Agreed, it’s not the best time of the year to travel. If your life or that of your companions is synchronised to school or college timetables, getting away for any length of time will invite the label “bunker”. Even if you can get away, rains—and there seems to be so much more of it than usual in so many parts of the country—can easily ruin a good holiday.
That notion is a little sweeping. If you try, you can get around schedules, and around the rain—and get away. And there are good reasons why you should consider getting away in these monsoon months. Being the travel off-season, tour operators, hotels and airlines are all offering discounts of 10-50 per cent, with a sizeable number leaning towards bigger discounts. Says Hari V. Krishnan, Vice-President, Travelguru, a travel portal: “People prefer to take short breaks in this season. We have negotiated deals with hotels and are offering discounts of 10-40 per cent.” Adds Deep Kalra, CEO, MakeMytrip.com: “Discounts of up to 50 per cent are available on air fares.” Not only is travel lighter on the wallet, you also avoid the crowds of May, June and December. As for the destinations, surprise, surprise, there are lots to choose from.

The places
There are ample places that are not held hostage to nature’s moods, both within and outside India. In India, hills are off the itinerary, but popular destinations like Goa and Kerala are on. Says Kalra: “Goa is popular around this time of the year. It is green and there are intermittent showers, making it a pleasant stay. Plus, package prices drop to about one-third or one-fourth the peak-season price.” Adds Dhruv Shringi, cofounder, Yatra.com: “Rajasthan and Ooty are also worth considering.”
Even if you can’t, or don’t want to, take off for a longer holiday, short jaunts are possible. From virtually every metro, there are places that will welcome you even at this time of the year. From Delhi, for instance, there’s Jaipur and other places in Rajasthan. Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar and Kihim are a drive of two to three hours from Mumbai. From Bangalore, there’s Munnar and Kodaikanal. Tour operators are offering attractive deals to all these places. Abroad, Southeast Asia is a good option. Says Shringi: “Singapore, Bangkok and Australia are popular around this time.” They are close and, more importantly, within the budget of many more families than they would be in the busy season.

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