coast in the further South where people stay but it’s still not a very common pick. This means it is very quiet and there really isn’t much to do at all.

One of the reasons it is so quiet is because the road to get down to this beach is a terrible road to take whether in a car or on a bike – more so on a bike but it is a very long and never ending bumpy road. So once you are on this beach, there is no popping back to the main road for a little explore.

Secret Beach Resort

Secret Beach Resort $$

Not many people know about this resort. The views are spectacular and the rooms are basic and affordable huts. Book Here

Agonda

This is the first busier place along the South coastline of beautiful beaches. Agonda is one of my favourite southern beaches with it’s golden sand, lovely swimmable sea, and relaxed vibe.

If you stay here take a walk all the way along the beach and along the main road to check the shops out. Eat at Kopi Desah, Zest, Dunhill, Corvo Rindo and Le Dolce Vita. Take the early morning bird watching boat trip with Captain which can be booked at the far North end of the beach where the sea meets the river.

While you can turn up to the South Goan beaches without a booking, you might be unsuccessful bargaining with them at the height of the season.

All the places listed below are beachfront but just know that the closer to the sea you are, the more expensive the price will be.

The Tribe

The Tribe $

If you want a break from the beach then take a room at this sustainable eco-resort hidden in the jungle. I have heard great things about this place from friends but just be aware you are living amongst nature so you may meet a few (hopefully) friendly snakes, insects etc. They are big on conservation and permaculture and offer courses whilst you stay. Book here

Other Places to Stay in Agonda

• Harmonium $$
• H2O $$
• Jardim a Mar $
• Dunhill $$
• The White $$
• Indah Desa $

Palolem

This used to be the busiest part of South Goa but as the other beaches get more built up the tourists have spread out. This is the original spot for stilted beach huts – the ones you see in the magazines that represent Goa.

There is a huge rock out in the middle of the sea that you can swim out to, attempt to climb up and jump off from. I have never done it because I am lazy and afraid but I have witnessed both successful and unsuccessful attempts.

There is also a silent disco every Saturday at Neptune’s point which has been going on for years and years. Cocktails and Dreams is the main bar that stays open the longest. You can take a walk along the coast to Patnem beach which is just next door.

I don’t have any major name recommendations, except maybe the Art Resort, as I would suggest taking a walk along the beach and bargaining for a stilted hut you like the look of.

Patnem

This is the sister beach to Palolem as it is located just next door and I like to think of it as the quiet sibling. It is a much smaller beach but has lots of great places to eat and chill.

My favourite place to eat is Home (try the Home Rosti, banana lassi, chocolate brownie) and Jaali Café. At night all the tables are out on the beach where you can have dinner by candle light. There are now a few yoga schools also offering classes and retreats – a friend completed a course at Kranti Yoga school and loved it.

Funtastic Beach Huts: Namaste, Om Shanti, Sea Front Beach Huts – $

These are names of beach huts along the front of Patnem. I have been to Patnem a lot of times and have never booked in advance however, if you would rather have a place sorted then check here or try calling huts directly.

Turtle Hill $$$

This is a luxurious set of beach huts set at the far North end of Patnem beach. These are priced a lot higher than a simple beach hut and are usually booked up. These need to be booked in advance. Book here

Other Places to Stay near Patnem

• The Lalit $$$

Galgibag

Another secret beach that I shouldn’t really be writing about. This beach has only 2 beach shacks set back from the actual beach and maybe 3 places to stay. There is not even one structure on the beach which means it is completely empty and usually doesn’t get many visitors. In Goa this is hard to find!

If you do decide to stay here eat at the Drunken Clam, have fresh oysters at Surya’s and fresh prawns at Santosh’s. To get to Galgibag you have to cross a very narrow blue bridge, best done on a scooter or very slowly in a car – some cars won’t fit. The reason Galgibag is so deserted and without construction is because it is a protected turtle nesting site – yay! So keep it clean and don’t tell too many people on your journeys onwards!

Casa Galgibaga

Casa Galgibaga $

A very cute 2 bedroom house set back about 2 minutes walk from the beach with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The owners can help you with anything you need while you stay here. Book here

Cassoi by Ciarans $

Options of wooden beach huts, tents or concrete rooms. These are on the beach front facing the sea but set further back than other huts along the coastline. Book here

So as you can see, we have a lot of cool options for places to stay in Goa, both North and South. Hope my blog post helped, if it did, let me know where you decide to stay in the comments and if you have any of your own recommendations please do share :)

For more Goa travel tips

• 10 Essential Tips for Goa Nightlife
• 8 Romantic Things to do in Goa
• Traveling in Goa India With Kids

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The post Where to Stay in Goa: All the Best Places to Stay from North to South first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Where to Stay in Goa: All the Best Places to Stay from North to South appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

If you want to stay in India consecutively for longer than 180 days without needing to leave, then an e-Tourist visa will not be appropriate for you. This article is going to explain step by step, in-depth, how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK. We have a similar post on how to apply for an Indian visa from the USA. Rachel’s fiancé, Ben originally wrote this guide, and we recently did a little update with the help of her friend, Jules, to make sure everything is up to date!

This complicated paper visa application is if you are coming to India and want a visa longer than the e-Tourist visa allows. If you only are coming for a short term travel, you don’t need to worry about this and instead will want to read this post or, if you know you want to use a 3rd party, jump right to iVisa to start the process.

Things to Know Before Applying for your Indian Visa from the UK

You’ll be working with VFS, not the Indian Embassy

In the UK, the Indian Embassy outsources their visa process to VFS. This website can be quite confusing so this guide has been written to help you navigate through the difficulties.

Visa Options

A long term tourist visa will allow you to have a visa to enter India between 1 and 5 years with multiple re-entries. It lets you stay in India for a maximum of 180 days per trip. If you want a 5-year visa, biometric information will be collected at the VFS Centre. You cannot apply for a 5-year visa by post.

How to Apply

In the UK there are two methods of applying for a long term Indian tourist visa: by appointment in person and by post.

Through Appointment at a VFS Visa Centre in the UK

Currently located in the following locations: London (Goswell Road, Hounslow) Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast, Bristol, Bradford, Newcastle, Cardiff, Liverpool, Leicester, and Glasgow. Here are the location and contact details for each centre. Please read Step 1 below as the mission chosen is different to your chosen appointment centre. confusing!

By Post in the UK

This option is available however VFS advise you to make the application via appointment to avoid any inconvenience/delay. Postal applications are known to take 2-3 weeks longer than an appointment. VFS will also take no responsibility for your passport.

If you physically can’t make an appointment but you know a friend/family member that can visit a VFS Centre an authorisation letter can be submitted. This authorises them to submit your application on your behalf. The link for the authorisation letter is here.

Cost of Indian Visa For UK Citizens

The cost depends on the duration/length of the tourist visa, below is a table taken from the VFS site showing the current long term visa costs (as of 26th March 2020).

Select the following link to learn more about the options of Indian visas for UK citizens. Indian Tourist Visa Options to UK Citizens.

Indian Visa Processing Time for UK Citizens

Processing times vary for each application, it is typically between 3-5 business days, you will also need to add some time for your passport and visa to be sent back to you. If you are collecting the passport and visa from the centre, then this is typically faster.

How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK

Step 1: Complete the Online Visa Application

Page 1: Visa Application

• Select Country– United Kingdom
• Indian Mission – Please read carefully

If you live in Scotland you must Select “UK- Edinburgh” as Mission, while filling the online application form. When booking the appointment you can select Edinburgh or Glasgow.

If you live in any of the following places:

Birmingham, Durham, Humberside, Isle of Man, Isle of Scilly, Manchester, Shropshire, Yorkshire (North), Lancashire, Midlands (West), Staffordshire, Yorkshire (South), Leicestershire, Northumberland,  Cleveland, Yorkshire (West), Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Tyne and Wear, Cumbria and Derbyshire, Merseyside, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire,

you will need to select “UK- Birmingham”, as the Mission while filling the online application form, appointments can then be booked at the offices in Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, and Newcastle

If you live in any other part of the UK, not the counties mentioned above, you can book appointments at any of the 2 offices in London (Goswell Road and Hounslow), Bristol, Cardiff, and Belfast. Applicants wishing the submit their applications at these offices must select UK- London.

If you want to do a postal application please select UK-London. Visa applications by post can be made, as long as it is for a less than 5-year visa duration. ALL applicants requiring a 5-year tourist visa will need to make an appointment application as biometric information is required (fingerprints and photo).

• Insert- DOB, Email, Date of Arrival
• Select- Tourist Visa and select purpose that best matches your trip.

Page 2: Applicant Details Form

• Applicant Details- Complete all fields for the person wishing to obtain a long term Tourist Visa, for Citizenship ID No insert- NA.
• Passport Details- Insert the details of the person wishing to obtain a long term Tourist Visa.
• Click Save and Continue (orange button)

Page 3: Applicants Address/Family Details/Marital Status/Occupation/Military Experience

• Applicants Address Details – Present Address and Permanent Address, if they are the same tick the box.
• Family Details– Father and Mothers Name, Nationality, Place of Birth (Town), Country of Birth.
• Marital Status– Single or Married, provide details if married.
• Parents/Grandparents Pakistan Nationals or Belong to Pakistan Area– If yes provide information.
• Profession/Occupation of Traveller– Present Occupation (select from list), Employer/Business Name, Address, Past Occupation, if any, Military Services (Yes/No- if yes provide details)
• When this section of the form is complete, click Save and Continue (orange button) at the bottom of the form.

Page 4: Details of Visa, Previous Visa Information, Countries Visited in 10 Years, SAARC Countries, References

All applicants requiring 4 years or less can make a postal application. After deciding the duration of your visa, complete the first section of the form.

• Places to be Visited– Insert places in India planning to visit into box one and two if required. Of course, if you change plans once in India, it’s not a big deal. At least get the flying into and out of destination on there.
• Duration of Visa– Please insert the duration in months- so 1 year would be 12, 1.5 years would be 18 etc.
• No of Entries– This means how many times you can re-enter India, as there is no cost difference between single and multiple entries, its best to select multiple unless you know you will only travel to India once whilst the visa is active.
• Port of Arrival- Please insert the Airport/Sea Port city you are planning to enter India, eg Mumbai.
• Expected Port of Exit- This is not a mandatory field but if you know, please enter the airport or port you have booked to leave India.
• Previous Visa/Current Visa- If you have had or have an Indian Visa please provide the details required.
• Other Information– List countries you have visited in last 10 years.
• SAARC Countries– If you have visited any of these countries in the past 3 years select Yes and fill in the details- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Reference:

• India – This would be a known reference if you have one in India, if you don’t use your hotel/accommodation as a reference.
• UK – This can be anyone you know who can act as a reference for you in the UK.

When finished click Save and Continue (Orange Button)

Page 5: Upload Passport Photo

• Choose File– Select the Choose File button first, then a window will open, find and select your passport photo image file, it must be in JPEG format and be no larger than 1mb in size. The image should 350 pixels (width) and 350 pixels (height). It should be a recent front-facing photograph with white background, do not scan your passport image and use this, it should be a new passport style photo.

The application is liable to be rejected if the uploaded photograph is not clear and as per specification.

• Upload Photo– After choosing the file to upload, click the orange Upload Photo Button.  This will take you to the resize screen.

Page 6: Resize and Select Photo

• Resize and Select- A preview of the JPEG passport photo you uploaded will appear in the left-hand box, with your mouse select the area of the photo showing your whole face and white background when happy click the orange Save and continue button.

Page 7: Review Passport Photo

If happy with the photo select “Save and Continue” if not happy select “Upload Image Again” and if you’re getting frustrated Save and Temporarily Exit or use the hassle free service!

Page 8: Review and Confirm Application

Review the form and make sure all information is completed and accurate, the visa could get rejected if this is not the case. If happy please select Verified and Continue button at the bottom. If you want to make changes select Modify.

Page 9: Confirmation

Now your application has been confirmed!

Click the Print Form (orange button), the completed application will then automatically download a PDF, into your Downloads folder.

*Make a note of your Application ID (Starting with GBR) you will need this to pay the visa fees online.

If you will be carrying out a postal application there is no need to click Book an Appointment, unless you are applying for a 5-year visa and biometric data is required.

If you click Book Appointment you will be taken to this screen: Select the UK Mission you inserted in the application form, then select “Get Appointment.”

At the time of writing this guide, the Get Appointment button was not working. Don’t worry if this is still the case keep on reading!

Step 2: Complete Declaration Form/Insert Passport Photo and Sign Printed Application Form

Declaration Form

The next step is to go to this link and download and print, complete and sign the Declaration Form, which looks like this:

Application Form

Print out the application form that was downloaded from the Indian Visa site. Make sure you have 2 passport photos that is 2 inches/5cm by 2 inches/5cm and glue one to the form, the second will be inserted in the envelope. Sign the box below the passport image box. The passport photos must be 5cm by 5cm – a special size specifically required for the Indian Visa.

Make sure to also sign the second page at the bottom, this should match your signature, all signatures should be the same as in your passport.

Step 3: Book Appointment/Make Payment

You’ll want to go to this link.

Page 1

• Insert your Application ID Number (GBR)
• Insert Passport Number used for Application
• Click Retrieve Application Button

Page 2: Re-Confirm Details

• Once you have clicked Retrieve Application you will be taken to this screen:

For Postal Applications

• Mode of Submission: Please select Sent by Royal Mail SDE
• Submission Centre: Hounslow London will automatically be selected.
• Mode of Delivery: You have two options, you can either select IVAC provided Secured Mail Envelope and pay for VFS to return your passport with visa inserted OR
• You can insert return self-addressed special delivery envelope with your application. If so select Self-Provided Royal Mail Special Delivery Envelope.

For Appointment Applications

• Mode of Submission- In Person at the Application Centre
• Submission Centre- Select the Mission that is closest to you, not the Mission you put in the application form!
• Mode of Delivery- You have three options:
  • You can either select IVAC provided Secured Mail Envelope and pay for VFS to return your passport with visa inserted
  • Collect in-person from the Application Centre OR
  • You can select return self-addressed special delivery envelope with your application if so select Self-Provided Royal Mail Special Delivery Envelope.

Visa Details

Please make sure you complete the following:

• Visa Category- This should show Tourist Visa
• Visa Duration- Please select the duration of the visa you are applying for- this must match what you inserted on the application.
• No of Entries –For Single select- S, For Multiple select M and Triple select T. This must match what you inserted into the application form.
• SMS Service- You can sign up to an SMS update service for a fee of 1.44GBP, if you don’t remove the tick from the box.
• Photo Upload Service– Untick this box as you are already providing 2 passport photos.

Finally, Click the Save Button.

Book an Appointment

Now go to the Appointment Menu and select the New Appointment Option.

A new window will appear showing a calendar, select a date that is suitable for you highlighted yellow:

You will then be taken to a screen that allows you to select the time of the appointment and confirm. When you are happy with the Date and Time select confirm. Make sure to have all your documents ready for this appointment. The next stage is to pay for the Visa online.

Click the Home option in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Make Payment

After going back home you need to go to the Top Left of the Page and go to Visa Fee & Pay Details, and select Fee Details and Payment:

You will then see the payment summary below:

If the amount looks correct click Continue and you will be taken to a Payment Confirmation Screen, click Submit.

You will then be re-directed to a payment screen that looks like this, insert your payment information and click Pay Now.

When Payment has been confirmed a receipt will be generated, save this and print it. This will be inserted into your Application envelope.

Step 4: Final Stage, Prepare Your Application

Now you are ready to take your application to the appointment you have booked or post your application. Just make sure you have the following in one envelope:

1. Printed Application Form that has been signed on Page 1 and 2, with one 5cm by 5cm Passport Photo glued to the Application Form.
2. A second 5cm by 5cm Passport Photo inserted into the envelope.
3. Your completed Declaration Form signed and dated.
4. Your Passport inserted in the envelope.
5. A Royal Mail pre-paid return signed delivery envelope inserted (if you selected this option), do not include if you selected for VFS to return your passport and visa.

