Search Results for “holiday scout” – Hippie In Heels

The 30 Best Places to Visit in India

Rachel Jones — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:10:24 +0000

It’s so hard to write this post and narrow down my favorite places here but I get asked about the best places to visit in India from readers and usually email them my favorites, so figured I should put it in a blog post. There are epic tourist places in India that are worth seeing but there are also some smaller towns that I’ve loved to go to and had amazing experiences at.

It’s not just about seeing the famous places in India, it’s about having cool experiences there – taking tours, cooking classes, trying massages, all of it! You can fill all your time with forts, palaces, and historical places in India but make sure that you really look around and see the beauty and go out and explore it! If you like my tips and want more, I actually wrote an ebook about how to travel India that literally covers everything (it’s the size of a novel but a fast read that will make you SO excited and prepared for your trip to India).

From the tea fields to the beaches, I’ve spent five years traveling around this amazing country – here are my favorites for travelers who have no choice but to limit their destinations. I’ll give some travel tips at the end of the article as well. I won’t say too much about each place – you can click through on each one to read more details from my blog posts on them.

30 Best Places to Visit in India

1. Varanasi

Varanasi is by far the most unique place I’ve been in the entire world. This is where many Hindus come to be cremated, along the Ganges River. You will see sadhu’s with human ashes on them. Here are some tips on what to expect at the burning ghats in Varanasi, and some general Varanasi travel tips as well as which places to visit.

Tours in Varanasi:

2. Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is world famous and a must-visit India landmark for a reason – it’s stunning! I hated being there I have to admit. You are herded like cattle through huge crowds if it’s busy but here are some tips for a Taj Mahal visit, like showing up for sunrise and saying no to photos. I also have a post on how to do a Taj Mahal day trip from Delhi.

Tours to the Taj Mahal:

3. Anjuna / Vagator

Anjuna, my home of the last five years, is the land of hippie vibes and the end of the hippie trail in the 60-70’s. Many foreigners came here, burnt their passports, and lived naked on the beach. Those days are gone but some of them are still here and the music, parties, yoga retreats, and laid-back attitude have stuck around, too. Here’s my ultimate guide to North Goa, and you can buy my full e-book on Goa here.

4. Rann of Kutch

This is where you’ll find the huge salt plains in India. Make sure to visit at the right time (Nov-Feb) or you might show up to find it under water. You can experience local life here and see how artisans make traditional clothing. CN Traveler called it the new fashion capital of India.

5. Tawang

In Tawang, you can visit the largest working Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the world. This once was Tibet and the food, language, and people are Tibetan although now they are Indian. Come and learn about their culture! It’s gorgeous but very very cold since it’s Northeast India. It’s one of the highest places I’ve been to in India! Read up a bit about Tawang here.

6. Kaziranga National Park

There aren’t many rhinos left in the world (they are endangered) but this park has worked hard to repopulate them and keep them safe from poachers. Some people buy the horns for Chinese medicine, and poaching is a major issue. We got very close to the rhinos here and it was nothing but magical. Here’s my guide.

7. Darjeeling

Darjeeling is known for it’s rolling tea fields. You might also know it from a certain Wes Anderson film…

It’s in West Bengal at the base of the Himalaya Mountains. This is where the Brits would come for vacation back when they were in control of India. Make sure you ride the toy train and check out this post for more things to do here.

8. BR Hills

This is short for Biligirirangana Hills, which is a protected area in Karnataka just near the Tamil Nadu border. This wildlife sanctuary has tigers but it has tribal people too, called the Soliga, and this is in my top 5 places I’ve ever been in India and maybe even in the world. It’s so unique.

9. Mysore

Mysore is my favorite Indian city. There are so many parks, so little traffic, and the market is extraordinary! If you want to ease into India by starting in a small city, want to try Ayurveda, or do a yoga teacher training (the best school is here), this is where you want to be. You can also take amazing day trips from Mysore. This article has 7 must-dos in Mysore.

10. Rishikesh

We all know by now that the Beatles and other celebs loved Rishikesh and came here to be with their guru and write. Still, it’s a place for yogis and hippies. The Ganges runs through the cute, busy, town and many tourists are here learning to teach yoga themselves. Here are my tips for Rishikesh.

11. Jaipur

Jaipur is all about luxury, royalty, princes, elephants, jewels, rugs, and indulgence at the many amazing restaurants and bars. I love going to Jaipur. Check out my guide here.

12. Sikkim

Sikkim is nestled into the Himalayas on the East side of India, all the way up by Bhutan and Nepal. The views are out of this world and you can visit Monasteries, trek, raft, or just stroll around in the cute little town. A few tips for Sikkim, here.

13. Amritsar

The Golden Temple is in Amritsar, a unique Sikh temple (made of gold) that is the most stunning temple I’ve ever seen and a place that many make a pilgrimage to in their lives. You can also go to the Wagah border of Pakistan while you are here which is literally bizarre (please read this to know why). Here are some tips for visiting Amritsar.

14. Udaipur

India’s romantic white city has stolen my heart – I LOVE this city. It’s small and wraps around four lakes, with Lake Pichola being the most popular. You must stay in my favorite guesthouse there (a palace with lake views for under $50-$200 a night). Also, here is my guide to Udaipur. I am sure I’ll be back for the third time!

Tours Around Udaipur:

15. Chinnakanal

While Darjeeling is the most popular place to see the tea fields in India, Munnar/Chinnakanal was closer to me and is said to be just as beautiful. I loved visiting and seeing how the tea is made, plus the town is very cute with many adventure trekking options. Here are my tips on Chinnakanal.

16. Hampi

One of the most epic places to visit in India is Hampi, hands down. This is Jurassic Park meets the Flintstones with huge boulders you can just picture dinosaurs walking through! You should also visit nearby temples and caves of Badami and Aihole. Here are my tips for the top things to do in Hampi, which I have visited four times now!

Tours in Hampi:

17. Meghalaya

image by Ashwin Kumar

One of the few places on this list I haven’t yet been to but am dying to see – of all the beauty of India, the photos of this state make me want to visit so badly! The state name translates to “abode of clouds”. From Shillong to the Living Root bridge, if you love nature this is for you! Read more tips here.

18. Varkala

To be honest, Varkala doesn’t have a lot of charm but it’s a nice, cheap, beach town. While the shopping and food is mediocre, the views are beautiful, it’s way less crowded than Goa but just as Westernized and the surf is good.

19. Shimla

Shimla is a very popular hill station town in the Himalayas on the west side of India. It is stunning and it is a VERY small town. This was a vacation place for the British back in the day and today is a popular honeymoon destination in India. Here is my experience there and to make your trip easier, you can always book a private car charter.

There are also really nice tours, like these:

20. Jaisalmer

While wandering around Rajasthan, you should absolutely make the trip out to Jaisalmer, near the Pakistan border. Here you can be in a city that seems like it’s made only out of the sand, with a huge fort towering over it, and go out on a camel safari in the Thar Desert. Here are tips for Jaisalmer, and here some tips for the camel safari.

For tours around Jaisalmer:

21. Alleppey

I’m sure you’ve seen the backwaters of Kerala in photos, and I have to say it IS truly as stunning as it looks. I’m more into staying a day on the boat rather than overnight, but I loved going down the river and watching the birds. Here is what to expect on a houseboat overnight. You can book an overnight stay in one here or just book a day tour in one here.

22. Ziro Valley

In Northeast India, in a small state called Arunachal Pradesh, you’ll find Ziro Valley – it’s where the Apatani tribe live and it’s unbelievable. They worship the moon and sun, traditionally, although some are now converted to Christianity. It’s something you would picture from Nat Geo. I am so lucky to have visited! You can stay overnight and I recommend going before it becomes a UNESCO site and gets more tourists, as now it’s permit-only and fewer people go. Here’s my article about Ziro and tips for packing for that area.

23. The Andaman Islands

I have not yet ventured to these islands as I always need to do a visa run when I can afford the flights, and leave India. These are the epitome of perfection: white sand, clear water – basically like the Seychelles or Maldives. Here are some dos and don’ts for visiting.

Tours in the Andaman Islands:

24. Leh

Leh is said to be the most beautiful place not just in India, but in the world. You can trek through the snowy mountains, see crystal clear glacial lakes, or go on a safari to try and spot a snow leopard. Read up on some Leh tips here.

Tours around Leh:

25. Kashmir

This is like nowhere else in India, and the thing to do here is to sleep on a houseboat on Dal Lake. Unlike seeing the topical views from your houseboat in Alleppey, here you’ll see the Himalaya mountains. If you’re worried about safety, check out this article.

Tours for Kashmir:

26. Jodhpur

Jodhpur is India’s blue city and I have visited twice. I love this city – it’s highly populated but it’s got a small town vibe with its little alleys that even rickshaws can’t fit through. If you like photography, it’s a must, and you can book a private car charter to get around easier. There’s a fort as well overlooking the town.

Here’s my Jodhpur guide and my picks for the best places to visit in Jodhpur. I highly recommend visiting the Bishnoi people on a tour, like this one.

Other Tours in Jodhpur:

27. Sunderbans

image via Ankur P

This area of land is in West Bengal and is one of the natural wonders of the world due to the huge mass of mangroves. If you’re into nature, safaris, etc you will love this – it’s not too far from Calcutta and the Ganges runs through it (to give you an idea how big that river is!). Here are some travel tips, or you can book this nice 4 days, 3 nights cruise that leaves from Calcutta.

28. Coorg

Of all the naturally beautiful places in Karnataka (the gem of India in my opinion), Coorg is my favorite. I loved finding secret waterfalls, eating Pandi curry, and trying the local (strong) drip coffee. My homestay even had homemade wine! Here are some tips for visiting Coorg, some more tips, and a list of things to do in Coorg here (can you tell I liked visiting!?)

