With the first of the showers in, you have no reason not to get out and put the monsoon on wheels. You can expect hills in the mist, odd waterfalls, and emerald hedges to make even a well-trodden path feel like a film set. If you have been in the market for a rain-kissed change of pace, these are the ones to take.
Why they are worth it
The rain is not just for cooling off. It has a way of reworking the countryside and putting the brakes on, letting you see what the summer sun was blinding you to. When the clouds are low and the valleys are full of sound, you will be stopping for a picture at every turn.
It is a good time to be on the road if you are a driver or a daydreamer:
– The views are lush and put some life back in the land
– You come across waterfalls at the next bend or over a cliff
– A bit of cool air chases away the tedium of a long drive
– The estates make for a fine postcard
A deep dive in the Western Ghats: Kochi to Munnar and up
Kerala has a way of setting the mood with its meandering from Kochi to Munnar. Between the tea, the falls and the clouds, you could put together a postcard without trying. In the wet season, with the hills in a rich green, it is quite something. Just mind the fog and the sharper corners.
Go a bit further north to the Bengaluru to Coorg run and you are in coffee country. The roads go up into the hills and the forest, the temperature drops, and the plantations open up. You are amply rewarded for the time behind the wheel with some misty vantage points and a good local spot to eat along the way.
To the Northeast: Guwahati to the Shillong skies and lakes
Want some monsoon flair? The stretch from Guwahati to Shillong is it in a wide-angle view. The topography is a mix of hill and forest, and Umiam Lake is usually under a shroud of mist. It is the kind of drive that makes you ready for the chill and the culture of Shillong, a proper retreat when it is pouring.
You don’t need to be in a hurry here. There is plenty of time to look around. The weather will put on a show as it moves over the slopes, and if you are patient, the view will keep changing on you.
Leaving the plains for the Himalayas: Kolkata to Darjeeling
You start in the thick of it in the city and then the road goes to work. The ridges are flanked by tea and the rain gives the hills a pearly finish. And if you are lucky on a day with some sky, you might catch a hint of Kanchenjunga, which is its own kind of quiet thrill on the way up.
It is the contrast you are after. One minute you are in rural Bengal, the next you are on a mountain pass with the panorama right in front of you, and each curve is one step nearer to the cloud line.
Rajasthan with a twist: Udaipur to Mount Abu
The monsoon puts a new spin on things from Udaipur to Mount Abu. The Aravalli hills are not as you remember them; the rain has made them green and the old rock faces are in a different light. You get some fine driving, some lovely lakes, and a climate that is a welcome break.
Not a long haul, but it is an easy one to put in if you want some of that hillside air. It is still Rajasthan, only in a form you don’t often see.
Making a choice
Let your mood be the guide. For a little drama with a tea aroma, you can’t beat Kochi to Munnar. Prefer your mist with some coffee and a few unstructured stops? Then head for Coorg. Guwahati to Shillong is where you go for the clouds and the lake.
If you are in the mood for a proper mountain run with some history to it, make it Kolkata to Darjeeling. Or for a no-fuss green break in the west, Udaipur to Mount Abu is the one.
In the end, the destination is only part of it. The monsoon has a way of making the miles in between the story. The rain does the editing and you will find something new at each corner. So get in early, don’t overpack, and let the weather have its say.