For postal applications seal the envelope and mark it to:

Houslow Application Centre Address
Indian Visa and Consular Application Centre
The Vista Centre
First Floor – Part A Block
50 Salisbury Road
Hounslow
TW4 6JQ

All visa applications by post must go to the above address.

That is it! You’ve finished your application. We hope this article on how to apply for an Indian visa from the UK made this a breeze for you. Thanks to Ben and Jules for taking the time to do this for all our UK readers!

For More India Travel Planning Guides:

Check out some of these posts to help you continue planning your trip to India. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Hippie in Heels India Travel Guide

Trip Planning Tips

• The 30 Best Places to Visit in India
• Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide
• 100 India Travel Tips You HAVE To Read
• 10 Tips for First Time Travel to India

Logistics

• Travel Insurance for India
• How to Get a SIM Card in India
• How to Book a Train in India As Foreigner
• Do You Need a Filtered Water Bottle For India Travel?

Packing Tips

• How to Dress in India: the Ultimate Dos and Don’ts
• 10 Travel Essentials For India
• Men’s India Packing List
• The Only Backpacking Through India Packing List You Need

Itinerary Tips

• One Month Backpacking India | Itinerary, Hostels, Tips
• My Guide: the BEST Itinerary for India
• Kerala Backpacking Tips & 10 Day Kerala Itinerary
• Have The Perfect Rajasthan Trip By Copying This Two-Week Itinerary
• Goa One Week Itinerary for the Beach Lovers and Foodies

For more questions, feel free to join our Hippie in Heels: India Travel Tips Facebook group.

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The post How To Apply For An Indian Visa From The UK: The Easiest Step by Step Guide first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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I don’t often take day tours in India because I’m so familiar with travel here, but when I leave India, I actually take a lot of 1-day tours in cities I want to learn a lot about, see a lot, but find it overwhelming to do the research. I wanted to give you a resource that helped you find popular tours to book in India because I know so many of you want to and want to see what other people book – no FOMO here.

The 10 Most Popular Tours to Book in India According to GetYourGuide.com

I know people are looking for popular tours to book in India because in my Facebook group the same questions keep getting asked like “what the best tour of Fort Kochi for a day?” or “how did you get from Delhi to Agra and see the Taj for a day?”. Some of the advice is for Viator, who I like and have always linked to, and some are too personal phone numbers of guides the reader met.

The issues people face with booking online in India are that if you want a local company, they are much harder to find and often harder to get ahold of and book (with many wanting bank transfers and not accepting international card). There’s also just so many to choose.  The other issue is if I link to small Indian companies and they stop working, I have bad information on my site. For example, I have so many posts about GoMowgli in Karnataka, but they are no longer a company. So I wanted to use a brand that is growing, adding tours, and will be around for a while that will have accurate information on their website.

Recently, people have been raving online about Getyourguide.com and I’ve personally been looking at them more which I search for tours. I looked into it and they have a lot of cheap tours in India that have hundreds of good reviews, so I’m going to round-up the top tours in India on that website from their reviews.

This isn’t a sponsored post by them. I do get a commission if you book a tour, but I do with Viator or any other tour company – I chose getyourguide.com for this article because of a variety of reasons over the other tour companies, first of which is that they are new, growing fast, and many of my travel buddies have been using them and raving about them. I like Viator as well for day trips and will definitely try to work on a post similar to this for Viator. Basically, getyourguide is cheaper so I put getyourguide for these 5 major day tours that are the most popular, but also the most basic and would be pretty hard for a guide to mess up. For adventure tours, I’m going to do a post for Viator: they are more expensive but have more unique tour options around India that are worth paying for.

They also have the following benefits:

I’m going to round-up the top 5 tours to book in India according to getyourguide user reviews. Click here to see ALL the top day trip tours to book in India from Getyourguide.com

1. Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour from Delhi $17

321 people are super down with this tour! I do not think you’ll find this rate in Delhi, so I can see why this is so popular. This is a 12-hour tour that leaves Delhi. It takes about 3.5 hours to reach the Taj Mahal and this tour also takes you to the Agra Fort and Mumtaz Mahal. This price includes a guide in 8 language options, lets you skip the line (the line is SO long), is wheelchair friendly, and best yet: it picks you up from your hotel in Delhi since the leaving time is 3 AM. Oh, but the best BEST part: you go by private A/C car there. For 1089 Rupees, this is a steal.

Things to know: the Taj is closed on Fridays, lunch is NOT included, and the entrance tickets to the Taj and Agra Fort are NOT included, you skip the line and buy them at the door. It was 700 Rs. for foreigners to enter when I was there years back, and like 100 for Indians. This tour does not run from the 2nd half of December to the 1st half of January due to the fog making the roads dangerous. This tour says that “marble inlay workshops and a carpet weaving site can be arranged on request” but I urge you to just do the Taj part of the tour as the “upsale” is also always not worth it and just an upsale where the driver will take a huge commission.

This is the highest rated tour on the website, with 321 people rating it an average of 4.8 stars out of 5 for all of the following: value for money, service, organization, and safety. You can click the link below and read all the reviews.

Book sunrise Taj Mahal tour from Delhi

2. Full Day Tour of Old & New Delhi $6

74 people gave it 4.5/5 stars. Check out all of Delhi for 8 hours from the comfort of an A/C car for $6… yes, really that’s the price. A local English-speaking guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you to popular sites around town like Jama Masjid mosque, the Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, India Gate, and Parliament House. They’ll also take you a few places to shop (this is likely how they make more money from the tour, as they’ll get a commission if you buy stuff from the shops).

Things to know: meals are not included. You can choose an all-inclusive option and pay ahead of time (when you book) to have your entrance tickets added to the tour. If not, it’s $6 but you pay the entrance tickets at the places you go to.

Book a full day tour of New and Old Delhi

3. 7-Hour Tour of the Backwaters Kochi, Kerala (aka Cochin) $18

This tour has a 4.5/5 stars review and the reviewers seemed to love it – you can go read them at the link below. This tour includes pick-up and drop-off if you are staying in Fort Kochi area (which I highly recommend you do). I’ve spent months off and on in Kochi and love it here. In this tour, you’ll go in a traditional houseboat on the famous backwaters, meet locals, and have a vegan lunch in the countryside.

Things to know: lunch is included but drinks are not. You will need to get to the meeting point yourself if you are staying outside Fort Kochi – please keep in mind, there is often a lot of traffic. This is the Kochi backaters, not Alleppey (which is more famous) but they do pretty much look the same and it would save you a trip to Alleppey if you were short on time.

Book a 7-hour backwaters tour in Kerala

4. Private Full Day Tour of Mumbai $30

This one is a little pricier but offers a lot and has a 4.6/5 star review. This is a 7-9 hour tour that takes you to famous monuments like the Gateway of India, Dhobi Ghat, Colaba Market and Mani Bhava, among others. There are a driver and an English-speaking guide and they will come together to your hotel to pick you up in an A/C car. They can even pick you up from a bus station, train station, or airport.

Things to know: this includes a bottle of water but no food, and does not include entrances to the places you visit. For those of you on a budget, I find that Mumbai is not as stressful as Delhi so if you had a couple days to explore Mumbai and had to choose between a tour of Delhi or Mumbai, I’d go with the Delhi tour and see Mumbai on your own.

Book your day tour of Mumbai here

5. Elephanta Caves Tour from Mumbai $20

These last few tours I’m sharing don’t have as many people reviewing them, as there are dozens for Taj Mahal, Cochin, etc since they are the most popular – but these last few are tours people ask me about. These caves are the biggest day trip you can take from Mumbai and I sadly still haven’t seen them! This tour will have a driver pick you up from your hotel.

On this tour, you’ll take a ferry and a little toy train (mainly for novelty fun reasons). You do have to be able to walk up a lot of stairs. If you are in a wheelchair, you can be carried up for $8 (in India, you’ll see this).

Things to know: You’ll have just 45 minutes to explore the caves as there is a lot of travel time on this tour. You guide, train ticket, and ferry ticket are included but you need to know your ticket to the caves. Do not allow your driver to make you see any shops on the way, which is a negative review someone left AND is a typical scam in India that literally every driver (even ones you become friends with) will try out since they earn a high commission.

Book a tour from Mumbai to the Elephanta Caves

So, there are the top 5. If you look across at Viator, people are taking very similar tours with them – so the ideas of what people want to do in India are the same even if they don’t go on the same exact tour or through the same company. You can check Viator as well and compare prices for similar tours. I trust both for booking.

Pin these tours to book in India for later:

The post 5 Top Tours to Book in India (1-day) According to GetYourGuide User Reviews first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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A friend of mine from college, Lauren, is a fellow lover of travel but she travels with dietary restrictions after struggling for years learning what she could and couldn’t eat. She shared her whole journey on Facebook and Instagram. I reached out to her and asked if she could share a little about traveling with dietary restrictions when you feel so limited to what you can eat without getting sick. Thanks, Lauren.

Simplicity and planning are two keys when you’re traveling with dietary restrictions. The stress of travel is already draining. You don’t want to add to it with foods that don’t sit well with you or have to deal with the stress of trying to find foods that you can eat. It’ll just bring you down and bog down your trip. When you’re traveling, you want to do everything you can to support yourself so that you can get the most out of your trip – because that’s the whole point…to explore, experience and FEEL good while doing so.

A little background on my health and my experience with dietary restrictions- although I no longer see them as restrictions, I see removing them from my diet as a blessing. I’ve been dealing with chronic and autoimmune conditions since age 12. I’ve been labeled with fibromyalgia, lyme, chronic fatigue and so much more. My health journey has been a hell of a ride.

Three years ago I realized I wasn’t getting better doing what I was doing – pumping myself with pharmaceuticals and eating any and all food you can imagine. I hit rock bottom one day and threw out the pills, cleaned out the cupboard and never looked back! I’ve gone through all sorts of stages of removing, adding in and experimenting with foods, using myself as a guinea-pig-science experiment. I started out slowly by removing one thing at a time… gluten, meat, dairy, processed foods/sugars, soy, grains and so forth. After finding everything that didn’t work, I finally found a combination of things that DO work. I have ultimately ended up as a raw vegan, eating a diet consisting of predominantly fruit, some vegetables and nuts/seeds, which has been what is reversing my chronic and autoimmune conditions (it’s a process).

Read more:

• 9 exercises you can do in your hotel room
• How to get good sleep when you travel
• 11 tips to stay healthy while you travel 

During that time of experimentation, I became really good at dealing with the ever-changing dietary restrictions I was going through. I learned how to navigate through social situations, traveling and restaurants – and I’m here to share my experience to make it easier for you to live your life, no matter what dietary restrictions you may have and no matter where you are!

5 Tips for Traveling With Dietary Restrictions

1. Plan Ahead

Do your research before you get on the road! Research the area you’re going to and where you’ll be staying and traveling around. Look into restaurants and their menus – you can literally plan out what you’re going to get at each restaurant before you even leave for the trip if that will make it easier for you! Also, be upfront! You can call and ask them if they will be able to work with your food restrictions. Most restaurants are totally cool with it and they WANT to cater to you.

I like to personally make a list on my phone of restaurant names, the meals I was looking into that would work for me, phone number and the address of the place. This way when I arrive, I don’t have to go back internet surfing trying to remember what is what and which place carries what foods I’m able to eat. A good google search would be wording like “restaurants near/in cityX with gluten-free options/vegetarian options/dairy-free options” and go from there.

2. BYO

I have been known to BYO avocado a time or two… no matter your dietary restrictions, almost every place you go to is going to have some type of salad options, grains, vegetables, simpler side dishes, etc., in some form or fashion. A lot of the sauces and dressings have ingredients that don’t sit well for a lot of people so here’s what I recommend.

If possible, I’ll bring my own avocado, a travel packet of almond or cashew butter and/or a travel packet of coconut aminos. Nut butters makes a great creamy addition on its own in a dish, or mixed with the coconut aminos as a delicious dressing/sauce. The aminos also mix well with lemon juice and a little honey or maple syrup (almost all restaurants have one or the other). Other options are asking to sub any sauce/marinade with simple olive oil, lemon/lime or my favorite, lots of extra guac… because guac goes with and on everything (I’ll order like 3 servings of extra guac – and I’m not sorry about it!). Another idea is to bring mini seasonings to add massive flavor to any dish! Also, if I’m just going to an event or restaurant when not traveling, I make my own dressing at home, put it in my bag and bring it with me!

3. Mix and Match

Mix and match different items on the menu to create what works for you. If you look at an entrée description, you’ll see most of the foods that are in a dish. For example, if I saw a dish that had roasted vegetables or potatoes but what I was ordering didn’t have it, I would either sub out something from my meal or kind of create my own using sides and items from different entrées.

If they have it listed on their menu, that means they have it in the kitchen. Just because they don’t offer it with other entrees or on its own, doesn’t mean they can’t accommodate you and make you up your own serving! Also, if you see a sauce from a different entrée that would work for you, ask to have a side of it.

4. Fruit for Breakfast

Fruit makes the morning meals a breeze wherever you are traveling. Almost anywhere you go for breakfast will have some sort of fruit. A lot of the time they’ll just come as sides or as accents to other dishes, but that means they have some in the back. It’s easy to order let’s say, 5 sides of whatever fruit platter they have (you’ll be full – trust me…order five servings of any fruit platter and then tell me you’re still hungry!).

In a similar sense, you would save time and money if you researched markets/grocery stores ahead of time and bought your own stash of fruits. That way, you can wake up, have your breakfast and start your adventures, having one less meal to worry about trying to accommodate. It’s also a great snack to have on you throughout the day as a snack.

Fruit is a perfect meal and your body’s best friend. And no, fruit does not have too much sugar in it (biggest myth EVER), but don’t get me started…that is totally for a different article.

5. Travel Prepared

Be prepared to succeed and stay full & satisfied. There are a ton of great snacks and foods you can travel with to have with you throughout the duration of your trip. Especially if you’re checking a bag, that means you get a personal item and a carry on. You can bring a bag solely for the purpose of stocking with fruits and snacks.

The fruits are great because that way, you have food on the plane and some for when you land, so you’re not scrambling to get to somewhere to eat right away. You can also stock your suitcase with easy, on-the-go snacks that you can throw in your bag and have with you while you’re traveling. My favorite travel snacks (in no particular order): dried fruit, delicious bars, granola, raw nuts and seeds, crackers, nut butter packets and coconut amino packets.

Traveling with Dietary Restrictions is Possible!

I know it may feel overwhelming at first when you’re adapting to living with food restrictions, but know that you are not alone and it is totally doable! Start playing with the recommendations above and you’ll find that even though it may seem like a lot of planning at first, it really doesn’t take much effort and you’ll become an expert in no time!

I wanted to touch on the emotional/mental part of having dietary restrictions and living life with them. I know how frustrating it can feel going to social situations and restaurants and feeling like there’s nothing for you to eat. It gets easier with a little planning, adapting and becoming creative by working with what’s around you, I promise.

I know it’s taken me awhile to come to a place where I’m comfortable with what I will and will not eat. It’s easy to give in to peer pressure and feel uncomfortable in social settings, but it takes courage and strength to stand up for yourself and feel confident in the choices you make for your body. A lot of times it can feel isolating, embarrassing and like somethings wrong with you, like you’re an inconvenience (YOU’RE NOT). I used to feel like that a lot.

I would feel massive guilt around saying “no” to foods that were being served and what everyone else was eating. I used to feel so uncomfortable at restaurants because I would have to change my order so much: can I please have X without a,b,c,d,e, etc. and can I sub that with this and can I have an extra side of that, actually can I just make up my own dish, etc.

But here’s how I’ve come to see it…we only know one thing FOR SURE: we have the body we’re in for the rest of our time here. Don’t you deserve to feel good and treat it properly, the way it’s asking you? If you eat foods that don’t agree with you just because of other people and then you feel unwell, even sick, then what’s the point? Who has to experience that unpleasantness – YOU DO. This is your vehicle through which you move in this world – feed it the way it’s asking to be fed!

