What should women wear when travelling in India?

How women travellers should dress in India is an ongoing discussion. It's the question I've been asked most since I've been out here and the issue that Alice and I struggled most with before we came. So, here's a brief overview in relation to the places we visited.

Before I begin, though, it should be said that how you dress is completely down to you, and what you are comfortable with. At the end of the day you are a travelling woman in India, you are going to get lots of looks from locals (both male and female) and will attract attention by just being there. How you dress will only affect the sort of attention you receive. Alice and I didn't once feel threatened on our trip. Yes, people looked at us, and often we did flash a little more knee/shoulder than is probably encouraged; but we did so under the clear understanding that we were going to generate that kind of reaction and were comfortable with that fact.

North India

Delhi
Delhi is a crazy place. It might be smaller than Mumbai with a smaller population, but it feels that bit more chaotic. To us, it felt dirtier and more intrusive. Make sure you have a shawl with you at all times and I would keep your shoulders and knees covered, just to avoided the attention. You can buy trousers for 100rps in most of the bazaars, so stock up at the beginning of the trip.
If you visit any temples you will have to cover up, but it is worth donning the same garb for any palace or fort visits; people will ask to take photos of you in Delhi.

Varanasi
Varanasi is a holy city, 300 funerals take place here every day. It's hot and humid and intense and you'll sweat more than you ever thought was physically possible, but keep covered up at all times here; just out of respect.

Agra
Being a tourist destination, the Taj Mahal is full of people from every corner of the globe. You could wear anything you liked here, really, so it's up to you whether or not you want to observe the more conservative dress code. We did, because it felt more respectful.

Jaipur
Jaipur is a little more chilled out, so it is at your discretion how much flesh you show. Keep a scarf with you and just be respectful. It is worth noting that a lot of people living in Jaipur aren't as used to westerners than those in the big cities; Jaipur is huge and quite poor in parts, so just be aware that you might attract a lot of attention.

Jaisalmer
I got my shoulders out in Jaisalmer for the first time. It is a small city, and felt that more chilled. We ensured we always had something to cover us up, but were a bit more relaxed on the dress code. Just, as a mentioned, be aware of the level of attention you might attract while you are there. Many of the camel safaris offer village visits; I would recommend keeping covered up for these, just to avoid creating anymore havoc than your presence alone will inevitably cause.

South India

We only visited a very small part of South India, so you may need to look around for advice on how to dress in Kerala, Chennai and beyond.

Goa
Goa is a bit like a beach resort. People walk through the streets in their bikinis here, especially in Palolem. We didn't go that far, but shorts and dresses were fine. Bikinis are all good on the beach, though I would recommend finding a slightly quieter patch of sand and maybe tucking yourselves behind a boat or something similar to avoid drawing a crowd. A lot of people told us to cover up on the local buses, however we found that we didn't draw any additional attention so carried on as we were (keeping a shawl or scarf with us at all times).

Hampi
Hampi is a very sacred place. If you are visiting any of the active temples make sure you cover up; chances are you will be asked to by the tourist information guys if you don't. The rest of the place you are fine; Hampi draws a lot of domestic tourists to it's ruins so just be aware that you might stick out a little bit and get a few looks from other Indians.

Mumbai
Dress according to your activity and location. If you're visiting the slums be respectful and conservative and consider that people aren't that used to scantily clad western women wandering around. In Colaba we felt quite comfortable in dresses with shawls, though we did put trousers on at night. Be aware of the Bollywood talent scouts that patrol the strip outside Leopold's; it is more than likely that you'll be scouted to be extra in an up and coming film if you're a woman and you're western and you're arms or legs are exposed (we were scouted within a minute of getting out of the cab!)

My main advice would be to stick within your comfort zone. Alice and I felt comfortable in Goa wearing summer clothes, but for much of Rajahstan we kept our shoulders and knees covered. Understand that you are already attracting a lot of attention, and what you wear will only add or subtract from that.

L&A x 

Exploring the beaches of North and South Goa.

We spent over a week exploring both north and south Goa, and found slices of paradise at each tip. Here's the lowdown.

North Goa

Anjuna

Prison hostel is the only place to be seen in when it comes to hostels in Anjuna. Known as the party hostel in this party town, this is the place to be if you're up for late night parties, Bhang on the balcony and cheap beer. 

