Ahh.. so you have always fancied the notion of turning into a hippie. Or, perhaps, tried to fit your name with words such as bohemian, flower child, free spirit or non-conformist. Might have even fancied the idea of converting a rickety bus into a caravan and setting on an around the world trip, travelling with strangers. If you have ever toyed with one of these ideas, you’re a hippie at heart.
Photo Courtesy – hippiehour.com
While taking one such decision might sound like a far cry, you can always head out to some of the most hippie places in India. Live your fantasy for a day or two before you take the big leap. So, here’s to the hippie in you.
1) Goa, of course.
Photo Courtesy – Dominik Hundhammer
Simply because there’s no place as hippie as Goa.
2) Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh
Photo Courtesy – Aleksandr Zykov
Modest budget hotels, homestays, cosy cafes, lesser crowd, meditation centres, treks and the Himalayas. Complete hippie recipe this.
3) Varkala, Kerala
Photo Courtesy – Lukas Vacovsky
If you think Kerala is all churches, backwaters and ancient fishing nets, visit Varkala. Comprising mostly of a cliffside that overlooks the Arabian Sea, Varkala is home to a huge crowd of expats and hippies.
4) Kasol & Tosh, Himachal Pradesh
Photo Courtesy – J.M.Garg
While both the places are equally fun and happening, Tosh is the lesser crowded of two. Its proximity to some short treks and a growing number of cafes and budget homestays adds more charm to it.
5) Pushkar, Rajasthan
Photo Courtesy – ILRI/Stevie Mann
Trademark Indian style town fairs, an ancient temple, golden sand for its surroundings, cafes that are fast growing in number, make Pushkar as chilled out as Rajasthan can ever be. Oh yes, snake charmers too.
6) Puducherry/Pondicherry
Photo Courtesy – Dey.sandip
Puducherry, the famous French bit in India, is one of the most loved hippie getaways down South. A gorgeous beach side, surfing schools, yoga centers, street food (that also includes French cuisine!) are just some of Puducherry’s fun elements.
7) Gangtok, Sikkim
Photo Courtesy – soumyajit pramanick
Leather jackets, yoga pants, guitars slung over the shoulder, coloured hair, marijuana t-shirts (not promoting it!), and the heady Himalayan wind. If that doesn’t sound like hippie to you, I don’t know what else will!
8) Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Photo Courtesy – Jean-Marie Hullot
Hailed as “Yoga Capital of the World”, Rishikesh is much more than just yoga. Spiritual centres, the ever-increasing number of expats, new cafes sprouting up every other day, riverside camps, and holy men who won’t mind giving you a high five. That’s Rishikesh for you.
9) Hampi, Karnataka
Photo Courtesy – Gnissah
One of the fast emerging travel destinations in India, Hampi is a must on every hippie traveller’s map. Days can be well spent in doing nothing; or maybe cycling, fishing, canoeing, bouldering, or sleeping under the open sky while an ancient civilisation stands as your guard.
10) Gokarna, Karnataka
Photo Courtesy – Miran Rijavec
If the hippie but crowded beach-side of Goa has failed to woo you, make Gokarna an essential stop in your hippie journey. A bus ride away from Goa, Gokarna has streets adorned in wall art, beach-side shacks, stretches of unspoiled beaches and an essentially hippie crowd.
Rounding up this list of the 10 best hippie places in India, I’ll scoot off to search for more such hippie happy destinations. If you know of a place that deserves a mention in this list, leave a comment below. Will be glad to add to the list.
Till then, happy travelling.
About the author
Shikha Gautam, she loves to play with steering wheels, roads, words, flute and guitar among other things. Not necessarily in that order! You can contact her on twitter @ShikhaGautam
