Travellers Speak: 8 Awesome Places to Chase the Monsoons in India!

 
Compiled by Shivya Nath.

The smell of the first rain on earth often reminds me of A.R. Rehman's music. This must be the aroma of our soil that swells us with love for India. Anyone who has seen scorched barren summer landscapes transform into a lush countryside, or a thick mist engulf the backwaters, or the sea roar with delight, or anyone who has joined our farmers to dance in the rains, knows the joy of chasing the monsoons in India. Anyone who hasn't, well, the time is now to pack your bags, hit the road, and feel the wind in your hair and the rain drenching your soul.


At India Untravelled, we asked our Facebook fans and Twitter followers their favorite places to experience the rains in India. We loved the variety of answers and reasons we got. Behold, a collection of offbeat monsoon escapes within the country:

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1) CHANDI, BIHAR

"The muddy son river, lush green rice plantations, changing hues of the sky from blue to black, and the lovely ethnic songs from the field are things I crave to go back to every monsoon."

~ Sneha Chandra

Rains in the rice plantations. Photo by Rajarshi Mitra.

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2) MUMBAI TO KERALA ON THE KONKAN RAILWAY

"This journey is the destination."

~ Travelbyts

The Konkan Railway in Goa. Photo by abcdz2000.

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3) JIBHI, HIMACHAL PRADESH

"It's like being in fantasy land with clouds coming in and changing the scenery every ten minutes. The mountains are crisp green and the fresh water streams swell in the most wild way."

~ Geetika Nigam

Mist engulfing the woods. Photo by Rohit Chhiber.

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4) GOA

"Goa is an unlikely choice to many. But I prefer it best in the rains. On the touch of rain, its true essence comes alive."

~ @sundermanbegins

Also suggested by @shuchatterji and @miss_nautanki 

Stay at a 500-year-old Goan Portuguese homestay and discover the other side of Goa.

Riding through the mist in Goa. Photo by Vir Nakai.

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5) AGUMBE, KARNATAKA

"During monsoon in Agumbe, there is only rain. You stay with locals, have tasty food and get drenched."

~ @girljamr15 

Forests of Karnataka. Photo by Bikash Das.

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6) BONAI HILLS, JHARKHAND

"The music the Sal tree leaves make is unparalleled in the rains."

~ Ramya Prayaga

Hiking through the Sal Forests. Photo by UBC Public Affairs.

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7) KERALA

"Rejuvenate by the pristine beaches and lush green countryside, all so fresh with the monsoon showers!"

~ @senbaga87

Also suggested by @ashishvagela, Vijay Sridhar and Vinamra Agrawal

Unearth Kerala's best kept secrets on this trail of tropical forests, pristine beaches and virgin backwaters.

Misty Munnar. Photo by Jakub Michankow.

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8) ANYWHERE IN THE HIMALAYAS

"Every single place becomes ten-fold more magical in the monsoons. But there's nothing quite like the hills! The mountains. Mist. Think a chai-maggi pit stop with steely mountains peeking through the dark clouds."

~ @shuchatterji

Discover the secrets of the Kumaon Himalayas at old-fashioned colonial homestays and charming Kumaoni villages. 

Munsiyari. Photo by Anurag Agnihotri.

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What are your favorite monsoon escapes in India?

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