Wet Dreams

GOAMAYBE Goa is its true self only during the monsoons. The rains spell maintenance time for Goans8212;the shack owners, the food joints, t...

GOA
MAYBE Goa is its true self only during the monsoons. The rains spell maintenance time for Goans8212;the shack owners, the food joints, the hotels, and also the fishermen. The flood of tourists dries up, leaving the state nearly empty. And all you have is the grey sea that tosses and turns restlessly. It rains every few hours, but why should that get to you? There8217;s no office to go to and no deadlines to meet. Hire one of those ubiquitous Kinetic Hondas and putter about the place, tootling in and out of the wayside joints that serve not just beer, but cheap, wholesome food8212;how does vindaloo with pav sound? When you are not in town by the pregnant Mandovi or on the beach, catching that rare bit of sunshine after getting high on feni, head over to Tiracol, first by road to Mapusa and then a ferry from Querim. The rambling Tiracol fort, now a hotel, lies at the northern tip of Goa. The beach out here is probably the best place to watch the advance of yet another armada of inky black monsoon clouds.

Quick Pick: Book a room for 3 nights, get an extra night free. Offer on at Fort Aguada Beach Resort and Taj Holiday Village till September 30.

KUCHESAR
IF Delhi, with all its irritants, is getting to you, get out. Nowhere too fancy or far, just to a little village called Kuchesar off the Delhi-Moradabad highway. Chances are you8217;ve never heard of this hamlet in the heart of sugarcane country. But your destination isn8217;t the village, it lies seven km away in a Neemrana property called the Mud Fort. Never mind the name, this structure has survived since the 18th century. All around is miles of open country, now painted a verdant green. The roads around, though, are little more than tracks, so you might have to abandon any plans for walks. Instead, curl up in the cane chairs in the deep verandah, and call for another helping of French fries and chai. Bliss.

Quick Pick: 50 per cent discount on Rs 1,500-1,650 for two nights at the Mud Fort, plus breakfast thrown in till September 30

MOUNT ABU
OK, it8217;s the most hackneyed hill-station north of Mahabaleshwar, but if you haven8217;t been to Abu in the rains, you haven8217;t seen the hills at their prettiest. The rains here meander between mists and showers so gently you can be outdoors and discern it8217;s raining only through the darkening of the macadamised roads. The crowds mercifully stay away during this season, so you can stretch your legs8212;and your arms8212;without bumping into anyone more alien than the Brahmakumaris headquartered here. To savour the season fully, book ahead at the Connaught House, a charming little remnant of princely India. There8217;s a caretaker who8217;ll make you part of his family, a khansama who8217;ll look slightly shocked when you add Limca to your Stroh8217;s and meals that will stay with you long after the negatives are developed.

Quick Pick: Rs 3,899 for a 2-night-3 day package including breakfast for a couple and two kids below 6 years of age at the Connaught House till September 30

KERALA
BE warned, it8217;ll rain 28 hours a day. But there is a certain charm to the rains in Kerala. The greenery in the state becomes more vivid, the village ponds begin to fill up, and the red earth exhales great aromas. And where do you go when it8217;s pouring? Get into one of those thatched-roof structures that abound all across the little state. And ingest steaming aapams with spicy curry, followed by piping hot tea. Catch the ferry or train to the annual boat race at Alapuzha or chill out at one of the empty beaches near Varkala. After that, try and hire a houseboat kettuvallam and snooze around, as the persistent drizzle strums a moody blue on the waters.

Quick Pick: Coconut Holidays from the Casino Group.

Rs 19,125 per person twin sharing for 7 nights till September 30

Story continues below this ad

SHIMLA
EVERYONE8217;S been to Shimla at least once, possibly to beat the heat or to greet the snow. But in the monsoons July-October, this hill station takes on a deliciously unfamiliar face. Right from the moment you step into the toy train at Kalka8212;go for the all-glass carriage if you can8212;to the instant you are swamped by porters at the hill-station, there8217;s a nip, and a wetness in the air.

A reminder of how close you are to the clouds. In fact, sometimes, the proximity is too close for comfort; especially when you have to negotiate a cloud that8217;s conveniently come to rest on a mountain road. But when the clouds clear up, make sure you8217;re outside8212;monsoon sunsets make for a spectacular sight. Recommended this year is a visit to Chadwick Falls, seven km from the city. Because of the plentiful rains, the falls are more robust than they have been for the past 10 years.

Quick Pick: Rs 1,200 onwards, with 15-20 per cent discounts at all HPTDC hotels