Behind every guide
Our editorial
standards.
Useful travel advice starts with showing what is known, where it came from and what still needs checking.
What a verification claim means
These are our publication standards, not a claim that every existing page has already passed a human fact check. AI can help organise material and draft explanations, but its output is not evidence. A source review date records when a reference was consulted; it does not certify that a road, ticket counter or bus is operating today.
Use the responsible public authority or service operator for operational facts. Identify the document, publication date where supplied, date consulted and the exact claim it supports. A department homepage is a place to check for updates, not proof of a specific fee or permission. When sources disagree, explain the difference or leave the figure unconfirmed.
Entry fees, parking and meal costs
Before describing a charge as current and verified, obtain an applicable official tariff, dated ticket or receipt, or a recorded confirmation from the responsible office. Record whether the amount is per person, vehicle, entry or day, and whether taxes or other charges apply. Keep forest access fees, ASI admission, private parking and local transport separate.
A dated newspaper report can establish what was reported then; it cannot certify today’s tariff. Restaurant prices require a dated menu or a direct quote identifying the establishment and meal. Otherwise label the amount as a planning allowance, not a typical market price. Do not enter zero when a fee could not be established.
MSRTC, PMPML and the last mile
For a published bus schedule, confirm the operator, boarding point, destination, travel date, service days, departure and last return with an official timetable or the operating depot. Record when and how the check was made. A bookable long-distance service does not establish the frequency of an unreserved village bus.
Distinguish MSRTC intercity and regional services from PMPML services in the Pune region. State whether the stop is at a base village, temple or trailhead. Do not infer summit access from a base-village route. Where a current timetable is unavailable, give the interchange to investigate and explain that the connection needs confirmation; do not invent an hourly frequency.
Weather, closures and forest permissions
Check the relevant district administration, police or Forest Department order alongside IMD weather warnings. Coastal plans also require current ocean advisories from INCOIS and local access instructions. Record a restriction’s geographical scope and effective dates. A past monsoon closure is not evidence of a continuing ban, and an old reopening report is not permission for a future visit.
Before claiming that a permit is mandatory or unnecessary, establish who controls the site and which activities the rule covers. Trekking, camping, drones and commercial filming may have different requirements. A tourism description or a booking link is not a forest permission. If the applicable rule cannot be verified, say so and direct visitors to the responsible authority.
Corrections and update records
Send corrections through the Contact page with the guide URL, the disputed statement and a source or dated observation. A receipt, notice or timetable should identify the relevant location and date; remove personal information before sending it. Reader reports are leads to investigate, not automatic confirmation.
When revising a guide, explain material changes and retain the distinction between online research, direct operator confirmation and a field visit. Do not refresh dates simply to make an unchanged page appear current. Before a guide is described as human-reviewed, an actual reviewer must check its claims and accept attribution.