Monsoon Trails!

After months of agonizing sweltering heat, it’s finally monsoons in India. Every living being on this earth (in India) will be breathing a sigh of relief with the coolness and rains the monsoon brings to us.

While many travel outside India during summers to get away from the heat, during monsoons the domestic travels rise up as Hotels and Tour operators offer attractive packages one after the other. Despite many places being shut down during monsoon, one can still find a lot of good getaways not to mention the discounted plush hotel stays. Today in Monsoon Trails, Soul brings you some ‘cool’ places to visit this Monsoon.

Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

Yes most of the Jim Corbett is closed during the monsoon but there’s one particular zone which is opened for the visitors. The zone is called ‘Jhirna Zone’. One can explore and have lot of fun in the Jhirna Zone and its nearby areas. Also you don’t have to queue up or have to tolerate the nudging and pushing peeps as it’s off season then and there are fewer tourists which works in our advantage. Moreover, we not only get great deals but we also get to see the park in its lustrous green (after the rains) avatar and the animals happy and lounging about.

Safari Tours are in great demand and they are working all year round. And there’s good news for rafting lovers. Since the Kosi river remains shallow in other seasons it is not suitable for rafting. So for a rafting lover it is the best time to visit the Park. Also Ramnagar (gateway to the Corbett) is about 65 kms away from Nainital, another popular tourist hub, especially during summer.

By Rail: Nearest railway station is Ramnagar railway station that connects Corbett to various other cities like Delhi, Haridwar, Lucknow and Varanasi.

By Air: Phoolbagh Airport is the nearest airport to Corbett, situated at a distance of 50 km from Corbett National Park.

Accommodation:

1. Corbett Riverside Resort has earned a lot of good reviews and has also won a certificate of excellence from the online portal TripAdvisor.
2. Aahana – the Corbett Wilderness, an Eco Friendly Resort is a great place to stay especially if you are with children as the food out there is too sumptuous. Also not to miss out is the cobblestoned fire place in the rooms. The Resort has also won a 2015 Travelers Choice Award from TripAdvisor.
3. Jim’s Jungle Retreat – the name itself wants you to go and explore the place. It’s a perfect place to stay if you want to get lost in the wilderness of the park. The swimming area has hut style rooms and the cottages are perfect for families. Otherwise the lodge rooms on the first floor are perfect being spacious and offering great views.

Goa

We don’t have to do a sales pitch for this beach city. Though Goa has many ardent and loyal followers, we would insist those who haven’t yet to go and visit this city especially during Monsoon. Many river activities and clubs are closed during monsoon but the ones that are open are worth a visit. The beach area is relatively unoccupied which gives us ample of privacy. The shacks that are open (not many though) offer great food on reasonable rates. So sipping a beer on the beach while eating chicken and getting drenched in the rain at the same time is heavenly.

The golden olden happening club, Club Cabana is closed during monsoon but the new star in town LPK (Love Passion Karma) is open and is the right place for late night party lovers. Also the five star hotels with their own private beach offer great packages which are not to be missed. The airline rates also get slashed during monsoon. Goa is a must visit during Monsoon to spend some quality time with your loved ones while basking in luxury and comfort of great hotels.

By Rail: Goa has two major railway stations — Margao and Vasco-da-Gama — both located in the southern area of the state. The South Central Railway terminus is at Vasco-da-Gama and the Konkan Railway terminus is at Margao. The Konkan Railway has trains which ply between Mumbai and Goa and other destinations. The latest updated schedules for these are available on the official Konkan Railway website.

By Air: Goa is well connected by airline services to most major cities in India. All flights, national and international, to and from Goa, operate from the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the port town of Vasco-da-Gama. The airport is about 30 kms from the capital city of Panaji and most of the hotels provide coach services from the airport.

Accommodation: Goa is one place where you can live in a shack as well as in a five star property. But, if you are visiting Goa during monsoon then why not treat yourself to luxury and opt for a 5* property?

Hotels like Taj Group, Marriot, Ramada and Novotel offer some irresistible monsoon packages.

Pondicherry

The exotic mix of French colonial heritage, spiritual institutions, traditional culture and emerging contemporary lifestyle makes you fall in love with this idyllic coastal city. During the monsoons with its mild showers, Pondicherry is a place to visit with its pristine beauty and idyllic beaches. Armed with a umbrella and a raincoat, don’t forget to explore the innumerable colonial buildings, churches and spiritual ashrams. There are many food options as well. For people who love French Food there are many fancy French restaurants and not to forget Pondicherry is a haven for those who have a taste for the wild sea creatures.

Some of the noted beaches of the territory are Serenity Beach, Chunnamber Beach, Promenade Beach and Auroville Beach. A visit to the Hidesign flagship store is a must. Also for someone who wants to learn scuba diving, there are few scuba diving institutes which offer various levels of scuba diving courses.

By Rail: The nearest rail station from Pondicherry is Villupuram, which is about 35 kilometers away from the town. The railhead is well-connected to metro cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Trivandrum. Two of the most popular trains are New Delhi Pondicherry Express and Nagarcoli Express.

By Air: The airport at Pondicherry can accommodate landing of a small aircraft only and has flights coming in from Bangalore and Hyderabad. However, you can get a connecting flight if you are coming from Delhi, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Chennai is the second nearest domestic as well as an international airport which is approximately 135 kilometers away from Pondicherry. The Chennai airport is well connected to all major cities across the globe.

(travel info source makemytrip)

Accommodation: ‘The Promenade’, which is a Hidesign Hotel (yes, the famous Indian leather company), is truly a luxury to stay in, overlooking the beach. Ideally located, it has many tourist attractions nearby. Then there’s Hotel Du Parch with its colonized interiors and quiet façade and Anantha Heritage Hotel with its (south) Indian Heritage quite visible in its interiors and exteriors.

SOUL Tip: We at soul try to bring the latest information to our readers but we would recommend the readers to do their own research and be well equipped with information of the place they are planning to visit.

– Your reservations and travel itinerary should be updated and well informed.

– Always let a family person know about your whereabouts just in case if anything goes wrong.

– Try not to carry too much cash. Instead carry what we call ‘plastic money’ i.e. the credit cards.

– And last but not the least, pack according to the place you are visiting.

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