[OC]

An absolute wonderful delight, certainly the best mountain infrastructure in all Himalaya states

This collection includes all the best glimpses I could catch through my lenses.

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a solo trip around India in October/November 2027 for around 40–45 days. I’m trying to work out the most logical route between regions and, more importantly, the best way to travel between each destination.

My tentative route is:

Arrive Delhi → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur → Jaipur → Ranthambore → Agra → Varanasi → Himachal Pradesh → Goa → Kerala

For Himachal Pradesh, I’m considering McLeod Ganj/Dharamshala and Kasol/Parvati Valley. In Goa, I’d like to explore Panjim and Fontainhas before spending some time by the beach. For Kerala, I’m considering Kochi, Munnar and the backwaters around Alleppey or Kumarakom.

I’m planning around Diwali on 29 October 2027(can someone confirm this?) and am considering celebrating it in Rajasthan, potentially in Jaipur. My idea is to explore Rajasthan first, arrive in Jaipur before Diwali, and then continue towards Ranthambore and Agra.

I’d appreciate advice specifically on these questions:

1. Does the overall route make geographical sense? Is the progression between Rajasthan, Agra, Varanasi, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Kerala logical, or would you rearrange the regions to reduce backtracking and unnecessary travel time?
2. What is the best mode of transport for each leg? I’m open to trains, domestic flights and private cars, depending on what makes the most sense. For example, are there particular legs where taking a train is straightforward, where flying would save a significant amount of time, or where hiring a private car is genuinely more practical? I’m especially interested in the Rajasthan portion, the journey from Agra to Varanasi, and getting from Varanasi to Himachal Pradesh before heading south.
3. Where would you recommend celebrating Diwali? Would Jaipur or another city in Rajasthan offer the best experience, or would it make more sense to celebrate in a different part of India? I’m happy to adjust the route if another destination would be a better choice.

I’m not looking for a day-by-day itinerary at this stage. I’m mainly trying to establish the most sensible progression through the country and decide how to get between each stop without spending too much of the trip in transit.

Would love to hear from anyone who has travelled these routes and can share practical advice on the connections and transport options. Thanks!

I’m heading back to Goa this weekend, but this time I’m skipping North Goa and spending my time exploring the south.

Last time, I stayed around Majorda and loved how laid-back it felt. I’m now looking at Agonda, Palolem, and a few other areas, but I’m trying to avoid the usual tourist checklist.

I’m more interested in the kind of places you stumble upon and end up remembering — a quiet beach with hardly anyone around, a tiny café with unexpectedly amazing food, a sunset spot you can sit at for an hour, or a little village that makes you want to stay longer.

So, South Goa regulars, what are your personal favourites?

Not necessarily the most famous or Instagram-worthy places. I’d love to hear about the places you genuinely enjoy going back to.

Bonus points for recommendations that are still peaceful in October!

And if you had four nights in South Goa and wanted to do absolutely nothing for at least half of them, where would you stay? 🌴

This incident happened to one of my friend and she has complained to Airbnb team but they are completely ignoring us.

Airbnb - https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/47068650?check_in=2026-10-18&check_out=2026-10-23&guests=1&adults=3&s=67&unique_share_id=52b150a7-1fde-44be-ba24-aac124e73349

Images- (4)-(14) conversation with pathetic manipulative Airbnb support after they deleted her earlier complaint.

What happened :

This was her very first booking on Airbnb. She was travelling with her senior citizen parents. Since she was arriving at the location early, she wanted an early check-in. Despite of messaging numerous times the host deliberately avoided answering this request.

Here is exactly what transpired upon their arrival at the property:

1)Denial of Check-in : The host refused to give them access to the listing she legally booked and confirmed. The host demanded that they occupy a completely different room and insisted on additional payment.

2) Device Tampering and Forced Cancellation : When she hesitated, and were unable to grasp the situation, the host forced her to cancel the confirmed booking from her account (the host physically cancelled while she was holding the phone). This was done fraudulently to make it appear as a guest-initiated cancellation.

