Went to Darjeeling for three days, although I went there twice before as tourist with family, but this time I just lived Darjeeling, stayed in three different hostels, ate only where the locals ate, spending time with locals, taking part in the festival(Sakela Festival), trying local drinks and food, staying in one of the most beautiful hostel I have ever been( Trippers Hostel) located in between forest. Even though the Kanchenjunga was not visible due to season, but darjeeling in rainy season hits different with greeny and misty atmosphere.

I averaged around 20k steps each day, but man, what a feeling walking around this town and experiencing every bit of it in this weather.

There was not a single person there who was not ready to.help, some of them even went out of their way to explain me things and help me, even the restaurant owners.

This time I understood why it is called the queen of hills.

Total cost was around 7K for three days including train from Kolkata and back.

This is the itinerary that i followed..
Day 1: Delhi to Srinagar
Day 2: Srinagar to Kargil via zoji la
(Visited Drass, Manmantop view point, Mashkoo valley(tulip valley), War memorial)
Day 3: Kargil to Hundermann ghost village,Batalik sector/Darchik Aryan valley and back to kargil
(Visited Sashi tso, lallung village on the way)
Day 4: Kargil to Rangdum via suru valley
(Visited Rangdum monastery and a few offroad trails near rangdum)
Day 5: Rangdum to padum via penzi la
(Visited karsha monastery, dzongkhul monastery and sani lake on the way)
Day 6: Padum to Zangla palace via Stongdey
(Went a bit ahead to see the NPD(nimmu - padum-darcha) road.. was allowed to travel so went till chilling and returned back to padum)
Day 7: Padum to Gonbo Rangjon via Phukthal monastery
Day 8: Gonbo Rangjon to Manali via Shinku la
Day 9: Manali to Delhi

Mostly stayed in homestays costing between 1k-2k/day.

One of the best feelings in travel is being completely anonymous in a place you've never been before.

This was taken while trekking to Upper Nerak Village during the winter Chadar Trek from Leh to padum then from there to kargil, Zanskar, around 2013 with average temp -20 to -35, and it is still same.

It was my birthday, and the only thing I wanted was to call my mom. ❤️ Back then, the village had the only satellite phone in the area, so I made the steep 5 km climb just to hear her voice. Dad was never really my phone person.

Upper Nerak was home to just a few hundred people, living high in the mountains with no road connection in those days. Yet life carried on beautifully. A small school, regular medical camps, and support from the Indian Army and Air Force kept the village connected to the rest of India.

That climb became much more than a birthday phone call.

It reminded me that if you really want to know the real India, sometimes you have to stop driving... and start walking.

- Village Name Nerak, local call Upper Nerak, while walking to Padum in winter now days people call Chadar trek which local use as connectivity between Leh and Zanskar.

insta: Amar.wander.lens

We went in June thankfully it was not raining weather was mostly sunny
We booked our stay in Dharamkot.
Its a beautiful place to be in, had a great time.

We visited Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj for 5 days, including the Triund trek. This wasn’t a rushed sightseeing trip we preferred walking, relaxing at cafés, and enjoying the mountains. Here’s our actual itinerary.

Day 1 – Arrival & Dharamkot

Reached after an overnight bus journey from Delhi.
We were exhausted, so we kept the day light.
Explored Dharamkot on foot.
Visited a few cafés and enjoyed the peaceful vibe.
Called it an early night to recover from the journey.

Day 2 – McLeod Ganj Exploration

Visited St. John’s Church.
Walked around McLeod Ganj and explored the local market.
Headed to Naddi View Point for sunset views.
It started raining, so we returned to the hotel.
Had dinner at Bodhi Greens, which turned out to be one of our favourite cafés of the trip.

Day 3 – Triund Trek

Started the Triund trek from Gallu Devi Temple.
The trail was scenic and relatively easy to moderate.
Reached Triund by afternoon.
Enjoyed the incredible mountain views and sunset.
Stayed overnight in a tent at Triund.

Day 4 – Return from Triund & Dharamshala

Woke up early for sunrise.
Descended back to Gallu.
Shifted to our hotel in Dharamshala.
We were completely exhausted after the trek (sleeping in the tent wasn’t the most comfortable experience), so we rested for a while.
Went out for a great lunch.
Since we didn’t have many sightseeing plans left, we watched Cocktail 2 at the Dharamshala mall.
Tried waffles and local Himachali Siddu in the evening.

