In December 2019 I flew to Rishikesh, India. The plan was to stay for about two weeks, do a Chakra balancing course and then fly back home to Cape Town – after 9 months of travel around the world. After the first 5 days, all I wanted to do is run away – it was just too overwhelming – even though this was not my first visit to India but my third! Too much of everything. Too many people, too many cars, too much honking, too many monkeys, cows, too many ashrams, yoga schools, and other schools teaching all kinds of spiritual things. And then 2 months later I was still there. In love with Rishikesh. Feeling at home.
In this article, I want to share my personal experience of Rishikesh and why I love it so much and it became one of the homes of my heart and I want to give you lots of useful information in case you plan to travel there anytime soon. Before I arrived in Rishikesh I did a quick research on the Internet because I knew nothing about Rishikesh, except that it seemed to be the Yoga capital of India. I read one blog post from another girl that gave me a few good tips, however, she had only spent 5 days in Rishikesh so it was somewhat limited. I personally find blog posts with experiences from other people really valuable and more helpful than for example Tripadvisor. So I hope this blog post is helpful and interesting to you!
In my first week in Rishikesh, I really struggled to find the right course with the right teachers and even felt like leaving Rishikesh altogether. I met with a healer who gave me some more insights and told me that in order to do chakra balancing it would be good to do a Reiki and/or Sound healing course. These healing practices can then balance the chakras. A few days later I met a local expat in a restaurant and she recommended me my Reiki master, who I ended up doing both Reiki Level 1 and 2 with. She is called Shanti Ji, is probably the oldest Reiki master in Rishikesh and can only be found by word-of-mouth (Let me know should you be interested, and I will pass on her details).
Meeting other travelers or local expats is one of the best things in Rishikesh – everyone is like-minded and open-minded and you meet people easily and everyone is super friendly and helpful.
Practical info
The main areas where things happen are Tapovan and Laxman Jhula, which are on either side of the Ganges connected with a pedestrian bridge. Between those two areas, one has to walk, as there aren’t any Rikshaws or taxis driving across the bridge. So make sure to bring some comfy shoes to walk in.
Sometimes you will hear people tell you that you find something you are looking for at “the market”. I guess you could call this area more Rishikesh downtown – a very busy area with endless shops where everything is cheaper. Anything you cannot find in Tapovan or Laxman Jhula you will find here. It costs max 20 INR to drive there from Tapovan in a shared Rikshaw. Just be aware it is very busy, overwhelming and crazy – even more than Tapovan and Laxman Jhula.
I can very much recommend visiting the Beatles Ashram. I was a bit shocked about the entry fee of 600 INR for foreigners, which I find very steep especially compared to what locals pay. But it was still worth it. The Ashram and Ashram ground is a magical place. Even though in ruins now, wandering through it, you could imagine what it must have been in the 60ies and 70ies and I really wish I could have been there. Take at least 2 hours, better 3 to explore all the buildings and the gallery.
Events:
To find out what is happening in Rishikesh the best two things to do is either join Rishikesh Community on Facebook or to go to local restaurants like Tattva Cafe, Pumpernickel Cafe, and Rawat Restaurant, where you will find plenty of posters of things on offer and events happening in Rishikesh. You will find great events like full/new moon circles, ecstatic dance, cacao ceremonies, breathwork sessions, women circles and much more. Rishikesh truly is a dream for anyone interested in yoga and personal growth.
An interesting event to attend at least once is an Aarti. Every evening as the sun is setting, the Ganga Aarti is performed at the three holy cities of Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi in India. An aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering. It’s usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small diya with a candle and flowers that is floated down the river. The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, also affectionately referred to as Maa Ganga, goddess of the holiest river in India. I went to the Aarti at the Parmath Niketan Ashram. There were a lot of tourists taking videos and photos so it felt a bit like a tourist thing but it was still very nice to see and participate. I heard that the Aartis in Haridwar are more authentic.