Tours in Coorg:

29. McLeod Ganj

I will never forget visiting Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj when the Dalai Lama was there. I listened to him speak for hours (read about that here). This is where many Tibetans came to live in exile and is the home of the Dalai Lama. Here are some tips for what to do in McLeod Ganj.

Tours around McLeod Ganj:

30. Manali

Manali is kind of like Goa in the mountains. It’s seasonal, has very hippie vibes, and you could just chill at the many cafe’s run by expats – OR you can go trekking, paragliding, and be really adventurous! Here are some cool things to do in Manali and a guide I wrote.

Tours in Manali:

A few related articles on India travel to help you get started

I hope you’ll be excited to visit what I consider the best places to visit in India, and be sure to read up on some travel tips before you head off. Here are some blog posts you might like:

Group tours I recommend in India
100 India travel tips
My Ebook which has reviews and chapter breakdowns here.

Things to Remember Before You Visit India

Packing for India, I have a few guides:
Cheap flights: I use Kiwi.com and that link will explain why I like them.
Travel insurance for India: I use World Nomads. That link shows you what is and is not covered.
You must have a visa. You can use iVisa and read this guide to see what you need.

Don’t Forget These 10 India Travel Essentials

Pin for later!

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Tawang’s 9 Best Kept Secrets | More than Tawang Monastery

Rachel Jones — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 07:20:29 +0000

Are you thinking about visiting Tawang Arunachal Pradesh? Most likely you want to go because of the rich Tibetan culture and the famous Tawang Monastery, which are great reasons to go! They are the reasons I was excited, and I was happy to see there was so much more than just a monastery to visit in Tawang India.

Tawang tourism isn’t huge although it is one of the most popular places to visit in the state of Arunachal Pradesh and Tawang Monastery is one of the most historical places in India to visit, making the journey up to the far NE India well worth your time.

I want to share some hotspots in Tawang and also the top hotels in Tawang with you so you can plan your trip. I went with Holiday Scout and if you’re looking for a Tawang tour, I can highly recommend them! Most of what we did and saw in Tawang wouldn’t have been possible going solo.

So first, the basics for visiting Tawang:

Where is Tawang? Let me just share the map here but it’s the NW part of Arunachal Pradesh and while you’re here you are only 30-40 km from both Bhutan and China.

Smoojed in between Bhutan and China… then looked at the zoomed bit below to get the full idea of where it is in relation to the rest of India.

When should I go to Tawang? It’s actually one of the best places to visit in India in December since December is the peak season of tourism and other places like the Taj will be crowded. The season here is Nov-March
How’s the Tawang weather? The reason people come in the cold months of Nov-March is because the other months have monsoon rain. It is COLD. You have to plan ahead and pack properly! It was -2 celsius for us at night in November.
What about Tawang Hotels, are there any? There are hotels in Tawang but not many. Arunachal Pradesh tourism in general is still growing. The infrastructure isn’t great (roads are bad, hotels are few). We stayed at Tenzin Guesthouse which isn’t even on Tripadvisor but our guide says is the best guesthouse in town. The other top two options are: Hotel Zax Star and Hotel Gakyi Khang Zhang

Tawang’s Best Kept Secrets | What to do in Tawang

1. Tawang Monastery.

The most obvious of things to visit is this famous monastery. It’s the second largest in the world, after the Lhasa one in Tibet which is not longer in use due to Chinese laws. That makes Tawang Monastery the largest active monastery in the world.

2. Craft Center and Emporium.

I love finding crafts and seeing how they are made everywhere that I travel. I wrote about the artisans I found in Mysore which people seemed to really like reading about so I’m going to write a whole article about the crafts in Tawang and combine that with what I saw in Ziro Valley, another area of Arunachal Pradesh. They make many types of hats, bags, paintings, hand-woven fabrics, and woven baskets, as well as knitting all kinds of things.

3. Indo-Chinese War Memorial.

A memorial for the war of 1962 where 4,220 Indians died fighting the Chinese for Indian territory.

4. Tawang Town Center.

One of our favorite things to see where the soldiers holding hands and guns. It’s normal for men in India to hold hands as a sign of friendship and gave us a laugh to see them in military get up holding guns while walking hand in hand through town. As usual the cows tried to get involved in the veg market while the women shooed them away before they could steal anything.

5. Tsun Gon Thog Jee Choeling Nunnery.

We were greeted by the adorable Sonam who offered us tea immediately. Going into her room and sitting by the fire we met two other girls who were traveling the area. It was the warmest we had been since arriving in Tawang the day before, sitting by the fire inside. The nuns were having a lively debate outside and would clap when it was someone else’s turn to talk. I never knew there were “female monks” in Tibetan Buddhism so found all of this so intriguing.

6. Ugyenling Monastery.

Also called the 6th Dalai Lama monastery because he was born here. This is an older monastery (1487) that isn’t as visited and is often neglected by tourists who come to only see the Tawang Monastery. The 6th Dalai Lama planted a tree which you’ll see on the right of the entrance. People believe if you steep the leaves like tea, and drink, you can cure illnesses. It was ransacked in the 1700’s and now is a simple and small monastery.

7. Thegtse Sang-ngag Choekhorling Monastery.

Th is the monastery of the Mon-yul kid-mo jong which means the “sacred land of happiness” located in a village in Tawang called Khin-mey, which comes from a Monpa (tribal) word Khi-ket Nyan-mey which means “place for listening to the dogs bark”. Legend has it, the villagers used to hunt and you would hear their hunting dogs from here, until a guru came and taught them Buddhism and not to kill.

This monastery is unique in that it is part of a different sect of Buddhism called Nyingma with a guru Nansid Zilnon where the monks can have long hair and can marry. It was the most colorful one we saw!

8. Crossing Sela Pass to get there.

Not actually in Tawang, but worth mentioning because this pass is quite famous in India and you have to pass by to get to Tawang. Getting to Tawang in itself is an adventure which I will write about!

9. Tawang cable car.

Brand new attraction in Tawang. I didn’t go across myself because it was on the other side. It’s a half hour ride, so we would have had to wait half and hour for it, taken it half an hour, then half an hour back… and we had too much to see! If you have the time though, the views look stunning.

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Packing Tips: Best Travel Shoes

Rachel Jones — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 11:00:23 +0000

I have tried and tested a variety of travel shoes over the last few years and have some stand out favorites. Nowadays, I alternate out the same brand of shoes as they wear down and often never even pick another color. Here are the best travel shoes to take on your next big trip!

My Fave’s: Best Travel Shoes

Tom’s

I love my burlap TOM’S. I have taken them all over the world and they haven’t failed me yet although after four years I’m starting to see a small hole (and my dog ate the insoles, so I had replaced them). These match everything but if you can get two pairs, they also make fun tribal patterns or classic canvas ones. These are the best travel shoes!

Jordan

Chaco’s

I take my strappy [easyazon_link keywords=”Chaco’s” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]Chaco’s[/easyazon_link] on all my adventure trips. they are great for hiking in hot areas or when you’ll be hiking across rivers or creeks. They are perfect for white-water rafting as well or just general walking (like the pic below in Bangkok) as they really mold to your feet. There are so many varieties and I have the double strap. I think I might go for the single strap next time and get a brighter color! If you look back to my first blog posts you’ll see these shoes – I’ve been traveling with the same pair for 4 years.

Bangkok

Sol Sana

I am in love with my [easyazon_link identifier=”B01B3RRBF0″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]black Sol Sana[/easyazon_link] sandals. I got them just before my trip to Jordan and have taken them on every trip since and wear them nearly every day. They are a very nice leather so I don’t wear them when I’ll be near water – but I do wear them even in adventurous areas like my Wadi Rum tour. They are nice though, so I wear them for nights out and wandering through cities in the day, among other times. They’re great with dresses or jean shorts! I have the first pictured ‘Tali’, but all of them are comfortable. I wore them for a photoshoot I did for my friend Tia’s clothes so I’ll share a couple of those pics!

Goa

Reef

You’ve got to have a good pair of flip flops for the beach. I have a variety of Reef shoes- even sneakers! But their simple [easyazon_link identifier=”B00KYBJTB6″ locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]tan flip flop[/easyazon_link] is almost always in my luggage unless I am going somewhere a little fancy like my recent trip to Singapore when I would pack only my black Sol Sana sandals.

Sri Lanka

Black ankle boots

Everywhere I go that is even remotely cold my Lucky Brand black ankle boots come along- in fact, I wear them out in Goa nearly every night that I go out partying even though it’s like 80 degrees here in December in the day! They are cute and make every outfit look better. I don’t think I could travel somewhere like Europe without them and I definitely wouldn’t go anywhere cold without them. I took them all over India, most recently to NE India on my Holiday Scout tour. Now I want the brown pair but after two years they still aren’t on sale haha!

Arunachal Pradesh, India

Istanbul

A Fun Pair!

I rarely take a “fun pair”. The times I do are road trips since you can take more luggage, quick beach trips since I’ll be taking less for them (and smaller clothing like beach clothing takes up less space than winter clothing), or when I am going away for a very long time like a couple months in Europe and want something fun – I pack mostly sun dresses on long trips so always have a lot of luggage space.

I wrote all about my favorite “fun” shoes on my Etsy post which is where all the below pictured are from!

Pin it – the best travel shoes!

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Mini Guide to Itanagar & unique look at market

Rachel Jones — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:09:42 +0000

We were in Itanagar Arunachal Pradesh during our Holiday Scout tour as the Arunachal Pradesh capital is a great stopover between the Tawang side of the state and heading into Ziro Valley or to the East. The roads don’t actually connect through the state across the North, as Arunachal Pradesh tourism is sort of new (but growing!), so you have to drive back to the main highway often.

one of the many quiet kids (the child kid, and the goat kid!) I met on my travels

Roadside Maggi was a staple and I didn’t mind one bit, in fact I bought some for the house back in Goa I like it so much!