A list of healthy travel snack that you can buy on Amazon, curated by Lauren:

1. FRUIT
2. Dried Fruit
   1. Coconut Chips
   2. Apricots
   3. Dates
   4. Figs
   5. Raisins
   6. Mulberries
   7. Mangos
   8. Pineapple
   9. Banana Chips
3. Bars
   1. That’s It
   2. Larabars
   3. GoMacro
   4. Simple Squares
   5. Kind Bars 
   6. The Gluten Free Bar
   7. Redd Superfood Energy Bar
   8. Granola
   9. Purely Elizabeth
   10. Kind Clusters
   11. Raw nuts and seeds
   12. Cashews
   13. Almonds
   14. Pumpkin Seeds
   15. Sunflower Seeds
4. Crackers & Chips
   1. Flackers
   2. GoRaw
   3. Mary’s Gone
   4. Rice Cakes
   5. Jackson’s Honest Chips
   6. Buddha Bowl Popcorn
   7. Nut butter packets
   8. Cashew
   9. Almond
   10. Justin’s Squeeze Packs
   11. Travel-Friendly Condiments/Spices
   12. Coconut amino packets
   13. Travel Size Spice Kit 
5. Chocolate!
   1. Endangered Species
   2. Alter Eco
   3. Seaweed Snacks
   4. Snack Packs (Different Flavors)
   5. Large Raw Nori Sheets
6. Alternative to Wraps
   1. Raw Wraps Spinach
   2. Coconut Wraps

Thanks Lauren, for these tips for travel with dietary restrictions!

Author Bio: Lauren is on a mission to ignite a heal-yourself revolution and create something massively different than what’s been going on thus far. Three years ago she went on a journey to heal herself from debilitating chronic & autoimmune conditions and is now successfully overcoming them. She is a Certified Regenerative Detoxification Specialist & Iridologist, working with people to help them identify where and how to start healing themselves. You can follow her on her Instagram, website and subscribe to her soon-to-launch YouTube channel, as well as visit her Shopify store which carries spunky t-shirts for plant enthusiasts. Check out

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India’s pink city, Jaipur, is officially one of my favorite cities in the world and all it took on this second visit was being there with someone who knew the place like a local. Now that I see the other side (not the backpacker’s side) of Jaipur, I’m hooked! When I first went to Jaipur, I found it overwhelming and now that I can see it more clearly, I’m really excited to share with you the best places to visit in Jaipur!

Don’t forget to check out my Insider Guide to Goa and my Ultimate Guide to India. Both are ebooks you can read on your phone, PC, or Kindle.

Why Jaipur?

Jaipur is one of the most famous cities in India and on nearly every travelers’ list when they visit India – and for good reason. There is a lot of history here and it’s unique compared to other Indian cities because of its royal monarchy past. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time and the regal sites will totally blow you away. Jaipur is part of the Golden Triangle of India: Delhi, Agra (the Taj Mahal is here) and Jaipur, which are the top three cities tourists visit in India.

As a blogger focusing on India, I sometimes do trips mostly to get information and update my blog to help you guys travel better. This is the main reason I went to Jaipur – all the shopping I got to do was a bonus!

I’m going to quickly round-up the iconic attractions in Jaipur you should see as a tourist then share about the best trendy eateries, best places to go party, and where to shop. I’ll also intro with how to get there and around and where I recommend staying.

Before You Go to Jaipur

• Visas: You need a visa to come to Jaipur, India. You can use this link to book it the easiest way for a fee. Read more about visas here.
• Travel Insurance: World Nomads is my go-to (follow this link for a quote).
• Tours: I am a fan of G Adventures and they have Jaipur on many of their tour options.
• SIM information: You can either get a SIM card in India or use Trabug. Follow those links for more information on staying connected.

How long should you stay in Jaipur?

I would stay around 3 days as a traveler who is going all around India for months. If you are on a short two-week trip, then I suggest staying two days. You can see all the top attractions in that time but won’t have a lot leftover for shopping which is a main reason to come here.

Getting to Jaipur

Train/Bus to Jaipur

Jaipur is easily connected to major hubs by train and bus. Read here how to book a train ticket online as a foreigner and also some tips on safety for train and bus travel. A bus from Jaipur to Delhi is around 250 Rs. Taking the train will be more expensive.

Flights to Jaipur

You can check Kiwi.com for flight options. Jaipur is so well-connected that you can often find a one-way flight for just $40 within India.

Taxis in and out of Jaipur

Many people coming from Delhi or within Rajasthan already will prefer to take a private car. You can usually average about 1,000 Rs. per hour journey then negotiate that rate down. It’s technically by km, but this is just an easy way to do it in your head. The main highways are in good condition so road travel is relatively fast.

Getting Around Jaipur

Uber & rickshaws

I took a few rickshaws when it was a short distance, but I overwhelmingly used Uber for my travel in Jaipur. It’s so much easier and there are tons of Uber’s around so not much wait time. Here are some tips for Uber in India.

Where to Stay in Jaipur

Samode Haveli

I spent a few nights at Samode Haveli which is the top boutique hotel in Jaipur and it’s located in the perfect spot. With luxurious rooms, kind staff, and the most incredible architecture you can imagine, it’s my favorite place to stay in Jaipur. Prices aren’t currently listed and range from the type of room to the time of year that you come. Jaipur is the place in India to splurge a bit, and this is the best place to do it.

• I’ve written a full review about the two Samode properties listed here Haveli above and Palace, the next one

Check availability, reviews, and current rates for Samode Haveli

Samode Palace

Samode Palace is outside Jaipur about 30 km away and I recommend staying here if you want to see a real palace built into the wilderness. I’ve never stayed anywhere as luxurious and unique as this. Prices aren’t currently listed. This palace is a real palace owned by the past Maharaja of the area. They still come for visits! While this is outside of town only 30 km, that takes over an hour so I suggest staying here as well as Samode Haveli in Jaipur before as you won’t want to taxi back and forth.

Check availability, reviews, and current rates for Samode Palace

Shahpura House

This hotel also is done in authentic Maharajas style. It has a pool, rooftop restaurant, and is a perfect boutique hotel. Rooms range from 3,000 Rs to 11,000 Rs. This is a mid-range property.

Check availability, reviews, and current rates for Shahpura House

Hotel Pearl Palace

This adorable boutique hotel has a popular restaurant, the Peacock Rooftop Restaurant. This is a budget property and goes for around 2,000 Rs per night.

Check availability, reviews, and current rates for Hotel Pearl Palace

Zostel

Zostel is a chain hostel group in India that tries to match European style hostel standards. Travelers rave about Zostel in Jaipur and although I haven’t been, I will vouch for it as so many of my trusted friends have stayed. Rooms as low as 400 Rs. per night in a shared dorm.

Check availability, review, and current rates for Zostel

39 Places to Visit in Jaipur

9 Classic Places to Visit in Jaipur

1. Hawal Mahal

This is the most epic pink building in the city and it’s where the royal women used to watch the street parades – and was built for just that reason. Jaipur is known as the pink city like Jodhpur is the blue city, but it’s not for a real reason. It was said to be done to impress the Queen when she visited and now it’s the law to stay pink. The name means “Palace of the winds”. It’s right next to City Palace so you can visit them at the same time. It’s 50 Rs.

2. City Palace

This is located in the center of the city. Jaipur is India’s first “planned city” and it was built with infrastructure in mind. It’s now a museum and is 150 Rs. to enter. It’s open only 10 am – 5 pm.

3. Jantar Mantar

Here you’ll find the world’s largest stone sundial. There are 19 instruments there built in 1734 that allow you to see astronomical positions with the naked eye. If you’re into science, it’s a do-not-miss. Read more about it here.

4. Amber Fort (Amer Fort)

This is a 10 km drive and with panoramic views across the city and countryside, it’s even better to see at sunset. To reach, take a rickshaw from the city center. The king lived here with 12 of his wives back in the day – and 350 mistresses. Busy guy! There are elephant rides here. Don’t do them! It’s torture how the elephants are treated. 300 Rs. There is also the Jaigarh Fort which was built to protect the Amber Fort which you can see while there at an additional fee.

5. Galta Monkey Temple

This is also outside the city, but I still remember this temple from 5 years ago on my first visit, so it’s something that really stands out and worth a visit, especially if you have never been to a monkey temple. It’s kind of in the hills and has multiple temples in a complex. This “Galti Ji” site is a place people come on pilgrimage for its natural water springs and the Ramgopalji temple. Free to enter. Some people might just call this Hanuman’s temple.

6. Jal Mahal

In the middle of Man Sagar Lake, you’ll see this beautiful palace floating (a little romantic Udaipur vibe). Only half is still floating and the bottom half is submerged. You can’t go into this beautiful sandstone palace though and have to view it from the other side of the lake.

7. Nahargarh Fort

Built in 1734, this fort gives a huge sweeping view over the entire city of Jaipur.

8. The Raj Mandir Cinema for a Bollywood Film

The theatre is beautiful and seeing a Bollywood film while you are in North India is the best time to do this. It’s an experience as the movie-watchers get really into here and jump up and yell and are totally entertaining.

9. The Iconic Stepwells

Like Jodhpur, there are stepwells here and actually, the Jaipur ones are incredibly famous and a photographer’s dream. You can see ladies during laundry, people bathing, and kids playing in the well. You can read more about these here.

9 Delicious Places to Eat in Jaipur

10. Palladio Cafe

This is the best of the best for lunch in Japuir. It’s meant to be mostly Lebanese, but you’ll find just about anything on the menu and it’s healthy western food. The cafe is one of the cutest buildings in Jaipur!

11. Taruveda

This super cute cafe has the best paninis and crepes in town.

12. Sujan

Sujan is one of the most well-known hotel brands in Jaipur and is PURE luxury. The price of a meal for two here could easily by over 10,000 Rs once you add the many taxes. It’s beautiful from photos, but I haven’t eaten here.

13. Anokhi Cafe

This is inside the shop Anokhi and has all organic food, grown by the owners. They do pizza, salads, and pasta. You can at least stop for a drink to take a break from shopping! I had the margarita pizza and it was tasty.

14. OTH (On The House)

This is a European style cafe with a menu that covers just about every type of Western food from nachos to pasta.

15. Niros

This is the best place for a true North Indian feast at the lowest price possible. If you are on a budget and want to pig out on the best Indian food around, come here.

16. Spice Court

While they have dishes from all over North India, they are known for their spicy Rajasthani dishes. It’s a great place to eat local food at a cheap price.

17. Jaipur Modern Kitchen

Really tasty intercontinental food (meant to be solely Italian) like pasta, pizzas, and sandwiches as well as starters from Europe and the USA.

18. Chokhi Dhani

Touristy but cool ethnic village showcases Rajasthani food and dance, puppet shows, and even snake charmers. It’s commercialized but does serve good authentic local food.

6 Cool Places to Visit in Jaipur at Night

19. Shikaar Bagh

A new addition to the going out scene in Jaipur, this is located right next to Bar Palladio so you can go to both in one night. The music was awful lounge music but there were tons of expats here and young local people. Some women had on sarees and others were in leather trousers – everything seems to go here. Free to enter.

20. Bar Palladio

You can come here early for sunset drinks and dinner with their Italian menu. It’s pricey and a really pretty place to hang out. Free to enter.

21. Polo Bar

The rooftop bar has indoor soundproof area and a had full-on trance party while I was there. For me it was surprising, but the local friends we went out with said it’s the norm. Depending on the party there could be a cover charge.

22. Club Naila

Does after parties, I was meant to end my night here for some pool party but was too tired by 3 AM when everyone wanted to go. They charge a cover charge.

23. Blackout

A upscale bar with views but you might have to pay a 1,000 Rs cover to get in.

24. The Dragon Club

This is a really popular party place for young people to eat, drink, listen to music, and dance late into the night. There is a cover charge.

15 Places to Visit in Jaipur for Shopping

For a more complete shopping guide, check my best places for shopping in Jaipur post

25. Anokhi

I loved this shop and got some keychains and a bag here. Anohki is known for block-printing and they are in the museum at the Amber Fort if you want to go learn how. Prices are higher than export shops but they also have some nicer stuff. They have adult Indian-style clothing, cute kids clothes, and homewares. There is a cafe inside.

26. Tokree

This is a fashion shop for men and women which has Indian clothing but you can still pop in for some scarves and adorable knickknacks. Many people like to wear Indian clothing while traveling here, and this would be a trendy place to stock up.

27. Soma

Soma is all about block-printing which is a famous technique from Jaipur (but used all over the world I think). You can buy clothing, accessories, and homewares here.

28. Concept French Jewelry

This is a shop run by the designer, Diane Singh, who’ve I’ve gotten to know through friends. Her gold-plated and silver jewelry is designed so well that I bought 14 pieces and spent over 20,000 Rs. here. It’s fixed price which makes jewelry shopping a lot less stressful, (clearly, since I was relaxed enough to spend a fortune, lol).

mom: one of these is for you… hmmm, which one!?

29. Hot Pink

This store has housewares and clothing. It’s very cute and well-curated. Don’t miss stopping in here! Located inside Narain Niwas complex.

30. Narain Niwas

Hot Pink is located inside the complex of the Narain Niwas Palace Hotel. There are a couple other shops here that I did not mention like Anataya Decor (stunning homewares, but so pricey), Umrao Jewels, and Andraab, among others. This is also where Bar Palladio is so you can come here and do some shopping and have dinner. Shops close early here, I think by 7 pm.

31. Jaipur Modern

This is at the restaurant Jaipur Modern Kitchen and you’ll find contemporary bags, scarves, bedding, homewares, and jewelry. It’s a great place to shop all around. This is located in C-Scheme

32. Teatro Dhora

You can buy unique contemporary jewelry with a Rajasthani influence; great combo. It’s gorgeous pieces, some of which have been in CN Traveler but you can also find affordable gold-plated items at around 2,000 Rs. This shop has clothing and accessories, too.

33. Hawa Mahal Street

You can shop around the main market here for fabric, silver, gold, and gems. Jaipur has great pottery and beaded slippers. You’ll find all the regular tourist items here too that I mentioned above but usually not as nice of quality and you’ll have to haggle a lot.

34. Kripal Kumbh

Jaipur is known for a specific blue pottery and this is the best place to buy it.

35. Gem Palace

This place is famous for it’s jewelry but it’s expensive so I didn’t even go inside. If you have a lot to spend on jewelry and want solid gold and gemstones, you can go here for a trusted place to shop.

Most of the homewares places that I have mentioned so far for where to shop in Jaipur are on the pricey side because they are in a curated shop. You can buy these items in export shops if you feel like digging through for some gems.

I’m going to share the best shops I went to for cheap finds below (not cheap things, but the cheapest you’ll get nice things). The friend I was with has been shopping from these same people for years on wholesale prices and knows them well. While on Instagram stories, I showed you the export houses, I can’t give out that information – I will give you their showroom addresses instead. The owners of these shops know that I’m blogger and that readers will come from this blog post, so if you say you came because you’ve read about them on “Hippie in Heels” – they promise they will give you a fair price that does not need to be negotiated down (not wholesale but fair). AKA they won’t try to rip you off. It’s worth a shot!

36. BR Enterprises

29-C, Govind Nagar West Amer Road, Near Jorawar Singh Gate

This is a smaller shop but with a focus on block-printed fabric like sarongs and robes, and amazing quilts. I got both of those things, plus a few pieces of fabric to make my own stuff. He can also order in other designs or colors if you don’t see what you want.

37. Vimla International

Gupta Garden, Near Brahmpuri Police Station, Amer Road

Rugs galore! I mean really, don’t by a rug anywhere other than here. I waited to come here until the day before I went to the palace and had already spent way past my shopping budget on jewelry at Diane’s shop but ended up buying five rugs, as one does when encountered with a room full of the prettiest rugs you’ll ever see at the lowest price you will probably ever find. You climb over piles of rugs to get to the ones you want!

