The Kalpavriksha Trail is the successor of the Banana Pancake Trail of the 2010s and of the original Hippie Trail.

It consists of a network of a few dozens small alternative lifestyle towns or areas that have been recognized as suitable for conscious living:

BALI

  • Ubud
    • Taman Petanu Eco Village – The neighborhood is based on Balinese sacred principles and permaculture. Some home owners are constructing their units according to Vedic principles. Plants and herbs that remove negative energy have been planted along the passageways.
  • Uluwatu (Pecatu, Balangan, Bingin, Suluban, Ungasan)
  • Amed – Unspoiled seaside yoga and diving town nestled between sea and mountain in Northeast Bali
  • Nusa Penida – An untouched island of Koh Phangan’s size right next to Bali, where everything remains possible
  • Pemuteran – An emerging village full of holistic activities in North Bali

INDONESIA

  • Yogyakarta – Has risen to become something of a mecca for hippies and yogis, due to the presence of ancient temples, low cost of living, and general Hindu revival in the area. It is also the home of the Jogja Digital Valley
  • Labuan Bajo – A fast-growing alternative lifestyle town in Indonesia’s “Wild East”
  • Lombok (Senggigi, Kuta) – Home to a number of eco-villages and alternative living communities
  • Nias Island – An internationally famous surfing destination. Nias was part of the hippie trail of the 1960s, which led to Bali. Adherence to either Christian or Moslem religions is still largely symbolic – Nias continues into current day celebrating its own world’s only megalithic culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression

Rumah Kayu in Magelang, near Borobudur

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

MALAYSIA

PHILIPPINES

MYANMAR

SOUTH INDIA

  • Gokarna – A small temple town in Karnataka. Shiva the most worshiped deity in the town
  • Goa – Palolem –
  • Goa – Patnem – One of the best places to live in Goa
  • Goa – Arambol – The area favored by practitioners of alternative therapies and yoga
  • Hampi – A mystical and enchanting enclave in the Indian state of Karnataka, in the middle of ancient temples
  • Varkala – Kerala’s bohemian beach
  • Kodaikanal – The best of India’s hill stations (cold towns)
  • Vattakanal – Another great, liveable hill station in Tamil Nadu. One of the lesser known towns on the Trail
  • Auroville – An utopian spiritual township created by Sri Aurobindo. Surrounded by the Pitchandikulam ethnomedicinal forest
  • Pushkar – Hippie town in Rajasthan with lots of culture and heritage

NORTH INDIA (Himalayas)

  • Manali – Often called the ‘Goa of the North’ as a lot of people leave Goa during the heavy monsoon rains and move to Manali. You’ll see a lot of the restaurants and cafés have outlets in both Manali and Goa.
  • Rishikesh – The capital of Yoga, in the Himalayas
  • Kasol – The most popular hippie town in Himachal Pradesh
  • Dharamkot

SRI LANKA

  • Weligama – Sri Lanka’s emerging lifestyle hotspot
  • Mirissa – A stunning, crescent-shaped beach town
  • Hikkaduwa – World famous beach town, well known for its scenic beaches, coral reef sanctuary, surfing and nightlife
  • Ella – Sri Lanka’s best hill station
  • Arugam Bay
  • Ulpotha – The best Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat in Sri Lanka

MALAYSIA

VIETNAM

CHINA

  • Dali – The one and only hippie town of China, it is a treasure trove of culture and inspiration. Nestled in the enchanting Yunnan.

Conscious communities across the globe

The Kalpavriksha Trail may also overlap with the Gringo Trail of Central and South America:

COSTA RICA

  • Samara – Has an intoxicating hippie commune vibe
  • Nosara – The yoga capital of Costa Rica
    • Pachamamna – An off-grid community in the jungle, close to Nosara
  • Playa Blanca
    • Soltara – Ayauhasca retreat center in Playa Blanca – Uncensored review. On the Gulf of Nicoya in the mountainous jungle of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. Possessing the highest density of biodiversity of any country in the world, it is also labeled as one of the 5 “blue zones”, a term describing places where a high percentage of the population lives active lives over the age of 100.
  • Dominical – Hippie Surf Town
  • Montezuma – Yoga Town
  • Puerto Viejo – Hippie Town

NICARAGUA

GUATEMALA

  • San Marcos La Laguna, on Lake Atitlan – The ultimate hippie village in Guatemala. The tiny village offers vegetarian restaurants, handmade jewelry, crochet tops, yoga, massages, reiki and sound healings.

PERU

MEXICO

COLOMBIA

  • Palomino – One of the ultimate backpacker spots and hippie towns in Colombia

JAMAICA

Europe

GREECE

SPAIN

TURKEY

See also: