(Image source from: Canva.com)
When we plan vacations, we usually hope the weather is nice and sunny. When it rains, we often feel that it ruins our vacation plans. But what if you learned that people in India actually go out in the rain on purpose? Yes, the monsoon season, once seen as the worst time to travel because the heavy rains ruined everything, is now becoming a popular time to travel. Information shows that more people are traveling during the monsoon. Data from Thomas Cook (India) indicates that more young Indian travelers—including Gen Z, millennials, working people, couples, families of all ages, and a new group called "frolleagues" (friends and colleagues)—are choosing to travel at this time. Cleartrip&039;s PeekABoo travel tracker shows that bookings for monsoon trips have gone up a lot this year by 46%, with big cities leading the way, making up a large 78% of all travelers.
Most of these travelers are between 24 and 30 years old, and they are looking for quick, refreshing three-day trips, which they call "70-hour monsoon breaks" to get away from their usual 70-hour workweek. Even with this growing trend, hotel prices have mostly stayed the same, with only a small 3% increase, while flight prices have gone up by 13%, still making travel affordable for many people. PeekABoo also points out that people prefer short hotel stays (about two nights), while flight bookings suggest that people want to take longer vacations of about seven days. Interestingly, going on trips without planning is becoming more popular, showing a 14% increase in bookings made at the last minute, but planning trips ahead of time is also growing, with a 10% increase. Overall, traveling during the monsoon season is doing very well in India.
The monsoon makes the landscapes full of life, turning them into green, lush places. For example, Coorg is famously called the "Scotland of India" because of its hills covered in mist and coffee farms that grow well in the rain. Waterfalls like Abbey Falls, Irupu Falls, Chelavara Falls, and the Barapole River in Coorg look amazing at this time, bringing in nature lovers and photographers who want to see the strong water flow and the green surroundings. Also, places like Cherrapunji and Mawsynram in Meghalaya become beautiful with their great waterfalls and living root bridges when the monsoon comes. This season also has fun activities like white-water rafting on the Barapole River in Coorg, hiking in the Brahmagiri range, and exploring paths covered in mist in hill stations like Kodaikanal and Lonavala. The rains add excitement, thrill, and freshness to these adventures, attracting young travelers and people who love adventure.
Some places have celebrations tied to the rainy season, which offer great cultural activities. Many hotels and fancy vacation spots in well-known monsoon areas give good prices and deals, mostly because usually people don't travel at this time (the slow season), which makes it a cheap time to enjoy even high-end resorts for vacation trips. Areas like Goa and Udaipur get fewer tourists during the monsoon, letting visitors enjoy peaceful beaches, pretty lake scenes, and old places without the usual big groups. The monsoon makes places like Udaipur's Monsoon Palace and boat trips on Lake Pichola even nicer with its cool, refreshing weather. The wet season shows a different side of places. Waterfalls have the most water, lakes are full, and different cultural parties celebrating rain happen in many areas. Many people now see this appeal, partly because there are more ads on social media.
The tea-growing part of India, going from North Bengal to Assam, is also the greenest during the monsoon. Taking a trip on roads near tea fields, or drinking warm tea at one of the many farms, gives you a special getaway.
Many travelers, especially younger ones, are picking short, regular trips—called “mini-cations” or “micro-breaks”—to enjoy the monsoon feelings, often only for a weekend. The monsoon time is now seen as a chance to make new memories instead of canceling trips. What used to be annoying is now about enjoying nature, culture, and unplanned fun. So, get your raincoat, your favorite music, and some tea, because it seems like the best time to see India might be when it's raining a lot.
