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Why You Should Visit Palolem, Goa

Published by Sheree Milli

Palolem is a must-visit part of Goa as it has a huge and wonderful beach with super-colourful beach huts that are perfect for The ‘Gram. There’s a nice mix of beach activities, clubs and bars to keep you entertained too. I had a great time here… read on to find out what to do, eat and see in Palolem.

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed in a really crappy hostel called The Roadhouse – don’t stay there. But do stay in a hostel if you’re travelling alone as they really are the best places to make friends. If I were you I’d walk along Palolem beach and get a sea-view beach hut. There are literally hundreds. I did stay one night in one for 1000IR.

GET A BOAT

For the small sum of 1800IR between 3 people you can hire a boat (with driver) to take you around some islands and to spot the dolphins that play around them. We saw a pod of about 10 dolphins, all jumping and doing dolphin-y things and after speaking to other people, I think you’re pretty much guaranteed to see some. After that we went to Butterfly Island whish is a teeny, tiny private beach – the kind you imagine buying if you won the lottery. It’s probably best to do your boat trip in the morning as it’s too hot in the afternoon.

LEOPARD VALLEY

My travel pal Hannah and I were walking back to our hostel after having a quiet drink, when a mad German woman literally bundled us into a tuk tuk and took us into the middle of the jungle! It’s not as bad as it sounds because we ended up at Leopard Valley, which is 10mins and 300IR away from Palolem beach. It’s kind of like a low rent version of the Jungle Party in Koh Phangan, Thailand, but fun nonetheless. It’s made to look like a kind of tiki thing, or like the Wu Tang Clan’s Gravel Pit video. There’s a pool, passable dance music and a nice mix of locals and travellers. Avoid the spirits here at all costs and stick to beer, the gin was like drain cleaner. Oh and entry is 500-600IR.

SUNDOWNERS

This is a bar on the furthest right side of Palolem beach and, as the name suggests, is a great place to watch the sun set. It’s set into the side of a sort of small cliff and the drinks are cheap. Arrive around 5pm to grab the best spot (sunset in India is well early, around 6.15pm). Please note, the tide will come in while you’re there, rendering your path back to the main strip of the beach gone. You’ll have to get a boat back, which takes about 10 minutes and shouldn’t be more than 100IR per person.

ART RESORT BEACH HUTS

If you’re feeling spenny then you should totally stay here, the rooms looked divine. If you’re poor like me then simply hang out here on their delightful swinging benches. The food here is awesome too, their masala papad is on point and the fish tikka is huge and only 400IR with a nice salad.

FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE BEACH

This is a secluded, quiet part of the beach which is almost like it’s own private resort. Make sure you take a little stroll down here because it’s so cute. There is also a café that overlooks the whole beach and is a perfect place to have brekkie. I had a really cheap lemon and sugar pancake (for some reason they do these everywhere in Goa).

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Check out my guide to Agonda, Goa.

Your Guide to 2 Weeks in Goa

Published by Sheree Milli

This January I knew that I did not want to be stuck in cold, grim, rainy London Town – so I took a trip back to India. A place I absolutely love. This time I went south, to the beaches of Goa. Here’s my 2 week Goa itinerary if you fancy a holiday there yourself.

FLIGHTS
I booked my flights with Jet Airways, they’re owned by Etihad, and while they aren’t the best they’re fine. A return from London Heathrow cost me £375. The flight to Mumbai takes 10 hours and then another hour flight from there to Goa airport.

ROUTE
I could never stay in one place for a whole 2 weeks – I get bored of things sooooo quickly, so I spent 4 days in Anjuna, 4 days in Palolem and the remainder of my time in Agonda. It’s easy to travel around Goa. I just took taxis everywhere as I wanted this to be a truly relaxing holiday. But you can easily take buses or trains.

ANJUNA
I STAYED… At the Funky Monkey hostel which was really great. Good facilities, a fun crowd of people and good location.
I ATE… At Banana Joe’s which is at the hostel. The Chicken Thali cost about £2 and was DELICIOUS.
I DID… Anjuna is known for its beach parties at Curlies beach shack and the huge Wednesday flea market. The beach itself is small and not that picturesque.
OVERALL FEELINGS… I’m glad I came here first as it was my least favourite part of Goa, but the parties are fun.

PALOLEM
I STAYED… At the Roadhouse Hostel. This place was actually terrible, so don’t stay here. Get one of the many beach huts on Palolem beach. I did meet two amazing girls at the hostel though, so if you’re travelling alone maybe try the one over the road.
I ATE… Malasa Papad. This food is a revelation, it’s mini poppadums topped with fresh, lime-y salsa and chillies. Delicious. Also I ate Fish Tikka at the Art House on Palolem beach. Soooo good. If you don’t like fish, Goa might not be the place for you.
I DID… Dolphin watching! Get a boat on the beach (I paid 1600IR between 3 people so about £7 each) and you can see pods of dolphins and also visit the stunning butterfly beach. I also went to Leopard Valley – a rave in the jungle which was quite cool.
OVERALL FEELINGS… I loved Palolem!

AGONDA
I STAYED… At Galaxy’s Beach Huts which were divine and right on the beach. Unfortunately, the view from the roadside was horrendous so don’t let that put you off.
I ATE… Vegan food. This place is full of great vegan cafes so I had juices, green smoothies and turmeric lattes while I was here. I also had an EPIC steak at Indah Desa on the beach… I never eat beef but had such a craving one day and it was the best steak I’ve ever had.
I DID… a lot of yoga at Sampoorna retreat. You can do 5 classes for 1500IR. Bargain. I also shopped for gemstones. Visited Cola beach whish is the number one thing you must do in Goa. And played with horses, cows and dogs on the beach.
OVERALL FEELINGS… Can I live here and continue to work on my downward dog?
This is a super top-line Goa guide, but stay tuned for my guides to Anjuna, Palolem and Agonda. Goa is super cheap but due to the weak pound it’s not as cheap as it once was. The last time I visited India you could get 100IR for £1, now it’s more like 82 to £1. So still good but ‘booo Brexit!’.

READ MY AGONDA GUIDE HERE

With regards to the culture, Goa has been a tourist destination for decades and it feels really safe, it’s easy to get around and most people speak perfect English. While some of the beaches are breath-taking, remember this is India so there will be litter, dirt and cows in most places – which might put some people off. I only visited a handful of places but other areas of Goa to try are: Arambol, Gokarna and Hampi. These are places that I’ve been personally recommended.

TOP TIPS: Take a portable charger as power cuts are frequent. I visited in January and temperatures were around 32-35 degrees Celsius but at night it got cold so bring a jumper. You can get all your toiletries etc. in Goa so don’t worry if you forget anything.

READ: Tips for making travel dirt cheap

3 Books With a Strong Female Lead

Published by Sheree Milli

Regular readers of this blog will know that I love a good book, in fact I have a book club Ladies Lit Squad and I do try and read a book a week (I’m fast and usually do it in one day at the weekend) unless life gets in the way. Anyway this crappy winter weather is probably a very good impetus for us all to get snuggled up with a good page-turner and here are three written by women and with a truly compelling female lead,enjoy!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

In this super-interesting book, science writer Rebecca Skloot looks at the life and afterlife of Henrietta Lacks, the African-American woman whose cancer cells were harvested and used to create an immortal cell line for scientific experimentation. You could say that Henrietta is the most important woman in medical history as her cells, taken from a cervical-cancer biopsy, became the first immortal human cell line and have helped scientists to research and find cures for literally hundreds of diseases. So why do we know nothing about this woman? Why do her family still live in poverty while other people have made millions off of her biology? This book is a riveting look at science and race and you have to read it.

Download it here

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

This novel was inspired by the case of Debra Lafave, a 24-year-old American teacher who was arrested for an affair with her 14-year-old student, but escaped prison when her defence lawyer successfully argued that she was “too pretty for prison”. The plot of Tampa follows Celeste Price a 26 year-old, affluent, stunning schoolteacher in suburban, Florida. All she wants is sex with pubescent boys, all the time, and her job allows her access. This book makes for uncomfortable reading at times, Celeste is unapologetic, a predator, but there are moments where you do warm to her. The effect on the boys she seduces is well-written and it’s definitely an… interesting… read.

