Palak Writes | Content That Connects and travel to the World

How We Choose Homestays for Our Trips Till Now Over time, homestays have quietly become our favorite way to stay while traveling. Hotels are predictable. Hostels are social. But homestays feel lived-in. They let you experience a place rather than just visit it. But we’ve also learned something important: Not all homestays are the same. Some are shared homes with hosts present. Some are independent guest units. Some are just apartments listed as “homestays.” So before booking, we now check a few things carefully to understand exactly what kind of stay we’re choosing. This is the process we have followed till now whenever we book a homestay. 1. Is It a Shared Home or an Entire Place? This is the first and most important distinction. Homestays usually fall into two categories: Shared homestay: You stay in a room inside the host’s home. The host lives there during your stay. Common areas may be shared. Entire place homestay: You get a separate unit or a full house. N...

Food becomes one of the biggest daily expenses while traveling. And when budgets tighten, most travelers fall into the same pattern: cheap snacks, fast food, bakery items, instant meals. It saves money. But drains energy, digestion, and mood. Over time, I’ve learned you don’t actually need junk food to eat affordably while traveling. You just need a different strategy. Here’s how I save money on food during trips while still eating real, nourishing meals. 1. Book Stays With Kitchen Access This is the single biggest food cost saver. Even a basic shared kitchen lets you prepare: breakfast simple dinners tea/coffee fruit bowls sandwiches boiled eggs oats You don’t need full cooking. Just minimal prep reduces restaurant dependence drastically. Hostels, homestays, and apartments usually offer this. 2. Shop Like a Local, Not a Tourist Tourist zones inflate food prices. Instead of eating near attractions, look for: local grocery stores produce mar...

Best Ways to Split Travel Expenses Fairly (Without Awkwardness, Stress, or Silent Calculations) Traveling together is fun. Splitting money together… less so. Some people track every cent. Some forget who paid last. Some silently overpay to avoid awkwardness. Some underpay without realizing. And suddenly, the trip has an invisible spreadsheet floating in the air. Over time, I’ve learned that fair expense splitting isn’t about math. It’s about clarity, comfort, and choosing a system everyone understands. Here are the best ways to split travel expenses fairly, based on what actually works in real trips. 1. Decide the Style Before the Trip This prevents 90% of tension. Ask together: Are we splitting everything equally? Or paying individually where possible? Are shared meals split or separate? How are transport and stays handled? When expectations are clear early, nobody feels surprised later.

International travel teaches you one thing very quickly: Data disappears, Wi-Fi lies, and roaming charges attack. Suddenly, you’re in a new country with: no signal unreadable signs lost directions and a hotel address saved “somewhere.” That’s why offline travel apps are essential. They keep maps, language, money, and plans available even when your internet vanishes. Here are the best offline travel apps I rely on for international trips, and why they matter.

Here is how I’ve Been Discovering Offbeat Destinations So Far There are two kinds of travelers: those who want to see the famous things, and those who want to feel a place. I’ve always been the second kind. Crowds, queues, selfie points, and cafés with menus designed more for Instagram than locals… they drain the magic out of travel for me. So over time, I’ve slowly built my own way of finding places that feel quieter, more local, and more real. This isn’t a perfect system. It’s just how I’ve been doing it so far. And if you’re someone who also prefers hidden corners over highlight reels, this might help.

Travel has always been about freedom, discovery, and growth. But for women, a solo adventure can be something even more powerful; it can be life-changing. Whether it’s your first international trip, a weekend getaway, or a bold hiking journey, traveling alone as a woman builds confidence in ways few other experiences can. It teaches independence, sharpens instincts, and creates memories that are truly yours. In the first part of this blog, we have covered six basic tips for travelling alone as a woman.  So, in this part, we will cover the remaining important parts. If you have not visited the most basic parts yet, do check out Part 1.

Why traveling alone as a woman is worth it (and what to plan for) Solo travel is often discussed as if it's either 'Eat, Pray, Love' or a safety lecture. It's usually neither. It's more like you get a weird amount of freedom and a quiet kind of confidence. And yes, you also do a little more planning than you would if you were with someone.