38. Ridhi Sidhi Textiles

This place has everything. They customize and design these items for huge brands who sell them at way higher prices. They have the cutest sarongs and lungis, quilts, sheets, huge Rajasthani-style duvets, textiles to make your own clothes, and more. I spent about 10k in here buying a mix of bedding, sarongs, and fabric I’ll make clothing with. It’s hard to keep track of all the prices if you are buying a lot and you’ll see I wasn’t the only crazy foreigner with a paper and pen writing it down to see what I could afford, haha!

39. Saurashtra Impex

7-8 Inside Jorawar Singh Gate, Opp. Ayurveda College, Amer Palace Road

You will also find rugs here as well as sheets, bags, and textiles. This place is huge and has a couple floors to explore. You can get a huge variety of quilts, wool shawls and blankets (like REALLY nice blankets), and traditional pieces of Rajasthani mirrorwork.

For more on Rajasthan:

• Have The Perfect Rajasthan Trip By Copying This Two-Week Itinerary
• My Little Guide to Jodhpur, India’s Blue City
• Top 8 Must-See Places to Visit in Udaipur For the Best Photography and Views

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

Don’t Forget These India Travel Essentials

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The post 39 Places to Visit in Jaipur for the Trendy Traveler: Iconic Landmarks, Trendy Bars, and the Best Shopping first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post 39 Places to Visit in Jaipur for the Trendy Traveler: Iconic Landmarks, Trendy Bars, and the Best Shopping appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Did you know India has its very own “Blue City”? It does! Jodhpur, in Rajasthan. I’ve been here years ago as a backpacker and wrote some tips in this article but I recently revisited less on a backpackers budget and more on a mid-range budget. I came for fun but also to do research and see what has changed in Jodhpur since I last visited. I wanted to find the best restaurants, a hotel you guys can afford that is also cute with views, and a few new places to shop. I found all that and more!

Guide to Jodhpur, India’s Blue City

Shop the top here

This isn’t the only blue city I’ve visited; I’ve also visited Chefchaouen in Morocco which is totally different. While in Morocco it’s clearly all painted and every single inch is blue and “new” looking – in India, it’s very faded different shades of blue and the blue parts are only in one small part of Jodhpur, not the whole city (which is the second biggest city in Rajasthan).

Why is it blue? Like Morocco, the reasons vary but a lot of people will say that it keeps the temperature down and keeps mosquitos away. There is an incredible fort and palace here but the thing about Jodhpur that makes it SO worth visiting is the REALNESS of it in comparison to the rest of Rajasthan.

Shop the top here

I know that sounds crazy but let me try to explain: In Jaipur, it’s a huge city that is very modern, quite clean, and has great infrastructure. Everyone you meet there will speak English with you and you can pop into a huge variety of restaurants for food from all over the world. On the other hand, Udaipur is a tiny little town with a lake in the middle, easy to walk around, and very touristy. Jodhpur is neither of these. Jodhpur is a HUGE city but in a very small space, not with nice infrastructure like Jaipur, the capital.

Jodhpur is like stepping back in time, it’s modern and you’ll have a hard time finding decent Western food here – which is usually an indicator of how touristy a place is. The Old City is jammed with people, cars can’t go in, and the bustling clock tower is so busy that even my friend Tia who grew up in South India and went to school here said she’d never been in a real Indian city like this before. It’s somewhere that will give you a sense of that Indian culture shock that we all get a kick out of but at the same time it’s small enough that if you walk around and get lost you can hop in a rickshaw and they’ll likely know your hotel or at least the area the hotel is in and help you find your way home for just a couple bucks.

While in Jodhpur, you don’t need to think luxury – instead think eating Indian food with your hands, getting lost in the maze of blue buildings, photographing the amazing sights and people, seeing animals in the streets, and staying in a haveli from the 15th and 16th century.

Before You Go to Jodhpur

• Don’t forget your visa! You can use this link to book it the easiest way for a fee. Read more about visas here.
• You’ll also want travel insurance. I use World Nomads (follow this link for a quote). Here’s my article on what is covered by WN insurance.
• For tours in Rajasthan, I recommend the USA company, G Adventures and find one that goes the cities on your wishlist.
• Read my information about getting a SIM card in India or using Trabug.

Getting To & From Jodhpur + Getting Around Jodhpur

Train/Bus to Jodhpur

The option most travelers take who are going to see multiple places in the Indian state of Rajasthan is to travel by either train or bus. As a backpacker, I preferred bus (cheaper and more direct to the bus station usually right inside town). These days, I prefer A/C train journeys so I can watch a movie or something although the train stations are sometimes outside the city and then you need a taxi to your hotel. Here are tips on trains and buses in India. Either option is great for Jodhpur, but I took a taxi from Udaipur to save time.

Flights to Jodhpur

You can check Kiwi.com for flight options – I always use them for the best rates. You won’t want to fly in and out of Jodhpur from within Rajasthan though as it’s usually not direct and you have to go to Delhi between and it costs a load of money, where you could just drive for 5,000 rupees and get pretty much anywhere out of the tourist sites in 6-7 hours.

Taxis in and out of Jodhpur

I chose taxi from Udaipur to Jodhpur and Jodhpur onward to Jaipur because it just made sense money-wise and timewise. Basically, it was 3,500 to drive from Udaipur to Jodhpur with an agency I found on the street (read prices and booking information in my article about Udaipur). Leaving from Jodhpur to Jaipur is about an hour longer and our hotel offered us a rate of 5,000 so we took that. A train would have been about 1,700 Rs for each of us (3,400 Rs) and taken much much longer. While there is a lot to see between Udaipur and Jodhpur to stay awake for, we left for the highway journey to Jaipur at 6 AM and slept through most of it.

Getting around: Uber & rickshaws

You can use Uber anytime you go outside the city which we did for a visit to the Taj for pool time and to Gypsy restaurant. It’s so easy and you will likely meet your driver near the Clock Tower as they cannot drive into the Old City. Although Uber is here and easy, in the Old City you need to use rickshaws as the lanes are narrow and the cars can’t go in plus there is a complicated one-way system until 9 PM.

Read more: everything you need to know about Uber in India

*TIP* as always negotiate with the rickshaw driver who will likely quote double the cost. They will know “chowks” (the main square “market” or area of each zone) but they won’t know all restaurants and hotels even places that are so popular like RAAS, so it’s best to know what “chowk” you are going to and what chowk your hotel is in. That, they will understand! From there, they can ask a local to that area where the place is you are trying to find. I always have my google maps anyway and just tell the driver where to turn if I am feeling on top of things.

Best Hotels in Jodhpur

I did so much research about the hotel I wanted in Jodhpur and found the key in booking – get an average priced place but splurge for the suite! It’s the same thing we did in Udaipur. The buildings (havelis) in Rajasthan are so stunning and many were palaces so the rooms will be very different and if the place isn’t that popular they can’t put rates too high, so the suite will be the most expensive room in a not so expensive place.

Blue House Guesthouse – $53 USD for the 100 sq. foot suite!

A member of my India Travel Tips group actually told me about this (thanks!) and after checking it out, I was hooked on one specific room: the Jhankar Temple Suite. It was SO cute in photos and looked exactly the same when I arrived. This place is great for ALL budgets. A basic room here is just 1,750 Rs and the suite I got was 3,500 Rs per night. When you book make sure you clarify which room you want as technically all are called suites although on booking sites it will be tiered booking options “standard, deluxe, executive, and suite”. I emailed and called to verify I was getting the room I wanted. The Royal King Suite is also 3,500 which is cute too but I thought the Jhankar was the best. There are other rooms that are 2,400 and 2,900.

The guesthouse when you walk in is not that impressive to be honest because it’s dark and cramped (not an area you’d want to hang out and have a coffee) but that feeling goes away as soon as you start chatting with the Jain family who own it. They were all so friendly and helpful during my whole stay.

As we winding way way way up the stairs in the guesthouse we finally reached out suite and WOW it is imressive. The fact it’s just $53/night is a real steal. The room is ancient and you can just wonder what all has happened there in the 500 years it’s been there – even some movies have used this room for filming. There is an AMAZING view of the fort as well.

We didn’t love the food and chose to eat out after trying the meals – not an issue though as you’ll be out exploring anyway. Plus, in general, we disliked almost all the food we tried in Jodhpur. More about that later. First, check out this cute room!

The only downsides of the room were the A/C did not get very cold and would click on and off making it hard to sleep as we’d get really hot then cold then hot, you get the picture! The other thing is the bathroom had a hole in it for drainage on the floor near the sink which doesn’t look great – but I think was their only way to get the plumbing sorted. It’s a small bathroom but the room itself is huge. There is a TV although I didn’t try it. WiFi doesn’t reach all the way up to the room (same in almost all havelis in Jodhpur).

Check rates, reviews, and book Blue House Jodhpur (with that link)

RAAS

This is the most popular boutique hotel in Jodhpur and it’s often fully booked, as it was when I was there. Basic rooms start at $323 per night – and in Jodhpur because it’s a dusty chaotic city, I really wanted to stay in a room that was a nice escape and had a lot of character but I wasn’t ready to spend this much in Jodhpur for three nights (that is like a grand)… But, if you have the budget for the RAAS, there is nowhere else you should stay. I went there to check it out and it’s beyond beautiful and is in the perfect location by the stepwell. Read reviews and check availability here.

Umaid Bhawan Palace (the Taj)

The ultimate in luxury in Jodhpur, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is actually a palace and the hotel is one part of it, owned by the Taj Hotel Group. It’s around $700 per night and higher in the peak season (Dec/Jan). Check availability here.

Vivanta by Taj

There are Taj’s everywhere in India and I went to this one to use the pool for the day and the spa. They are the only place I could find that allow outside guests to use the pool for two hours for around 1,000 Rs. I also got a massage and it was something like 3,500 Rs – it was good. The hotel itself seemed a little bland, was really far outside of town and I’m pretty glad I didn’t stay there. While I usually love Taj hotels, this one wasn’t my favorite I’ve visited. It was good for coming to use the pool though! It was basically $65 for the day to use the pool and have an hour massage. Check rates and availability here.

For another budget option, I also stayed at a haveli years back which is still there called Gouri Heritage Haveli which you can book here. Back then it was 500 Rs but now it’s 2,000 for the cheapest room. You can compare their basic room with the basic rooms are Blue House and see which you prefer.

Restaurants in Jodhpur

Well, this is going to be a small section because we ate out 7 meals during our time in Jodhpur and only one was memorable. There were two others that were okay, but others that were “top ranked” online fell flat. Definitely don’t bother trying the western food here.

Gypsy Dining Hall – This place is AMAZING. This is outside of town and you’ll need to take an Uber but it’s so 1000% worth it. The thali is just amazing. Make sure you to upstairs where they serve the thali, not the downstairs restauarant. Every single bit of this meal was delicious. I think it was around 200 Rs and it was all you can eat – they just come around and fill it back up. This is the best place to go to try Dal Batti and get a sense of the local food.

The Curry’s – Near RAAS, Stepwell, and all that popular stuff is a hostel called the Blue Turban and the reviews for this rooftop hostel restaurant were great so we popped in. It was decilious and was a great view of the fort at night, which was straight ahead.

Stepwell – One of the most popular restaurants in Jodhpur. They have a very limited menu of basically an omelette, a pizza, and a cheese or chicken and cheese grilled sandwich, all of which are “okay” but good compared to Indian restaurants nearby trying to make the same things… They had very good coffee, cute ambiance, great A/C on a hot day, WiFi, and views of the stepwell outside. These are the same people who own RAAS.

RAAS – we took a look at the menu at RAAS and after seeing my normally priced 100 Rs Goan fish curry rice at 900 Rs plus 28% taxes, we bounced. It was so overpriced (although luxury which I get) but we felt we could get good food elsewhere and since they also owned the Stepwell Cafe where we didn’t like the food, we figured we’d also be disappointed here but having spent more money. Had they allowed outside guests to use the pool, we would have done lunch here and tried it. At dinner when we came around 9 PM the restaurant was empty.

There are others we tried and didn’t like so I won’t go into detail, except one: Indique, it’s rated VERY well, it’s very expensive, and it was maybe our worst meal, unfortunately. The staff here were so so nice but it wasn’t worth 600 Rs oily biryani.

Soon, Good Earth will be opening a cafe and I have high hopes for that! I saw it and it’s SO adorable plus they are a great brand so I think it’ll be good food. It’s meant to open this season.

Jodhpur Shopping

Overall, Jodhpur is not known for its shopping. Basically, once you’ve seen the Fort and Palace and scheduled a tour to the Bishnoi tribal areas, then you can see where you have an afternoon to shop.

You won’t find as much of those tourist shops with ali baba pants and elephant print stuff, instead it’s boutiques all in one area, most of which are overpriced. While you will see some tourist shops with that type of clothing, this isn’t the best place for having many options so you might want to wait.

Shop the cape here

You can go to the market by the Clock Tower to look for cheaper stuff, but I don’t think you’ll find a lot here in terms of clothes or jewelry. You might find some fabric or knick knacks as well as scarves both silk and pashmina (but probably all fake).

For the boutiques I mentioned, definitely check them out as mixed into the expensive stuff are some affordable things. Basically, put “Stepwell Cafe” into your GPS or tell your driver “Sharif Chowk” or “Amar Chowk”; it’s kind of between the two on the map.

Once you reach Stepwell, you’ll see the famous steps down to the well and nearby is RAAS hotel, Blue Turban hostel, and popular Namaste Cafe. This area has many boutiques you can pop in like Good Earth, Haveli Crafts, Via Jodhpur, and more. This is also near the Clock Tower so you can go there too, and to the main Sadar market and even the famous omelette shop in the market (which happens to be near Indique restaurant).

One of the main things to buy in Jodhpur is the traditional wooden furniture which is ancient and collector’s items. It’s quite expensive but a million times cheaper here than some luxury furniture shop in NYC selling the same thing that they send buyers to Jodhpur to purchase and export. There are export stores/warehouses in the city. Just ask your hotel to please give you a few to go to and you can compare prices and buy items to ship home. They ship internationally all the time and it’s not a big deal so don’t let it stress you. Keep in mind a LOT of what you see in shops, even export ones, are “replicas” of antiques.

You can also get in touch with Sambhali Trust, a boutique that stocks things made by local women who are taught to make items to empower them to succeed in life. It’s a great cause and I actually know a girl working with their team now, so I trust this shop. You can check them out on Instagram.

Things to do in Jodhpur as a Tourist & Places to Visit in Jodhpur

Jodhpur isn’t as chilled as Udaipur is. In Udaipur, I wrote about how you can walk around and see signs for pop-in art classes, yoga class, ayurvedic massage, and cooking classes. Jodhpur is more like a real city not set up for tourists, so you aren’t going to see all these “things to do in Jodhpur” like you do in other Indian cities. The best thing to do is to plan out when you want to see the attractions (which I’ll mention below) then spend the rest of your time wandering around.

How long should you stay in Jodhpur? The first time I went there, I stayed 3 nights (5 years ago) and wrote in my journal it was too long and two would have sufficed. This time, I stayed 3 nights again as I was traveling with a friend instead of alone and thought we could spend one day having a pool/spa day. Even with one pool/spa day, 3 nights/days was again, too much. I recommend staying just two nights!

Mehrangarh Fort

The fort is the #1 things to do in Jodhpur and you couldn’t miss this if you tried. It is ENORMOUS and overlooks the entire city from way up high. Almost every restaurant is a rooftop one so you can look at the fort while you eat. It’s amazing. When you tour, it’ll be 600 Rs. for a ticket and more if you take in a camera (yeah, it’s like this all over India). I didn’t bother with the headset (free) because I listened the first time I went and wrote in that blog post that it was SO boring and reading the signs was more efficient since they said the same thing. You can see the whole city from up at the fort.

There are families that sit at the fort and play flutes and sing and it’s so amazing; it definitely brought on some happy tears!

Jaswant Thada

Aka the “white palace”. I went to this one years back, but did not visit again this year. It’s made of marble and is impressive. If you stay in Jodhpur two days, you’ll have enough time to see this as well as all the other attractions.

Umaid Bhawan Palace

This is where the ex-royal family live (aka the maharaja who lost power once India became a democracy). Fun fact: this palace was built during a famine and was done solely to give the local people some work so they could make money. Like mentioned above, part of this is a hotel and you cannot enter that side you can only go to the museum side.