Hotels in Itanagar

We stayed at the brand spankin’ new Pybss Hotel. After roughing it in the cold up in Tawang it was heaven to check in at this hotel which had a hot shower, a DOMINOS and Baskin Robins across the street, the softest beds, and real coffee instead of instant for breakfast. I would have been happy to stay another night. Out of 3 hotels in Itanagar on Tripadvisor this is #1. We did have to switch from our first room because the shower wasn’t working but all was well after that. The bottom level has a strange smell as well, so take an upper tier room.

Getting to Itanagar

It’s a 7 hour drive by car (or 12 hours by bus) from Guwahati where most people fly into, as it’s the “gateway to NE India”. There is no Itanagar airport, but there are some flights (not daily) to Lilabari in Assam which is just under 70 km away from Itanagar.

There are helicopter services to Itanagar and all over Arunachal Pradesh but it’s often called the second Bermuda Triangle as so many helicopters crash or go missing. I don’t recommend taking one even though they are only about 3,000 Rs.

some women we saw fishing on our way to Itanagar

What to see in Itanagar

There are a few things to see, but just to be clear this isn’t really a tourist attraction. It’s more a stopover point.

There is a Gompa Buddhist Temple called Buddha Vihar which was consecrated by the Dalai Lama 14th.

A popular lake called Ganga Lake also called Gekar Sinyi, the Indira Gandhi Park which we only drove by. It’s a place for families to picnic and have weekend get-togethers surrounded by nature.
The 15th century Ita Fort which literally means Fort of Bricks.
Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum which was sadly closed on a Sundays and Mondays!
There is also the Rajiv Gandhi University Itanagar.

toilet situation

Itanagar Market

I always think one of the best ways to find out about a place is to tour the local market and I was surprised by some of the things I found in this one! We wandered through and in the end the only thing I bought was a Dairy Milk candy bar – ha ha, but I did get some great photos.

some creepy crawlies, all still alive

those are rats on a stick guys! There was also mithun jerkey (kind of like yak)

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

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Artisans and Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh

Rachel Jones — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 11:29:47 +0000

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is SHOP. I love seeing what unique item comes from that area and get it as a souvenir that I’ll actual use, wear, or display in my house. I tend to go for jewelry or fabrics. I bought amazing Khadi in Karnataka and had adorable dresses made here in Goa.

Because Holiday Scout tailors each tour a little bit for the client, I said I was interested in learning about the handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh and what I could buy that was homemade.

We went to two craft centers and two emporiums (government shopping places, with a fair fixed price). First in Tawang then in Ziro Valley. And I did come out with some AMAZING material!

Craft Center and Emporium in Tawang

At the craft center there were different rooms where things were being made to be sold in the Government Emporium. The girls are paid a set monthly rate, not by how much they sell. Women do have looms at home and make things on their own time to sell at whatever rate they feel like to tourists. You can choose how you would like to shop, but Government shops are often the best rate.
They are using these hand-weavers with a strap around their back to make the smaller fabric for shirts and bags. They’ll also make traditional menswear. The bags are traditional to this area and not made “for tourists”. You will actually see all the women using these on the streets and in the fields at work. They also make the fabric women will wrap around them to carry a baby.
Here you see a woman making a much bigger piece of fabric which is done on these big looms. They use a combination of their hands and feet to make this machine work. It’s a long clanking noise and is exactly how I saw cotton made in South India and Mysore silk being made. They keep it old school in India!

Here is a woman making a traditional Thangka painting which is Tibetan. Keep in mind Tawang, the area I’m talking about, was once Tibet and the Monpa tribals keep their culture very alive. Everything about them except their language is Tibetan; the Monpa speak another dialect.This guy is making masks which take about two weeks he says. They will be used by monks during festivals and actually worn, while others will be sold to tourists.Inside the shop you can buy most of what you saw plus a lot of wicker and knitted items. There were so many types of hats from the different tribes in this area of Arunachal Pradesh. I tried a few on thinking I’d get my dad one, but in the end they were quite expensive.

Craft Center and Emporium in Ziro Valley

The colors in Tawang were so bright and bold… it was magnificent and I just KNEW I’d be buying something. I was at lunch at our hotel, the Ziro Valley Resort, when I said Where did you get your table runners…? I went on a goose-chase, found the shop, but they didn’t have the nice colors in stock. I tried to buy them from the hotel but they didn’t want to sell!

I absolutely love watching the fabric be made. You can see women just untangling threads and others getting the looms ready. When you look at one side it’s all just threads, then on the other it’s a sheet of fabric- like magic.

Some men in the Ziro Valley craft shop were doing metal work, maybe small animal figurines and laughing. I think they found us pretty amusing but were fine that we were there taking photos.

We walked into the Emporium to this scene. I saw the small bits and pieces first and the women at work knitting things then turned and saw the most wonderful thing of all – a wall of fabric!

The bright pinks caught my eye, but by the end I didn’t get the pink. I bought 4 meters of the black and white, 4 meters of a tan cotton, and a 4 meters of a white cotton with tribal pattern on it. With that I can make SO many clothes and those pieces together were 1000 Rs. ($15 USD) ! It’s going to be amazing… and is on my to-do list. I’ll post on IG once I make them.

I also bought 2 traditional tribal women’s skirts that are kind of the size of a towel and are wrapped around. They had the most amazing prints on them and I’ll be cutting them up to make them into something else. One of really intricate and the other a little more simple. Together they cost 4,000 Rs. (60 USD) which is a lot but not really when you see the fabric and I can make probably 3 items, maybe 4 out of it.

Some of the women in Ziro Valley were making menswear in their homes and this woman invited us up to take a look. She brought out one of her finished pieces which was gorgeous. Every man in the tribe will have at least one of these traditional pieces and unless family makes it for you, they are VERY expensive even for the tribals.

It was a huge success and I’m so glad Sange had patience while I sifted through literally every single piece of fabric in the shop. I even bought some little half meter pieces for 100 Rs. ($1.50) that I could use for crop tops! I was one happy camper!

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Endangered One Horned Rhinos at Kaziranga National Park

Rachel Jones — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 12:22:18 +0000

Seeing the endangered one-horned rhinos at UNESCO site Kaziranga National Park in Assam was a part of the Holiday Scout tour I was SO stoked about. Do you remember when I went to Langkawi and saw online about a Rhino Tour… and it turned out to be Rhino was a type of four-wheeler. I asked Sange with hesitation… “are they REAL rhinos?”. He’s like, um yeah? … Okay. Just checking.

What is so special about the Indian one-horned rhino?

Well any endangered animals deserves some attention and conservation efforts. 2/3 of the one-horned rhino population are here in INDIA! I think that’s incredible. It’s an Asian animal, and over-populated India is doing all they can to protect them.

From Wikipedia:

“The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, but excessive hunting and agricultural development reduced their range drastically to 11 sites in northern India and southern Nepal. In the early 1990s, between 1,870 and 1,895 rhinos were estimated to have been alive.. In 2015, a total of 3,555 Indian rhinoceros are estimated to live in the wild.“

There are a few types of rhinos in the world, but the India “greater one-horned rhino” is the one I’m talking about here. Recently, you may have seen 3 subspecies of the black rhino are now extinct. India is working hard to keep that from happening to these guys.

These rhinos used to be in Burma and China, but they have been hunted. Chinese medicine says that the horn can cure illnesses. It’s true that they are poached for that reason, but there is another reason these animals are endangered- they also have humans encroaching on their land.

Kaziranga National Park by far has the most rhinos at 1,855 with other parks each having less than 100, and it’s the main thing tourists come to see.

FUN FACTS: Indian rhinos are vegetarians and can run 34 miles per hour!

At one point there were only 12 rhinos in Kaziranga… hundreds were killed by British military officers. They seem to be doing a good job at helping the population grow now.

So, we were up SUPER early to see these things at the park and saw about 6 up close in the stunning sunrise. Later, we went on an afternoon safari through the jungle again to see “all the animals” which would mean seeing things from a little further away.

What else can you see at Kaziranga?

You can see water buffalo, all kinds of unique birds, swamp deer, pythons, cobras, elephants, tigers, leopards, mongoose, and more. It’s rare to see one of the wild cats at this park. The park is tall elephant grassland and marsh and flood park of the year. You need to visit outside June-August when the park is forced to close for the rain due to Brahmaputra river floods.

Me and Anna had a laugh when the safari guide pointed at what we’re pretty sure was an average chicken and said, “jungle fowl!” but what do I know.. maybe jungle chickens are different!

live sharing with your guys about the safari! #bloggerslife

How do you get to Kaziranga National Park?

It was a 10 hour (yes, 10!) drive from Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh and our longest day driving on the tour. If you come from Guwahati luckily it’s only 3 to 4 hours by road. We did have some boys stop us for “road tax” which I found a little annoying (It’s basically extortion on the smallest scale. It’s 7 or 8 boys saying give me money for festival, or roads, or whatever lie, or else you cannot pass).

It’s annoying and I hate that tourists who come from Guwahati to the park will see this in India maybe right away and get a bad taste of the country. Not a good first impression!

Where do you stay at Kaziranga National Park?

We stayed at Jupuri Ghar which I loved! It was cute and probably my favorite accommodation from the tour. Granted, the weather may have had something to do with it! We were nice and cozy here.

