u/Busy-Ad5563

Hi everyone! We're four people (me, my sister, and our parents) planning a 6-night, 7-day Meghalaya trip with a hired driver. I visited Meghalaya in 2023 and want my parents to experience places like Phe Phe Falls, Mawphanlur, and the bamboo trek. I've skipped the Double Decker Root Bridge due to the number of stairs, but my parents can manage moderate walks and short hikes.

Our tentative itinerary:

- 15 Oct: Guwahati → Shillong (Umiam Lake)

- 16 Oct: Shillong → Markham Valley → Mawphanlur (stay at Traveller's Nest)

- 17 Oct: Mawphanlur → Sohra (Wei Sawdong, Lyngksiar Falls)

- 18 Oct: Sohra (travel whole day) → Pynursla (Stay in the evening)

- 19 Oct: Pynursla → Bamboo Trek → Shnongpdeng

- 20 Oct: Shnongpdeng → Phe Phe Falls → Krang Shuri Falls → Ialong (Jowai)

- 21 Oct Ialong → Guwahati (flight at 8:30 PM)

We're planning to stay in Jowai on the last night because my sister and I will stay back for a couple of days after our parents leave. We want to visit Krem Chympe early in the morning to avoid crowds.

I'd appreciate suggestions on a few things:

1. Is travelling from Jowai to Guwahati on the last day manageable, considering my parents also want to visit Kamakhya Temple before their 8:30 PM flight? We can also put Jowai in the beginning, that way we'd also be able to visit Phe Phe falls from both angles.

2. Is Shnongpdeng worth including, given that Dawki River is reportedly muddy at the moment and Mawlynnong doesn't seem to offer much? Alternatively, is there somewhere worthwhile to visit near Pynursla/Wahkhen before heading to Jowai?

3. Are there any caves or living root bridges we can include without a long or tedious trek? A short hike is fine, but the Double Decker Root Bridge seems too demanding for my parents.

4. Since we're spending almost 1.5 days in Sohra, is there any place nearby we can visit?

Would you recommend any changes to this itinerary, or is it too rushed? Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning a 14-day trip to Turkey with my family this September. We’re planning to spend 5 days in Istanbul (4 at the beginning + 1 at the end) and 3 days in Cappadocia.

That leaves us with about 5 days for the Turkish Riviera, and this is where we’re a little confused.

Our current plan is to take an overnight bus from Kayseri to Antalya, rent a car there, and drive along the coast towards Kaş. On the way, we’d like to visit places like the Myra ruins and Kaputaş Beach. Once in Kaş, we’d spend a couple of days doing more laid-back things like a Kekova boat trip, seeing the Sunken City, exploring the town, etc. From Kaş, we’d head towards Fethiye/Ölüdeniz, return the rental car there, and fly back to Istanbul.

The other option is to completely skip Antalya and instead fly/train to the Izmir side and explore places like Çeşme, Alaçatı and Kuşadası, while also visiting Ephesus.

For those who have travelled around Turkey, which route would you recommend for 5 days? We’ll be travelling with family, so we’re looking for a mix of beautiful/surreal scenery, pretty towns, relaxed activities and some historical sites, rather than a very rushed itinerary.

We’re also very open to alternatives! If there are any other places along the Turkish coast that you think would be particularly beautiful and that a family would love, please suggest them. We don’t necessarily have to stick to either of these routes.

TL;DR: 5 days in the Turkish Riviera — should we do Antalya → Kaş → Fethiye/Ölüdeniz, or İzmir → Çeşme/Alaçatı → Kuşadası/Ephesus? Also open to other recommendations for scenic, family-friendly places along the coast!

Hi people of Bangalore, today I'm finally writing my heart out and seeking genuine advice from you folks.

I'm a 27M, been here for almost 6 years now. Living somewhere fancy was never a priority back then. I started out in a society in Green Glen Layout since my office was in HSR, but my landlord had other plans, so I ended up shifting to Harlur.

Around the time I switched jobs (new office in Whitefield), my flatmate was getting married and we were about to go our separate ways. I'd been living with a flatmate for a couple of years, and honestly it was a bit dull, we never did much on weekends, so I figured this was a good chance to try living alone for once, just to see how it feels like. Commuting from Harlur to Whitefield was eating up nearly 3 hours a day both ways, so I needed a place close to office anyway.

My requirements were simple: close to work, and a genuinely good society. I love running and badminton, so those amenities were a big plus. But when I saw the prices here, my heart sank. Firstly the societies rarely had 1BHK, and even for ones which had, the rent was 35-40k a month. I briefly reconsidered going back to flatmate life, but moving in with complete strangers always daunted me.

