Best places to visit in August in India
Where to visit in August: Budget destination for Monsoon travel
Rains bring life – a much-needed luster to a lot of places. Off-season prices and less crowd make exploring even more incredible. This August month is full of holidays. Combine a few days and embark on a memorable mid-monsoon trip. Lets us explore some off-beat locations:
Kerala: Kerala is a pragmatic slash of green vegetation that down the southeast corner of India. The idyllic backwaters, beach resorts, wildlife sanctuaries, tea and coffee estates, mysterious rubber plantations, aromatic spice gardens, charming cities. Kerala is truly blessed with the generosity of nature. And it is served up with a bountiful helping of living cultural heritage. If you are proposing to visit God’s own country, you must visit Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram. An eight to ten-day trip would be enough to cover all the places. You could also make a 4N/ 5D short itenary with Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey.
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh: Khajuraho had no hang-ups about sex. On the walls of its temples are carved images of sexy men and voluptuous women celebrating the bounty of life with unabashed tenacity. Of the original 85 temples, only 22 have survived, and these have been divided into three main clusters – western, eastern and southern. One can go on a comprehensive ‘temple tour’ by rickshaw or on a hired cycle. It is also possible to walk around the town and cover all its sights in a single day. Temples aside, there is the bustling little village of Khajuraho, its narrow twisting streets alive with the sights, sounds as well as smells of rural India.
Goa: The country’s premier beach resort is also its smallest state. Goa is a fascinating mixture of the old and the new. It is, home of the incorruptible body to St. Francis Xavier and miles of unspoiled beaches and excellent hotels and tourist facilities. Goa in monsoon looks like an abandonded space. If you like to skip the crowds and enjoy 60% discounts on hotel and car and scooter rentals, then this is the time to visit the beautiful place.
Udaipur: Hills surround Udaipur: Set on the shores of Lake Pichola and the city, Udaipur is a complete contrast to the harsh deserts of the rest of Rajasthan. Here one can visit the City Palace and Museum. The city palace is the largest palace complex in India; it is a blend of Mughal and Rajput influences. Also Udaipur one can see the 17th century Jagdish temple, Fatehsagar Lake, Sahelion ki Bari, Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandir or the Folk Art Museum.
Hogenakkal Falls: Hogenakkal Falls, on Cauvery River, is a secluded and peaceful nature retreat on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu between Bangalore and Chennai. The attractions here are many: the falls, the curative powers of the water here, the serene beauty of the surrounding mountains, a most wonderful river cruise in a country craft, fishing and health oil massages. This is where the river splits into five different streams before hurtling down a thickly forested canyon. The spectacular row of waterfalls churn up clouds of mist in their wake. Riding the river at the base of the falls in a native basket boat is very much part of the adventure.
Meghalaya: It’s not for nothing that Meghalaya is known as the Abode Of The Clouds. Mawsynram in the south-central part of the state holds the distinction of receiving the highest amount of rainfall in the world – around 1,187cm a year. It also holds the record of getting the highest amount of rainfall in a single day – 98.96cm on July 10, 1952. Though it rains here for about 147 days in a year, it receives most of the lashing during the south-west monsoon months of July and September. This beautiful little mountain state that lies in the northeast reaches of the country. Shillong, the capital, is about the only significant town in a region that is often referred to as the Scotland of the East. The people here are simple tribals whose society is based on a matrilineal system. Yes, the women call the shots in these parts. As a tourist destination, though, Meghalaya suffered because, up to recently, foreign tourists needed permits. Today these restrictions have been lifted.
Jodhpur: the Blue City is an oasis in the arid Thar Desert, Jodhpur is the second largest city of Rajasthan has a history that is rich and a present that invites strongly to the discerning tourist. Jodhpur it all – palaces and forts, temples and havelis, tradition and culture, spices and fabrics, texture and color, and in plenty. Every pore of Jodhpur tells its tales of heroic deeds. Here you can find legends of bravery and romances that continue to warm the heart and time.
Valley Of Flowers: The Valley of Flowers, in the Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand, is alive with the sound of music. All you have to do was close our eyes, and listen and you will hear the happy gurgling of the streams, the silent whisper of the wind, the laughter of distant waterfalls, the song of birds. This, however, is just one movement of a grander symphony. The rain comes alive with the coming of the rains when the place is filled with over 500 species of flowers .
Pondicherry: The former French colony is located 162-km south of Chennai on the east coast of Tamil Nadu, includes the coastal town of Karaikal that lies 150 km to the south. The hamlet is a living legacy of French influence in India. The most spectacular places to visit are Sri Aurobindo Ashram, museums, churches, temples, botanical gardens, and a boat club.