You can stay elsewhere. There are 11 places listed on TripAdvisor but there aren’t many reviews. All I can really say for advice is that hotels in NE India aren’t all that (yet… tourism in NE India is growing!) so it’s better to save cash and stay at a B&B or eco resort. Hotels are very basic with just a bed and shower, so why not have a bed and shower in a super cute hut!?

I’m not going to list the prices because they are always changing but you can expect that foreigners will pay a lot more than Indian Nationals. The entrance fee only needs paid once then you can come and go as much as you want but each safari then will cost more. Dress in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and don’t go off on your own… pythons and tigers remember!?

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Discovering the Sun & Moon Worshipping Tribals of Ziro Valley

Rachel Jones — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:21:51 +0000

Of all the places on my Holiday Scout tour, I have to say I was looking forward to meeting the Apatani tribe in Ziro Valley the most. It’s probably the top tourist place in Arunachal Pradesh, and is close to becoming a UNESCO Heritage Site, but it still receives very few visitors and you’ll most likely only see a handful while you are there.

There isn’t so much a “guide to Ziro Valley” because its so small.

You are WAY better off to go with a tour group like we did, or you might find that the tribals go inside when you come by. They don’t mind their photos taken if they feel like they can trust you (and maybe if they get some chewing tobacco in return). It was great to have Sange there who has been meeting these people for years, therefore making sure we were invited into so many homes we couldn’t possibly have another cup of tea without buzzing!

Arunachal has dozens of different tribes and throughout the state there are over 50 languages spoken. Apatani is one, and these tribals are known for their nose plugs and facial tattoos. We were told they did this to look “less appealing” to other tribes who were coming in and stealing the women.

Over time, Christian Missionaries have come in and put a stop to some of the practices. While Arunachal didn’t have cannibalism (that I know of), it’s neighbor, Nagaland did. They were head-hunters. Some things the Apatani did including the nose plugs have been stopped by the government as they promote tribal differences, and inevitably warfare.

The hardest region of India to control is the Northeast because of the tribes and their tribal laws. As we drove into Ziro there was a big sign “Welcome to Ziro Valley! Jesus loves you!”. There were churches, and many men like this one wore a cross. But I didn’t get it in the photo. It was there, promise. haha.

The missionaries were Baptist and many Apatani have converted to Christianity from Sun and Moon worshipping which is called Donyi-Polo. The religion is still alive and well, but the problem is the youngsters aren’t becoming Shamans anymore and it’s harder to follow the religion now and actually simply, easier, to just be a Christian since there are so many churches.

Below are places where animal sacrifices have happened.

alters from a recent sacrifice

The kids here, and in many other parts of the state speak a little Korean because they love K-pop music! They dress Western and have motorbikes. The boys have very “Korean” haircuts as my guide. Big Mohawks and crazy color dyes added in. The teenage girls were wearing the same style skinny jeans as me!

There was no lacking in puppies! For some reason, there were so many adorable dogs everywhere we looked. I think I must have held at least 20 and seen about 30! Let me show you what it was like inside one of the homes below, and then I’ll explain a little bit about it.

a lady on her front porch drying rice

He’s kept these Mithun horns from after sacrifices

the houses are made from bamboo and you can see the edges of the stove here
Each house has a huge stove in the middle, they will sleep just near it to keep warm. You can see below, what the smoke does to the bamboo above which isn’t good for their health. It’s carbon.

We also saw a TV in a house we went to for lunch. I loved that they kept the Styrofoam from the packing in the box.

We visited two villages: Hong and Hari, and they were really similar. We went to the craft center and the emporium but I’m sharing about that in another post. We also spent some time at the Museum which was amazing. It showed all the different tribes in Arunachal Pradesh and what they eat, drink, how they dress, dance, and pray… and compared them all. There were artifacts and also a whole section just on clothing.

We stayed for lunch one day which was an interesting mixture of chicken and egg cooked inside a stock of bamboo. It was actually nice with some chili on it but to be honest I didn’t eat much because I was afraid I would get sick. I usually don’t care and eat street food all the time, but I just felt like being careful. The veggies of the side were in a sauce made from water from the well, so I didn’t eat them at all as I wasn’t sure if they boiled it first.

I saw a couple of guys walking home as the sun started to set and I ran out to ask them if they’d been out working and to find out about them. They said they’d been hunting…

… then he pulled out what he was hunting from his pocket and I was hoping they didn’t invite me to dinner! RATS!

this is what rat looks like in the markets

During the day we also saw a traditional dance, from the women only, and it was SO unique. It’s something I’ll never forget and I’m going to try to make a video to show it to you. The women on the side chanted and sang and the women dancing repeated everything back then eventually made us come dance with them.

We stayed at Ziro Valley Resort which according to Tripadvisor is #3 of 4 of Bed and Breakfasts in Ziro. There are ZERO hotels. I loved this resort. The food was delicious, the french fries especially- who would think you could do something to make french fries even better!? The scenery was great and luckily, the type of heater they gave you here could be kept on all night unlike the ones in Tawang. There was also an amazing dog who just chilled with us in our room, making it really homey. We stayed two nights.

Definitely stay through the evening so you can see the amazing sunset in this valley! Some people there do offer their homes up as a homestay, and although a great cultural experience, you will most likely be okay to head to a hotel to shower and such after being there all day.

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Secret Little Sangti Valley in NE India

Rachel Jones — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 12:15:13 +0000

I’ve been traveling around India for three years, and after seeing so many places the thing I love to do most is going to places that I’ve never heard of… and neither have most people.

Sangti Valley is 15 km outside Dirang, buried in the Eastern Himalayas, and another stop in Arunachal Pradesh tourism that many won’t see as it’s often overlooked. For me, while traveling with Holiday Scout, it was less about the town or area I was in and more about the interactions. While touring the backwaters of Kerala became famous for its beauty and now everyone goes, one day when Arunachal tourism picks up, Sangti Valley will be flooded by tourists. It’s one of the most stunning places I’ve been.

I’m happy to have gone before that happens and suggest the same to you! What I mean really, is you can’t base a places worth on its popularity as there are still some secret places to visit in India even with its huge population. When you research about Arunachal Pradesh, you will most likely come across little bits about Sangti Valley, and previously written about Dirang, although both are so small that neither even have a Wikipedia page.

The people here are Mahayana Buddhist Monpas with a culture similar to people in Bhutan. As you can see they grow corn! They hang it out to dry to get the seeds for the next season. There are also apple and kiwi farms. You can buy bags of Kiwis here for the same price one is in South India! Between here and Dirang there are also Hot Springs, although I didn’t go visit them. Holiday Scout does “bespoke” tours so if you wanted to see them you just have to ask.

Sangti Valley is where the black neck crane comes each year. They breed here in the valley! It’s a rare bird that is only in India and Bhutan in the colder regions. It’s got a 7 foot wing span and it’s loved by Buddhists and a symbol in their religion. It also happens to be the state bird of Jammu & Kashmir.

We parked up on top and walked down into the valley. The area we parked at was a sheep farm. We got their just in time because after 10 minutes the man told Sange “It’s their bed time”. The sun goes down early in NE India, before 6 PM so I guess they get them inside before it gets dark. The guy whistled a unique call and all the sheep came running. A few got a little confused and went the wrong way but they eventually figured it out!

There are many of India’s North East places to visit that don’t have much information online which is why I decided to make posts about these places and not just do a quick mention. They deserve some attention, especially Sangti Valley!

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This is India! 84

Rachel Jones — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 13:25:08 +0000

Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.

What I was up to other than here:

I’ve been catching up on work after my time at Alila Diwa. Ben’s been in Ratnagiri working and almost all my friends are out of town! A good time to work and read :)
This weekend I’m checking out two new Shunya properties in Goa – you can see a preview on Instagram.
Collecting Labels listed me as one of her 10 favorite stylish travelers, pretty cool!

Now your story,

We stopped along our way to Itanigar at a house that is well known for being this long house with 4 kitchens for this man’s FOUR wives. It’s interesting for sure to see that way of life, and our guide from Holiday Scout took us to the house.

Unfortunately it was locked, and no one was home. This man’s pets however were home. We started to play with the little puppies, who were happily chilling out with the chicken, sheep and goats in the yard.

We noticed one of the dogs, the cutest one, was injured and looked pretty skinny. Sange had biscuits in the car so we started to feed them. A man came over and Sange asked what happened to the injured dog and he said it was hit by a car. In these instances, this is “village life” and it’s sad (I LOVE dogs) but understandable that when people don’t have enough money for themselves, they don’t have money to take animals to vets that could be 50 km away from their home. I asked if I gave money to them to get the dog help, would they- and it was clear that they money would not go to the dog. The dog had to heal on it’s own. I asked if they got fed and it was reported that they eat what tourists give them and any leftover food. Again, it’s sad but this is rural India and it’s not actually as shocking anymore. The next bit was.

this dog on the left was injured, and couldn’t fight the other dogs for food.

While we were playing three little boys from this village came to see what was happening. they walked up pretty close to us, giggling, seeming quite adorable. Then, one boy RAN at the injured dog full speed and kicked it. I shrieked saying NO! what are you doing! and they laughed… running in circles, coming back for more. The boys kicked at the other small dogs and threw rocks. I sort of grabbed one by the arm (really lightly just to stop him) and was telling him ‘don’t do that’. Sange was upset telling them in their language to stop, that it wasn’t right. They were only 4 or 5 years old I’d guess. So, who taught them to hurt innocent animals?

It didn’t stop and I stood near the injured dog, ready to block out a four year old if necessary… I know it sounds crazy but I just started crying. These little shits (I know, you shouldn’t call children little shits….) were having the best fun hurting these dogs. It was so uncivilized and effed up. The mom came to watch over the fence and I wanted to tell her off, but what would I accomplish? Then, Anna went toward the fence to take a photo of sunset and the boys threw sticks and rocks at her! She threw a stick right back (not hitting them just to make them go away) and they laughed and laughed.