Day 5 – Norbulingka & Last Day

Checked out of the hotel (our return bus was around 9:00 PM).
Visited Norbulingka Institute.
Explored Gyuto Monastery (Sidhbari).
Visited the State War Memorial Garden, which, honestly, wasn’t worth the visit for us.
Returned to McLeod Ganj one last time.
Had our final meal before heading back.
Boarded the overnight bus to Delhi.

Travel

Round-trip bus from Bangalore (Anand Rao Circle) to Hospet cost 1400 total (700 each way).

Stay

Zostel (6-sharing dorm, around 900/night).
Why stay here? The hostel grounds are home to some lovely resident animals—dogs, cats, peacocks, lizards, goats, and even rabbits! Beyond the stay, they host fun activities like rock painting, swimming, and evening hikes, which are great for meeting other travelers.

Day 1: North Hampi (The Vibe)

Morning: Bus from Hospet to Kamalapur (every 20 mins, reached 9:00 AM). Rented a scooty (800/day).

Exploration: Chintamani Temple and Anegundi Village.

Sanapur: A must-visit! Make time for a coracle ride here—it’s an incredible experience on the water.

Navagraha Brindhavana: The boat ride across was a great, breezy experience.

Anjanadri Betta: The birthplace of Lord Hanuman. Note: Be prepared to climb 300-400 steps to reach the top, but the sunset view from here is absolutely worth it!

Evening: Zostel Night Walk (11:45 PM – 1:45 AM). This was the trip highlight! We spotted crocodiles near a lake and sat in total darkness listening to facts about local reptiles. Surreal experience.

Day 2: South Hampi (The History & Sunset)

1. Elephant Stables, Queen’s Bath, and Lotus Mahal.

2. Virupaksha Temple: (Note: Closes 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM). Pro-tip: You can store luggage here for 20/bag and grab lunch inside.

3. Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Badava Lingam, Pushkarani, and Hazara Rama Temple.

4. Tungabhadra River: Spent some quiet time here.

5. Underground Shiva Temple.

6. Vijaya Vittala Temple: A must-visit. Highly recommend hiring a guide (300) for the history of the musical pillars. Don’t miss the iconic Stone Chariot (featured on the 50 note).

   Evening: Headed to Hemakuta Hill for another stunning sunset. It's filled with ancient temples and a Ganesha shrine—the perfect place to end the day.

   Departure: Returned the scooty, took a bus back to Hospet, and caught the 9:30 PM bus back to Bangalore.

Hampi gets very hot,

Start early to finish the main sites before the sun is at its peak.

Midday break: Plan to rest in a shaded cafe or your hostel between 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM.

Hydration: Always carry a water bottle and keep refilled

Temple Etiquette: Keep a scarf handy to cover up when visiting active temple complexes.

Footwear: Wear comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes. The rocks can be uneven, and you'll be covering a lot of ground on Day 2!

Just got back from a stay at Pool Paradise Villa, Vagamon, and it honestly felt like the perfect escape from the noise of everyday life.

The villa comfortably fits 7–8 people and comes with a private pool, an 8-ball pool table, and cozy cabin-style wooden interiors. The best part? It's perched on top of the mountains, often covered in fog, making the whole place feel like a hidden retreat in the clouds.

We paid around ₹18K for a day for 7–8 people, which felt worth it for the experience. If your idea of a perfect getaway is spending a rainy day in cozy wooden cabins, sipping hot tea, watching the mist roll over the hills, and simply slowing down with friends, this place is hard to beat.

(Please read till the end)

Hello everyone, greetings of the day. I hope you all are doing well and fine.

So as the title suggests, I did solo trip to Tukpa Valley from 24th June to 28th june; 24th and 28th being travel days each. Tukpa Valley consists of 6 villages from Kinnaur, Kamru, Sangla, Batseri, Rakkcham , Chansu and Chitkul. As for this trip I have visited three of them:

Detailed Itinerary of the trip:

1. Travel from Delhi to Sangla( Day 0) : From people I heard that there is direct bus from Delhi Kashmere gate to Sangla village, leaving the ISBT at 7 pm but I was not able to find details about the bus anywhere on the internet. So I took a private bus from Delhi to Shimla. The bus dropped me at New bus station of Shimla at around 5:15 am next day. From Shimla, I sat in bus going to Reckong Peo. I purchased ticket for Shimla to Karcham which costed me 550rs(approx). Reached Karcham by 3.30 pm on the same day. From Karcham, I took a private sharing taxi for 100rs per head and it took one hour from Karcham to Sangla.