Buy Tampa here

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

This book follows the story of brilliant but fraying Bernadette, her adoring husband Elgie and her daughter Bee. It’s written in an interesting style through a series of letters, emails, phone transcripts, doctors’ reports, instant messaging exchanges and even a transcript of a TED Talk. Bernadette is such an interesting character, fiercely intelligent but kooky, she’s agoraphobic, she lives in a crumbling house, the neighbours hate her, but she’s so likeable. This story revolves around the story of how she goes missing… but will she be found?

Download the book here

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3 Books You Need To Read This Winter

Published by Sheree Milli

As you may or may not know, this year I started a girls-only book club called Ladies Lit Squad. Since founding LLS in the summer, we’ve had three amazing meetings at The Hoxton Hotel, with sponsors like Urban Decay, Penguin Books and Pukka Herbs and we’ve read a lot of books. Follow LLS on Instagram to read along with us. Oh, and here are just three of the amazing books I’ve read recently that I think you should too… after all it’s hibernation season now. The ideal time to snuggle up with a good book.

Living The Dream by Lauren Berry

This was the book we read for our second Ladies Lit Squad book club and we were also lucky enough to have the author come and talk about the book. Living The Dream is a tongue in cheek title that will be a familiar refrain to those of us who headed to the bright lights of London for a career in fashion, media or, like the lead character in this novel, work in advertising. There’s a constant pressure in life, especially in London, to have it all. And this book is about not quite getting there. A great read for twenty-somethings who don’t have it all figured out yet.

Buy it HERE

The Upstairs Room by Kate Murray-Browne

Ladies Lit Squad read this for our third meeting and this modern-day ghost tale really resonated with the group. It’s the tale of Richard, Eleanor and their two children and Zoe, their ‘mercurial’ 27-year-old lodger. The couple buy a bargain house in London Fields, only to find that it may very well be haunted. This isn’t really a ghost story – it’s more about the relationships between the characters, who are all multi-layered and well rounded. I read this in a day, it’s fast-paced and perfect for a cold Sunday indoors.

Buy it HERE

Lullaby by Leila Slimani

Another spooky book which opens with the ominous lines “The baby is dead. It took only a few seconds.”. That’s enough to whet your whistle, right? When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their two young children. And they find her… or so they think. This voyeuristic peek into the domestic arrangements of a French family is truly chilling, but you’ll have to wait until next year to read it. Or if you’re a Ladies Lit Squad member you got a copy at our last meeting.

Released January 2018

4 Books Recommended by Ladies Lit Squad

Published by Sheree Milli

As you may or may not know, I recently started a kick-ass, all-female book club called Ladies Lit Squad – so I have a lot of books to read of late. Having a book club is a bibliophile’s dream as I get sent new books every week. Here are four I really enjoyed and which will be in the goodie bags for the next book club if you’re going!

THE ROANOKE GIRLS

The Roanoke Girls tells the story of Lane Roanoke, her cousin Allegra and a rather dysfunctional family tree. The beautiful girls in the Roanoke family all share a dark secret, and that’s what the book is about – I don’t want to give too much away. I read this in a couple of days as I just couldn’t put it down. This book reveals some killer plot twists within the first few pages, hooking you instantly… and it continues to deliver to the very end.

Buy The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

GATHER THE DAUGHTERS

Set in a dystopian future (or maybe it’s the present, I haven’t worked it out), Gather The Daughters is A Handmaids Tale for Millennials. Told through the eyes of a handful of teenage girls on an island cult, the book is dark and creepy. The set up is much like a Mormon community, there’s no technology or contact with the outside world on this island, and every summer the girls run wild, like Rumspringa, as the rest of the year they have it pretty bad. I recommend this but the ending might leave you cold.

Buy Gather The Daughters by Jennie Melamed

THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER

This book centres around a premise that many of us find endlessly fascinating – abduction. The main character was born in… captivity… as her mother was kidnapped by her father as a teenager. The protagonist grew up, living off the land of the marsh, until she escaped. Now grown up, living a normal life, she learns her father has escaped from prison. I found the central characters in the book really interesting, but I enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present day.

