Advice needed for monsoon travel (late July - early August)

jeffandjen · Jun 21st, 2008, 10:38

Hello. We are on a extended rtw trip. Due to scheduling we are going to be in India for three weeks starting the end of July and into August. We know this is the height of monsoon season and not the best time to visit. Complicating matters further is the fact that my wife is practically allergic to heat, well not allergic but very adverse to it. And of course, neither of us are big fans of rains, floods, or closed roads. Yes... not the best of timing but oh well...

We had hoped to do the kind of classic Varanasi and Jaisalmer tour but I think given the monsoon and my wife's wish to avoid excessive heat, I'm thinking this would probably not be the best choice (I read that it usually gets to 42 degrees in Jaisalmer at this time - is that possibly true - my god...).

We've heard that there are areas, especially the hill stations of Northern India which might have better weather. We've heard Ladakh is good at this time. Also parts of Kashmir.

Any ideas for us? We've got about 3 weeks or so.

We like to mix it up with outdoor activities like trekking-hiking combined with some cultural visits. And we are more on the backpacker or flashpacker side of the scale on traveler type. And prefer a bit off the beaten path and are willing to rough it a bit to get to something that is worth the effort.

Thanks in advance.

Nick-H · Jun 21st, 2008, 14:00

Tamil Nadu will not be so wet --- in fact Chennai may be completely dry

. But hot... it'll be in the mid to high thirties C.

If you can find the right altitude...

Two years ago I went to Ooty in July, and found it wet, cold and miserable, but half-way down the Nilgiris on the TN side, it was mild, just a little rain, and very pleasant.

I doubt that the area would keep you occupied for three weeks, though!

jyotirmoy · Jun 21st, 2008, 14:05

Ladakh is beautiful end July.

nayan · Jun 21st, 2008, 17:10

lahaul spiti and ladakh will keep one easily occupied for 3 weeks.

or may be 2 weeks in ladakh and 1 week in rajasthan. (i have been to rajasthan in mid august and it was ok.... nothing intolerable if you stay in AC accomodation and hire a car for site seeing etc)

Jun 21st, 2008, 10:38	#1
jeffandjen Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: sanfrancisco Posts: 5	Advice needed for monsoon travel (late July - early August) Hello. We are on a extended rtw trip. Due to scheduling we are going to be in India for three weeks starting the end of July and into August. We know this is the height of monsoon season and not the best time to visit. Complicating matters further is the fact that my wife is practically allergic to heat, well not allergic but very adverse to it. And of course, neither of us are big fans of rains, floods, or closed roads. Yes... not the best of timing but oh well... We had hoped to do the kind of classic Varanasi and Jaisalmer tour but I think given the monsoon and my wife's wish to avoid excessive heat, I'm thinking this would probably not be the best choice (I read that it usually gets to 42 degrees in Jaisalmer at this time - is that possibly true - my god...). We've heard that there are areas, especially the hill stations of Northern India which might have better weather. We've heard Ladakh is good at this time. Also parts of Kashmir. Any ideas for us? We've got about 3 weeks or so. We like to mix it up with outdoor activities like trekking-hiking combined with some cultural visits. And we are more on the backpacker or flashpacker side of the scale on traveler type. And prefer a bit off the beaten path and are willing to rough it a bit to get to something that is worth the effort. Thanks in advance.

Jun 21st, 2008, 14:00	#2
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,692	Tamil Nadu will not be so wet --- in fact Chennai may be completely dry . But hot... it'll be in the mid to high thirties C. If you can find the right altitude... Two years ago I went to Ooty in July, and found it wet, cold and miserable, but half-way down the Nilgiris on the TN side, it was mild, just a little rain, and very pleasant. I doubt that the area would keep you occupied for three weeks, though! __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

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jyotirmoy Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 4,659	Ladakh is beautiful end July.

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nayan Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hyderabad/tokyo Posts: 1,029	lahaul spiti and ladakh will keep one easily occupied for 3 weeks. or may be 2 weeks in ladakh and 1 week in rajasthan. (i have been to rajasthan in mid august and it was ok.... nothing intolerable if you stay in AC accomodation and hire a car for site seeing etc)

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