After nearly 2 months of scrolling Facebook and MyGate, I gave up trying to have it all. I found a 2BHK fully-furnished unit in Seegehalli for 40k. Gated community, spacious, chill owner, and just 5km from office. I'd always lived in furnished places so that was a bonus too.

I was so exhausted from house-hunting that I just took it. A few weeks in, reality hit. For those who don't know, Seegehalli is to Whitefield what Whitefield is to the rest of Bangalore, yes, that far out. And don't get me wrong, the house itself is really pretty, but

• The unit is road-facing, right on the highway. This road is basically the truck route for all of Bengaluru, so it's constant honking all day. Sometimes I turn on my Alexa even if I don't want to listen to any music, just so that I don't need to hear the constant trucks going through my balcony.
• You think Whitefield is dusty? After living here, Whitefield feels clean af. The dust and never ending construction are on another level. In my last 1 year of living here, I might have stood in the balcony for 10 minutes max.
• It's cut off from everything. 15km to Indiranagar, 25km to Cubbon. I'd thought the metro 2km away would save me, but it's Kadugodi, the starting station, so reaching anywhere basic still takes 45-60 minutes.
• Food delivery and cabs barely function here. A restaurant 1km away takes 40-50 minutes because riders have to come all the way from Whitefield, and most just don't bother, so orders get delayed or cancelled constantly. Cabs are just as hard to find for the same reason.

There's a Cult nearby within walking distance, but at this point I don't even like to get of my house. All the noise and dust just makes me re-think my decisions.

The result of all this: over the last year I've stopped going to the gym, stopped playing badminton, and barely see my friends (they're all in HSR, 24km away, so neither do they come here often). Dating life is pretty terrible, and I blame nothing but the location. I love cooking but end up ordering out anyway, which honestly makes my head worse, not better. I've basically stopped enjoying the city I moved here for, and question my decision of moving here alone every single day. Seeing other people posting stories of their house just adds a rotten cherry on the cake.

Now I've decided to leave this place. And I'm stuck between two options

1. Move to central Bangalore (Indiranagar area) with flatmates. I'd commute to office via metro, live near Cubbon, Lalbagh, the lakes, finally get that "OG Bangalore vibe." The catch is since those areas mostly have independent house, I'd have to give up society conveniences (doorstep delivery, easy MyGate approvals, garbage collection, house help on tap, high rise vibes) and live with strangers, which I've always been wary of. I do keep seeing decent flats on Facebook though. I think if the flatmates are friendly and match the energy, it can be a good thing for me, as my last flatmate was boring af so we didn't really vibe on that regard.

2. Move to an excellent society near office (e.g. Prestige Shantiniketan). Walking distance to work, every amenity I want, but I'd be living inside a 100-acre bubble with no real neighbourhood life around it. Which... might be good enough? Considering it has every single thing inside. This is the only society worth considering staying in Whitefield, for the rest I believe option 1 is a better option. Don't want to move into just another society and regret it all over again.

I've accumulated a lot of stuff since moving in, including a growing Lego hobby with some big sets (sighs), so the friction of physically moving everything to an already-furnished place is real and part of what's been keeping me stuck. And this brings me back to square one of continuing living alone, or move in with flatmates. This might be my last attempt of moving to a new place, post which I'll either get married or will leave Bangalore for my hometown permanently. And I don't want my last place to be like this, and carry memories worth nothing.

So for those who were in similar dilemma, what did you guys do? Is the central Bangalore location upgrade worth giving up society amenities and living with flatmates?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks a ton for reading this far

Hey everyone,

I was part of the BMC292 batch at NIM (April to May batch).

Unfortunately, I had to leave the course around Day 10 because of a pretty bad ankle injury during training. Thankfully it wasn’t a fracture, but continuing the course wasn’t possible.

I really liked the overall environment at NIM during the short time I was there, so I’m definitely planning to do my BMC properly next year once I recover fully.

Since I’m planning for next year any
way, waiting time for seats isn’t really an issue for me. So I’m open to either going back to NIM or trying NIMAS if the experience/training is worth it.

A few things I’d love feedback on:

1. How are the instructors at NIMAS compared to NIM?

2. How’s the quality/condition of equipment provided?

3. How are the rock craft and snow craft locations?

4. How’s the food, accommodation, weather, logistics, crowd size etc. (best month?)

Would especially appreciate responses from people who’ve done courses from both institutes.

Also, if there are any other things I should consider before choosing between NIM and NIMAS for BMC, please share.

Thanks!