Bishnoi Village Tour

Shop the top here and the bottoms here

You MUST do a tour! I didn’t do this my first time into Jodhpur, but our hotel Blue House Guesthouse offered such a good rate of 600 Rs. per person that we thought what the heck, might as well check it out. I’m glad we did. While much of it is just taking you from place to place hoping that you buy stuff (and I’m sure the tour arranger would take a commission) or tip the people you meet – don’t worry, your tour guide will remind you a few times to do this ;) … it’s still worth doing. In India, you’re always dealing with middlemen and people making commissions on things, but it doesn’t make what they are selling bad.

The Bishnoi village or tribe is really unique and on a few hours long tour you can go from house to house to see how they cook, their unique huts, how the make their rugs, and even try some opium with them. During it all, you’ll be driving in nature areas so will see animals. I’ve written a whole article about the experience that you can read here:

• What to expect on a Bishnoi tribal tour

If you want a tour you can book ahead, this all day tour in Jodhpur (all hotspots) and the Bishnoi with hotel pick up and drop off is available on Viator and you can book for $44. It’s the best deal I’ve found. If you want to add in a camel safari, you can look at this one and book for $60. If you’re in a rush and just want to visit the Bishnoi, this 5-hour Bishnoi tour with pick up and drop off from your hotel is a good option; book here for $85.

Explore the Blue City!

So, the whole city of Jodhpur is not blue, it’s actually the very oldest bit up near the Fort that you’ll find the blue area. While much of the city is dirty and crowded, once you reach this area, it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s so empty and you can wander and take pictures to your heart’s desire. We saw so many tourists near the crowded Clock Tower, but when we came here to the blue part, there was no one.

The truth is, it’s a MASSIVE city and this blue part isn’t that easy to stumble across if you don’t know where you are going. Ask your hotel specifically where the old city “blue city” is on the map and show that to a rickshaw driver. There is a “chowk” name for this area. It was like Noi chowk? Everyone was pronouncing it differently so I think it’s like Navi chowk but in India some say “Nawi” chowk since they change W and V here a lot.

You could technically MISS THIS if you didn’t look for the blue area. Don’t make that mistake!

Check out the Stepwell

Maybe you’ve seen photos like this before of the huge stairwells in Jaipur, where the ladies do laundry then lay the colorful clothing out on the steps to dry? Here it’s much smaller and there are local kids jumping in for the tourists to video it (aka me, lol). It’s really a beautiful spot and for Instagram, was great for me to get some images.

See a traditional show

You can check Jodhpur’s official tourism page for tips on what shows you could see. I recommend seeing traditional dance. Many restaurants that overlook the fort (which is basically all rooftop restaurants) will have people pop in to do a show, and they are doing it for tips only so if you enjoy it, you can give them money after. There is a festival called RIFF on the tourism page that I just barely missed (darn!) and it’s meant to be amazing.

You can also check out the Mandore Gardens which are beauitful and have temples, ruins, and monuments scattered throughout. The Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) is an attraction of its own as well. You can also check out nearby lakes Balsamand and Kaylana, both are man-made. For temples, the most famous is the Kunj Bihari temple followed by the Achar Nath Temple. I didn’t make time for either on this trip.

Pin my little guide to Jodhpur, India’s blue city, for later! Just choose your favorite pin below.

The post My Little Guide to Jodhpur, India’s Blue City: The Best Places for Photography and the Perfect Haveli in the Old City first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post My Little Guide to Jodhpur, India’s Blue City: The Best Places for Photography and the Perfect Haveli in the Old City appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

Dublin is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go back to, and it’s a place my friend, Arielle, always wanted to visit so we decided to fly here after our week in England. I’d actually spend four days in Dublin seven years ago, and wrote this post about it, so I re-read it to remind myself what to do here, like visiting Howth cliffs!

We had a few things on our agenda: find an Airbnb in a good location, sightsee and visit the Guinness Storehouse, try afternoon tea, have a nice dinner, and go on a day trip to the coast.

Transportation and Lodging in Dublin

We really had just 2.5 days, but it was plenty of time to do everything we wanted. Our goal was to spend day one sightseeing, day two at the coast and come back to Dublin for a nice dinner, then the half day we had on day three visiting the Guinness factory before our evening flight.

We stayed at this Airbnb which was my first time doing a shared house (a room in someone else’s house) since my Couchsurfing days. I think it was around $70/night which is a steal for Dublin. We were on the river near the Guinness Storehouse. Key things about this spot are that the Airlink (shuttle from the airport) stops right outside their apartment and the sightseeing bus also does!

The Airlink 747 bus is a big green bus outside Dublin airport that goes all over town. It was 12 Euro for a return ticket. It is slow but way cheaper than a taxi, especially in traffic so I wouldn’t take it again this far.

The Sightseeing bus is the same one I used years ago! I wrote back then about how it saves money on transportation because you can use it from your hotel/Airbnb to town and back so the hop on hop off part within the town is kind of like a bonus. These are the big red open top buses. It’s 19 Euro for an adult ticket. If you plan to see the Guinness Storehouse and sightsee near Temple Bar all in one day, this bus will be a great deal for you.

Sightseeing in Dublin

Dublin has some key sites like the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle, St Stephen’s Green, Temple Bar, and Trinity College to name a few. Dublin is nothing like London where you need all day walking a million miles to see everything; you can just wander slowly and see a lot of the key attractions.

One of the best things about revisiting a city is that there’s less pressure to “see it all” and Arielle isn’t that into crazy sightseeing so we just kept it casual and checked out the places I mentioned above, skipping out on some smaller places. We ate at the Brazenhead which was near our Airbnb, and it was really tasty. They say it’s the oldest pub in Dublin!

The Guinness Storehouse was 11 Euro when I went years back and is 25 Euro now. Honestly, I think it’s way too much money to tour how they make Guinness and the Gravity bar up top is too crowded to even enjoy it. I don’t like Guinness, but I guess if you do then you might think it’s worth the cash. I’d also been here before, so maybe it just wasn’t as “wow” the second time around.

Rocking my airport clothes, haha, we headed there after this

Cheers to my bestie since I was 5!

Afternoon Tea at the Westin

One of Arielle’s things she wanted to do was afternoon tea. In Ireland, that involves gin apparently! I had no idea the Irish liked gin so much. We went for afternoon tea at the Westin and didn’t have tea at all, but a gin cocktail served in a teapot. Yumz!

We tried everything on the platter from the pork to crab cones, but we aren’t fancy people (haha, far from it!) so the salmon and caviar weren’t really our thing. It was so funny because the waitress came over and was like “do you not eat fish?” and we said oh not really raw stuff, and she’s like well what did you like most and I’ll bring it out – we’re like the turkey wrap! haha, the most basic thing of them all, but it was so tasty!

The banana bread and desserts were so good. I highly recommend having an afternoon tea in Dublin! Sightseeing can be tiring and around the Temple Bar it seems like the other thing to “do” is stop in for a beer in a crowded bar. So, doing the tea was a really nice kind of different thing to do. The Westin’s was great.

Dinner at Conrad Coburg Brasserie

Arielle and I went for a fancy dinner for our last meal in Ireland at the Coburg Brasserie inside the Conrad Hotel. The hotel invited us, and it was a complimentary meal in case I wanted to feature it on the blog. I never write about stuff I don’t like, and this was really yummy and a nice treat for us.

We both had tomato soup to start then I got a burger and Arielle had the steak. The food was delicious, but the drinks were the best part. They have a menu based on travel (hence inviting me to come try!) and it’s a menu that tells the story of Gulliver’s Travels through the drinks. Did you know the author, Jonathon Swift, was an Irish writer!?

The drinks are a work of art! My first one had the ingredients listed then it said: “and a touch of magic”. It came out with a lid that when I lifted it, smoke came out and it was a smokey flavored drink. Another said “and a fact” and there was a little scroll on it with a fact about the author.

The dessert platter was delicious. Their take on banoffee pie was so tasty and Arielle’s favorite dessert of the trip! Mine too!

Day Trip to the Coast: Howth

If you go to Dublin, you must take half a day at least to go to Howth! The photos will talk you into it more than I ever could so, check these out.

Getting to Howth Cliffs:

Just take a taxi to Connelly train station in Dublin and there are trains every 10 minutes or so to Howth. Tickets were about 6 Euro round trip. The last train leaves Howth back to Dublin at 11 pm, so don’t miss it. It’s just a 25-minute journey!

What to do in Howth:

The Dog House is next to the train station and is pretty popular so we popped in here for a coffee to take to the harbor. The market (food and souvenirs) is across the street from the train station but didn’t open until a little later in the day.

The Dog House

When you get to Howth, you’ll be right near the Harbor, so you can go check that out first and see the seals and fishing boats. Some of the most famous restaurants are right here.

After hanging out and people (and seal) watching by the harbor, we started our walk up Howth Cliffs. I recommend doing the walk first and saving lunch for after because it’s pretty hard and would be impossible in a fish n chips food coma.

There are four walk options, we did the shortest which was about two hours.

We played around taking lots of photos, so I guess you could try to do this in an hour and a half, but it’s so beautiful I bet you’ll want to stop for lots of pics, too!

The flowers were so pretty all along the cliffs and the water was so BLUE!

How stunning is this! Even though I had been here, it was just as beautiful (maybe even more so) this time and I’m glad I came back.

We were exhausted after and went for lunch at The Brass Monkey where Arielle had a huge greasy delicious burger and I had greasy fish n chips with some potato and leak soup. Oh yeah, we had the calamari too because why not!? I am the worst over-ordering on the planet.

I think you’d be crazy to go to Dublin and not take time for the coast! This is 10x better than exploring the buildings in Dublin for me. Arielle liked this the most of her whole time abroad. It’s less than 30 minutes from Dublin and 6 Euro to get there and back, so it’s really worth it.

That’s our trip to Dublin and Howth in just under 3 days! Pin it for later:

The post 3 Days in Dublin Including a Day Trip to Howth Cliffs first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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This post is from a guest writer, Tam, who’s lived in Japan since 2006! Here are her top 10 essential Tokyo travel tips for anyone traveling to Tokyo for the first time!

Travelers love, love, love to finally make that trip to Tokyo, Japan: home of renowned intersections, sparkling skyscrapers, dream cuisine, and so much more. However, before you go explore this city in the “Land of the Rising Sun,” it’s important to arm yourself with some local know-how. Read the following list of Tokyo travel tips and prepare to have the ultimate experience as you navigate Tokyo.

Tokyo Travel Tips For First Time Visitors

1. There’s more to Tokyo than the weird stuff.

Visitors love to discover “weird Tokyo,” i.e. a cluster of go-to favorites that have been hyped up thanks to social media. Many of these places— despite their liveliness and Instagram potential— often play up to incorrect stereotypes, all the while charging travelers exorbitant prices.

This includes the Robot Show and Kawaii Monster Cafe, as well as other themed restaurants. Instead of following the lemmings clustering around Harajuku and Shibuya, explore other neighborhoods in search of #authentic. Shimokitazawa is a trendy neighborhood famous for its quaint coffee shops and vintage clothing stores. Nakano is a great place to experience the night life, if only for its small izakaya (gastropubs). Or try Shin-Okubo for some killer Korean food.

2. Scour local resources for off-the-beaten path ideas.

Tokyo has a sizable expat population— think half a million— lending to several traveler-friendly English websites and publications to help you in your planning. A good place to start is Metropolis and Tokyo Weekender, both magazines featuring local events and restaurant guides. Another favorite is Tokyo Cheapo, obviously featuring tips for tackling the city on a budget and finding the best free things to do in Tokyo.

3. You have to buy Ghibli museum tickets way in advance.

For travelers with an affinity for all things anime and manga, the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo is the bucket list item. It’s adorable. And entertaining. And oh so popular. Like sold out months in advance popular (especially during the summer). If Ghibli is your deal breaker, make sure you nab tickets online ahead of time.

However, if you find yourself out of luck, do not fear. There are other anime-themed museums in the Tokyo area. One such is the tiny Suginami Anime Museum, located on two floors. It’s not crazy huge or impressive but it certainly appeals to fans of the genres. The museum is free and explains the process behind the art in English. Short anime films are played throughout the day and museum-goers can try their hand at using light boxes and dubbing. Centrally located in Akihabara, the free Tokyo Animation Center is a third option, offering limited-time exhibits and souvenirs.

4. You don’t need a rail pass.

If you are using Tokyo as a base to see other parts of Japan, do yourself a favor and pocket the cash you would normally spend on a JR rail pass. There’s plenty to see within a day’s trip of Tokyo to keep you occupied.

Escape to a spectacular beach by quickly jetting to one of the isolated Izu islands. Enjoy the autumn leaves or winter ice hiking in Nikko. Or seek out that perfect shot of Mt. Fuji from one of the many hiking trails skirting the city. If you are so keen on leaving Tokyo, take advantage of travel deals that are much cheaper than the rail pass. Low-cost carriers like Vanilla Air or Peach can whisk you to another major city for as little as ¥3,000 one way. Another alternative is the Seishun 18. This ticket allows five days of unlimited travel on local and rapid trains, and can be split up between travelers.

5. Pack to impress.

Tokyoites love to dress up. As a general rule, women tend to wear lots of layers and favor dresses and skirts. Men are equally as fashion-conscious. A few caveats though. You’ll definitely see more skin in the summertime in terms of legs, but cleavage is a big no no. Prepare for stares whether or not you’re intentionally showing some.

Also, unless you are accustomed to heels, pack sensible shoes. Prepare to do a whole lot of walking, with lots of stairs for that extra cardio. Despite all these generalities, Tokyo is also a great place to experiment. Maybe you’re gawked at for your gothic or lolita fashion style at home, but Tokyo will embrace it. Sure, you’ll still attract curious eyes, but it’s perfectly natural to ride a train in sumo garb, Halloween costumes, or in skin-tight pink spandex.

6. Bring omiyage.

Omiyage or gift-giving is the norm in Japan. This goes for most formal meetings as well as casual homestays. If you expect to meet a local, it is recommended to bring a small gift from your home country. Candy, postcards, magnets, and stuffed animals all go over well.

I tend to bring omiyage no matter what. There’s been so many times in which a stranger has helped me out, or I hitchhiked, or went to an elementary school; showing my thanks was the least I could do. While you’re at it, better bring home some omiyage for your cohort at home. Flavored Kit-Kats are a popular and confusing choice, given the number of unique flavors.

7. Budget accordingly but don’t be worried.

A lot of travelers gripe about the cost of Tokyo. Yes, as compared to select parts of the world, life can add up. Especially when you are eating in the touristy areas and blowing your money on gundam figures. But there’s always a workaround.

For basic needs, head to 100 yen mecca Daiso or bizarre Don Quixote. Whether you forgot something or desire an impromptu costume for a night out, these are the cheap places to hit up. Need to eat cheap? Budget restaurant choices include 100 yen kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi places like Sushiro and the omnipresent conbini (convenience stores). If you miss your last train and are stuck far from your accommodation, a last minute “bed” can be secured at Internet cafe or karaoke booth. Tokyo, in particular, also has a number of capsule hotels that make for a budget and quirky experiment in sleeping.

8. Don’t be a stereotype.

Despite being Japan’s largest city, Tokyo is incredibly homogenous. And for the most part, you will remain largely ignored as a foreigner (hey, people are busy here). That is, until you do something that singles you out. Most of the time this is due to a breach in cultural conduct. Therefore, before you go, read up on basic Japanese cultural etiquette.

Most of it is unnecessary to master for a short trip— like the various forms of bowing and pouring other people’s drinks— but there are essentials. This includes not talking on the phone on trains, not sticking your chopsticks in rice, and always washing before you enter an onsen (hot spring). It also helps to learn a wee bit of Japanese, if only basic greetings. Inevitably, no matter your level, someone will compliment your Japanese language ability.

