Great monsoon getaways this season

Monsoon is perhaps the most awaited season of the year, it is also a great time to travel: the heat has subsided and the breeze is comforting and fragrance of petrichor is everywhere. With COVID-19 related restriction easing and travel opening up it is a great time to get back on the road. Here are three places that are at their prime in the monsoon.

Kurseong and Darjeeling, West Bengal

One may think that hills aren’t the best option when it comes to monsoon travel. The hill-stations of Bengal however come alive in monsoon like none other. Whether it is the off the beaten track, little touched Kurseong or the quintessentially charming Darjeeling, North Bengal has some of the most beautiful monsoon destinations. Kurseong is 32 km from Darjeeling and 34 km from Siliguri, connected to the latter both by road and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The sleepy hill station with its mossy slopes, towering birches and roaring clouds becomes enchanting in the monsoon and promises a quiet and beautiful vacation. Darjeeling on the other hand is where you should be if you want an activity filled monsoon holiday. Long walks, tea breaks, dumpling stalls and views of misty clouds over Kanchenjunga are sure to leave you smitten.

Goa

Goa and monsoon are a match made in heaven. While the sunshine state is a forever favourite, it is in monsoon that the true beauty of its small villages and winding rivers — Mandvi, Mapusa, Zuari and many others — come alive. Small chapels glimmer in rain even as locals trot in their gear to the local markets, shops, and pubs. The place is also less crowded and the hotels run great deals during the monsoon months. If you are comfortable to drive, Goa offers quick and scenic waterfalls, hills, and beaches too — all of which only become prettier in the rain. Its local forts, cathedrals and cruises in the Mandvi, walks by the promenade in Panjim and a trip to the Portuguese quarters are some monsoon special experiences in Goa.

Kerala

Kerala does not have incessant rains that stops everything. It rains for a few hours with sunny interludes. Occasionally the rains might stretch on for a few days but sunshine is never far away. These golden interludes provide an equilibrium to life's natural flow. Rain clouds in Kerala gather from the Bay of Bengal and hurry through Palakkad in the Western Ghats making it one of the first places in the country to receive the rains. These swirling, billowing charcoal clouds hanging low and bringing with them torrential showers make Kerala the perfect monsoon getaway. As nature recoups with the rains, it is rejuvenation time for humans too, according to Ayurveda, Monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation therapies and there is no better place for that than Kerala.

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