India Travel Guide
India will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity - but if you enjoy
delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then it
is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth, and you'll
quickly develop an abiding passion for it.
Nothing in the country is ever quite predictable; the only thing to expect
is the unexpected, which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next
to you. India is a litmus test for many travellers - some are only too happy
to leave, while others stay for a lifetime.
When To Go :
Climate plays a key factor in deciding when to visit India. Keep in mind that
climatic conditions in the far north are distinctly different to those of
the extreme south.
Generally, India's climate is defined by three seasons - the hot, the wet
(monsoon) and the cool, each of which can vary in duration from north to south.
The most pleasant time to visit most places is during the cooler period: November
to around mid-February.
The heat starts to build up on India's northern plains from around February,
and by April or May it really hots up, peaking in June. In central India temperatures
of 45°C and above are commonplace. South India also becomes uncomfortably
hot during this time.
Late in May the first signs of the monsoon are visible in some areas - high
humidity, electrical storms, short rainstorms and dust storms that turn day
into night. The hot season is the time to abandon the plains and head for
the cooler hills, and this is when hill stations are at their best (and busiest).
When the monsoon finally arrives the rain comes in steadily, generally starting
around 1 June in the extreme south and sweeping north to cover the whole country
by early July. The main monsoon comes from the southwest, but the southeast
coast (and southern Kerala) is largely affected by the short and surprisingly
wet northeast monsoon, which brings rain from around October to early December.
Things don't really cool down: at first hot, dry and dusty weather is simply
replaced by hot, humid and muddy conditions. It doesn't rain all day, but
it rains every day. Followed by the sun this creates a fatiguing steam bath-like
environment.
Around October the monsoon ends for most of the country. This is when India
sees most tourists - however, it's too late to visit Ladakh (May to October
is the optimum period). During October and November it's generally not too
hot and not too cool (October can still be humid in some regions). In the
thick of winter (around mid-December to mid-January), Delhi and other northern
cities can become astonishingly cold, especially at night - and it's bone-chilling
in the far north. In the far south the temperatures become comfortably warm
during this period.
It's worth checking the dates of particular festivals - you may be attracted
or repelled by the chaos (and jacked-up prices) that attend them. There are
virtually no festivals in May/June. The wedding season falls between November
and March, when you're likely to see at least one lively procession through
the streets.
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