The monsoon season is a period much awaited by Indians, who scrutinize the clouds in the sky waiting for the refreshing rain after months of scorching heat. For tourists it is low season, but there are also good reasons to travel to India between June and September.
For example, you can enjoy in peace the main monuments taken by storm in other months, hotel prices drop and there are special travel offers. People are more joyful and nature in some places gives its best in these months (many Indians choose to go on their honeymoon during the monsoon because it is more romantic!).
It is an abstract and exotic concept for those travelers who come from more moderate climates. Everyone has their own idea of what the monsoon can be: a constant drizzle, continuous short but intense showers, tropical storms or even blizzards. In truth, India is a large country with different climate zones and therefore the monsoon manifests itself differently in different areas of the country.
But we are not here to sugarcoat it: it rains, it rains a lot! Nothing like the drizzle or the heavy showers lasting a couple of minutes typical of South-East Asia. It rains for days on end, and especially in the tropical areas of the West Coast and in Northern India.
Cities and streets flood quickly. And then, as if that wasn't enough, there's humidity, a constant travel companion. Clothes don't dry for hours or even days and the heat is stifling. In the mountains, landslides can occur. Airports and air traffic can be closed due to heavy rain.
However, even though the weather can be really annoying, there are some positive sides. Nature comes to life, dry grasslands and forests become lush and green, farmers welcome the season with full productivity and waterfalls, lakes and rivers fill up and become more beautiful and vigorous than ever.
Many tourists avoid India during the monsoon, which means that places that are usually crowded during the peak season will be all yours. It is also the best time to visit India for those who like to keep their expenses to a minimum without sacrificing some comforts. Many hotels offer their rooms at rock-bottom prices, often even half the price of peak season rates.
Technically you can travel anywhere as long as you are mentally prepared and have the right clothes in your suitcase. However, some areas may be more pleasant than others. Goa and Kerala get a lot of rain and humidity. Too much. We recommend avoiding the coasts. The beaches lose their charm and the strong currents make swimming very dangerous. Beach resorts and beach huts close in April and don't reopen until September or even October.
So it’s the best time to explore the interior countryside and hills. Wayanad, Munnar and Thekkady are some examples but trekking to Dudhsagar waterfall in Goa can also be an option. Ooty in Tamil Nadu is a very popular destination among Indian tourists to escape the heat of the cities. Munnar , in the Western Ghats, is famous for its tropical mountain climate and tea plantations. A great destination even in the rains!
Here are a few places where you can go this monsoon:
Kerala
Experiencing the monsoons is an unforgettable experience: the intense colors, the stormy wind that precedes rivers of water spilled by black clouds, lightning that tears the sky, the birds singing when the storm subsides, the colorful sunsets and life that goes on on the streets among myriads of umbrellas and colored capes and liters of water that hide the streets.
In Kerala the monsoons are generous, there are excellent chances of encountering rain. Ayurvedic doctors say, there is no better time to take a health break and rebalance body and mind with an Ayurvedic treatment, since the humidity of the air and the atmospheric pressure facilitate the absorption of the oils used for the massage.
Ayurveda and monsoon rain are also abundant in Goa and in Mumbai the monsoon is spectacular for the enthusiasm of the people and the quantity of water from the sky and the sea.
Western Ghat
The Western Ghat, or the western mountain range that runs through India from the central north to almost dive into the sea in Tamil Nadu, are part of the UNESCO heritage for the great biodiversity they offer. And during the monsoons nature blooms in a myriad of shades of green and bright colors that are impossible to describe, but don't hope to stay dry. The streams become torrents and the waterfalls roar.
Where? In Maharasthra a trek on the sheer ridge of the Konkan Kada (for expert mountaineers), in Karnataka a visit to the spectacular Jog waterfalls and in Kerala a boat trip in the Periyar park (one of the few to remain open even during the monsoons) or a walk among the tea plantations of Munnar.
The Valley of Flower National Park
Do you like flowers and mountains? Between July and August, the Valley of Flowers in the state of Uttarakhand, between Tibet and Nepal, is covered with wild flowers of every color and species (over 300), but you have to walk 17 km along a corridor formed by the glacier to admire the spectacle. A trek surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Himalayas, with the clouds and seasonal fogs running fast above your heads.
Ladakh
In Ladakh the monsoon months are the high tourist season, when the sun has melted the snow and the high passes are open to traffic. Ladakh, also called little Tibet, is a mountainous region (Leh, the capital is at 3500m) nestled between the highest mountain ranges of the Himalayas and Karakoram.
The lunar landscape of desert and crystal clear waters of glacial lakes, dotted with Buddhist monasteries seems like a dream. Between June and August it is also time for festivals, with colorful masks that dance, representing the eternal struggle between good and evil.
Rajasthan
If you really don't like rain, Rajasthan could be your destination, with bearable temperatures and occasional rainfall. Just a few drops of rain are enough to change the colors of the landscape: yellow lands are covered in a flash with green shoots and the puddles of rainwater are the joy of men and animals. Witnessing the first rain means you will always remember the joy in the eyes of the people and to thank them, various festivals are celebrated between June and July.
Udaipur, in southern Rajasthan is lush in this season and the exclusive Lake Palace, with its spires reflected in the invigorated waters of the lake, often offers special offers in these low season months.
Golden Triangle
The trio of destinations of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist routes, and for good reason. Some of the most important centers for the history of India are located along the way, with monuments that recall its glorious past (including the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Red Fort in Delhi and the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur).
It is monsoon season in the triangle too, but the rainfall is intermittent and the temperature pleasantly cool after the rain. In addition to the monuments, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a paradise for bird lovers. An overnight stay in the Neemrana Fort Palace on the road between Jaipur and Delhi is recommended to savour the past with all the comforts of the present.