Where to stay:
There are a lot of options to stay. Many hostels and hotels can be found on booking.com. However, many guesthouses and homestays are not advertising online. And you might often find a better deal for those – so I suggest walking around and asking at different homestays and guesthouses. A place I can very much recommend is Ira’s Kitchen – a great restaurant from a lovely family who also have very nice ensuite double rooms. You can usually also rent a room in a yoga school – I did this at AYM school which was also a great option, however further up the hill so you have to walk a bit more. My first two nights I stayed at Shalom Hostel. Nice location and staff and good to meet people, but the value for money wasn’t too great. Another place I stayed for a few nights was Green Hills, a nice place (a bit pricey though) with private rooms and amazing breakfast included in their restaurant 60ies eat story.
Ashrams:
I stayed in two different Ashrams. Anand Prakash Ashram, which is right in the middle of Tapovan. The minimum stay is 3 nights. I can highly recommend a stay here – 2 yoga sessions per day, Kirtan twice a week (don’t miss this one!) and sometimes Satsang or other special events. They have amazing food and great staff and nice facilities. The Ashram is quite modern and kind of made for Westerners to get an idea of what Ashram life is like. You can also go to Anand Prakash for drop-in yoga classes or attend the Kirtan free of cost. They run regular teacher trainings so you might spend your stay with a big group of amazing yoga students.
The other Ashram I stayed was Osho Gangadham Ashram, about 10km north of Rishikesh right at the Ganges in a beautiful and peaceful location. One of the best things I found is that at the Ashram you cannot hear any cars, any honking, or other noise. Just nature. Peaceful and quiet. And the Osho meditations are something everyone should at least experience once in their lives! I promise it will be very different from any meditation you have tried before. If you spend one day and night here to join the meditations it will already benefit you so much. Letting go of stuck emotions and releasing anything that doesn’t serve you any longer. Go there with an open mind and just give it a try.
Where to eat:
I have a very sensitive stomach so I tried to be careful about where and what I ate. There are a lot of cheaper local restaurants but I mostly stuck to more “fancy” places according to India’s standard. My top places in Tapovan were Tattv cafe, great food, amazing service, nice seating area, and very friendly staff. Then 60ies Eat Story was another favorite, especially for the nice seating area, huge menu, nice 60ies music, and friendly staff. A more local place I went regularly for Dosa was Rawat Restaurant. The best ginger, lemon and honey tea and the best Khichdi in town you find at Ira’s Kitchen. Pretty much all their food is great though – make sure to check it out. Another great place is Tulsi Restaurant in upper Tapovan on the edge of the forest. Nice food and nice views. For great views of nature and the Ganges, you can also go to Ramana’s Garden. The menu is a bit limited and pricey for what they have but the deck is great to chill. On the Laxman Jhula side, my usual places were Little Buddha Café – great views of the river, nice vibe and gluten-free pancakes amongst lots of other options on the menu. The last place to recommend is 11:11 which has a nice selection of food in a nice spot.
When to go:
I arrived in early December and if you have the right (warm) clothes, it is nice, especially because it is not crowded. From mid-February, it got very busy with Mooji and other Guru’s giving Satsangs and the International Yoga Festival happening early March. The weather got warmer from early February and is apparently really nice until the end of April. After that from May, it gets very hot and humid – so I don’t think I would want to be there. I was told that September to November is also a nice time for Rishikesh.
Yoga classes:
There are a few thousand yoga schools and a huge amount of Ashrams in Rishikesh, so your choice is endless. You can go to drop-in yoga classes at most schools and studios. Two of my favorites were Mittra Yoga in the Sant Sewa Ashram every morning at 8:30 am and Akhanda yoga in the Anand Prakash Ashram 6 am or 4 pm Mon-Sat. It all depends on your level of yoga, what style of Asanas you like and what time of the day you like to do yoga. There are certainly enough studios and classes on offer.
Massages:
I only tried one place for massages, which was recommended to me on the first day. And it was the best massage I had in my entire life (and I have had many massages in many different countries); so I didn’t even want to look for anything else. The place is in Laxman Jhula and is called Tattva Ayurveda Center. Usually, a massage is around 1000 – 1200 INR depending on what you get, however for the best massage ever you need to book the owner Vicky, who is incredible and he charges 2000 INR for an hour and it is worth every Rupee. I recommend you to end the massage with a steam bath, which is the cherry on the top.