Every item in the honesty fridge is 50rps, so you just sign the book when you come home hammered and drink 4 cartons of tropicana and make yourself a Maggi's. The 'cell' beds are between 400-500rps a night and include a hangover breakfast of omlette sarnies. A 10minute stroll to the beach puts it in a great location, too. 

Curlies takes up one end of Anjuna beach, offering free sunbeds in the days, good appetizers (don't bother with the mains), thumping music 'til the early hours and dozens of women cooking up noodles for 100rps a pop to finish the night. 

We ended up partying with a group of Indian guys, necking far too many jägerbombs and going to a weird psychedelic rave...

Head to Artjuna café for great coffee and a good brunch and lunch menu. It's Goan prices, but worth it for the chilled out expat vibe and leafy decor. 

Israeli fare at Artjuna 

I never thought I'd be recommending a burger place in Goa, but Burger Factory is definitely worth a visit. Chicken, beef and veggie options for between 250-350rps; the burgers were bigger than my head and, paired with 50rps beers from over the road, made for the perfect hair of the dog kind of a meal. 

Vagator

Just a 10min scooter ride down the road you've got the slightly quieter Vagator beach. Stay at jungle hostel, prison's sister, for a slightly more chilled out atmosphere (think hammocks and mango trees). You'll pay between 400-450rps for a dorm room with free breakfast and access to the honesty fridge. 

Visit Thalassa on the hilltop for awesome views and great Grecian food in a setting that'll make you think you've just taken a left off the main road and driven into Mykonos. The wraps start at 350rps, and there's Bombay sapphire for 180rps a shot. 

Shubu Panjab, 5 minutes down the road from jungle, serves up the best tandoori chicken we've found. At 450rps for a whole chicken it's better than any nandos and a fraction of the price. 

Watch sunset at the fort on the hill. It's a 10minute walk or you can scooter up to it via the road. 

Arambool 

Arambool is about a half hour from Anjuna, so we joined a convoy of scooters and headed up for the day. It was awesome and, in hindsight, I wish we'd've stayed for a while.

The beach is lovely, with boats available for dolphin trips and restaurants and bars lining the sand. We ate at Geckos, and the food was good, even if it was a little over priced. I'd've eaten there for the music choice alone: a good curry, a big beer and 80's power ballads? I'm in. 

The Main Street is lined with shops and it's worth having a browse. The art shop, half way up, has some beautiful prints in just about every size which are really affordable. By the time I was done with the place every inch of floor was covered in bright landscape paintings and batik's of Ganesh. 

The German bakery, with it's rooftop bar and excellent pastries, is the perfect breakfast spot. 

The sweet lake was definitely the highlight, though. Scale the steps on the far right of the bay and walk along the path, lined with shops, restaurants and bungalows. I'd recommend eating in one of them, the views are great. The bay itself is lined with trees, and the sweet lake sits behind them. 

You can venture into the jungle and visit the mudbaths for 150rps per person, but we had a small incident with a snake that ended in me completely freaking out and the majority of our party returning to the lake for a dip. 

South Goa

Palolem

Palolem is pretty great. Check out my other blog for things to do: <http://1girlandherbackpack.blogspot.com/2014/10/visiting-palolem-in-offseason.html> We had hoped that returning a week later, and therefore further into the season, things would be starting to get a little more lively... I can't lie and say that was the case, but we bought 4 people with is this time so we were able to make our own fun. 

Shop around for hotels and bungalows. We stayed at Gaspah's guesthouse for 500rps per night, which wasn't the cheapest (we were offered a 300rps room), but the rooms were nice, the beds were big and there was wifi. Location-wise we were about 5mins from the Main Street. 

Fresh chapatis at Fernandes 

We headed back to Fernandes as we has previously and were chuffed to see it busier than when we'd last been there. Cafe espresso, too, was buzzing and we ended up heading there for dinner and drinks on the first night. Large bowls of fresh chicken salad for 220rps were a welcome change from the usual curry and I think the team took a likening to is because they plonked some free waffles on our table at the end of the meal (best waffles EVER.) We discovered frozen vodka lemonades, too, for 140rps - try them they are awesome. 

Shopping in palolem is good, better than anywhere else we had been in goa. We didn't know that until we returned, but were sure to take advantage of it on our second visit. Johnny Babah's is good for leather: more expensive than the cheap shops of Rajahstan, but okay priced and Johnny doesn't take any shit which I like. Towards the sea, on the left, there's a shop which sells really unique clothes that I have only ever seen in this one tiny stall in palolem. We bought shorts, vest tops and dresses; all of which can be worn at home, for 200rps a piece. 