9. You’ll need a Suica card upon arrival.

To get around the city, you will most definitely be using the JR train system and Tokyo metro. It gets rather annoying having to buy a one-time use train pass each time you need to go somewhere. Between the lines to buy them and the likelihood of losing this small piece of paper, there’s a better way.

Do as the locals do and get a Suica pass, a rechargeable train card. You can get one at the same ticket stands you buy your standard train pass. It just takes a 500 yen deposit (which you can get back when you are preparing to leave Japan) and then you charge as much yen on the card as necessary. If you plan on being on the city for a longer period of time, you can even have your name printed on your Suica and phone number embedded, just in case you misplace it.

10. Prepare for the lack of Wi-fi.

As technology-savvy as Tokyo may seem, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Most businesses still use fax machines— no really— and Wi-fi is not a guarantee. If you are addicted to your phone and simply must document your every move, come prepared with a Wi-fi hotspot or secure one at Narita or Haneda airport.

And there you have it! Ten essential Tokyo travel tips to help you plan your adventure to Japan’s capital city!

For more East Asia travel

• Former HIH writer has her own tips for Tokyo first timers here
• A 10-Day South Korea Winter Itinerary
• What it’s Really like Living in Seoul Korea

Pin for later!

Tam is an American travel writer and consultant, who has lived and worked in Japan since 2006. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @fresh.coffee.stains or read her blog.

The post Tokyo Travel Tips: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Travel to Tokyo first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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I’ve always loved to plan trips. For me, the hardest thing is just deciding which country to go to but once I know that, let the planning begin! A lot of you ask me “will you plan my trip to India” either by asking to hire me or by sending over your entire itinerary and asking me to review it. I love the enthusiasm! I don’t have time to totally plan EVERYONE’s trips to India anymore but I sure do want to still help you all plan your trip to India as best I can. I wanted to answer this as part of my Ask Me Anything series (if you click that link you’ll see more FAQ, answered).

Can You Please Plan My Trip to India?

I truly believe that if you took the time to read all my posts, you’d find that most of your questions are answered on my blog. I have over 400 articles about India! Particularly if you are coming to Goa; I wrote a 170-page e-book, Insider’s Guide to Goa which with two clicks you can buy and know everything I know about Goa.

I mean from how to book and ride buses here to exactly how to ride the train, to safety on trains and buses… I try to go in-depth on each topic. For example, that’s just transportation: I also have posted about how to get a pre-paid taxi, how to fly domestically on the cheap, the best domestic airlines, and everything you need to know about Uber in India.

That’s 7 posts on transportation in India that I can think of off the top of my head. I might have more! I try to do this in every little aspect of planning a trip to India so you guys can feel the most prepared as humanly possible: from booking to sleeping and packing to itineraries.

All my India posts are in this category to scroll through but you can also search on my homepage.

I also have around 150 posts about living in India where I tell stories from my This is India series, start at #1!

So, if you love helping and India so much….why can’t you plan my trip to India personally and help me with the details?

Yes, I thought you might be wondering. But, the thing is when I first started this blog I LOVED getting emails from readers who were considering India for the first time after reading my articles. I was so stoked that I would plan literally everything for them. I gave my cell phone number to people. I introduced them to my friends and personal drivers.

But then three things happened:

1. The emails started to get to be too many to keep up with.
2. People were asking basic questions that I’d answered 100x on the blog and I knew they weren’t reading my blog at all.
3. I would reply to so many emails with very in-depth answers which took about 20 minutes per email and wouldn’t get a reply about 90% of the time, not even a simple “thanks”. I was spending hours each day replying to emails and messages on social media platforms.

It was a little discouraging. I found myself wanting to focus more on getting the information on the blog so that to answer questions, I could just link to an article. Then someone replied:

“I didn’t email you for help just for you to link to an article on you blog! I am unfollowing you!”

While I’m sad to see people go, it was frustrating that people were demanding from me when I was already giving so much. While I write “sponsored” articles on my blog when I travel sometimes, I rarely do in India. My India travels were 95% self-funded and the articles weren’t written to bring me any income but just to help people plan. I write them like I’m talking to my best friends! Even when I went to Karnataka with GoMowgli which was one of only two sponsored trips I’ve done in India, I was contractually meant to write 3 articles and I wrote nearly 20 because I get excited and want to share everything with you.

Yes, I will help you plan your trip to India. I do this is a variety of ways!

One, I still answer 90% of my reader emails about India. The only time I don’t answer if is someone asks five questions that I have dedicated blog posts about and it’s clear they don’t even know my name. I don’t get these too often, though, and therefore yes, I answer most of the questions about India.

I DO now link to blog posts in the answers as it’s just smarter to save time like this.

I DO tell people if they have asked way too many questions and explain it would take me an hour to reply and therefore they can either ask the question in my Facebook group to get other traveler’s help OR hire me via a Skype call to answer them all on the phone.

I DO tell people asking about Goa to buy my ebook the Insider’s Guide to Goa. After five years of living in Goa, I am confident this book is the most comprehensive, up-to-date guide to Goa plus it has all my secrets inside. It took months to write and is there as a resource for people who need Goa advice. (Buy it now).

To get started these are the top posts to read first:

Travel to India made easy – this is a step by step guide that tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about coming to India

FAQ about India – I answer a TON of questions here and link within the answer to posts that explain more

India Bucket List – top experiences in India you won’t want to miss

Visa – getting started with your visa! It has step by step guides for USA and step by step for UK + India e-visas for all countries allowed into India

Traveling Alone in India – an intro to what it’s like

Tips for girls travel alone in India – 14 tips that will help you!

Like I said there are 400 articles, but these are a good place to start and link out to more information you’ll need to get started planning your trip to India and making your bookings.

“Will you plan my trip to India?” My Facebook group will plan your trip to India if my blog hasn’t helped enough. Don’t worry!

I started the India travel tips Facebook group so that people who love traveling India can get together and chat. You guys can ask questions about certain cities and get a variety of answers – not just mine. I’m not a know it all and I haven’t been everywhere. I get asked a lot about traveling with babies in Goa. I don’t know anything about it! People in this group do, though. It’s also a place to meet other travelers.

There are people in the group who love to help and have amazing advice to give after traveling in India for years. I’m so grateful to them! It’s a fantastic place to talk all things India.

I can plan your trip to India or answer all your questions on the phone, but it’s not free

Like I said, I DO answer most of my emails but if you have a whole itinerary that needs to reviewed or answers I can’t answer in 5 minutes, you should either reach out via the Facebook group or you can hire me for an hour or 30-minute call on Facebook. I have this information on my contact page, but it’s $80 for one hour and I will plan out the whole itinerary based on what you like, tell you some hotel options I know of and help you figure out a good route and if you need trains/buses. We go through it all. I do not MAKE the bookings, though.

If you want extra help or don’t want to read 400 blog posts, this is a good option for you!

So, there you go. If you want your trip to India planned, look no further than this blog and its Facebook group because we can help you :)

Pin “will you plan my trip to India” for later:

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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 following post is in partnership with Aspiration and I was compensated for my time in writing it.

A common concern with travelers is how to handle money abroad. I get asked about it a lot and have written about how it doesn’t have to be stressful. I’ve even written a detailed post about how to handle rupees in India. There can never be enough good information to help travelers manage their money abroad, so when Aspiration reached out to see if I’d be interested in their Aspiration Summit account, I was all for it after reading about the perks. I hope that this will be of great value to you on your upcoming travels.

Aspiration Summit Checking Account

This account was named by Money magazine as the “best checking accounts in America”. They said its fee structure was unheard of. Let me share some of the perks that caught my eye:

-Catered toward travelers and those who care for people and the planet

-No set monthly banking fees, you pay what you think is fair (yep, you can say zero if you want)

-Easy mobile and app banking

-Up to 100% higher interest rates than big banks

-Free access to every ATM in the world (those add up!)

-The firm gives 10% of their earnings to charity

-FDIC insured

-AIM (Aspiration Impact Measurement) which is how you can measure the impact on the people and the planet with your every day purchases. You’ll have your own sustainability score to check.

Do Well and Do Good with Aspiration

So who are Aspiration? You should click around their website a bit to really get an idea who they are. It’s organized and lays everything out for you. They call themselves the “big banking alternative”. They are a “financial firm with a conscience” built on the idea that you can both do well and do good with your financial institution.

They were founded on ideas of sustainable practice and they want to help travelers while helping the planet. They strive to fix the way people bank while protecting the planet by giving 10% of their company earnings to charities focused on bringing economic opportunity to struggling Americans and they encourage sustainable investments.

We’ve all seen the movies about big banks and what happens behind the scenes. Aspiration strives to be transparent which I like. They make it clear that they focus on “the middle class and not the millionaires”. They want the middle class to be able to invest and earn interest as much as the wealthy Americans do. By making their monthly bank fees “up to you”, you can put “0” and they don’t care – they aren’t there to make money off of you.

Sustainable Investments with Aspiration Summit

You can start investing with as little as $100. I am at that point now in my career where I’ve been setting up my taxes as a self-employed person, looking into setting up an IRA, and looking for how I can invest my money since I don’t have a 401k or retirement fund from any employer.

With Aspiration, you can invest with one of the world’s top-ranked fossil fuel-free, sustainable investing approaches. I’m glad I’ve come across them and happy to share them with you as well.

If you’re interested in reading more about this traveler focused checking account, or looking for a way to save on ATM fees for your next trip, click here for more information. You only have to add $10 to get started.

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Not everyone feels called to travel to India, but those who do feel it strongly and tend to have a huge desire to explore India. Traveling to India can be incredibly life-changing (I know it was for me) but it doesn’t come without its struggles. While there are travelers who feel called to India, there are others who feel it’s too difficult to travel; it’s true – India travel can be intense. I first traveled to India five years ago, and have been living here for four and a half.  I am going to just sum up everything from start to finish in this travel to India guide to just simplify it all for you.

Step by Step Guide: Travel To India Made Easy

If you took the time to read my 400+ posts about India, you’ll find a lot of information, but I wanted one big whopper of an article that just tells you how to start planning your India trip from scratch.

I’m going to break this article down into the following sections.  I’ll often link back to articles where I have written more in depth on the subjects below.

1. Before You Come
   1. When to Come
   2. How Long to Stay
   3. Flight
   4. Visa
   5. Health & Wellness
   6. Safety & Culture
   7. Packing
   8. Currency & Budget
2. What Lodging is Like
3. What Food is Like
4. Transportation
   1. Trains
   2. Buses
   3. Taxis and Rickshaws
5. Itinerary Considerations
   1. Top Towns Tourists Love
   2. Sample Itinerary for 10 Weeks
   3. Tours I Recommend
6. Experiences to Try
   1. Yoga Retreats and Yoga Teacher Training
7. How to Meet People
8. Shopping
   1. What to Buy in Which Areas
   2. How to Negotiate
9. Traveling With Kids
10. Volunteering Considerations
11. Additional Reading

1. Travel to India: Planning for Your Trip to India, What to know before you come to India

1.1) When to Come to India

When to come to India should be your first consideration before you start planning. Peak season in India is October to March. For MOST, peak season is going to be when you want to come. Although there are more tourists at this time, India is a crowded country in general and it’s going to feel crowded no matter when you come.

In the off-season the weather is not as nice (it gets very hot in May then June brings the monsoon), and in areas where the monsoon hits hard like Goa and Kerala, pretty much everything is shut from restaurants to hostels. Another downside of traveling off-season is that there will be fewer tourists to meet along the way which could be potential travel buddies.

There are some places you should avoid in the most “peak” times of peak season, which are around Christmas and New Year, and that would be Goa (partiers come in droves) and Agra (people using time off work do a Taj Mahal day trip).

If you can only come in the off-season, don’t fret. A fantastic place to go in the off-season is the mountains, like Manali, Rishikesh, McLeod Ganj, and Leh where the monsoon doesn’t hit and the weather is fantastic! In fact, during peak season you can’t really visit those places at all as they close the roads due to snow. I stay in Goa in the monsoon, and you can read more about what it’s like here.

If you want to see the mountains and still come in peak season then plan to see the mountains at the end or beginning of the season (October or March).

1. 2) How Long to Stay in India

Most people who come on tourists visas get the six-month visa. You can get longer than that but you will have to exit and come back in as you cannot stay in India longer than 180 days on any type of visa no matter how long it is.

Six months is ideal for a backpacking trip in India although it could be hard to get that much time away, and if you need to condense it (but want to see a lot) you really do need at least 10-12 weeks.

Later on, in the itinerary section, you’ll see more about what there is to see and do so you can plan your itinerary and see how many days will work best.

India has a lot from the Himalayas to the Thar desert, and the beaches of Goa to the busy cities of Calcutta, you have tribals in permit zones of Northeast India and jungles hidden in the dense jungles. It’s taken me years to see so much of India, so you have to make some tough choices!

If you have less time, it’s cool – still come! My parents came just for two weeks and we toured Mumbai, Goa, and Hampi. It was great and they still talk about how cool the trip was. You can visit about 3 places in two weeks. If it’s your first time to India and you have 1-2 weeks, consider a “Golden Triangle Tour” which I’ll talk about later.

1.3) Flights

Flights are the first thing you might want to start looking into once you when you want to come and how long you want to stay. You’ll likely fly into Mumbai or Delhi as that is where many good priced international flights come in from. Then you can start your trip from there or interconnect to where you’d like to start.

India’s airports have been revamped and it’s quite modern, but you do need to have an idea what to expect when you arrive. On your first day arriving, it’s best to have a hotel booked and ask them to send a driver. It’s worth it to avoid the culture shock and chaos. But, if you are up for it, it’s also easy to get a pre-paid Government taxi, or if it’s a city with Uber, that’s a great choice. Make sure you have the exact address of where you are staying, not just for the taxi driver but for immigration.

When it comes to booking flights, I use kiwi.com and wrote a review about why I always get the best deals from them, which you can read here. I also wrote about how you can fly around India for just $200 with Kiwi’s anywhere tool, which you can read here.

If you want to fly domestically in India, I have a list of good airlines here.

1.4) Visa

You have to have one! There are a few ways to get one and I have massively detailed posts on my blog about it, which I’ll link to below.

When the e-visa first came out in 2014, it was for 30 days with double-entry allowed. They increased it to 60 days in 2017 and in 2019, they have increased it even more. It is now a year-long visa with multiple entries. This does NOT mean you can stay in India for one year. If you are from the UK, USA, Japan, and Canada you can stay for 180 days maximum. You can then exit and re-enter. If you are from other countries that are able to get the e-visa, you can stay for 90 days.

Visas are valid from the date of arrival but you cannot apply for this visa too far in advance. The maximum is 120 days before the date you plan to arrive in India. 

It is a multiple entry visa. This means you can go to somewhere like Nepal or Sri Lanka (anywhere, really) and come back within the validity of the visa.

Here is exactly how to apply for an e-visa.

If you are coming for longer than one year, you need to do the full visa application online which can be a little time-consuming and you either need to mail in your passport with the application or you can go to an embassy.

I wrote two full step by step guides with screenshots that show you how to get this tedious visa paperwork finished without making mistakes (if there is a mistake you have to do it all over again). I did the two guides one each for the USA and UK (well, Ben did the UK one).

• Instructions for India visa for UK people
• Instructions for India visa for USA people

1.6) Health & Wellness

People always worry about the Delhi Belly, which to be fair, is a legit concern. It definitely has happened to me more than once. I wrote an article with tips for avoiding Delhi Belly, which I won’t re-type, so you can read it here.

You’ll also want to consider vaccinations, which I’ve also covered in a guide here.

India’s medication is inexpensive, but the hospitals are not and something like a UTI turning into a kidney infection will easily run you $2-3,000 so you MUST get travel insurance before you come. It’s so cheap and will give you a huge piece of mind. I spent time in the hospital twice my first trip to India, once with Dengue Fever and once with severe food poisoning. I only use World Nomads when I travel and it’s the only travel insurance I’ve ever recommended (it’s what Lonely Planet recommend to. Add getting travel insurance to your to do list, right up there with visas. You can check a quote in the box below and you can read this article about what is and is not covered with World Nomads.