By The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

I’LL EAT WHEN I’M DEAD

I’ll Eat When I’m Dead is pretty ridiculous, but then it’s also pretty true to life (from someone who has worked in fashion and at a magazine). It’s basically a murder mystery set inside a workplace drama, with a bit of romance thrown in. If you’re not into fashion then you’ll be lost and/or bored, plus, there are some weird references where you think that this might be set in 2045 or maybe the 90s. It’s hard to tell. It’s The Devil Wears Prada if it was written on acid – but pretty entertaining.

Buy I’ll Eat When I’m Dead by Barbara Bourland

Timeless Style: The Trench Coat

Published by Sheree Milli

Now that the British summertime is officially over – thanks, it was a great couple of weeks – I’m getting all excited thinking about my autumn wardrobe. Mainly outerwear. Any fashion lover worth their salt knows the value of a great jacket or coat They can make or break an outfit – plus, they’re essential unless you want hypothermia. One style that never, ever goes out of fashion in the classic trench coat or mac.

The trench coat is as timeless as a pair of blue jeans, a denim jacket or an LBD. And it goes pretty well with all of those items! A great trench will see you through a chilly summer into autumn and winter as they’re especially good for layering.

The style was invented way back in the 1850s for army officers to wear and it’s a quintessentially British bit of garb. Of course, they still look amazing today with celebrities such as Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Jessica Alba frequently being seen in theirs.

As for how to style a trench coat, that’s pretty simple. It is one of the most versatile and hardworking items you can have in your wardrobe. They instantly smarten up a pair of jeans and tee and look sophisticated when worn with a dress for work or a meeting. I love to wear mine layered with a hoodie or denim jacket and trainers – for that ‘model off duty’ look (minus the model figure).

Classically trenches are beige or stone in colour but I would encourage you to try one in a wear-with-anything black shade or to go wild and buy one in a bold and bright shade like orange or cobalt blue. You can find trench coats all over the high street at a variety of price-points – so what are you waiting for?

Classic and neutral

Le-Fashion-Blog-25-Ways-To-Wear-Adidas-Sneakers-Super-Star-Trench-Coat-Suede-Pants-Street-Style-Via-Emilie-Lilja

Great for guys too

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A pop of pink

Oversized and cool

This post was written in collaboration with Jack Wills

Book Review: How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell

Published by Sheree Milli

Cat Marnell is a polarising character, by that I don’t mean your either love her or you hate her. I mean she changes your own mind about her several times in one paragraph. To give this context, Cat, is a drug addict. Her memoir How to Murder Your Life was written, we presume, under the influence so it’s raw, erratic and sometimes hard to read (she’s a fan of a !!!!!!!!!!!). On the flipside it’s this honesty and vulnerability that makes her so likeable.
Cat takes us through her very privileged upbringing, boarding school and then to the hallowed halls of Conde Nast where she was a beauty editor at Lucky magazine. So far, so good – but her parents are distant, damaged phycologists who put her on Adderall as a kid (to which she soon becomes addicted), at boarding school she’s high, has a failed relationship and traumatic abortion, and her years in New York are a crack-fest of mishaps, loneliness and tragedy.

As enviable as her life from the outside is, Cat is careful to let readers know the truth of it. On the surface she was a successful, rich woman with a glamorous job. But scratch the surface and she was conning shrinks into prescribing her drugs and slowly losing her mind.

The author

The most interesting parts of the book are just how she continued to get away with such awful behavior and being strung out on drugs at work. In our book club, we briefly discussed whether her experience would have been the same as a WOC (we thought not). Her ‘best friend’ Marco is also a large part of the story, and without wanting to spoil it – he is the friend from HELL. A real Machiavellian character that makes you feel truly sorry for Marnell.

With cameos by Nev Shulman, Eva Chen and The Fat Jew, How to Murder Your Life is a glam and glossy look at Manhattan life. Cat’s drug addiction is a welcome antidote (a literary antidote, not that I’m saying it’s a good thing) to all the glitz.

I was definitely intrigued by Cat Marnell and did a lot of further reading, especially of her Vice column and New York Times interview. Although the subject matter is a little dark, Cat Marnell is funny, genuinely funny. And self-aware – she’s the first person to point out her privilege and her manipulation of people. What’s interesting is that she’s unapologetic about it.

Ladies Lit Squad highly recommends this book.
5 Skeptas out of five.