On our penultimate day in Palolem we attended Rahul's cooking class (www.rahulcookery.com), and had an awesome morning cooking up a storm in his private kitchen tucked off of Main Street. For 1,100rps per person we made 3 main dishes, a bread and a chutney. Rahul purchased the ingredients from the market at 6am, so we cooked the freshest prawns and chicken we'd had since we've been out here and the prawn masala we made was honestly one of the best things I've eaten in India. Rahul gave us a recipe book to take home so we can try our recipes elsewhere, and considering how simple he made everything sound, I genuinely hope to recreate the dishes some other time. 

Patnam

Patnam is a beautiful bay, just round the corner from Palolem. You can get there on foot, or jump on a scooter for a 5min ride to the entrance. In the high season the beach is lined with huts, but when we visited it was more of a construction site. You can tell the potential of the place though; less commercialised than Palolem with a slightly calmer feel to the place. 

Agonda

We hired scooters from Palolem for 200rps per day and headed to Agonda, which is about a 40min scoot down the road. 

The huge bay was lovely. Quiet, lined with huts ready for the high season, and life guarded by 2 Indian guys in a red truck. The Agonda cottages resort was open for business so we headed there for a drink and some free sunbeds. 

The sea is rougher round here, so be careful if you're not so strong a swimmer. 

For lunch we headed back into town a little bit to a locals joint called Fatima's corner. Busy, resonably priced and efficient service made for a good stop. 

Goa is beautiful. The landscape is a lush green, with rows of paddy fields lining the side of the roads and unruly jungle spreading for miles in-land. The beaches are picturesque; miles and miles of white sand and rough sea, and people are so friendly and welcoming. The dress code is more relaxed, and you can wear bikinis on the beach and dresses and shorts elsewhere; there's no need to keep your shoulders under wraps. It's more expensive than the north, the locals have ramped up the prices due to the popularity of the region, but if you know where to look you can stay, eat, drink and play here way within your budget. 

Explore, because there's so much to see.

L&A. X 

Visiting Palolem off-season...

...is such a tease.

The beautiful beach is dotted with tourists, but only so many that you can still find a secluded spot that makes you feel like you're in your own little part of paradise. The bars and restaurants that line the seafront are starting open up, offering cheap local booze, the freshest of seafood and incredible views of the ocean. 

Not a bad view for our morning run.

The touristy shops that line the path down to the beach are fully stocked, and the hawkers are keen to sell you their wares to ensure some low-season sales. But, it's quiet. A little too quiet. The famed beach shake are starting to pop up along the shore, but most are under construction, and many of the bars are only just opening their doors. The nightlife is quiet, with 24hr cocktails available but the only real revellers being large groups of Israeli travellers or couples enjoying some alone time by the sea. 

This place is pregnant with possibility and we left after 2 nights vowing to return once it has started to get into the swing of things.

Not that we didn't keep ourselves 'busy'.

Fernandes was our favourite beach bar. Drinks were cheap (90rps g&t), whilst the seafood was crazy affordable and purchased fresh from the buckets bought in by the fishermen every evening. 

Fresh squid for 80p was a highlight, as was the stuffed mackerel (180rps). 

For the best coffee in town, visit Cafe Express on the corner of the mainstreet. You'll pay a pound a cup but it's worth it. 

The iced shakes are amazing too (better with vodka) and the menu is vast; catering to everyone with Tibetan momos, Israeli hummus wraps and large Thali to share. The staff are lovely too, and you can tell by the excellent music choice that this place goes off peak-season. 

We stayed at Printnams bungalows for 800rps a night. I thought it was quite pricey for what it was out of season, but there were several travellers staying there so we stuck around for the company. Clean room, good sized bed with mosquito net and a hot shower, wifi in the most places; it did the job. 

Friends stayed in Geuros and felt it had more of a travellers vibe. Far cheaper too at 300rps a night; so that's worth checking out. 

We ate at Baba's little Italy, which is one of the many restaurants offering pay-per-kilo seafood on the Main Street. Our kingfish tandoori was great, as was the vegetable sizzler which came out of the kitchen still smoking, served on a hot stone. It was pricey though, topping 500rps for the two of us. 

Goa is beautiful. It's lush green landscape and picturesque beaches make it a place to linger, and explore. 

We'll return next week to take it all in, but for now we head to Hampi on an overnight bus a little browner than when we arrived and excited for the sun-soaked days ahead.

L&A xx