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Should you travel to India during the monsoon season?
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The Indian monsoon has a serious image problem. Mention the ‘M’ word to adventure travelers and their eyes widen in fear, as though the entire country is submerged in a deluge of water for several months of the year, reducing the roads to rivers and skies to a deep leaden gray.
While the monsoon is a weather phenomenon to be reckoned with, providing millions with drinking water and abundant harvests, writing off travel to a country as large as Argentina because of images seen on CNN is not recommended – the monsoon season can in fact be a wonderful time to visit the country.
It is less expensive
The high season of December to February is packed with travelers from Europe and prices skyrocket, hotels are full, and flights are overbooked. During the summer, flight costs fall, hotels are empty and the Taj Mahal won’t be over run with thousands of package travelers from Delhi.
It is green
The entire country is green and verdant during the monsoon season. There are numerous festivals at this time, and locals are very welcoming to visitors eager to learn more about the life giving rains that are an integral part of Indian culture and tradition.
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(Ladakh, photo courtesy of Brandon Roy)
There is always somewhere dry
Ladakh, a Buddhist kingdom high in the Himalayas is dry with clear polished blue skies during the summer monsoons, and offer trekking and hiking opportunities along with a unique culture similar to Tibet’s. The southeast of India is often shielded from the rains by the western Deccan mountains, and have sunny, clear days for weeks on end.
Next time you plan to visit India, don’t mark out the summer months. I traveled there in the monsoon, and while it was hot I had a wonderful time and was able to see the country at its best.
