A
Walk in the Rain
Five
best places to enjoy the monsoon
Yes, there
are the usual, much-raved-about spots like Goa, Puducherry, Kanyakumari, Coorg....
The problem is that almost everybody would be making a beeline for these
places, and what good is a break if you have to bump into the same faces you
see every day?
So if you want to enjoy the monsoon magic in near-total privacy, the wettest place on earth, Mawsynram, is a better idea. This small village is the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya robbed the nearby Cherrapunjee of the title a while back, but the tourist trappings are yet to arrive.
So stay at one of the resorts, hotels or homestays in Cherrapunjee, under 20 km away. Be sure to check out the magnificent stalagmites at Mawjymbuin Cave here. The area is also teeming with waterfalls, big and small, and as pretty as they come. These hills are also the site of the famed living root bridges. These are all natural suspension bridges made of living banyan trees, or specifically the roots of a tree or two. Some of them are over a hundred feet long, and one has to see it to believe it. A trip out to visit the bridge at Wahthyllong in Mawlynnong, 70 km from Mawsynram, is sure to be worth the effort.
If Meghalaya is too remote, how about a walk in the rains down the narrow roads of Mcleodganj? Culture, great food, solitude, naturescapes, it’s all here. You have missed the Dalai Lama’s birthday, but who knows, he might be in residence during your visit and you get the rare opportunity to see him at the monastery. Another popular attraction is the Bhagsu falls. It’s pretty overrated and overcrowded, but worth a visit for the scenic walk alone. You will easily find accommodation suiting every budget here.
Up north, another place that comes alive in monsoon is the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. Be prepared for a 15-17 km long trek to get there, but the sight of over 500 species of wild flowers, of every possible colour and size, swaying in the wind will make you forget every ache and groan. Visitors are not allowed to stay inside the national park — the Valley of Flowers was declared as one in 1982 — so you will have to stay in Ghangaria, where cheap and simple accommodation is easily available.
Given that the monsoon is the best time to indulge in ayurvedic treatments, you can also consider a trip to Kerala. But instead of the backwaters, head for either a tea plantation in Munnar or a spice plantation in Thekkady, or even both if you have time. Imagine waking up to the smell of cardamom, coffee or to the sight of manicured tea gardens. Then take all the time you need to detoxify, explore and relax.
So if you want to enjoy the monsoon magic in near-total privacy, the wettest place on earth, Mawsynram, is a better idea. This small village is the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya robbed the nearby Cherrapunjee of the title a while back, but the tourist trappings are yet to arrive.
So stay at one of the resorts, hotels or homestays in Cherrapunjee, under 20 km away. Be sure to check out the magnificent stalagmites at Mawjymbuin Cave here. The area is also teeming with waterfalls, big and small, and as pretty as they come. These hills are also the site of the famed living root bridges. These are all natural suspension bridges made of living banyan trees, or specifically the roots of a tree or two. Some of them are over a hundred feet long, and one has to see it to believe it. A trip out to visit the bridge at Wahthyllong in Mawlynnong, 70 km from Mawsynram, is sure to be worth the effort.
If Meghalaya is too remote, how about a walk in the rains down the narrow roads of Mcleodganj? Culture, great food, solitude, naturescapes, it’s all here. You have missed the Dalai Lama’s birthday, but who knows, he might be in residence during your visit and you get the rare opportunity to see him at the monastery. Another popular attraction is the Bhagsu falls. It’s pretty overrated and overcrowded, but worth a visit for the scenic walk alone. You will easily find accommodation suiting every budget here.
Up north, another place that comes alive in monsoon is the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. Be prepared for a 15-17 km long trek to get there, but the sight of over 500 species of wild flowers, of every possible colour and size, swaying in the wind will make you forget every ache and groan. Visitors are not allowed to stay inside the national park — the Valley of Flowers was declared as one in 1982 — so you will have to stay in Ghangaria, where cheap and simple accommodation is easily available.
Given that the monsoon is the best time to indulge in ayurvedic treatments, you can also consider a trip to Kerala. But instead of the backwaters, head for either a tea plantation in Munnar or a spice plantation in Thekkady, or even both if you have time. Imagine waking up to the smell of cardamom, coffee or to the sight of manicured tea gardens. Then take all the time you need to detoxify, explore and relax.
—
Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal SET120722
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