r/SoloTravel_India

If you're planning a solo trip to Himachal or destinations like Manali during the monsoon, I'd strongly recommend postponing it.

Last year, I planned a month-long workcation in August after checking road updates and seeing buses operating normally. Everything looked fine until we reached Mandi, where a major landslide blocked the highway. Our Volvo was stuck for nearly 50 hours before taking a difficult alternate route through remote, muddy roads, including a late-night vehicle transfer in unsafe conditions.

After finally reaching our destination, the first week was great. But then continuous rainfall triggered floods and flash floods. Roads were washed away, supply chains were cut off, and even basic groceries like fruits, vegetables, eggs, and chicken became unavailable. What was supposed to be a month-long stay ended after just 12 days, forcing me to return to Chandigarh.

If you're considering visiting Himachal over the next 2–3 months, it's worth waiting until the monsoon eases and road conditions stabilize. The mountains are beautiful, but during heavy rains, the risks from landslides, road closures, and disrupted supplies can quickly turn a dream trip into a stressful one.

This was actually a couple trip.

Started from Krabi : 2 days stay in Krabi. Visited beaches and elephant centuary.

Then went to phi Phi island for a day trip to nearby islands

Then 2 days in Phuket : Loved the Pattong beach, Bangla Road, and nearby market area. Went to Acquarium and nearby places

Saved money on food by cooking our own at our Airbnb.

Costing us around 1L for the whole trip (Everything included)

Visited Phuket this April for 5 days and honestly had a great time. I mostly stayed around Phuket and spent my days exploring the nearby islands rather than trying to cover too much.

The island-hopping was definitely the highlight, beautiful beaches, turquoise water, fine white sand, great weather, and plenty of opportunities for snorkeling and just relaxing. It felt like the perfect mix of adventure and downtime.

If anyone's planning a similar 5-day Phuket itinerary, I'd be happy to share what I did or answer any questions.

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Trip Details

Duration: 5 days (April)

Base: Phuket, Thailand

Accommodation

I stayed at Pullman Phuket Karon Beach Resort, which was honestly one of the best decisions of the trip. I intentionally picked a resort outside the busy city because I wanted a more relaxed vacation, and having private beach access made it completely worth the extra cost. Even though it wasn't in the city centre, getting around Phuket was easy using Grab or Bolt.

Places & Activities

• Explored Old Phuket Town -Spent evenings at Bangla Road -Watched Muay Thai (MMA) fights -Got a few Thai massages -Did a 2-day island-hopping tour Visited Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, Phi Phi Islands, and a few smaller islands along the way (can't remember all their names 😅)

Went snorkeling, which was unexpectedly good.

Budget

Your daily budget can vary a lot depending on your travel style.

Around 1,500–2,000 Bht/day is enough if you're travelling on a budget and mainly covering food and local transport.

If you plan on drinking, , or spending on nightlife and other paid experiences, your daily expenses will obviously be much higher.

For me, the biggest expenses were flights and accommodation. I booked my flights quite late, so they were expensive, and the Pullman resort cost me around ₹11,000 per night. I don't usually splurge on hotels, but in this case I have zero regrets, it really elevated the whole trip.

Food

As a non-vegetarian, I absolutely loved the food. I ended up eating almost every sea-food available and tried quite a few local Thai dishes. If you're vegetarian, you might have to put in a little more effort to find good options, although restaurants and 7-Eleven stores are everywhere and make things much easier.

Need advice from people who’ve actually done the Valley of Flowers trek 🌸
I’m planning to do Valley of Flowers solo in the 3rd week of July (24F)
Budget - 15-20k
I’d really appreciate insights from people who:
Have done the trek recently
Have visited during the 3rd/4th week of July
Live in or are familiar with the region
Before I book everything, I want to know if this is actually the right time to go.
My biggest concerns are:
🌧️ How bad is the rainfall?
⛰️ How common are landslides around that time?
🛣️ Are the roads (Rishikesh–Joshimath/Govindghat) generally open or frequently blocked?
📶 How reliable is the mobile network?
🚑 In case of an emergency, how difficult is it to get help?
👩 Is it reasonably safe for a solo female trekker?
I know July is peak bloom season, but I also keep hearing mixed opinions because of the monsoon. I’d love to hear real experiences instead of just travel blogs.
Thanks in advance!

Hello! My girlfriend and I are wanting to visit the Valley of flowers in late July this year. We are wanting to see it without a guide and are wondering if anyone’s had experience doing so. It will be our first time in India so any advice is welcome!

The main things we are wondering are:
🏠 How easy/difficult is it to find accommodation on the spot when trekking into Ghangaria? (We are finding a bit of trouble finding accomodation online)
🚙 How reliable is the transport from Rishikesh to Joshimath/Govindghat?

We want to do it independently to save money since we’re on a backpacker budget, but we’d also be open to going through a company if it’s too difficult to find space.