It was seriously depressing and after I stopped crying (I mean, I wasn’t sobbing, I was just upset), I told Sange let’s go. There’s no way to fix a problem like this. Perhaps the people have so little food, they don’t want the dogs getting food. Perhaps they just hate dogs… I don’t know but I was angry. If I were a kid and kicked an injured dog, I’d have been spanked and grounded and told what a little shit I was for sure!

In the US, a kid who hurts animals for fun, is seen as a future sociopath… On the TV show Criminal Minds, they do these flashbacks where the serial killer is torturing a cute bunny or something and I think okay these kids can’t ALL be sociopaths, but what is going on here?

It’s not the first time I’ve seen a kid hurt an animal in India but this one just got to me. Luckily, Anna and Sange didn’t think I was crazy for crying, they were sad too. Sad it happened, and sad to leave the animals near this. But, if those dogs were hurt that badly, I suppose they would leave (and they don’t; they live here) or they would bite humans who came close.

What do you think?

This is India!

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4 Unexplored & Hidden Places to Visit in Dirang, India

Rachel Jones — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 13:27:42 +0000

As we headed further North with Holiday Scout from Bomdila further into Arunachal Pradesh it got even more beautiful. There are about 10 main tourist places in Arunachal Pradesh to visit and Dirang is one of the smaller ones. I’m glad we stopped though and want to share the things to do in Dirang that we found during our two days there.

We basically spent one day there on our way North, then again one day on our way back down South. It’s a good stopover and there are a couple decent hotels in Dirang and a handful of attractions or places to visit in Dirang and Dirang valley. You’re also only 15 km from Sangti Valley which is totally worth a visit and this is a good place to come back to for rest since there is no accommodation in Sangti.

Places to Visit in Dirang Arunachal Pradesh

Dirang was two hours North of Bomdila by road (which is the only way to get there). We went to our hotel first for lunch. We stayed at Pemaling Hotel Dirang which is the #1 hotel in Dirang…. out of one. Their brochure says it’s the oldest hotel in town built in 1999, but if it’s the only one, maybe that means it’s the newest too, ha ha. There is also B&B called Hotel Samdup Khang. I didn’t check it out myself, but at least there is a backup is Pemaling is full.

Ask for a room with a view! Surprisingly, this hotel didn’t have local Tibetan food but had “Intercontinental/Indian” style. We went for the Chinese. The food was decent overall, but to be honest it was the only option! Obviously there aren’t a lot of Dirang hotels to choose from but either way, I recommend the Pemaling. We didn’t have any problems.

The photos above are from one woman’s house who invited us in. She recognized Sange and asked if we would like some tea. I had been having too much tea so would just get hot water. We didn’t speak English so we kind of sat in silence drinking. You can see her loom where she is making traditional bags and shirts to sell.

Her kids were in the back studying with the older one teaching the younger ones. These smaller moments were some of the best and wouldn’t have been possible if we were walking through the village on our own. It’s good when in Tribal areas to have a guide who knows people.

1. Dirang Dzong

We wandering Dirang and went to a place called Dirang Dzong which is a tribal area with a 9th century prison. There are a couple of houses around it and the Grandmother of Sange, our guide, used to live in one of them! Some are 500 or 600 years old. Just a few feet from the prison was a Monastery. The prison seems large for such a SMALL town but apparently people were sent from other towns to Dirang. Sometimes this area is referred to as Dirang Fort.

On the left is the monastery, the right is the prison

We went inside one of the homes to see what it was like. There were SO many pots and pans hanging on the walls of the kitchen. Apparently, it’s really a sign of wealth (wealth may be the wrong term, but it’s like they are proud of them and want to show them off, like look how many I have!). The woman made sure we took a photo of hers.

the stairs

2. Kalachakra Gompa

This is the oldest monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, over 500 years old. It’s in a smaller village in Dirang called Kalachakra, hence the name. Not that many people come here anymore, except local Buddhists.

3. Himalayan Culture & Tradition Preservation Society

This is going to be the newest monastery in the area once it’s built. The man in the photo is a good friend of the Dalai Lama’s (current one, 14th). They went to school together since they were kids. As a trusted friend, he has been the one to open many new monasteries. He’s a well-known and respected monk. I told him I liked his hat and he said, “take it! I want you to have it”. I told him I couldn’t possibly take it and that he should keep it. The next thing I know he’s gone and found two more hats and given them to Anna and I. He said “oh and it matches your clothes”. Love it!!

This is going to be a learning center where even foreigners can come to learn. They want the locals to learn to pray as well so that it’s not always the monks doing the praying. People will learn Tibetan and keep their culture alive. They were working on the building while we were there: building, painting, and decorating.

4. Sangti Valley

Sangti Valley is the best on this list but is just a little bit outside of Dirang. About 30 minutes in the car with their bumpy roads. I took so many photos here and loved walking around seeing all the local people in this stunning area. There was a sheep farm on top of the hill looking into the valley. It was a gorgeous view! I’ll be posting about Sangti Valley next.

Overall, Dirang isn’t one of the top tourist places of India that a typical backpacker would have on their list. Dirang tourism doesn’t really exist yet. I hope you saw that there are attractions in Dirang worth seeing and that it’s really not the destination it’s the experience. If you’re coming all this way North, do make a stop!

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My Honest Review of Holiday Scout NE India Tours

Rachel Jones — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 12:06:45 +0000

I recently went to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with Holiday Scout which if you follow this blog regularly you will have already known! I spent 11 days with them on the Monastery and Tribal Discovery Tour and this is my review of Holiday Scout. Please first check out FAQ about travel in NE India so you understand this unique part of India.

There is a video at the bottom!

The Benefits of Traveling with Holiday Scout

It’s not that the NE is impossible to get to, but it’s so far away that travelers put it on the back-burner. I did for three years. It’s really important to have a tour guide in this region for a variety of reasons.
- Our guide Sange (who is almost always the guide) is from NE India and knows people in every place we go on the tour. Because of him we could communicate. We could get what we needed with ease at chemists, hotels, and restaurants but most importantly we could talk to local people.
- Because Sange was with us we were invited into homes and accepted especially in the tribal areas, whereas if you’re alone they may shut their doors and hide. He helped us ask people for permission to take photos.
- Transport is difficult and there are little mini-vans more than local buses which you need a group to take or it can cost more. You spend a lot of time on the road, so being in a nice car rather than jammed into a mini-van is important. I’m serious, it’s a lot of driving which I’ll get to later.
- Knowing where is safe… one state in NE India is not safe now, but is not restricted. It’s good to know these things. In Nagaland, people may offer you opium openly. There are instances where you may feel best having a local with you.

Permits taken care of. You need permits to go to this restricted area of India. Luckily, it’s included in the price so one less thing to worry about ahead of time.

You are picked up at the airport and dropped back so you literally just have to get on the plane in your home country. This is perfect for new travelers or nervous travelers. You have no worries or question marks during the tour. You simply go along with it – unless of course you want to make some changes.

The groups are SMALL! 2-4 people at a time.

EVERY activity and entry fee on the itinerary is included. It just makes things easy when it’s ALL-inclusive and you’re not dealing with splitting bills or paying for bits and pieces along the way.

Which brings me to this…. Since food is included, I was shocked to find out that he lets guests order anything they want!! So, if you’ve got a big appetite have no fear. You will not be hungry.

They also did little things like cleaning the car perfectly each morning, putting water in and a little snack sometimes, and a couple little surprises like a dance show we didn’t know would happen!

They have a focus on women. Anna and I would talk to Sange, our guide, about issues we face living in India and we were so impressed with his modern take on life. He never said ONE thing that was inappropriate, sexist, or negative about women. Which, I know it seems crazy to mention, but I feel it’s worth mentioning. The whole of Northeast India is free of dowry, child marriage and female foeticide which just shows the culture there is so different than other areas of India. Sange and the rest of the people we met in NE India were so open-minded and kind. I didn’t have ONE person ask to take a photo of me, no men stared at me… in fact, the people there could care less white tourists were in town – I don’t think they even see color. They are just chilled out Buddhists! lol

The tours can be bespoke. If you want to change things up and go with a friend but see things a little different just email them and work it out. He’s happy to change focus, stay one place longer, cut others… whatever you want to do. We were meant to try Assamese thali but really needed tandoori (ha ha) so he found the best place to take us. In general, Holiday Scout was incredibly accommodating.

Lastly, but most important: Sange is an amazing guide. You know how after some time people get on your nerves if you are with them 24/7? Sange never got on my nerves! I’m telling you, he’s just quiet when you want quiet, and talkative when you are bored. He’s very chilled out, educated, and impressive in the fact he’s 25 and running this company. We stayed at his moms house and met his family. It was just an extra touch that made this more than “a tour”.

Things you need to know ahead of time

Choose your tour wisely. We did the monastery & tribal tour and unsurprisingly, there were many monasteries. If you weren’t interesting in monk life, Buddhism, Tibetan culture, and religion then you might have found it repetitive and would rather do a tribal tour only. Just read into what each offers. Some are more about nature and going on safaris. Make the perfect choice for you!

Prices are set on sharing a room. 15% more to be solo. If you aren’t going with a friend it’s actually nice to meet someone else on the tour and share because you’ll have a buddy and it’s cold so hey, body heat! lol

You must tip your driver. That’s the only thing not included so please keep in mind it’s customary to tip your driver at the end of the tour. Just something to budget in.

