At Dawki overlooking Umgnot river and the India-Bangladesh border

Monsoon getaways in India: Ideas for your next trip

July and August in India bring rain and the time for monsoon getaways. Travel during the rainy season in India has its pros and cons. On a trip during this season one needs to be prepared for a more leisurely vacation, since sightseeing would become weather dependent. However, there is a lot to be said in favour of quiet monsoon getaways where one can just kick back and relax, without the pressure of ticking off “must do’s”. Enjoy the weather and simple pleasures like walks in the rain, endless cups of tea and conversations with your loved ones.

Here are some ideal places that can be picked for a quick monsoon getaway within India:

1. Kumarakom – The backwaters of Kerala are pretty all the year round, but the rain lends an added touch of solitude and romance making this a perfect destination for romantic monsoon getaways. Take advantage of off-season rates at hotels, and book yourself into a lakeside resort for a couple of days of relaxation involving Ayurveda treatments, amazing local cuisine and gorgeous sunsets.

Closest airport: Cochin; closest railway station: Kottayam

2. Udaipur – The “City of Lakes” becomes greener and prettier during the rains, with the lakes looking their best ever. Enjoy breathtaking views from vantage points like the Monsoon Palace and City Palace, and take a relaxing boat ride on Lake Pichola. You’d never have imagined “Rajasthan” and “monsoon getaways” together but this is one exception!

Closest airport: Udaipur; closest railway station: Udaipur

 

3. Goa – Goa in the rains offers a distinctly different experience. Take long walks along rain-swept beaches, enjoy a drink at one of the many watering holes, and party the night away at a club. While many of the temporary shacks along the beaches close down during the monsoon, this also means fewer people around! I have friends who visit Goa two-three times a year, and they swear that their monsoon getaways tend to be their favourite holidays in Goa.

Closest airport: Goa; closest railway station: Madgaon

4. Shillong – If you love the rain, then what better place to enjoy it than the wettest place on earth. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, the two wettest places on earth, are day-trips from this Meghalaya town. The misty hills and gushing waterfalls offer a very scenic view during this season if you are up to getting soaked now and then. Perfect weather for invigorating walks and steaming cups of tea! Monsoon getaways to Shillong are highly recommended; for more details on things to do, read more about it in my post here.

Closest airport: Guwahati (I am recommending Guwahati although Shillong has an airport too, simply because Guwahati has a larger number of flight options and it is much cheaper to fly into and out of); closest railway station: Guwahati

5. Mahabaleshwar – If you want a quick break from chaotic urban life and are not too keen on running around sightseeing, a monsoon break in Mahabaleshwar might be just the right thing for you. The rain in these hills can be torrential, keeping the tourist hordes away, but offering beautiful landscapes and a peaceful stay. Monsoon getaways in Mahabaleshwar and surrounding hills are extremely popular with the young urban crowd of Mumbai and Pune.

Closest airport: Pune; closest railway station: Satara

6. Orchha – This sleepy little town on the banks of the Betwa river is full of old palaces and temples that you can explore at leisure. The monsoon brings cool temperatures and fewer crowds, always a plus. Do attend morning Aarti at the Ram Raja temple. Monsoon getaways here involve visiting the heritage sites, watching the river from the steps of the Ghats, taking walks and enjoying the peace over lingering meals.

Closest airport: Gwalior; closest railway station: Jhansi

7. Ladakh – Monsoon getaways to Ladakh are for those who wish to escape the monsoon downpour, since Ladakh typically sees dry weather during these months. You will enjoy the warm sunny days and cool evenings, and have the added advantage of being cut off from mobile networks once you get out of Leh town! Keep aside at least 5-6 days for the trip, since you would need some time to acclimatise to the altitude.

Closest airport: Leh

Pangong lake around sunset
The Pangong lake at twilight

The monsoon is here. Time to get packing!

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25 thoughts on “Monsoon getaways in India: Ideas for your next trip”

  1. Ooooo, the City of Lakes sounds like my kind of place! What a beautiful part of the world. I also really love and appreciate how you tell us the closest airports! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  2. It’s strange, apart from Goa and Kerala I’ve never thought of India as a place to go and see lakes, and I love your idea of going to visit these places (other than Ladakh) during high rains. I’m not saying Ladakh doesn’t look fantastic, of course, it all looks fantastic. Hopefully we’ll finally get around to visiting India sometime soon — and you’re right, we shouldn’t be afraid of the monsoons.

  3. Ah I loved udaipur so much! The lake and the buildings were just so beautiful. I loved Goa too – Palolem was my favourite beach there. Great list! I’ll have to visit the other locations some day :p

  4. Dan went to Udaipur last year and it was his favorite place he visited in India! Not during monsoon season though. I would love to go there!

    1. Thank you! Yes the pictures are all taken during monsoon months. Indian monsoon tends to have rain in phases – so on any given day you have a good chance of getting an hour or two of pleasant sunny skies.

  5. Awww so beautiful, I really love India and all the places are really worth a visit. Thanks for all this great recommendations, next time I am planning to go to Udaipur.
    Have a wonderful day

    1. Thank you so much Martina. I’m glad you liked the post and that you are planning a trip to Udaipur. You will love it – if you have time, don’t miss adding a day excursion to Ranakpur temples and Kumbhalgarh fort. Both are easily doable from Udaipur in a single day by private taxi.

  6. We visited Goa last monsoon and we loved it! We were on Vagator beach when storm clouds came rolling it. The sky looked so dramatic! I’d love to visit Orchha and Udaipur in the rains.

    1. I know, right? Trust me you’ll love Orchha. I love the place, in fact, I have another longer narrative style post on the blog just about one earlier overnight trip there.

  7. The rains do bring a lot of bright greens out. But I don’t like going out in the rain, especially those with strong winds. So I generally avoid traveling during rainy season.

    1. Hmm I can understand. Rains in India tend to be rather phased in manner though, with bright sunny periods scattered in between, so I suppose it isn’t so hard 🙂

  8. Love the idea of putting together a list of getaways during a monsoon. I have yet to visit India, but there seem to be a lot of great places to visit when I do make it there one day.

  9. Typically, I don’t like to visit places during monsoon season, but if you are truly just going to get away and stay inside curled up, it would definitely work! I don’t personally love to be out in the rain, but I love to watch it! And I would definitely enjoy boating in Udaipur.

    1. I have found that some places are actually more beautiful in the rains. And since the monsoon rains tend to work in strange patterns (rain all night, sunny morning, rain afternoon through then dry till the next morning etc.) one can actually get a fair bit of travel/outside visits done too. Of course there is always the risk of getting a little wet in the odd downpour but I’ll take my chances to make the most of the off-season 🙂

  10. I love lake destinations so Udaipur sounds like a great place for me. All the greenery and beautiful views sounds so relaxing. The boat ride sounds like fun too!

  11. Interesting that people travel to escape the monsoon. There are similarities to Canadians escaping winter to Mexico and the Caribbean. I would be happy to see and experience the Monsoon in person, but I can understand why one might try and escape it.

    Thanks for sharing. Keep travel blogging. Adventure is better shared with friends!

    1. Interesting comparison, didn’t think of it that way 🙂
      I guess folks travel sometimes just to escape their routine, whatever that might be! Thanks for stopping by.

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