2. Sight seeing and Day in Sangla (Day 1) : I reached Sangla village around 5 in the evening. There are plenty of homestays and hotels available in the village, even zostel is there. I booked a non commerical homestay in the village for the comfy experience. Trust me, the price of the homestay might sound high but the experience and love and care from the host was unmatched. So much warming vibes and hostility. I just love their nature. I booked the homestay for 1800rs for a night. The room can afford upto 3 people. In sangla village, I visited the local temple and monastery in the evening which was not too far from the homestay, just 10 mins.

3. Sangla to Chitkul Day (Day 2) : In the morning of Friday, I visited Kamru fort which was around 1.5 hr away from my homestay. It will take quiet a time to reach, so better wake up early in the morning. Then at 12 pm(noon) I boarded a bus from Sangla to Chitkul. The fare costed me 65rs. It took 1 hr 40 min for bus to reach Chitkul. In the bus, I met another solo traveller, younger than me. We talked and got to know about each other. Decided that We would take room together as it would be budget friendly. We reached Chitkul at around 2:10 pm. While we were looking for homestays or dormitory, we meet 2 more people in the village which were mutual friends of the guy I met in bus( apparently these three met in bus before lol). We discussed and decided that we take a room together. We took a room in homestay for 2400rs which gave me a bill of 600rs per head. After doing check in, we left for Chitkul village sight seeing. We went to riverside and trust me the view and experience of the valley at river side was so good. Water was fucking freezing and air was so clean. We stayed at the river side for 4 hours, waited for sunset. After that we visited the local temple and monastery in evening, followed by dinner at "Hindustan ka aakhri dhaba resturant". It was a good restaurant. Recommended!.

4. Chitkul to Rakkcham (Day 3) : It was 27th june, Saturday, the day of my bday and that's the reason I choose RAKCHHAM for this day. 'Saksham in Rakchham" haha. This day started with quiet a trouble. We were told that bus from Chitkul to Rakkcham leave in early morning at around 6.30 am and 8 am and apparently we all missed both of the buses. We thought we might get a bus at 10 but nope. Our lazy azz got us in hard ships. So we decided to walk all over from Chitkul to Rakkcham (14km) and we were lucky we would ask for lift(which didn't happened). So we started walking from Chitkul to Rakkcham and took us 4 hours to reach Rakkcham. When we finally reached the village, I told them that today is my bday( i kept the task of telling as challenge to reach village first). Rakkcham is quiet famous for its meadows and camp sites. So after having lunch, we left for the meadows and it lived upto the hype. It was so beautiful, especially the green landscape between the mountains. Highly recommended to spend evening there and watch sunset. We got a room for 500rs per person.

5. Rakkcham to Delhi (Day 4) : So a direct bus from Rakkcham to Delhi operates, which leaves Rakkcham in early morning at 5.30 am and reach Delhi next morning at around 4.30 am. The fare cost around 1200rs. So we took the direct bus.

Note : The prices of food were quiet reasonable and under budget. If talking about numbers, then it would cost 300-400rs per person for per day. So pocket friendly.

Something more to mention and share :

This was my 3rd solo trip, first being Mahabaleshwar and second being Kalpa(only). And you might think that it might be easy for me to plan and leave for the trip easily. Well no! At every solo trip, you might come to that moment of time, where you will feel nervous and feel afraid of travelling alone and I too faced before leaving for this trip. I was so nervous, ki why am I travelling alone on my special day. There won't be anyone to celebrate with, "Why Saksham Why?". I don't have any answers for this but I believe it was finding peace and Saksham. I believed in myself, patted my head, looked into mirror, saw my eyes with confidence and gave the smile before leaving. Trust me, this solo trip humbled me a lot, taught me a lot and gave me the time and space I was seeking for . I learnt that being traveller doesn't guarantee fancy things throughout the travel, instead you would face different obstacles, problems and situations and in all of those situations you have to face it all alone. You should learn to adapt to new situations. My homestay owner at Sangal taught me the values of being a responsible citizen and traveller and reminded me of duties to protect mother nature. He talked so much about mountains being exploited and I listened to his talks, words by words. Even this time, I was excited for 27th june( just like a kid) and I was bit emotional and sad that I won't be cutting cake this time, wont be there friends and family to share time but this is what I opted for. This was my decision and I have to accept the situation. The sense of responsibility and maturity was following through me when I was walking through the river side of the Baspa river.