Infrastructure isn’t great in the NE which I’ve mentioned in the FAQ about NE India article. You have to know if that’s okay with you. The roads are winding, and not great for those who get very car sick. You need to be okay that hotels don’t yet have heating through them and you may feel cold at night. There will be home-stays, bathrooms that are hole-in-the-ground outhouses. There will be some places with only bucket baths or it’s too cold, so that you may need to wait to shower. Even if you want more luxury, and want to pay the extra, some places like Dirang, Tawang, and Bomdila just don’t have that yet.

My Overall Opinion

I can honestly say of all the trips I have taken in the last few years, this has been my favorite. Smushed between China and Bhutan, places like Tawang were SO unique. If you are in India and want to see a variety, this is the perfect option for you. The tribal people of Ziro Valley will not be there for long as their culture is slowing dying. I feel blessed that I got to meet them and have lunch in their homes.

I would not have had this experience of a lifetime if I didn’t go with a tour guide who knew his shit, and Sange sure did. He is the heart of Holiday Scout and really makes it the perfect tour. If you’re on the fence or not sure how to fit NE India into your trip itinerary please email me and I’m happy to help you out and answer some questions.

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The Don’t Miss Places to Visit in Bomdila

Rachel Jones — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 12:06:30 +0000

Bomdila Arunachal Pradesh was one of my favorite towns in Arunachal Pradesh. This small town has a population of less than 10,000 people, is 8,800 feet above sea level, and is the home of the Monpa, Aka, Miji, Sherdukpen, and Bogun tribes.

Passing into Arunachal Pradesh does require an ILP (inner line permit) or foreign permit (read more on that here.) So, you do need to plan ahead before you visit as a foreigner, while Indian nationals can pay for the ILP then and there for 100 Rs. It’s worth the planning because there are plenty of places to visit in Bomdila as well as things to do in Bomdila!

To get to Tawang, the most famous tourist attraction in this area of Arunachal, you have to pass by Bomdila anyways so take a day and night to spend some time here… and eat some Tibetan food! Momos!

This is a Tibetan Mastiff. Cool dog! He’s still a puppy and will get much bigger.

Where to stay in Bomdila | Bomdila Hotels

There are not many options for hotels in Bomdila, as this state and most of the NE in general is only recently becoming ready for tourism. There are only TWO hotels in town & there are 7 B&B’s listed. I recommend staying at a B&B (homestay) to get a comfortable local experience.

Entrance to Sange’s mom’s house

As part of the Holiday Scout tour, we got to stay with our guide Sange’s mom and sisters! It was sooo cool! His sisters were so shy and quiet, and his mom was so kind and beautiful. They made us an amazing dinner of momos, thupka, some corn dish, dal, and more.

For breakfast we had soup, thupka again I think, and “momo locos” which is bread made from the same dough as momos (it’s really good). We also had some fresh pears they grew.

We actually came back and stayed another night on our way back down the mountain a few days later. We had this delicious potato/noodle soup dish served on rice (with bread… carbs, carbs, carbs) and because I LOVE carbs, I was in heaven.

I declined trying the local alcohol, which is served hot, because I really don’t like the taste of liquor and would feel bad asking for something to chase down the bad taste with. Anna tried it and seemed to like it although not enough to finish it. We noticed lots of women here were drinking even near the monastery. Maybe because it’s so cold!

We had a few giant blankets on our beds which was great because the Bomdila weather is pretty darn cold. I slept awesome here. We were soon to find out, it was nearly as cold as Tawang! Families seem to spend their time around the fire in the kitchen until bedtime. Some people even sleep in the kitchen near the fire.

Homestays may not have western toilets or showers with a shower head above. You can heat water with the fire and use a bucket to bathe, and if you’re in India you should be used to the squatting toilets by now, right!? :) Hotels on the other hand will have this. For me, I just chose to think about my showers ahead of time and know that when I was staying somewhere very cold I would skip washing my hair and would just do a quick hot bucket bath then wrap up again by the fire.

It was worth “roughing it” so to speak (not that it really was, but I think for some it may be) because the family environment is so great when you travel. It’s cozy. You can see what the houses are like (for example one room is just for prayer) and what the family vibe is like here. I loved staying with Sange’s family.

Places to visit in Bomdila and things to do in Bomdila!

The Bomdila pass is where you can go for great views of Kangto and Gorichen Peaks which are the highest peaks in the state. You’ll also see great views just driving further north from Bomdila to Tawang.

Tour the village in the afternoon. Explore the markets and do a little shopping.

make sure you negotiate! “You can bargain on MRP. It’s your right”. That’s making sure you aren’t paying more than the set rate on the item you wish to buy. It’s often written.

Peppers which are particular to this area only

You cannot miss the Bomdila Monastery (GRL Monastery). Because Sange grew up in Bomdila, he was welcomed very happily here and showed us all around. It’s always great to get that local view. This is the #1 attraction in Bomdila.

Did you know Tibetan monks have been nominated for a GRAMMY for their amazing deep chants at another monastery? Crazy!

This mandala is made in detail with sand during a religious festival. Once the festival is over, it was destroyed (all that hard work!) as a symbol of life always changing and the lack of meaning of material things.

The now Dalai Lama the 14th, who I heard speak a few years ago.

There are craft centers and emporiums to do some shopping and buy local handicraft.

There are also apple orchards to visit and orchid farms. We didn’t do this, as we stopped at Tipi on the way up to Bomdila and weren’t really into touring the orchids. They were mostly dead that time of year and we weren’t keen to take time learning about the flowers (sorry).

Meet a fortune telling monk! As I mentioned, we stayed at his mom’s twice. The second time was on our way back down the mountain a few days later. This was one of the coolest bits about the tour, as our guide knows this monk, also called Sange ( Sange Lama) who meditated (studied) in the jungle alone for 9 years.

He came to our house (okay, Sange’s house but it was feeling a lot like home!) and had tea, sat with us in the prayer room, and read our fortunes. It was very cool. I will be writing about that experience in one of my friday “this is India” stories.

Had we not been on the Holiday Scout tour, we would not have had this cool experience nor would we have gotten to see the Monpa home life.

The post The Don’t Miss Places to Visit in Bomdila appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

The Start of an Amazing Assamese Adventure!

Rachel Jones — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 06:23:02 +0000

I’ve recently gotten back from a trip to NE India with the company Holiday Scout and have so much amazing stuff to share with you guys. It was an 11 day trip and in some time, I’ll be sharing a review about the company but first I’m going to share a few posts about the area up there and what we saw and got to do.

NE India is a really interested area of the country that isn’t frequented by tourists often. Check out the link there to read about this unique section of the country that’s often forgotten about when planning a trip to India. Our trip focused on two states Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

baby goat lovin’ time!

amazing views during the drive

We started off in Guwahati, Assam “the gateway to NE India” which is where you’ll probably fly into. We got in late and drove a little bit to stay at Brahmaputra, an adorable jungle resort near the lake which would be the start of our trip. It had amazing chicken malai tikka and had so many activities like zorbing so would be a good place for families to stay. The rooms had amazing views. It rained on and off through the night which was loud on the tin roofs but actually sounded really nice and relaxing.

views from the room and the room’s balcony

There are other places to stay near Guwahati, it’s better to stay a bit outside of town so that the next day when you head north, you’re already on your way there! Nearby is an area called Nameri Tiger Reserve, which was our intro to Assam, and the Juberali Resort is another great place to stay.

When we walked in I saw a cow, which as you may know, I LOVE. But it turns out, I actually have way more of a thing for goats, baby goats in particular. I saw this little itty bitty black goat running around and said to Sange, our tour leader, “can I pick up a goat or will the mom get mad at me?”

He said it’s totally fine and I picked that little nugget up and cuddled it for a few minutes before it did a serious goat scream that was a bit shocking so I put him down. It set the mood for the trip, which was “goat love” where I would pick up any and all baby goats that I could. By the end, baby goats were running to me when I would squat down and say “come here!!”. They are basically puppies.

His feet are kind of blocking his face in these photos, but not to worry over the next month many articles about NE India will be on the blog and there will be no shortage of goat photos. Your welcome.

Before we left Assam to start our journey North, we stopped for lunch at Jia Bhorelli and for a surprise show from locals and we had an Assamese Thali which was a first for me. MMM I loved the fried eggplant, the local greens, chicken curry, cauliflower, and fish. The rice is kind of like Goan rice when it’s unpolished. The fish are actually caught in the paddy fields when they fill up with water. They put small fish in, and let them grow until they can eat them.

The dance the locals did is called Bihu which is the Assam state dance which many tribes in Assam will all partake in collectively. I cannot see a dance in India without the lovely women pulling me up to dance. You can’t really say no can you? But it makes me so nervous. I always turn BRIGHT RED and just awkwardly laugh. I enjoy it much more watching ;) But it gives everyone a laugh so I don’t mind. They were amazing and even though we were a small audience, gave it their all and laughed and really seemed to be enjoying sharing their culture with us.

so serious in photos, so smiley when no camera was up :)

It was time to temporarily leave Assam toward our next destination, Bomdila, in Arunachal Pradesh. We would have to pass through Tezpur and cross over the state lines, where suddenly the roads got very bumpy!

There are approved tourists routes once you are approved for a permit in Arunachal Pradesh. You have to stay on the track. This track leads to the “Tibetan” area of Arunachal Pradesh, of which Bomdila and Tawang are the hotspots. The drive from Guwahati to Bomdila is about 7 hours.

I can’t wait to share more about this trip. It’s my new favorite area of India. Up next: Bomdila!

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How to Backpack NorthEast India (FAQ, Answered.)

Rachel Jones — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:35:36 +0000

I recently spent some time in Northeast India in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with Holiday Scout. It’s a misunderstood tribal area of India, and when I first came here 3 years ago, was barely mentioned in Lonely Planet; it was not recommended to visit because of safety reasons.

