Silly us almost didn’t make it to Rishikesh. Who knew that trains books out weeks in advanced sometimes? Not us! We were relieved to get off one of the waitlists we put ourselves on for tickets. With the amount of things that tend to fall in our favor…we really haven’t been handed too many hard (& probably needed) lessons that might cause us to plan more ahead.
Rishikesh offers a beautiful escape from bustling city life. It’s positioned at the foothills of the Himalayas, which offers a sense of calm and gave us a glimpse into a more peaceful side of northern India.
The Culture
Rishikesh is known for being a global yoga hotspot. What was once considered a sacred place for a spiritual meditative retreat, is now a well-known place flooded with yoga schools and cafes on every corner. The hilly streets are lined with billboards and fliers for an almost overwhelming amount of yoga trainings/classes & Ayurvedic treatments and retreats. With so many options available you’re sure to find a lemon or two. Sadly, we ended up snagging a few lemons. We found ourselves attending a less-than-enjoyable yoga and meditation class as well as a set of lackluster ayurvedic massages. Oh well, maybe next time!
On the flipside, we found some absolute treasures here! Slow mornings spent doing yoga on the rooftop surrounded by mountains was an absolute treat. We loved roaming the winding shop-filled streets and even made some rare purchases! A new shirt for Jack and rings for both of us rounds out our non-consumable purchases for ourselves since August to about 15 items? Beyond shopping streets, we had the chance to explore several Hindu temples. The panoramic views from the Bhootnath Temple on the hilltop were spectacular! The 13 story Tervi Manzil Temple also had lovely views, but we were less charmed by how it was turned into a bit of a multi-story gift shop with a guru giving “free” (but not at all free) blessings at the top.
The Ganga River
For many people here the Ganges is more than just a River—it’s a considered a goddess whose waters purify and liberate the soul. Every evening the Ganga Aarti takes place around sunset. We attended this ceremony one night at Parmarth Niketan Ashram alongside hundreds of people to witness the music, chanting, and glowing candle-lit offerings floating down the river.
While being such a spiritual place, Rishikesh has also become a bit of an adventure hot spot with rafting and bungee jumping being incredibly popular. We opted for another white water rafting trip. This experience was much different than our Ecuador one. Here we traded fear of surviving the intense rapids for fear of the looser emphasis on safety. Our guide exhibited a bit more interest in making sure he had adequate Go-Pro footage rather than concern for our safety aboard. Although, it did give us a good chance to take a dip in the Ganges along the way with our fellow rafters. Even if one or two were less than thrilled to do so and one even drifted away in a panicked state for a few moments. It was wild to see how unphased our guide was as he continued to prioritize footage before retrieving our drifting raft mate.
We had ourselves a different type of beach day at Nim Beach compared to those on our island adventures. In an attempt respect modesty norms (& also not get swept into the Ganga River), this one consisted of much more sand time. There was plenty to love about any chance to be near these crystal clear glacial colored waters and cool our legs on in the chilly water to refresh from the blazing sun.
Eats
You could spend weeks in Rishikesh and never have to eat in the same cozy cafe twice. Our personal favorite was Tulsi Restaurant, which had us coming back over and over gain for more hearty food. Everything on their menu from tofu and veggies to their desserts like banofee pie were fresh and delicious. With most travelers to Rishikesh being vegan or vegetarian, non-veg options are tricky to come by. Because of this we adopted Ta Po Chi as our nightly stomping ground. Although the chicken is what drew us in, a sickening amount of soya chaap (marinated and cooked chunks of soybean and wheat on a skewer) are what kept us coming back. What can we say, we love being a regular somewhere. It helps make it feel like home.
- # of beds slept in: 79
- # of countries visited: 11
- # of transportation modes: 14
- Bus (non-local): 30
- Plane: 18
- Ferry: 11
- Train: 4
- # of days since leaving Colorado: 241