Best places to visit in India during monsoon season, from Udaipur to ‘Scotland of the East’
- Travelling through India during monsoon season offers a host of rewards, from fewer crowds and cheap hotel deals to more beautiful landscapes
- Waterfalls across the country spring to life, vegetation is lush after the hot and dry summer months, and tourist attractions are far more manageable
Towards the end of summer it is common to find people across India looking up at the sky, shielding their eyes from the sun with outstretched palms. Clouds appear larger and fuller, and rains seem imminent.
The actual date when the monsoons will set in is always a debatable question. After the long and relentless heat, when the first droplets of rain fall on the cracked earth, and the smell of petrichor saturates the nostrils, there is almost an audible sigh of relief. The arrival of the monsoons is one of the most eagerly awaited events across the Indian subcontinent.
As the intensity of the showers grows there is a visible shift in the land and people. Parched lands soak up rainwater, and swathes of brown transform overnight into carpets of green. Temperatures drop from 40-plus degrees Celsius (over 104 degrees Fahrenheit) to the more manageable 30s. With it, heat-induced irritability evaporates and tranquillity sets in.
Travelling through India during the monsoon season, which usually lasts from June to September, can be rewarding for many reasons. The crowds have long gone, the landscapes look their best, and hotels slash rates to entice guests in the off-season. Here are some of the best places to visit.
Kerala