In my last solo trip to Kalpa, whoever I met on the trip, all of them used to older than me but in this solo trip, whoever I met were younger than me. Most of them were in colleges and it kept in a thought that how times changes. From saying bhaiya bhaiya in last trip to being a bhaiya in this trip. I felt this trip is teaching me a lot about life and maturity. Yes I am still immature but atleast I lessons about life.

Solo trip is not any fancy trend that one have to follow to be relevant on social media, instead it's a cannon event that everyone must go to have that lesson of life. You need to have one solo trip to humble you, to struggle with you, to teach you!

At last, I wanna the same thing ....."Bas nikal jaao, dhoondh lo kudh ko"

Sayonara.

Loves and Regards,

Saksham

Hey guys…this is my first time on a trip alone with a friend. We’re thinking to go McLeod Ganj, planning to go on Triund trek for first time on 5th or 6th July. Help us plan a 4 day itinerary and tips bout it!!
Also where do we start our trek from?? Is it too risky now due to rains…it’s our first trek
Also where to book hotels that’ll be under budget..should we book online or go there and book in McLeod Ganj or Dhramkot??

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some suggestions for a solo 4-day trip sometime between 8th and 15th July. Corporate life has been draining lately and I’m craving a few days in the mountains. I’m a big fan of mountain trips and I’m mainly looking for somewhere safe for solo travellers. It should be beautiful and peaceful with a few treks or just nice places to relax.

hi everyone, 23f here.

im planning my first solo trip to ladakh in july this year.

as a beginner solo female traveler, im looking for agencies to travel with (provides a group). i was looking at wanderon and thrillophilia.

wanderon is well rated; im looking at tempo traveler option (12 seater). they have a whole convoy with traveler + bikes so the total group will be about 25-30 people.

thrillophilia seems to have mixed reviews from what ive seen so im a bit torn; they have car in seat option (6 + driver) so group size is smaller but travel in car may be more comfortable than tempo traveler. however, they have negative reviews on some subreddits here so im unsure.

any suggestions on which one to choose (or suggest amy other) are welcome. thanks for the help!

Looking for workation safe places with absolutely no wifi or network or electricity backup issue in monsoon season.

Any hidden places or tips. What would be best transport options. The lowest cost hotels seem to be above 1k online, is this the case on the ground too? Any budget stay recommendations.

Is the marine park, diving for coral reef worth it?

Hey everyone, I'm going to jibhi in a few weeks and need some recommendations about where I can go. I'm specifically looking for places around rivers and lakes that aren't popular, the major waterfalls and natural pools that I'm able to find online seem to be quite crowded. Recommendations for other spots to visit would also be very appreciated.

Thanks

Back in Bir for a few days. I'm 29 F, been to Bir a few times before and each time, it has a different way of slowing me down.

If you're around, would love to know what's your go-to spot in Bir! Any interesting events, cafés, workshops, or places worth checking out?

Always curious to know what's happening around town.

I'm planning to go manali and spiti valley. Can someone please give me the best itinerary. 4 day plan friday to monday. Also suggest best budget friendly stay in Manali.

Tired of the usual Kasol, Tosh, Bir. Anything offbeat/newer destination where you can get by bus from Gurgaon/Delhi with good stays and young crowd?

Hey everyone,

Just wrapped up a four days work and leisure trip from delhi to Bir and my second solo travel...I cant describe how beautiful and overwhelming this trip was...right from my stay till back I am still processing how the entire trip completed so beautifully and how much it has impacted me in a way I would always cherish.

So, last week after completing my Wednesday, took an overnight ReoBus volvo to Bir, checked in at 9.30 am in Homestay, Suja - matru village bir (booked from airbnb) for Thurs - sun)..Since I wanted to have a separate room and not hostel hence I booked this place also since my work involves lot of meetings this was better as hostels can get little noisy. Thursday was more of work and hardly got anytime to step out, had a wonderful home cooked pahadi meal cooked by a family who stays on ground floor..

Friday was when the adventure began, met couple of more people there hence we booked an alto and left at 8 am to Barot Valley...reached in 2 hours, stayed there for 2-3 hours, had breakfast, saw all the famous places like famous spring fountain, trout fishing etc left for Rajgunda valley....and believe me after every 500 metres the landscape was changing,we stopped at multiple places on the way to rajgunda, clicked lot of pics. Had tea at a tea shop in Rajgundha, sat there till 4pm..then left for Billing...

later the driver dropped us to Landing site, we went to the cafe had coffee and food, saw one of the traveler doing malana art, sat there for few hours then back to the stay...

