|
Your choice of where
and when to go will be determined primarily by the weather. India's
vastness means that the climate varies greatly from region to region,
and sometimes even just from day to night, as in the desert regions.
See an
India
Travel Video to discover best places. The Indian year features six
seasons: spring, summer, the rainy season, early and late autumn, and
winter, but from the visitor's perspective, there are but three-summer,
winter, and monsoon. You'll be better off visiting during the high-season
winter months (Nov-Mar), when most of the country experiences pleasant,
moderate temperatures (still hot enough to luxuriate in the pool), though
cities in the North get chillier days as snow falls in the Himalayas.
As a rule, always be prepared for warm to hot days, with the possibility
of cooler weather at night. (If this has you worrying about how to pack,
remember that you can pick up the most wonderful throwaway cotton garments
for next to nothing and a real Pashmina scarf in every color to ward
off an unexpected chill.) As with all season- driven destinations, there
is a downside to traveling during peak months: From December to January,
for example, Goa swells to bursting point with foreigners and city folk
who arrive for the sensational beaches and parties. Lodging rates often
soar during these periods, so you may want to wait until the shoulder
season (Apr, Sept, Oct, Mar, Apr) when there are fewer people and rates
are very negotiable. Summer (generally Apr-June) sees little traffic,
and for good reason-the daytime heat, particularly in India's north-central
regions, is debilitating, even for the locals. This is the time to plan
your trip to the Himalayas instead, particularly to the Himachal Pradesh
region. Ladakh, a magical region in the far north of the country, can
only be visited July through September- the rest of the year it remains
cut off by cold and snow. The monsoon drenches much of the country between
June (sometimes as early as Apr) and September, usually starting its
season in Kerala and Karnataka. In Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh,
a second monsoon hits around mid-October and runs through December.
In Rajasthan, central India, and the northern plains, the rains typically
arrive by July and fall until early September. Some of the regions are
at their most beautiful during the monsoon, but it can be difficult
to move around, and there is a higher risk of exposure to diseases like
malaria. Flooding, power failures, and natural destruction are also
not uncommon.
|
