Looking for practical monsoon travel tips that can make a difference to your rainy trip in India? Monsoon travel in India is a great way to break from the routine and beat the heat. For most parts of India, the summer season can be quite uncomfortable. Although, summer is the time when most families head out for holidays as schools and colleges are closed for summer vacation. However, various couples, families and even solo travellers focus on how they can travel in rain and enjoy the cool weather.
Travelling in monsoon allows you to enjoy the natural landscape India has to offer. During the summer months, the landscape is pretty hot and dry in major parts of the country. Hence, it is hard to find and enjoy lush greenery, misty valleys and gorgeous waterfalls that come alive during the rainy season.
The month of June marks the beginning of the rainy season in India. The Southwest Monsoon winds hit the southern state of Kerala first and gradually move northwards. By the end of July, it covers the entire country. Hence, if you are planning a monsoon road trip you should know how to plan a monsoon trip the way most Indians do.
Here are 8 tips to help you travel in monsoon and make the most of your time and money.
Choose Destinations Wisely
Rainy weather sounds fun but it can also cause inconvenience. Hence, you need to be selective about your destinations for your monsoon travel trip. If you do not like heavy rainfall conditions you would want to choose places that receive light rainfall. For instance, you can choose destinations from states like Rajasthan and Ladakh. This makes your entire travelling in monsoon experience better and more convenient.
Similarly, you can choose beach destinations and various hill stations that are closer to your home location. This can cut short the travel time and allow you to have a safe trip in monsoon. If you are in Mumbai or Pune you can choose from Lonavala or Mahabaleshwar for a weekend monsoon getaway.
Keep an Eye on the Weather
One of the downsides of travel in monsoon season is unpredictable weather conditions. Severe weather conditions can quickly ruin your monsoon holiday plan. Hence, you must keep a close watch on the weather. Most smartphones today have weather apps and therefore most locals keep track of how they can find the right time to venture out for a successful monsoon getaway.
Book Your Train & Flight Tickets
Booking your train and flight tickets in advance is one of the important monsoon travel tips. When you are dealing with unpredictable weather, kids and luggage you want to ensure that you book your transportation in advance. However, you also need to keep in mind that there can be train and flight delays because of severe weather conditions.
Most Indians are familiar with train and flight delay situations. Hence, they quickly adapt to the situation and reschedule their holidays accordingly. If you are going for a monsoon road trip you would still want to ensure that you choose the right roads and drive responsibly. Also train travel is a better option in India when you are travelling during rainy season.
Book Your Accommodation
Many families and couples in India prefer to travel in monsoon on weekends. Hence, it is likely that most hotels, resorts and Airbnb properties will have more bookings for weekend days. If you are travelling in a rainy weather you want to make sure that you have your bookings available and done. This would provide you with peace of mind and ensure that you can settle in on arrival.
Focus on Safe Drinking Water
One of the monsoon travel essential tips is focusing on drinking water. One of the things you need to watch out for during monsoons is waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and dysentery. Hence, you must carry a water bottle from home to help you stay hydrated. On the other hand, you should stick to buying bottled water.
Some of the reliable bottled water brands in India are Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, Oxyrich, Bailey, Himalayan, Vedica, Clear and Schweppes. However, all food stalls at all railway stations in India will only sell Rail Neer at Rs. 15 at the time of writing this post. This is a bottled water brand launched by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) in 2003.
Eat Healthy Foods
Apart from clean drinking water one also needs to focus on eating healthy when travelling in monsoon. During the monsoons, eating street food might be enticing but these cravings can cost you your health. Hence, you should avoid eating freshly made foods like samosas, wada pavs, kachoris, and pakodas from street stalls. Similarly, you must also avoid eating pre-cut fruits which are left open for display.
Obviously, as you travel by train you will find more people enjoying these foods which can easily tempt you to eat one. However, you should stick to home-cooked meals to ensure good health. You can always prepare simple items like sandwiches, salads, and fruit bowls. You can buy chips and other snack items which are sealed and that you can carry easily on your journey.
Pack Right for Monsoon Travel
When you pack for a rainy trip you have to be selective about what you take along. Excessive luggage can only cause you more inconvenience. On the other hand, carrying too little can deprive you of essential items you will need during the trip. Always make sure that you have the right set of quick-drying clothes, raincoats, and umbrellas to keep you dry and safe. Focus on anti-slip footwear when you are packing for rainy weather. If you are heading to Lonavala to visit Bhushi Dam you must have the right clothes to change quickly.
You may also want to pack essential medications for headache, diarrhoea, nausea, migraine, and indigestion. Carrying a power bank can come in handy to ensure that your mobile devices are charged when you journey.
Waterproof As Much As Possible
Monsoons in India can be fun. Hence, you should know how to prepare for a rainy vacation and enjoy it. Focus on waterproofing your mobile devices and backpacks. You can buy affordable ziplock waterproof mobile covers to keep your smartphone safe and dry. These days you can find backpack covers that can keep your belongings safe and dry. You may want to layer your clothing to ensure the inner layers are dry. For footwear, you can focus on options like Crocs clogs and sandals to ensure they dry up quickly.
Conclusion
While the rains can bring you plenty of fun and adventure you also need to be flexible about how to handle the situation. Severe weather conditions can delay or reschedule your plans and therefore you need to be prepared. Also, you must focus on what you eat and drink throughout the trip which would keep you in good health. With the right precautions and monsoon travel tips, you can focus on making the most of your time, effort and money.
4 comments
Great travel advice, Sharukh. I like that you included reminders about keeping things dry. Getting caught in a downpour can cause a lot of very inconvenient problems. Our monsoon season should start soon. Although sometimes we get very little rain even from that weather pattern down in the southern part of the state. LOL, the first time I moved to New Mexico, I thought everyone was playing a joke on me when they talked about “monsoon season.” But it’s true — we do get a monsoon season, often with flooding in many areas. They build arroyos to direct the water in cities and towns, but sometimes that isn’t enough. (An arroyo is defined as a steep-sided gully formed by the action of fast-flowing water in an arid or semi-arid region, found chiefly in the southwestern US. In cities they are paved with concrete.)
Hugs to you and Sarah.
The monsoon season in India begins in June and stays until mid-October. However, lately the weather pattern has been erratic. July is probably the wettest month in India, especially Mumbai. These tips are based on personal experiences and therefore I had to mention to keep things dry. Thank you for your comment and taking out time to read, Teagan. Hugs from Sarah and me.
I do enjoy the rain! Thank you Sharukh for the excellent travel tips.
You’re welcome, Suzette. Thank you for reading the blog post and commenting. 🙂