From The Latest Issue: In Search Of Petrichor: The Indian Destinations Redefining Monsoon

Petrichor, the smell of the earth after the first rain, is the harbinger of monsoon in India. While many travellers tend to avoid this time of the year because of the unpredictable weather, the rainy season can actually be one of the best seasons.

For years, monsoon has been associated with the off-season. That means lower airfares, better hotel deals, and fewer crowds.

What Happened

But what many people don’t realise is that what was once the season to sit out has become the season to seek out. What makes this year’s monsoon travel story particularly interesting is the way people are planning their trips.

• Zostel data depicts that nearly 48 per cent of mountain bookings were made within three days of departure, signalling a rise in spontaneous travel rather than months of advance planning.

• For something more comforting on a cool, rainy night, head to Lhasa on Boulevard Road, opened in 1976 by a Tibet-returned Kashmiri, where steaming bowls of thukpa and handmade momo have been warming people.

• How to Reach: Bagdogra airport is the nearest, about 124 km away, with cabs and shared taxis running regularly.

Key Details

The trend is also spreading beyond India’s biggest metropolitan cities. Based on the current booking and search trends, these are the destinations that are topping travellers’ monsoon wishlists, and here are the reasons why they are worth visiting this season.

• How to Reach: Coimbatore airport is the closest, about 105 km away.

• The Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam is the most scenic route up, though services can run late during heavy rain.

• For something to take back, Ooty chocolates, Ooty Varkey, and Nilgiri tea from the estate shops near Doddabetta make the hills' best souvenirs.

Why It Matters

A crowded Mall Road, long queues at every café, traffic inching across the narrow lanes—the mountain town gets buried under the burden of its own popularity. The deodar forests turn a shade of green so saturated it almost looks artificial, clouds drift.

• The market near Commercial Street has stalls selling hot masala corn and fresh-cut fruit, which you can enjoy at this altitude, in the cold air, with nowhere particular to be.

• Amma's Kitchen on the way to Pykara Lake serves a South Indian thali that is natural, filling, and what you may want after a morning in the rain.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Outlook Traveller as more details emerge