Read about Ladies Lit Squad book club HERE

Ladies Lit Squad: How to Start a Book Club

Published by Sheree Milli

A book club was always something I’d wanted to join, I’ve been talking about it for years… but like many things I talk about doing, I never actually did it. I love to read, and I must say, I do read a lot. I have so many friends who say “I never have any time to read” or “I haven’t read a book in ages”. Well, I have, but I have no one to talk with about the books I read. So one day last month, for some reason, I finally put my money where my mouth is and started a book club.

I contacted my coolest girlfriends, did a survey to decide what to call ourselves. Our name Ladies Lit Squad is a play on the title of THIS Skepta song. Literature and Grime, a match made in heaven.

Then I asked around at a few hotels in central London to see if they would host us, The Hoxton in Shoreditch obliged. I created a Facebook group. Chose the book (How to Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell). Read the book. Paperchase kindly created some Ladies Lit Squad notebooks for our literary musings. And the rest is history.

If you’re a tuned-in lady in central London and you love a good book, and sisters coming together for a chat and a glass of fizz, then why not join us for the next one? Ladies Lit Squad is definitely not your average book club – we’re obviously all SUPAH cool, tuned-in gals. Our first meeting was very chi-chi but I have some great plans for the next one…

If you want to join email me at ladieslitsquad@outlook.com

Tips for starting a book club

Choose a good name, we did float the idea of ‘Cliterature’ but thought it might potentially put off sponsors – also a bit embarrassing to say to your mum/boss.
Decide what your USP is? LLS is named after a grime song and our first book was about a crack-addled New York party girl. We’re fun!
What extras can you add to the group? I made a logo, stickers and got personalised notebooks so the girls felt a little bit spesh.
Give people enough time to read the book – and make notes as you read. I read the book really early on and then kind of forgot all the bits I wanted to remember.
Have fun! We talked about the book but also boys, work, life.
Bring together people from different groups – I invited colleagues, friends, ex-colleagues, Twitter friends and an internet friend I’d never met in person. The dynamic was great.
Have a game plan. I need to hone this, but I did write some jumping off questions and make sure everyone knew the time and date. Basic but essential.

Try these posts next:

5 Books to Read on Your Holiday

You Need To Read… The Girls by Emma Cline

6 Inspiring Books to Load on to Your Kindle Before a RTW Trip

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Beauty From The Inside Out with Pukka Herbs

Published by Sheree Milli

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a tea addict, I LIVE for tea. I mean, I’m from Yorkshire so that stuff practically flows through my veins, but I also love a herbal tea. In fact, some of my favourite travel destinations Istanbul and Marrakesh are based on the quality of their tea. I’ve been drinking Pukka tea for years as they do great infusions that don’t break the bank, so when they asked me if I’d like to try some of their new herbal supplements I was intrigued.

I definitely believe in the benefits of taking a health supplement, though there’s lots of conflicting medical advice. All I know is it can’t do any harm.

I tried the Tumeric Lifekind supplement a few weeks ago when I was feeling quite stressed and run-down. I’d normally get ill being so overworked and run-down but I think the supplement helped ward off illness.

The Glow supplement is also good – my skin was looking a little bit lacklustre – and now it looks very glowing. That might be the sun we’ve been having but I’m sure the supplements helped from the inside out.

Check out Pukka’s range of teas and supplements here.

*Collaborative post

New Flat Tour

Published by Sheree Milli

I‘ve recently moved into a new flat and this was the first unfurnished flat I’ve ever moved into. It has its pros and cons, on the one hand it’s great because I don’t have to live with gross hand-me-down furniture, on the other hand it’s very expensive and time-consuming to buy all new stuff.

I’m coming at it from a two-tiered approach. Some things I’ve bought really cheap – like a £20 chest of drawers from IKEA that I’ll probably throw away at some point, and other things I’m investing more in (I’ve just ordered an armchair from Made.com, my first proper piece of grown up furniture).

I’m definitely more of an accessories girl – a great cushion or vase can make a room. So I’ve started moving in pictures and trinkets from my travels to make the flat homelier. It’s still pretty bare – but I’ve only been in the flat for two and a half months (3 weeks of which I was in Bali and 1 week I was in The US).

Anyway, here is what it looks like so far. I’ll keep updating as it evolves – and when my chair arrives.