Get a quote here:

You can bring a little medical kit with you, but you don’t really need to as pretty much everything is accessible here that you’d throw in (and cheaper) like Imodium (which I don’t recommend anyway), band-aids, cortisone cream, Neosporin, and such. The one thing you might have a hard time finding in some towns in birth control pills, so do stock up on those before you come.

Let’s just talk a bit about the toilet situation: it’s usually okay – but there are times when it’s just a hole and a bucket there. Indians, in this case, would use their left hand to wash themselves then wash their hands. You will encounter this, in fact, most guesthouses I stayed in had this setup. You can just simply carry toilet paper or wet wipes with you and use that instead of your hand. If you’re lucky, there will be a sprayer (aka bum gun) instead of a bucket (in nice places, hotels, restaurants, airports) and that will become your new bestie! It’s much cleaner than TP and I hate traveling to places now that don’t have one.

1.7) Safety & Culture

I know a big concern for women traveling here is safety. I won’t say that it’s not a real concern; it is. There is an inequality in India toward women to a big extent and while there have been cases of attacks/rapes of foreigners, this is small compared to what local women deal with all the time here. I could go on and on about this, but I have dozens of times on my blog, so instead, I’m going to link to articles you should definitely read:

• 14 tips for solo female travel in India
• The TRUTH about traveling India alone
• How to dress as a female traveling India

I really think those posts will give you an idea. I also think that you should check out my series This is India all the way back from the first one. This is a series that I write most Fridays where I share stories about life in India and if you check these out you’ll get a much deeper understanding of the culture on so many levels! The stories range from funny to sad and even ones that will anger or scare you.

Indian culture is confusing and exciting all at the same time and it’s the culture than makes India so interesting to visit. If you try to shelter yourself from it, you’re missing out. Most people have a real love/hate relationship with India but the more you accept India’s ways the more you’ll end up loving it.

1.8) Packing

Packing for India is not as hard as you might think. I always tell people “it’s India, not the moon!” but there are some things that you really DO need for India that will help your trip.

If you are on a low budget and want to travel by lowest class sleeper trains (what I did) you need to have a mummy liner and a travel pillow. Thes ones linked there are the ones I have used for years. You’ll also want a 4-foot chain to hook your bag to the bottom of the train beds so no one steals it. People get on and off all night long and theft is common. Another thing that helped me immensely was traveling with a headlamp. Power outages are common so it’s good when you have to get up at night and use the bathroom or when you are on sleeper buses.

You’ll also need to think about a cell phone for India. You will need an “unlocked” phone to insert an India SIM (which are quite the process to get). If you want the easier way and don’t have an unlocked phone, check out Trabug which sends you a phone to use to your hotel the first night you arrive. All the information (for both options) is in the blog post above.

I have written previously the ultimate packing list for India, which I suggest you check out for all the details on the type of shoes I use to the backpack I prefer. Click here to read it.

1.9) Currency & Budget

It’s possible to budget 1200 Rs per day (around $20). You can try for 800-1000 but you will be seriously struggling to keep that budget – I’m talking hitchhiking, worst guesthouses, and dal with rice every meal.

These two articles will tell you everything you need to know about budgeting and currency in India:

• How to stick to a 1200 Rupees budget in India
• Everything you need to know about the Rupee and handling money in India

2. Lodging in India

India is seriously evolving for tourists in the past 3 years, now that hostels are starting to pop up more and more. While hostels are the best way to make fellow travels, they are not always the cheapest or “most unique” option. One great thing about backpacking in India compared to Europe is that you can stay in “guesthouses” which are one double bed with a private bath for very cheap (like 500 Rs per night in many places). A hostel is usually 500-1000 Rs per night and that’s for a shared dorm with way less charm than cute guesthouses!

But you’ll find it all: hostels, guesthouses, boutique hotels, heritage houses, Airbnb, 2,3,4 star hotels, and over the top amazing 5 star hotels that literally trump the hotels elsewhere in the world.

Hostels in India are on the rise and try to replicate the way they are in Europe but it’s not quite there yet. Guesthouses are often very basic. If you wait until the itinerary part, I link to each town I stayed and link to the inexpensive guesthouses I stayed at.

a hostel in India

If you’re interested in hostels, the best prices are usually on Agoda and you can look for brands like Zostel and Stops which are nice chain hostels. It is best t book ahead at least a week or so, although I don’t recommend booking your whole trip at once as in India things change and your plans could get all mixed around by just a train cancellation.

3. Food in India

Yes, it’s true that Indians do eat with their right (clean) hand. It is part of their culture and one that you will probably enjoy adapting to. Most tourists places will have silverware so you don’t have to if you don’t want to. PLEASE keep in mind that if you get sick, it could be because India is dirty and you haven’t washed your hands; try not to blame establishments as you really don’t know what could have been the cause.

Food in the North of India is totally different from that in the South! While you travel, you’ll notice differences in the dal, curries, bread, and even flavors of rice. The North has rich, creamy, buttery curries that they eat with roti or naan. Tandoori is very big in North India. The North is quite vegetarian in areas though, and even have places that are strictly veg (you can’t even have an egg, like Pushkar). The South has more coconut milk based curries, they tend to be lighter and maybe healthier. I wrote about some of my favorite South Indian foods here.

a typical meal in rural India, eating with your right hand

You’ll find American, English, and general European food on menus at restaurants that cater to tourists, but unless it’s a fancy restaurant, run by foreigners, or a place like Goa, it’ll likely be far from what you’re expecting (think a pizza with ketchup as the sauce and yak cheese on top). It’s best to stick to Indian food for the reasons that they know how to make it so it’ll taste better, it’s made fresh often so you won’t get sit, and it’s cheaper.

4. Transportation in India

Moving on to transportation! This article is turning out to be quite long. I hope you are sticking with me! Transportation is something I have written about in detail on the blog, so I’m going to link to those articles below:

4.1) How to book and take trains in India

Click here to read all about trains in India from booking to which class and where to put all your stuff while you sleep. Click here to read about how to book using 12go.asia, the best and basically only way to book them yourself online.

4.2) How to book and take buses in India

Click here to read about buses in India so you know when to take a sleeper bus, Volvo A/C bus, local bus, or go for a train instead.

• Safety tips for trains and buses in India
• Choosing to fly within India (for just $200 you can go a lot of places!)

4.3) Taxis and rickshaws

Other than using trains and buses (or flying) to get from town A to town B, you will also need to get around within the town. In most towns the cheapest and easiest way is to hail a rickshaw which are those funny little buggies with three wheels. In some cities they still have bicycle rickshaws but there are far less than there used to be. When you catch a rickshaw or taxi it is the law in most cities that they should turn their meter on. This doesn’t always happen. If they say no, you can try other rickshaws and if you have no luck then you need to negotiate a price before you get in the rickshaw.

5. Itinerary Considerations for India

Like I said above, there are so many regions: mountains, deserts, beaches, jungle, cities, and more which makes it hard to narrow down your trip. People sometimes email about wanting to get off the beaten path in India and I remind that that it’s totally unnecessary here. You will find culture shock and all that you want while staying on the tourist trail but more importantly you’ll stay safe. There are areas of India that are less traveled, but they are much more difficult to travel. These would be small villages that don’t have hotels, restaurants, and the local may have never seen a tourist. On your first trip to India, just stay on the path because it’s amazing and there’s a reason tourists go to the following places.

5.1) Top Towns Tourists Love

I am going to list out some of the top tourists town and then a few words on what they are known for. I’ll start in Northern India and work my way down then wrap up the East side. There are more amazing places in India than this, but I would guess about 90% of first time travelers to India stick to these places.

Leh – ultimate Himalayan experience, trekking

McLeod Ganj / Dharamsala – the Dalai Lama, Tibetan culture in the mountains

Manali – base for trekking, hippie zone

Shimla – cute hill station, looks straight from a movie

Rishikesh – the Beatles ashram, yoga teacher training, spiritual experiences

Delhi – chaos and the real India!

Agra – Taj Mahal

Jaipur – amazing palaces, shopping, “pink city”

Udaipur – most romantic, white palace in the lake, the “Venice of India”

Jodhpur -the “blue city”, incredible fort

Jaisalmer – camel safaris in the Thar desert

Pushkar – holy lake, sunrise hill, spiritual place

Amritsar – the Golden Temple and the Wagah border

Madhya Pradesh – jungle and tiger tours

Mumbai – Bollywood, hectic amazing city, Gateway to India

Goa – trance parties, beach chill time, laid-back

Alleppey – houseboat on the backwaters

Kochi – Chinese fishing nets

Varkala – surfing

Pondicherry – French colony, surfing

You can see I didn’t mention Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and some big cities like Hyderabad and Calcutta – this is simply because most travelers don’t make it all this way! I seriously love Karnataka but understand why travelers save it for their second trip. I’m also partial to Arunachal Pradesh which is a state with many tribes and you need a permit to enter. It’s where the Apatani tribe live!

5.2) A Sample Itinerary for 10 Weeks in India

Here is a link to the exact itinerary I did my first time to India. It covers most of the places mentioned above and after spending years in India, I still stand by my choices for these places as the top places to visit your first time in India. The itinerary there covers so many unique areas and pretty much all the “must see” tourist attractions. I’ve had many readers duplicate (even done to the same guesthouses) and they all loved it!

Also, check out these two articles written by backpackers who I met along the way and I asked them to share their entire trip which has been so helpful. Each post has everything from what flight they took to their daily budget and mistakes that they’d do over differently.

• One month in India
• Two months in India

5.3) Tours I Recommend

I have taken tours in India and I don’t think there’s a thing wrong with taking a tour rather than traveling alone. I didn’t take a tour until after I moved here, and first toured in Karnataka to really learn more about the rural areas. I ended up spending over a month in just that state. The big tour company that I recommend is G Adventures. They are well-known, well-respected, and run some of the most comprehensive tours in India. My friend took one and met her now-boyfriend on it who she’s moved to Sweden to be with! It’s a great way to meet people and not have as much stress. Their tours are based on budget as well so you can still do one that used local transportation like trains and overnight buses and stays in cheap guesthouses.

I made an entire list of my favorite tours in India which you can check out with that link. It lays it all out with maps and the route dotted out for you. I then talk about what top tourist attractions you’ll see with each tour and the pro’s of the tour as well as the cons.

*If you book a tour with G Aventures through my link, I get a percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much!

6. Experiences to Try

Some of the top things people want to do in India are see/bathe elephants, see a tiger, go on safaris, go on a camel ride and sleep in the desert, stay at an ashram, learn yoga, learn about the religion, party in Goa, take a houseboat on the backwaters, get henna, and of course meet the Dalai Lama. Well, don’t worry you can do it ALL.

I wrote out the ultimate India bucket list. Just go to that link to check it out. Each item that is amazing to try has a link to a blog post about trying it so you can really see in depth what it’s like. I had my own bucket list written in my journal and checked things off as I go. Think about what you want to do on the bucket list and make sure your itinerary corresponds.

6. 2) Yoga Retreats and Teacher Training

Many people coming to India are interested in a beginners yoga retreat or already love yoga and want to do yoga teacher training (YTT) while in India. The best sites for these two experiences are bookyogaretreats.com and bookyogateachingtraining.com. Many of my readers have done retreats and training through these sites (one is for retreats and one for training) and there are loads of reviews to read on each class. They’re pricey so check out all the ratings!

7.How to Meet People

Meeting people while traveling India use to be kind of hard and I would go weeks traveling without seeing other buddies. These days it’s getting better thanks to both more travelers coming here in the past couple years and the new hostels. Hostels make it much easier to meet other travelers, while previously all there were was guesthouses where you have a room to yourself and there are just a few rooms at each guest house which could be empty.

Taking classes like meditation, art, and yoga are a great way to meet people. If you want to trek the mountains or do a camel safari it is MUCH cheaper to do as a group, so try to buddy up for these big adventures. Here’s an article about meeting people in India. 

8. Shopping in India

8.1) What to buy in each area of India

I am a shopaholic and have a full guide to what to buy in each area of India for souvenirs which you can read here.

8.2) How to negotiate in India

I 1000% suggest checking it out and getting an idea of prices because negotiating is going to be really important. Of course, I have a guide to negotiating in India, too.

9. Traveling With Kids

A lot of people ask about coming here with their kids, and although I don’t have kids, my friends do and I know a bit about traveling with kids here. Things are MUCH more laid back so there are not going to be car seats and you can forget bringing a stroller unless you’ll be in a seriously upscale area with amazing sidewalks (can’t think of a place like this). Rajasthan, Goa, and Kerala are probably the three best states to travel with kids. People will take pictures of your babies because little white babies are just too adorable to some Indians. It’s not as weird as it seems! If you’re traveling with a big budget, most five star hotels have nurseries/play rooms here.

10. Volunteering Considerations

Do some serious research before you volunteer in India! They are definitely taking advantage of the “voluntourism” and I have heard horror stories. You have to keep in mind, people are seriously struggling in areas of India and would do just about anything to make money to feed their families. In Mumbai, the women holding babies and begging for money for food for them have sometimes rented the baby from the slum and made it look sick – and sometimes, the baby is dead. There is a layer to India that is dark and some volunteering places take huge advantages of kind foreigners… it’s not about losing money it’s about the kids that get taken or sold away to live in an orphanage so that the “orphanage” can get volunteers to pay and help.

Having said that, there are good places to volunteer. You just need to use common sense and ask yourself is it benefitting you or are you REALLY going to help?

I did write a guide to volunteering in Goa because I know it well, which could be helpful if you come to this state.

11. Additional Reading about India

I have hundreds of blog posts about India, but highly recommend checking out these other big ones that have golden nuggets of Info!

• My India Guide Ebook: your complete guide to India from my 6 years here. If you read just this book and no blog posts above, you’ll be 1000% ready for your trip and leave India having seen all the best bits.
• 100 India tips you HAVE to read
• 10 reasons to come to India now
• 10 tips for first timers in India
• 10 mistakes travelers in India make all the time

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The post Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

The post Travel to India Made Easy With This Step By Step Guide appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

It has been a while since I did my grand tour of Europe, but back when I did backpack Europe on a budget, I focused on Western Europe. I shared my Western Europe itinerary in a blog post and shared how I did this route by train with a Eurail pass. They aren’t super cheap but are affordable but you do need reservations for train seats. These days, I go back to Europe a lot and revisit places I loved. But now I fly rather than taking trains. It’s so easy to book cheap flights around Europe. If you’re on a time-restraint when traveling Europe, flying is a valid option although trains are usually what backpackers use. In this post, I’m going to share how to use the Kiwi multi-city tool to book cheap flights around Europe for $355 covering all the major backpacking countries and many top cities.

This isn’t sponsored by Kiwi.com. They are the flight booking tool I use for nearly all my flight bookings personally. I do get a commission if you book through a link from my site to Kiwi.com at no extra cost to you. I would get the same commission if I linked to any other booking site but I choose Kiwi because they are the best!

Kiwi.com is a unique booking site because they do flight hacking for you and combine non-code-share flights to get you crazy deals. I wrote a full review here which I highly suggest you read so you can see how to make the most of Kiwi.com.

How to Use Kiwi.com’s Multi-City Tour To Book Cheap Flights Around Europe & Visit 9 Popular European Cities (in 7 countries) for $355 USD.

I did a similar article to this about how to use Kiwi.com’s multi-city tool to fly all around India for less than $200 which people were shocked was real. Indians were commenting “this is impossible!” and I replied with “nope, this is 100% possible and this post shows you how easy it is”.

I realized I should do this for places and start by showing you how to book cheap flights around Europe! Kiwi’s multi-city tool is incredible and is easy to use. You can click here to get started and try this out yourself.

1. To get started just go to the site and where you see “return” and “one-way” click “multi-city”.
2. Choose a starting point. I chose London since that’s where most American people fly into Europe from.
3. Choose the “to” as “anywhere”.

When results start to pop up, you’ll choose the CHEAPEST one as long as you going onward to somewhere you want to go and not going back on yourself. It shows it all on a map, so it’s easy to picture the route that you would take.