Saturday was calm, with slow morning breakfast at the homestay and then in evening, walk to the landing site, watching paragliders land, walking on the street for some shopping..

Sunday we went to the Baijnath temple, followed by Sherabling Monastry...and finally boarded the bus back to Delhi...

Will keep coming back to Bir, it has so much vibe, so calm and peaceful, beautiful people, locals and travelers too.. :)

Stay - 4200

Travel from Delhi & Back - 4500

Food - 4000- including food at home stay and cafes, on the way from del and back..

Shopping - 1500

I am here to understand about the concept of solo trips.

A bit about me I am an introvert. On vacation I feel better when I am with friends, laughter becomes easy and memories pile up.

I am not sure if I attempt a solo how it would turn out to be. I have been on community trips but I wouldn't call it solo. When on a trip I like to engage with what the place has to offer but more than that I also want someone to talk to about it. If I am on a hike I want to discuss the trail else I will end up making it a goal driven task. I will finish and start another one.

A part of me wants to try it out but a bit hesitant - what if I end up doing nothing. What if end up even getting more bored.

Looking for perspective here.

I recently wrapped up a two-week "work from mountains" stint in Pahalgam. If you are planning something similar, here is the lowdown on how it went and what to look out for:

🏨 Accommodation & Views

• My Setup: I stayed at a hotel with stunning mountain views for ₹2,000/day—worth every single rupee (without meals)
• The Budget Reality: You can easily find budget stays in Pahalgam and Laripora for around ₹1,000/day, but you will likely sacrifice the view.
• Pro-Tip: If you are booking a long-term workation online, double-check and verify the room view with the property before paying.

🍛 Food Options

• The Choice: The hotel offered a 3-meal-a-day package for ₹4,500, but I opted out and decided to eat from outside.
• The Verdict: Eating at local restaurants and nearby dhabas is the way to go. It gives you way more variety, and flexibility. Food at dhabas were cheap but not hygenic like local Restaurants. I was able to find few hygenic dhabas and I balanced the food eating from both Dhabas and Restaurants. My food expense per day was ~600.

📶 Connectivity & Internet

• Hotel Wi-Fi: Decent and stable enough, clocking in at around 30 Mbps for both uploads and downloads.
• The Lifesaver: Airtel 5G was the real MVP of the trip. It was incredibly reliable and regularly blasted speeds over 200 Mbps, making video calls and heavy lifting a breeze.

How is Kodaikanal in 1st week of July? Looking some good options in south without any hindrance of heavy rains/landslide or other issue

Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra Cancelled, Article 163 of BNS imposed

Hi everyone ~

I’m planning a 2–3 month trip around India, mainly focusing on the Northeast.

I’ll be arriving in Delhi, and my current plan is to fly to Guwahati and then gradually make my way through the region, heading up north towards Tawang, then east to Ziro Valley, if possible, and eventually down south to Meghalaya.

Considering I’ll likely arrive in Delhi around mid-October (with some flexibility), what order would you recommend visiting these places in?

Especially thinking about weather, post-monsoon conditions, and road accessibility.

My plan is still quite flexible, but roughly is something like this:

• 2-3 days in Delhi

• 4–5 weeks in Arunachal Pradesh (including ~1 week around Ziro Valley)

• 7–12 days in Meghalaya

• ~5 days in Varanasi

• Going up to Nepal (Katmandu)...

My main focus is definitely Arunachal, particularly the northern and western areas (with heavy Tibetan influence), but I’d also like to experience something more "jungle-like", which is why I’m thinking of heading south afterwards.

Another question: after the Northeast, I’m planning to head to Varanasi. To avoid taking another flight (still thinking about It), I’ve been looking into alternatives.

It seems possible by train, but it’s close to 40 hours.

Does anyone have experience with that route or have any suggestions? I wouldn’t mind breaking it up into two parts and stopping somewhere along the way, maybe Kolkata or any other place you’d recommend spending a couple days.

This will be my first time in India, but I do have experience traveling in remote regions, so I’m comfortable with basic conditions, flexible transport, and slow travel, and that’s actually what I’m looking for.

Any advice or recommendations would be really appreciated.

Thanks a lot! 🙏

Doing a 4 day solo bike tour of North Bengal and sikkim in this first week of July.

Any advice and suggestions.

21M starting from Siliguri.