But now Northeast tourism is growing and NorthEast India travel is safer than ever in most areas. Before I share so much about my journey there, I just want to familiarize you with the area and answer the questions that I often got about how to travel to NorthEast India.

I will be having more articles coming up over the next month with details on the areas I visited and the amazing stuff we got up to! For now, an introduction.

Bomdila
Sela Pass

FAQ: How to Backpack NorthEast India

Where is NE India on the map?

So, this little chunk of India is kind of separated from everywhere and the term NE India doesn’t refer to West Bengal (Calcutta area); it’s actually much more NE that, on the other side of Bangladesh. It’s bordered by Bhutan, China (Tibet), Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Arunachal Pradesh used to be Tibet.

What states of India are in NE India?

The states are called the Seven Sister States plus there are two more. The Seven Sisters are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The other two are Sikkim, and Jalpaiguri Division which are in the top bit that connects them to the rest of India. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Nagaland are the main ones that tourists go to.

When should you go and what is the weather like?

The best time to go to this region is October through April. Yes, that is the cold months in the Himalaya region, but this side of India gets monsoon weather outside of this and places do close down, for example National Parks which can flood.

While I was there it ranged from -2 to 18 degrees Celsius. It was cold and you need to pack appropriately. I’ll be writing a packing list soon.

baby goat!!!

What are the hotels like and are there hostels?

Hotels are new in some areas. Some towns we went to had only one or two hotels which were built recently in the 1990’s. They do not have central heat and the heaters that you plug-in the wall can cause carbon monoxide poisoning so you cannot keep them on at night. This means you will have some cold nights. Take warm clothes to sleep in. Every hotel I was in had hot water and if a hotel did not you can ask for a bucket of hot water from the kitchen.

Homestays are another great way to go so you can get the local experience. Homestays may not have bathrooms like you are used to and instead an outhouse. There are no hostels in this area.

How do I get the permits to travel NE India?

You do not need permits for every state in NE India. You can freely travel in Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya (and see the Meghalaya root bridges), and Nagaland, which do not require permits for foreigners, but Indian nationals need the Inner Line Permit. At this time, Manipur is not consider safe for travelers right now.

Neither foreigners or Indians need anything for Assam or Tripura.

In Arunachal Pradesh Indians get the ILP (Inner Line Permit) while foreigners have to apply for the PAP (Protected Area Permit). They are good for 30 days, you may not get approved if you apply to travel alone, and they cost $50. I got mine through Holiday Scout so did not deal with the details. I’m very for traveling with a tour guide in this area and think that them getting your permit is one of the big benefits.

In Sikkim, Indians don’t need the INL but foreigners do.

You need to check in at the police station or FFRO when you arrive in each state whether they need a permit or not. Again, our guide took care of this and I think it was done as soon as we crossed the borders. For more details read this article.

If you are from China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan there are different rules and actually, I’m not sure you would get approval to visit. People from Arunachal Pradesh cannot go to their neighboring China. India requires Indians show a Chinese visa when they leave for China, but China won’t give Arunachal citizens visas because they think they are Chinese as they believe the Indian state is theirs. Very complicated!

How do I get to NE India?

Guwahati is the gateway of NE India. The best way to get to this area is to fly to Guwahati and go by land from there.

How do I get around NE India?

You can either take a tour like I did or you can travel by Sumo. I saw local buses but very rarely in some of the more rural areas. Even if you take local bus sometimes, you’ll need a shared Sumo at some point. They are very affordable and kind of like a mini-taxi. There are no Volvo or “tourist” buses and the trains are not connected here.

The roads are INCREDIBLY bumpy and some areas don’t even have roads yet. You will be driving SO slow, maybe 30 km an hour in mountainous areas so think about that before you travel by local bus. I explored only Arunachal in detail and a little of Assam and was in the car every day for about 6 hours on average. Imagine trying to see more of the area: you’ll want a little comfort.

There are helicopter rides but they often crash at these high altitudes and are not considered safe as a form of transport.

What Language do they speak in NE India?

It is a huge variety! Each area has their own language, and many tribes speak a different language then the area they live in. Some areas know Tibetan. Kids learn some English in school and in some states they’ll speak Hindi, Bengali, Nepali, and many others.

What do they eat in NE India, is it “Indian Food?”

Some places it is Indian food but others it is Tibet food. In some areas it’s “Indianized” Chinese food. Snacks can be different like smoked rats, live caterpillars, and yak jerky. I ate momos a lot which was heavenly. On the road side at dhabbas you can have a thali or a local dish they are making, or if you really want something “100% clean” they can boil noodles and make you packaged Maggi (Ramen). Don’t forget to try an Assamese thali!

Can I travel anywhere once I have a permit?

No. Even with a permit there are “approved circuits” or routes that you have to stay on. Even if you go 1 km off this route they will stop you. There are conflict zones you cannot go near. For example, borders to the other countries are conflict zones and you cannot go there. Some areas that you cannot go are dangerous anyways or the people haven’t been Westernized in any way and don’t even have roads. Many areas of military and you will see signs that you cannot take photos or enter.

What itinerary should I take?

The permit guidelines will help you set an itinerary. I haven’t been outside Assam and Arunachal so can’t go into detail on this. I would say to take a lot of time in this area if you want to see more than one state. I think that this would be difficult to fit into a “2 month backpacking India trip” because I think you need a minimum of 10 days over here to see one state. If you want to see a few states, I would recommend 20 days. If you have 3-6 months in India, then taking almost a month in this area would be an easy decision for me.

Is it safe in NorthEast India and what are the conflict zones?

Northeast India is the area that India has a hard time governing because of the many different tribal areas and it’s being secluded from the rest of India. The reasons for fighting here are usually ethnic but also are because of the countries that border them and disagreements about land.

The conflict areas move from state to state. While Nagaland was once dangerous, it was deemed safe to travel, and recently had a small “separatist” insurgent attack, but is still okay for travel. Confusing, right? If you read about these places they might all seem dangerous, because only the negative is shown in the news. From my experience and what my tour guide has told me all areas are safe now except for the state of Manipur and some areas on the far East side of Arunachal Pradesh (but you can’t get permission to go there anyways).

There have been some situations with tourists that were not safe, like hostage situations. There are road taxes that tourists may have to pay. I won’t go into all the little things, but you can read about it online. I can say that I felt safe the whole time I was there, but would skip Manipur as my guide doesn’t even take tourists there at this time.

What should I pack for the cold weather in NE India?

I wore the same skinny black jeans every day with leather ankle booties that had a small heel and a leather jacket. I was happy to look like I had a cute outfit in my photos (sorry!) I didn’t do any trekking but you can if you want and hiking boots may be advisable. You do not need “snow” clothes as in big puffy jackets and snow pants but you can bring a hat, gloves, and a scarf. It was chilly pretty much at all times. Take leggings, long thick yoga pants, and thick sweatshirts to sleep in. Bring lots of socks! I will do a packing list in detail soon.

Who are the main tourists who come here?

There are foreign tourists who come as well as Indian Nationals. Most of the tourists we saw were from Calcutta and areas of West Bengal. I saw very few foreigners while I was there. The places I did see them were Kaziranga National Park and Ziro Valley.

Will I see tribal people?

Yes! There are many places you can see tribal people and you can interact with them. If you have a tour guide it will be easier. They can ask if you can take photos, and will offer something like tobacco in return. They may know families that you can go in and have dinner or lunch with. If you’re there alone, especially in areas of Nagaland, they may go in their homes when you pass through and not want to speak to you.

a woman from the Apatani tribe

What is the religion of people in NE India?

They are Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, and Donyi-Polo. Many people who were Donyi-Polo (sun and moon worshippers) have been converted to Christians by the missionaries.

Have some areas never seen tourists?

Yes. I don’t know them all but for example the far NE of Arunachal Pradesh doesn’t have roads yet and they wouldn’t be used to seeing tourists.

Are there National Parks and can I see tigers?

Yes! But tigers are NOT the main attraction to this area of the world surprisingly. It’s the endangered one-horned rhino! 2/3 of the world’s population are here! There are many National Parks: Namdapha National Park, Manas National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary, and Keibul Lamjao National Park. It’s great that there is so much protected land in this small area!

Do they smoke really opium in NE India?

Yes. In Nagaland the men do smoke it openly and will invite you to join. It’s not legal. I didn’t go Nagaland and didn’t see this myself, but my guide told me.

Can I go to Northeast India alone?

Sort of. Some areas you can, but others will not give permits to people traveling alone. It’s best to travel with someone anyways. Because conflicts can come from nowhere or strikes can happen, you could find yourself stuck somewhere for a while and it would be better not to be alone.

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

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This is India! 78

Rachel Jones — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 12:31:25 +0000

What I was up to other than here:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I am so jealous of all you turkey eaters out there. I didn’t have one this year.. instead, I laid by the beach and had a massage and some sweet lime soda.
My friends came to visit from the US so this week has been a whirlwind but now that they have left, I’m cracking down to get some work done. Happy to be back in Goa and writing about the AMAZING trip I had up north with Holiday Scout. NE India is really my favorite place in India! It was a really cool trip.
In case you’re wondering, we have kept “Omni” the newest dog in Ben’s collection. Technically, we’d like to re-home him but I highly doubt that’ll happen. He’s super cute and Shanti and KitKat love him too.

Now your story,

Driving in Goa is a maze of it’s own and I’ve mentioned before some of the difficulties like cows in the road, my old car not having power steering or doors that actually stay shut, and more. I mentioned once that in the villages farmers will sometimes put down things they want ran over, since they don’t have the machine to break apart the rubber (in the cases I’ve seen it was rubber anyways.. did you know there are rubber trees all over South India?).

Another thing farmers use the roads for is drying things out. I think that’s what they are doing anyways. I guess because the pavement gets so hot?

The funny thing is they don’t seem to think about the location, as this spot near Baba Au Rhum was just around a curve people go really fast on! It makes me nervous for them. In this case, you should not run over their grains (or whatever this is… rice?)

I also noticed one guy had a stand up fan the second day we went by and was shaking out the grain (again I think it’s grains) so that the husks would fall off! Clever. I didn’t get a close enough look that day to see where the electricity was coming from; connected to a battery I guess.

Just another thing to think about when you drive in India!

This is India!

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

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This is India! 76

Rachel Jones — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 12:32:24 +0000

What I was up to other than here:

Currently traveling in NE India!! Hope you are following along on Facebook and Instagram. It’s been amazing so far and Holiday Scout has been awesome. It was -2 C for a little while and there’s no heat in hotels in Arunachal Pradesh, so that was rough lol.
I’m crossing my fingers Ben hasn’t acquire another animal while I was gone. After seeing photos I took of the dogs here in NE, he’s like “it’s ALL I want for Christmas, please bring one home!!!” He’s nuts!
Blog stuff: I wrote an article about Chandni Chowk (Guide to Chandni Chowk Market Delhi). I’ve been freelancing more which is fun and a cool way to make extra bucks! I was listed in this article Travel blogs you should definitely be reading by While I’m Young and Skinny, which was really cool! I did a little interview on Journalist on the Run as well.

Now your (very very short) story,

I mean how many times can I tell you about fixing my car?

I had some electrical problems and need to take it in for a quick fix.

It was in February. I found a really great place and it turned out it was actually the lightbulbs which just needed changed. It was about 20 rs. Easy Peasy!

Next, I said “great.. now I need the windshield wipers fixed.. they don’t work and I know it’s electric because I just had new ones put on last year”.

He looked at me quizzically and said no. I’m like “what do you mean, no?”

“madam… it’s not going to rain until June. You have time.”

I explained that although the rains wouldn’t come, since I’m there already, I’d like to have it done then and would happily pay (duh.. take me money dude!). He looked at me like I was crazy to spend money when it was absolutely necessary, fixed it in less than two minutes and I paid.

lol, the logic there was pretty good though right?

This is India!

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

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This is India! 74

Rachel Jones — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 12:23:38 +0000

What I was up to other than here:

I have been DYING to share this news!!! I am going to Arunachal Pradesh on a trip with Holiday Scout. NE India is a permit only zone and they got my permit for me as well. I’ll be going on Monday for 10 days. A little bit about it: It’s NE of Bangladesh and Bhutan and also borders Tibet and Burma. It’s a tribal area and I’ll be eating a lot of momos! This is a place I’ve always wanted to go and to see the Himalayas from this side of the world in November will be great! I was in Manali (the west side of the Himalayas) in November three years ago, but hear it’s going to be even colder. I have one pair of jeans that fit and a leather jacket… so I should be warm enough ;)
Ben will be in Goa sad that I’m always leaving him, but pre-occupied with his dogs that are a pain in the ass. He’ll probably cook them a stew because they are all best friends.
On the blog: I wrote a little bit about Goa for Expat Edna’s blog: I Love My Neighborhood: Anjuna, Goa & really fun news, TripAdvisor put me in their 20 bloggers list where we gave some solo travel advice.

Now your story,

I’m going to share another recipe from the class I took, Leelu’s cooking class, in Kochi (you can email to join a class at bookings@leeluhomestay.com). It seems you guys really liked that last time!

Today I’ll share a veggie curry, you choose the veg.

what you need:

1 onion chopped
your veg: eggplant, carrot, okra, mushroom or potato
2 chopped green chilis
3 garlic cloves smashed only if you choose eggplant

Simply put some coconut oil in a pan and sautee uncovered everything if you chose the eggplant, eggplant, or mushroom.

If you chose the carrot or potato, simply add water to cover it and cook it covered.

So, this curry is probably the least complicated one I’ve seen cooked and has the fewest ingredients. It would be a great one to start with! You’ll notice there is actually no “curry powder” or “garum masala” making this a bit plainer than most Indian curries.

This is India!

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

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Work With Us

Rachel Jones — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:14:01 +0000

Thank you for looking into a partnership with Hippie in Heels!

Choosing to advertise on a travel blog, Hippie-inheels.com, is a new and fun and proven way to promote your product, brand, or increase tourism to your destination. This site is directed toward all travelers, new and advanced and has targeted posts toward luxury travel, adventure, product and hotel reviews, and bespoke tours.

To work with Hippie in Heels, please send an email to hello@hippie-inheels.com with the details of your campaign or what type of work you’d like to hire me for and I’ll be sure to get back to you.

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Select Blogging Accolades

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Giveaways: I try to do giveaways at least 5x a year as it’s something my readers love. Some popular ones have been Pinrose, Globe In, Etsy, and IT luggage.
Brand Partnerships: Some partners I work with just once and others I become an ambassador for. These are brands that don’t just want a review but want me to show how I use their product when I travel. Panasonic (ongoing partner), Trover, Pepo (app) (1-year ambassadorship), TripAdvisor Sri Lanka campaign & others, Encircled review + multiple social media campaigns, G Adventures, Hertz, and Next Vacay, who I have worked with for over two years.
Hotel and Activity Sponsors: During my travels, I have worked with a variety of 5 star and boutique hotels from Raffles Singapore and Kempinski Ishtar to The Modern Honolulu and design hotels such as Karawan Riad in Morocco. Other than reviews, I do work with hotels on comprehensive goal-oriented campaigns such as the Sheraton Bangalore, Mirian Sky Maldives, Telunas Resort, and Hilton Hotels in which I travel to them primarily to promote their property. You can see all my hotel reviews on this page. I have worked with 50+ adventure companies like flying in a helicopter in Maui, riding in hot air balloons in Jordan, and I’ve been surfing, sailing, zip-lining, and horseback riding my way around the world. I also work with many restaurants, spas, and clubs. I won’t list them because there are too many, but feel free to reach out for examples.
Bespoke tours: I have worked with many tours companies while traveling. I also promote bespoke tours that I help design which matches my audience like a shopping tour with Istanbulite in Istanbul and a girly tour of Marrakesh with Boutique Souk.
Freelance Writing: I love writing freelance articles and would be happy to write for your website and even start and promote a new blog on a developed site. I contribute regularly to Bravo TV, Kiwi.com, and Luxury Escapes. I have written huge collections of articles for Happy Trips, Tripzuki, and the Huffington Post. I also have written for Expedia, Matador Network and guides on the CreateTrips App.
Fashion Brand & Product Partnerships: I love working with fashion and beauty brands when I travel and trying new products! I have worked with Ray-Ban, Reef, Bose, L*Space, UGG, Bumble and Bumble, Sun Bum, Dr. Brandt, Vitamin A, Teva, Sol Sana, Fabletics, Raden, James Smith, and much more. I promote these brands on my blog and social media through various campaigns.

Why work with the Hippie in Heels?

Hippie in Heels offers quality content and photography. While she is a top travel blog for world travel (of around 40 countries), she also has an excellent reputation as an expert on India and she is often mentioned as a resource on top travel websites. She’s written an entire guide to India as well as a detailed guide to Goa. about traveling in Goa which has great reviews from people like Sharell Cook from About India.

Hippie in Heels has a steady and always increasing amount of readers and a large and engaged social media following. Below is feedback from a few partners.

Joanna, CEO Vibe Israel

“From start to finish, working with Rachel was an absolute delight. We set out our expectations of her right from the start and she delivered way beyond, covering everything we hoped she would. Not only is she a pleasure to be with and get to know, she is also extremely professional and writes very authentically, intelligently and informatively. Not only was she able to post on her own blog, which has a strong following and excellent engagement rates (we use a tracking service that confirmed her numbers were very competitive with her influencer group of 5 people getting reaching over a combined 4 million people in the week of her tour), she also published on notable online magazines, such as Bravo.tv, and the like.”

Priyanka, Owner at Jamboree Creek Hotel

“Emails started flowing in after Rachel’s sponsored post and when I asked how they heard of Jamboree, more than 65-70% of people said “Hippie in Heels”. Even before this post, she wrote another where she mentioned Jamboree as 1 of 5 places to stay- which brought guests. At the moment 50% of occupied guests have come through Hippie in Heels.”

Matt, World Nomads Partner

“Rachel has been a terrific partner of ours for over the past two years. Her sales volume has tripled from when she began year over year. Rachel enjoys an average of 7% conversion; this is driven largely by great trust relationship with her audience and the robust and contextual integration. We are very grateful to have Rachel as a member of our partnership network here at World Nomads.”

Alice, Editor at BravoTV

“Rachel is an eager and positive writer, with a wellspring of story ideas that keep flowing. Although we typically work together with many time zones in between, Rachel is always in regular contact and accountable to commitments.”

Reader Emails

“I wanted to tell you that I came to India for the first time last year. Before I left I was getting a lot of people saying things that were making me nervous about coming on my own as a female. I almost dropped out and cancelled for another destination but I found your blog and it gave me reassurance to come. Now I’m in India for the 3rd time and loving it!”

“Your blog has been an absolutely invaluable resource (and not to mention totally inspiring) as I am planning my trip to India. Your posts are so detailed, thorough, thoughtful, clear, and well-written. And you have knack posting about every single little one of the questions I had. Although those pre-travel jitters are sneaking up on me, thanks to you I am feeling confident about traveling as a solo female in India.”

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Hippie in Heels while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website. Any partnerships and sponsored material on this blog is for one year unless otherwise noted.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Hippie in Heels. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

All opinions expressed are those of Hippie in Heels and not anyone else.

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