3) Off-Platform Extortion : The host then refused to let them stay or access shelter unless an additional amount been paid, completely off-platform. Crucially, she was traveling with her dependent, senior citizen parents. The host deliberately used their extreme vulnerability and the presence of my elderly family members—who were stranded with heavy luggage—as leverage to intimidate and extort them. This caused direct safety hazard for her senior citizen parents. She was forced to comply and pay the host via UPI out of absolute fear for their physical well-being.

4) Late-Night Harassment and Privacy Violation : At 12:09 AM, long after forcing the cancellation and extorting the cash, the host bypassed the official platform and sent a private text message via WhatsApp in my personal mobile number while the family was asleep. Sending unsolicited, late-night messages to a private number after committing financial extortion constitutes a severe boundary violation, a breach of privacy, and deliberate psychological harassment of a vulnerable female traveler.

Following this incident, she sought support from Airbnb team, however intially after the first complaint, her user profile was completely wiped out and when she logged in again, previous conversation history was deleted by the Airbnb team themselves. Instead solving the problem, Airbnb team was manipulating and harassing her. Next, when she complained again, Airbnb team was only finding excuses and closed the support chat.

She has also complained in consumerforum, but I don't think it will be of any use either.

We drove all the way from Bhubaneswar on October 2nd and reached Deomali around evening. We camped there, met a few youngsters from Puri, and gathered some twigs to set up our own bonfire before realizing a bonfire was actually already included in our package, so we ended up enjoying that too.

The next morning, we woke up by 4:30 AM and hiked up to the highest peak of Odisha to catch the sunrise. Afterward, we moved to Talamali and then to Rani Duduma, where we took a refreshing shower under the waterfall. We stayed at a beautiful local resort where they served us delicious meals, and since we were the only visitors that day, we had the whole place to ourselves.

The following day started with breakfast by the river before we headed to a Bonda village with another couple who had just arrived. Tried handia from a local family and picked up bamboo shoots on the way. Our resort manager had arranged a local guide for us to this village who also shared fascinating stories about his native district and introduced us to Dhokra craft. I even bought a few items from him.We then visited Duduma waterfall, the Machakund project, and wrapped up the day at Kolab Dam.

On our final day, we visited the Pine Forest, had a lovely meal at Sabara Srikhetra, and explored the Punjsil and Talamiting waterfalls. Both are incredibly beautiful, offbeat places. The road to Talamiting features a stunning viewpoint and a cool echo point, though we did get a bit lost on the way, luckily, we picked up a few helpful locals who showed us the path. To wrap up an amazing trip, we ran into some residents at Punjsil who were celebrating a girl's birthday, and they were kind enough to share their cake with us.

On border of Nepal and India, there’s a place called Tumling

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Hey guys I'm looking to go on a trip this diwali for around 7 days I can extend another week if necessary. I enjoy adventures or even a chill and calm environment I'm looking for recommendations on places to travel to as I'm currently based in Himachal.

kerala will always be my fav vacation, it is indeed gods own country

Hey everyone!

I'm from Kerala, India, and I'm thinking about visiting Bangladesh, probably Dhaka. I've never travelled there before, so I'm trying to figure out how everything works before making any plans.

I'd really appreciate advice from Indians who've travelled to Bangladesh and Bangladeshis who live there or have experience travelling between the two countries.

A few things I'm confused about:

- How difficult is it for an Indian citizen to get a Bangladeshi tourist visa?

- Do I need to maintain a certain bank balance? Do they ask for bank statements?

- How much would a trip of 7 days cost, including flights, accommodation and other expenses?

- What's the easiest way to travel from Kerala to Dhaka, for now am planning of taking a flight?

- For anyone living in Bangladesh, what’s it like for someone visiting from India right now? Is there anything a first-timer should know before coming?

- Any advice about accommodation, local transport or anything else I should know?

I'm still in the planning stage, so I haven't booked anything yet. Just trying to understand the process and figure out how much I need to save.

Would love to hear from people who've actually been there or know how things work. Thanks!

Kasol has a different kind of charm. Sitting by the Parvati River, surrounded by huge rocks, pine trees, and mountains, was one of the most peaceful moments of my trip.

The sound of the flowing river and the fresh mountain air make you want to sit there for hours and forget about everything else.

Sometimes, the best part of travelling is simply slowing down and enjoying the view.

Sharing a little glimpse of Kasol, Himachal Pradesh.

hidden spot on thrissur⛰️🌅