So, I put in London to Anywhere and chose the date a month out just for example, and searched. The results came up as shown below and without filters shows the cheapest rate. I would likely choose Paris for $41.23.

If where it says “show popular” on the screenshot below says “show cheapest” instead, make sure to click “show cheapest”!

You click Paris and it’ll give you all the time options for the 1st of August. The cheap flight rate of $41.23 is at 930 PM so I’d click that one.

You would click “add flight” back up in the search bar area and “anywhere” again to keep traveling onward. Here you can select a date or if you’re flexible put a “date range” for even better deals. I set the date range at Aug 4-7. It will populate a calendar that will show the rates each day. I then could fly onward to the next cheapest place, Milan, for $61.85… but I won’t and I’ll tell you why!

When you click the flight you want, it will show the total price including all flights chosen so far. So far, it would be $103.08 if I picked Milan but I’m not going to do that because it’s not just about finding the cheapest flight, it’s going places you WANT to go. Milan is amazing but maybe not on every backpacker’s itinerary… but these days, Ibiza sure is! So, I went with that to make this itinerary even better.

So I just keep doing this until I have covered all the places I want to go. I chose places that were cheap but not always the cheapest option so keep in mind you can fly around Europe even cheaper than this.

Here is the final product I got:

London > Paris > Ibiza > Valencia > Barcelona > Geneva > Venice > Berlin > Amsterdam

This flight path means you’d be in England, France, 3 places in Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Holland. So you’ve covered 9 cities across 7 countries for $355 USD. Try it out yourself!

You can see cities have prices listed and you can keep adding onto this if you want to. Alternatively, you can just book on Kiwi.com as you go but I suggest doing it all ahead of time so you know what to pack and can book hotels.

As mentioned, I didn’t always choose the cheapest place in this example but instead chose places people would actually want to go if they hadn’t been to Europe before. Therefore, it isn’t the cheapest possible. The locations are meant to cover most popular spots keeping a budget in mind and it worked out pretty well.

You can see all the flight options in the boxes when you scroll down, which have all your chosen flights laid out. You can scroll down to more boxes where there are the same flights at different times and choose the one you like best. It will automatically choose the cheapest flight time so on the first box.

Just select the timings you like best, and click “book this flight” and you can book all your flights at once! It will look like this:

It’ll get sent to your phone is you put a phone number and you can get all your e-tickets to your phone.They will send you separate tickets for each flight as if they were all booked apart.

Just for the sake of it, I’m going to do another route on Kiwi.com using Milan, just to see how it would have changed and you can see how it can vary based on one decision. This route came to $424 and covers less common destinations for a first-time visit to Europe.

So, that’s the easy trick to book cheap flights around Europe all at once for your big backpacking trip!

You can use this tool in many ways to make the most of it. If you’re on a budget and flexible you’ll see huge savings and results from this. If you’re really set on specific places, I think you’ll find that those show up in the results. For each place I had to make a choice on, there would be 20 options around Europe with very similar price ranges for flights (just a difference of 3 or 3 dollars.

You can do this not just in Europe but in all regions of the world. Kiwi.com uses budget airlines in their searches so you’ll get rates like this everywhere!

Futher reading: I have articles all over my blog about places to visit in Western Europe and you can search in the search bar on my homepage or go through all my Europe posts. Remember to read up on travel insurance before your trip!

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The post Book Cheap Flights Around Europe With This Trick (In This Example Getting to 9 Popular Cities in 7 Countries for $355) first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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Although I spend most of my time in warmer climates, there are the occasional trips I take to cooler ones! This autumn I’m visiting both London and Dublin, which are both much cooler in September and October than Goa. Here’s my perfect little travel capsule wardrobe for fall to help you pack for your later trips.

Perfect Travel Capsule Wardrobe for Fall

1
Leather Jacket

If you aren’t traveling with a leather jacket then you are missing out on being able to look instantly cooler than you actually are! I can be wearing skinny jeans and a tee shirt, throw this on, and suddenly look cool. Leather jackets just have that going for them! I have two black ones; one is thicker and one is lightweight. If I had to only pick one, it would be the thicker one.

2
Bottoms

1 Jamie Skinny Jean & 1 leggings

Skinny jeans are the bomb for travel! I have the Jamie Topshop in THREE colors: black ripped, green, and dark blue. They are high-waisted and make me look way skinnier than I am. I also take a pair of black leggings. Topshop’s Jamie jeans are my absolute favorite.

2
Pairs of Shoes

1 Pair of Ankle Boots &
1 UGG high top sneaker

These are my two go-to pairs of shoes for travel. I have both in black since my leather jacket is black. I can then dress up the ankle boots with a dress/leggings/jacket or I can be casual with the UGG sneakers. I cannot explain how much I am obsessed with both of these pairs of shoes.

3
Sweaters

Three is a good amount of sweaters to take. I usually wear each one more than once and take enough camis to wear underneath them. I love gray because it matches everything but if not gray, I go for a tan/cream.

3
T-shirts

Comfortable but cute tee shirts: you would think it would be easy, but actually it’s not! I don’t like to waste money on ones from H&M that are going to fall apart. I’d rather buy ones that are quality, won’t stretch, and last a long time. These are some favorites.

3
Midi Dresses

Although I take leggings for under short dresses, I pack Midi dresses so that I can wear them with ankle boots and no leggings if the day is a little warmer. I love the length of all these dresses and can’t get enough of the yellow one!

Extras

• Tote Bag
• Thick Scarf
• Socks
• Underwear/bras
• Sunglasses

For More Packing Posts:

• My New Personal Item for Flights
• Best Travel Shoes
• The Smartest Luggage Invented

Pin “Perfect Travel Capsule Wardrobe for Fall” for later!

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Boulder is a beautiful city nestled in the Flatiron foothills of the Rocky Mountains with more than enough substance to keep you occupied for days! The variety of food, brewery and tea tours, shopping, amazing views, and hiking opportunities are what Boulder is known for. Here is the best of Boulder, Colorado!

What to See & Do in Boulder, Colorado

Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour

This free tour provides endless samples of Celestial Seasoning tea and provides a great inside tour of the tea-making process. I guarantee you’ll learn something new about tea and probably discover a new favorite flavor or two. Did I mention that this tour is free? The gift shop also has many different teas including organic varieties for sale at a reduced price.

Avery Brewing Tour

With a newly opened facility and some truly unique flavored brews like chai and raspberry sour beer, Avery Brewing is not to miss. Don’t forget to take a tour to learn about the beer-making process.

Boulder Brew Tours

This is a website devoted solely to brewery tours, just in Boulder.

Redstone Meadery

If you enjoy sweet wine, give Readstone Meadery a try. Their meade or honey wine, which is natural and sulfite-free, is available at their tasting room.

Boulder Farmer’s Market

The Boulder farmer’s market is one of the best in Colorado, offering a beautiful view, fresh fruits and vegetables, and is lined with food trucks and local goods. The market is setup on Saturdays from 8am-2pm and Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm. Wednesdays tend to have more food trucks and meal options.

If it’s your first time abroad, check out these travel tips.

The Best Hiking & Mountain Views in Boulder, Colorado

There are so many places to hike in and around Boulder to capture a view of the majestic mountains and for a great cityscape of Boulder and Denver.

Chautauqua Park

Chautauqua is a free park with a variety of trails at all difficulty levels. The Royal Arch is a more difficult hike at 3.4 miles of primarily steps increasing in elevation. The view overlooks Boulder and Denver, so don’t expect a snow-capped mountain view with this one, rather a stone arch as seen below.

Mount Sanitas

For Mount Sanitas, there are only a few parking spots located at the trailhead alongside the road, near the hospital. If it’s busy you may need to park a bit further away. This hike is again all uphill but much shorter and easier than Royal Arch.

For additional hikes near Boulder check out this link.

Flagstaff Mountain – top attraction in Boulder

This is the perfect western view of the mountains for all of you non-hikers, and those that simply want a beautiful view. On Baseline Road you continue to drive past Chautauqua Park heading up along the winding road with many switchbacks as you climb in elevation. You might feel as if you’ve missed it, but keep going and the parking lot will be on your right. Once you maneuver your way across a few boulders, be prepared for a spectacular view as pictured in the article cover photo.

Tastiest Restaurants in Boulder

Boulder is full of amazing restaurants that offer quite a variety of food options.

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

The teahouse has amazing architecture and definitely requires a stop. Since it is located right in the center of the Boulder Farmer’s Market, I’d recommend stopping into the walk-up bar for tea to go.

Lindsay’s Boulder Deli

This deli is located right on Pearl St. and is a favorite stop for a quick lunch, full of healthy homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches made by Lindsay herself.

Oak

Oak is a great stop for dinner, offering a variety of fun cocktails and menu options with impeccable service.

Shine

For another dinner option, visiting Shine restaurant is definitely an experience, full of unique elixirs, cocktails, and many food options that can also be made vegan.

The Yellow Deli

This location is very quaint and rustic, where you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. The menu has quite a variety of healthy dishes and homemade treats.

Shopping in Boulder

There are many shopping options in Boulder, and here are a few to start.

Pearl Street Mall

Pearl St is a pedestrian-only strip of shops and restaurants, also full of artists and street performers. Be sure to stop at Savory Spice Shop and Jackalope
for souvenirs.

Twenty Ninth Street

Twenty Ninth Street is another outdoor shopping mall full of some of the top brands.

Nightlife & Shows in Boulder

Bands on the Bricks

If attending the Wednesday farmer’s market, Bands on the Bricks is a short walk to on Pearl St. with weekly performances every Wednesday night in summer.

Boulder Theater

To catch a show or music performance be sure to check out the schedule at the Boulder Theater.

St Julian Hotel

This location has a great terrace to enjoy the nightlife in Boulder. They also host weekly Samba, Swing, and Salsa nights.

Lastly, after planning out all of the amazing things to see and do, here are some tips for transportation to and from Boulder. The city is only a short drive from Denver and the DIA airport.

Transportation to and from Boulder

If you are renting a car, as a suggestion, take I-70 to I-270 to US36, which will take you right into Boulder. If you take the E-470 toll road exit all the way to Boulder, you’ll be charged an almost $10 toll fee (it can be quicker though if traffic is heavy). There is no stopping at these tolls, as they’ll send you a bill in the mail later. If you are driving, be sure to keep an eye on traffic if on a time schedule.

Here are some other alternatives:

• RTD Bus $9 each way
• Green Ride Boulder $28 (additional passengers only $12 ea)
• Lyft

Enjoy your time in Boulder and be sure to visit some of the mentioned sights to ensure you’ll have a great trip! Stephanie Krubsack, also known as SK Parfait, recently left her IT management position to travel the world as a travel writer and chef. Her main focus is researching the culture and cuisine of each country she visits, sharing travel tips via articles on her website and creating children’s books on healthy eating and cultures of the world. She is also known for creating vegan dishes, cooking her way through over 30 different countries!

Pin the Best of Boulder for later (image by Pedro Szekely):

The post The Best of Boulder, Colorado: A Travel Guide For the Books first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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I love Malaysia & India… and Malaysia loves Indians. It only takes 10 minutes of watching TV in India to see the many commercials for Malaysia Simply Asia to know how much they value their Indian guests! Of all the countries Indians travel to, Malaysia tops the list! This article shares how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens. I did deep research for this and also consulted with a visa company to make sure I had all the information up-to-date and correct!

How to Get a Visa for Malaysia for Indian Citizens

Malaysia has made a lot of efforts to simplify the access to Indian tourists. There are mainly two options, which can be a bit confusing, so I will explain both in depth. From what I’ve heard, they often reject applications, not because they want to, but because the images are blurry or the directions were not followed 100% in compliance. 

Two ways for how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens & how much they cost + an easier way

The first way: Malaysia eNTRI

$20.70

This is a Visa Waiver Program. The Malaysian government is testing this service during 2017 and 2018. Indian nationals need to complete the application online and they can stay for 15 days in the country.

The second way: Malaysia eVisa

$40.70

This is an electronic visa. The process is very similar to the eNTRI, and the main differences are that this option is more expensive but you get a 30-day visa.

First Way: Malaysia eNTRI for Indian citizens details

Since India is part of the Malaysian Visa Waiver Program, Indian nationals can now apply for the eNTRI online. The eNTRI allows Indian travelers to apply online instead of visiting a Malaysian embassy.

The document will be delivered by email and needs to be printed on an A4 sized paper. The traveler then takes the eNTRI paper with them when they travel to Malaysia and will show it at boarding and to immigrations officers upon arrival.

Even though the application is online, we’ve heard from many travelers that the rejection rate is high due to improper form filling. If you want to avoid any issue, you can use iVisa. They offer a zero frustration policy and will help you make the best application. It’s just $25 for them to do this all for you! For the USA/UK they do the same, and it’s what I’ve used in the past for short terms visas like this.

An important restriction to keep in mind is that Indians can apply online from anywhere in the world except for those living in Singapore. With the eNTRI, Indians can stay for a maximum of 15 days inside Malaysia and is valid to be used only once meaning that you must apply every time you plan to travel to Malaysia.

Ad if you arrive by air then you will be required to show proof of a return flight to India, Singapore, Thailand or Brunei. You are also required to have a few documents with you when you arrive in Malaysia, they include: your eNTRI, return flight tickets, proof of sufficient funds, complete travel itinerary and proof of residence in Malaysia (hotel booking, invitation letter to a friend/family home)

Special terms associated with the eNTRI

Indians who have a direct flight from India to Malaysia, or transit via Singapore, Thailand or Brunei by air or land are ONLY permitted to enter and exit Malaysia via the following airports:

1. Kuala Lumpur International Airport , Sepang (KLIA & KLIA 2)

2. Penang International Airport, Pulau Pinang

3. Langkawi International Airport, Kedah

4. Melaka International Airport, Melaka

5. Senai International Airport, Johor

6. Kuching International Airport, Sarawak

7. Miri International Airport, Sarawak

8. Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Sabah

9. Labuan International Airport, Sabah

If the traveller will arrive by land then they can enter/exit Malaysia with the eNTRI via the following 6 entry points:

1. Sultan Iskandar Building Immigration Checkpoint, Johor
2. Sultan Abu Bakar Checkpoint, Johor
3. Padang Besar Checkpoint, Perlis
4. Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint, Kedah
5. Sungai Tujuh Immigration Checkpoint, Sarawak

6. Tedungan Immigration Checkpoint, Sarawak

NOTE: If you want to stay longer than 15 days inside Malaysia AND you will NOT fly in to Malaysia via India, Singapore, Thailand or Brunei then you have to apply for the Malaysian eVisa, NOT the Malaysian eNTRI.

Second way, the Malaysia E-visa

The eVisa to Malaysia is a tourist eVisa that Indians can also apply for online and will be received via email and again you just print this document when you travel to Malaysia.

The eVisa for tourism allows you to stay for a maximum of 30 days inside Malaysia.
Documents that you will need to apply online include; digital passport-sized image of the applicant, a digital scan of your passport main page (the page with all your personal details and photo), proof of your return flight booking, and for minors younger than 18 years – a birth certificate, proof of your accommodation in Malaysia or a invitation letter if you will stay with family/friends.

You can upload all these to the Government website. You can also apply through iVisa which offers a zero frustration policy – they let you apply at any time and then they handle the application when the time is due to ensure you can maximize your time in the country.

Are there any special terms associated with the eVisa?

Although how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens is pretty simple, it’s not open for everyone. You can only apply for the Malaysia eVisa if you are applying from the following countries (so in case you are reading this and not Indian, now you know!)

China, Taiwan, HK, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Macau, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives , Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Philippines , Thailand, TimorEste, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Australia, Fiji, French, Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, European Union, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Alderney, Iceland, New Jersey, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Man, Island of, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen , Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City State (Holy See), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Monserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands (US), Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, USA

I hope this helps for those looking for those wondering how to get a visa for Malaysia for Indian citizens!

I have other visa posts for those looking for how to get a visa to India from the USA and also for those from the UK.

The post Indian Readers: How To Get A Visa for Malaysia For Indian Citizens first appeared on Hippie In Heels.

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