Any other tips about the trek would be much appreciated as well :)

Additionally, we are wanting to go to Manali in Himachal Pradesh afterwards. If anyone has any insight or tips on how to get there from Uttarakhand that would be amazing.

Thanks in advance!
- Emma and Orlando

Rohtas is pretty easy to reach, whether by train or road, and monsoon is hands down the best time to visit. It’s quite close to my hometown, so I’ve been there plenty of times — and honestly, the pictures don’t do it justice. It looks way more surreal in person.

Confused between 3 shoes for a monsoon trek Salher + Salota, Nashik need grip more than anything

Doing Salher and Salota in a couple weeks, monsoon season so heavy rain is basically guaranteed. Stuck between 3 pairs:

Boldfit grey/black mid boot

Asics Everest-21

Redtape Ozark grey/black

I just don't want to be slipping around on wet rocks halfway up Salher lol. Anyone worn any of these or done these treks in the rain? What actually worked for you?

Not trying to start a "just get Quechua" thread unless that's genuinely the move, heard mixed stuff about those too in proper heavy rain.

Trek's coming up soon so kinda need to decide this week

The places included are Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Budapest for a total of 11 days.

If not, then what would be the fair price for this?

Is Valley of flower doable in monsoon season all alone? I am counting Hemkun Sahib trek too in that. Basically a 4-day-trekking experience. Any specific aspects to take care of, apart from shoes and rain covers? Also, any good way to find accomodation in Ghangaria?

Went on Triund on june 26 to experience this terrifying amazingly adrenaline rushing scenes

#valley of flowers

Can someone please recommend me some good traveling company? Which is reasonable and sensible with decent staf! Planning to go with my mom and wanna make sure it's safe for her.

Any suggestions would really be appreciated! Plz share your experiences!

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For the first time in my life I'm thinking about trying solo travel from delhi ISBT to manali. on 15th july

I've never travelled alone before worried about everything food safety and eating alone feeling lonely.

Part of me is excited and part of me wants to cancel.

Did anyone else feel like this before their first solo trip. How did they manage and how did it turned out.

Any advice for a complete beginner like me.

If you are looking for a beautiful coastal destination that balances long, empty beach drives with incredible views, Vizag is an amazing choice. I just wrapped up my trip here after traveling from Hyderabad, and it instantly became one of my best travel experiences. Here is exactly how I spent my days exploring the coast, along with the budget details and some honest observations for anyone planning to visit!
The Travel Diary

1. Day 1: The Vande Bharat Journey and a Muddy Detour I started the trip by catching the Vande Bharat train from Hyderabad straight to Vizag. The journey was smooth and comfortable. Once I arrived, I immediately picked up a rented scooty to get around easily. My very first plan was to ride out to Gangavaram beach, but I ended up aborting the plan about 4 kilometers before reaching the destination. The path leading up to it was incredibly muddy and dangerous, so I really would not recommend trying that route on a two-wheeler. Instead, I headed to the Radisson Blu Resort, where I was staying, to settle in for the night.

2. Day 2: I woke up very early the next morning and departed for Bhimli beach and Coconut beach. This was easily the best part of the trip. The roads along the coast were absolutely beautiful, completely empty, and smooth. When I reached the beaches, there was no crowd at all, and everything looked pristine and clean. Later in the evening, I drove over to visit Tenneti park and explored a few other beaches within the main city area. I finished the day back at the hotel, spending the late evening relaxing by the private beach area of the resort.

3. Day 3: Since my stay was booked on a MAP, my breakfast and one major meal were entirely covered by the hotel. Because of this, I spent most of the day relaxing and enjoying the resort rather than rushing to cross off tourist spots. I did manage to head out to RK beach to try the local jhal muri, which was a nice snack. For my main meals, I stuck to the hotel restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed their fresh prawns and fish items. The view from the hotel property was completely insane, especially looking out at the water.

The Budget & Cost Breakdown

1. Transport The Vande Bharat ticket cost 1500 rupees per seat. For local commuting, renting the scooty cost 550 rupees per day, and I spent a total of 400 rupees on petrol for the entire trip.
2. Hotel The stay at the Radisson Blu Resort was completely free for me due to my specific booking arrangements.
3. Food Because my breakfast and one main meal were already covered under the hotel plan, I only spent about 400 to 500 rupees per day on extra snacks and outside food.
4. Activities I did not participate in any water sports or adventure activities during this trip, so I do not have any cost estimates or details for that side of the city.

Practical Tips for Travelers

1. Keep in mind that while the main coastal highways are stunning, some offbeat beach paths can get tricky. Avoid the interior paths to Gangavaram beach if the weather has been wet, as the mud makes it highly unsafe for two-wheelers.
2. The crowd here is still quite conservative compared to places like Goa. For women traveling in the group, it is highly recommended to wear modest, proper dresses when visiting public city beaches to avoid unwanted stares.
3. If you want peace and cleanliness, skip the crowded city spots in the morning and take the early drive toward Bhimli. The lack of crowds and the fresh air make the early alarm completely worth it.