5 places not to miss for Monsoon Road trip

If you are a rain lover and a tough soul, who enjoys water puddles, umbrellas, damp roads and aroma of wet soil, then monsoons is the best time for you to invade the offbeat areas of India by road trip. These places will gives you the real feel of Incredible India with cool winds, floating clouds and raindrops.

Here is the list of five places shortlisted by us for a monsoon road trip. For detailed information of the route before or during your road trip, you can check with one of the leading travel and highway enthusiast forum – HV Kumar.

1. Rann of Kutch, Gujarat

Distance from Mumbai – 933 Kms

Route – Mumbai – Surat – Vadodra   – Ahmedabad –Bhuj – Kutch

In & Around- Enormous stretch of white salt marshes, appearing as white desert whereas in monsoons becomes a shallow fishing ground for fishermen. Not to miss –Moon light camel safari, the highest point Kala Dunger , Dattatreya Temple and hours glazing at stars in the clear sky both at night if you are lucky.

2. Kausani , Uttrakhand

Distance from Delhi – 427 kms Route – Delhi – Noida –Rampur- Nainital-Almora- Kausani

In & Around- Baijnath group of temples, Bageshwar, Anashakti Ashram, Lakshmi Ashram and Pant Museum Not to miss –Breathtaking beauty, Panaromic View of Himalayan peaks like Trishul, Nanda Devi, Tea gardens and factory, Rudradhari Caves and Waterfalls

3. Pachmarhi, Madhya Pardesh

Distance from Bhopal – 191kms Route – Bhopal-Hoshangabad-Sohagpur-Pipriya-Pachmarhi

In & Around- Caves, Rock paintings, Waterfalls, Lake, Valleys, Narrow gorges, Mountain peaks and ancient temples  Not to miss – Apsara Vihar, Bee Falls, Pandav caves, Duchess Falls, Jata Shankar, Handhi Khoh, Bison lodge, Reech garh, Dhoopgarh, Irene Pool and Rajat Pratap.

4. Munnar, Kerala

Distance from Bangalore– 476 kms Route –Bangalore- Hosur- Dharmapuri-Salem-Erode-Trippur-Munnar

In & Around- Lush green foliage, Matupetty Dam, Sita Devi Lake, Kolukkumalai tea estate, The Dolmens of Marayoor Not to miss –Tea estates, Attukad falls, Athirapally falls, trek to Anamudi highest peak in South India and Bird watching

5. Mount Abu, Rajasthan

Distance from Delhi– 767 kms Route – Delhi – Neemrana- Jaipur-Ajmer- Beawar- Pali- Sirohi- MountAbu

In & Around- Dilwara Jain Temple, Nakki Lake, Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Trek to Guru Shikhar, Trevors Tank, Achalgarh, Sunset point Not to miss –Scenic strolls, Mouth watering Rabri and local market at Abu road Caution: Though road trips are thrilling which rush your adrenaline, but you need to be cautious too at the same time. You never know when rain drops turns into cloud burst. So be careful and take some precautions while driving.

• Before leaving, ensure your vehicle is in a healthy condition. Check your lights, tyres, brake and windshield
• Preferably use wet weather tyres during monsoon road trip to avoid slippage
• Roads especially fly-over’s can be slippery during rain, so be careful
• Be considerate to two wheeler’s and pedestrians. During rainy season pedestrians are hard to spot whereas two wheeler’s don’t have enough control over their brakes
• Avoid driving when there is heavy rain and zero visibility
• Don’t leave your vehicles on the road. Park them in a clean safe parking lot away from rodents
• Make sure you have spare Tyre, tool kit, jack etc in good condition
• Carry first aid kit, umbrella and keep a torch handy