Monsoon Escapes

Living in one of India?s major metros, where monsoon rains bring flooded streets and nine months of accumulated filth and debris floating to the surface, it?s easy to forget that the rainy season is actually among the most beautiful times to travel in India. Here are three great destinations to escape the deluge.

Living in one of India?s major metros, where monsoon rains bring flooded streets and nine months of accumulated filth and debris floating to the surface, it?s easy to forget that the rainy season is actually among the most beautiful times to travel in India. Here are three great destinations to escape the deluge.

 

 

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Spiti

Most tourists planning a trip to India between the months of June and October do so for the express purpose of visiting Ladakh, India?s perfectly preserved corner of the Tibetan plateau. Just south of Ladakh, and across the state border in Himachal Pradesh, the Spiti Valley offers a similar landscape ? soaring mountains, whitewashed Buddhist villages, millennia-old monasteries ? with far fewer visitors.

 

 

Where to stay: Hotel Spiti Sarai

This cozy 16-room hotel with modern amenities overlooks the beautiful Himalayas on the outskirts of Kaza.

Located on the outskirts of Kaza, 5 kms from the Petrol Pump. Hotel is open during June to September.

 

 

 

Western Ghats

The spine of mountains running down India?s western flank receives a heavy dousing during the monsoon, bringing its tea and coffee plantations to life, and surrounding its pretty Raj-era hill stations with greenery. Day-tripping Mumbaikars usually head out to nearby Matheran or Lonavala, tea enthusiasts to Munnar in Kerala, and coffee lovers to Coorg in the state of Karnataka. Not far from the popular hill station of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, a lovingly reconstructed Keralan mansion known as the Rajakkad Estate makes for a gorgeous and intimate place to pass a quiet weekend.

 

Where to Stay:  Rajakkad Estate

This gem hidden in a forest is your perfect homey destination. With only seven rooms, the hotel's service is impeccable.  

C/o Palani Hills Gardens Hotel Pvt Ltd, Perumparai Post, Manjelparappu Branch Office, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu 624212

 

 

Mandu

Moxon, HarpersBazaar

 

Of all the many sites scattered around central India ? and there are plenty ? none is more famously magical in the rains than the ruined city of Mandu, a short distance from the industrial city of Indore. A series of pavilions, palaces, temples and mosques scattered through the countryside of Madhya Pradesh, Mandu is one of central India?s architectural wonders. Palace hotels in the towns of Dhar and Maheshwar, each about an hour away, make for plush homebase.

 

Where to Stay: Hotel Jhira Bagh Palace

Just what you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, this quaint Art Deco styled heritage hotel has an intimate feel of old world charm.

Mandu Road, Dhar, Dhar 454001, India

 

 

 

 

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