Nature adventures:
Rishikesh can get a bit much and intense after a while. So if you stay here a bit longer it is a great idea to get out into nature for some fresh air, peace, and quiet. I found a place for just that very close to Tapovan above the Neer waterfall. Aquaoneworld is a little oasis with amazing people and food right in the mountains with own natural pool and river. The best is that it is very easy to reach from Rishikesh. Around 5min bus or scooter ride from Tapovan and then just following the waterfalls along the way and you reach Aquaoneworld.
Another nice thing I can highly recommend is to go into the snowy mountains (obviously depends on the time of the year that you go) which I did over New Year’s. The drive was quite long due to lots of roadworks but the hikes in Chopta and up Chandrashila peak were spectacular (see picks below) and well worth the long bus drive and the cold overnights in snowy conditions and basic accommodation. I joined a group of people that had booked a trip with a company called Mapping the Himalayas. I can very much recommend this tour company. Kaly – the owner – is a knowledgable, kind and down to earth guy who knows what he is doing. Also good to know, tracking in the Indian Himalayas is much cheaper than going for tracking in Nepal.
My personal experience
To me, India a country that is hard to explain to someone who has not been. There is a magic about India that one cannot understand or comprehend if it hasn’t been experienced in person.
It is chaos, yet order. It is noisy, yet peaceful. It is madness, yet relaxing. It is so different from my usual living environment, yet it makes me feel at home. It is really something quite difficult to describe in words. This trip was my 3rd time in India, and I have not traveled this huge country extensively, but that doesn’t matter to me to know how being in India makes me feel in my heart.
Rishikesh has a special energy about it and if you go I hope you have enough time to experience this. I was told, that in the past a lot of different Guru’s used to live there and also still do today and this creates a special energy in this little town surrounded by mountains with the Ganges flowing right through it. I am sure you will feel it as well. The city is not too big yet not too small, it has a lot of mountains and nature around it and the river.
A very common thing I hear other people and travelers I meet along the road is that India is so dangerous and that you cannot travel alone as a woman. Well, I cannot speak for the whole of India or the big cities like Delhi and Mumbai where I have not been BUT Rishikesh felt very safe. I had no issues in regards to safety in Rishikesh, I never felt unsafe and I never had any Indian men bother me (which is a common thing you hear people say as well). Just be street smart and consider the culture, like cover your legs and shoulders, don’t go alone to the beach on the Ganges, etc. and then there should not be any problem. Rishikesh has a very low crime rate and is full of lovely and kind people.
Some people say Rishikesh is very commercial – and I agree. And from what I heard from the locals it is getting even more commercial; I guess like most places on the planet who want to profit from tourism. But I also think that even though it has a commercial side, you can still feel the special energy and with most things revolving around yoga, healing, meditation, etc., it is a great place for personal growth and spiritual growth. And not to forget the incredible food, Indian spices and beautiful and kind people of India.
After 10 weeks in Rishikesh, one of the biggest learnings and impacts on me and my life was to realize how little you actually need to live a happy life. Life is much more basic, less focused on material things, more focused on essential things, and on yourself.
THE NAKED TRUTH
Life and also traveling are not always sunshine and rainbows – especially not outside your comfort zone and no story is complete without mentioning the struggles, the difficulties, and the hard times.
Having grown up in Germany with a high standard of living and even living in Cape Town does not really prepare you for what you will experience in India. I am by no means spoilt or living in real luxury right now, and there is a lot of poverty in South Africa too, but even then India comes as quite the shock. The standard of living, the state of poverty, or basic living conditions, the state of cleanliness (or the lack thereof) was even on my 3rd trip to India oftentimes shocking and something to have to get used to. And sometimes I struggled with certain local restaurants and accommodation that was below a standard I had ever experienced. Oftentimes I had to turn a blind eye to places or situations around me.
I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any comments or questions, please let me know!
Did you enjoy this post?
Subscribe to get the latest blog posts directly to your inbox!