Lifestyle Trend: 10 popular destinations Indians are choosing for quick monsoon getaways You Should Know

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As per Cleartrip’s travel trends tracker PeekAboo, a surge in monsoon bookings has been seen, indicating a growing interest in embracing the rains as an opportunity to travel and experience a new side of popular destinations. According to PeekAboo’s data, bookings have risen by 46% this season, with young travellers aged 24 to 30 leading the charge. Travellers from Tier 1 cities are also among the top ones to dominate the trend, making up for 78% of all bookings. Further, there has also been a noticeable shift in planning style, with last-minute bookings up by 14% and early reservations increasing by 10%. Keeping work schedules and the lack of major public holidays this season in mind, many are opting for short weekend getaways.

If you are planning to enjoy the rain, consider moving beyond the windowsill and let rain be the wind beneath your wings as you plan your itinerary for a short getaway.

Manjari Singhal, Chief Growth and Business Officer, Cleartrip, shared with HT Lifestyle a comprehensive guide to the top 10 monsoon destinations, based on this season’s booking surge, along with what travellers can experience at each of these scenic spots:

1. Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram is a monsoon favourite. Travellers come for traditional dishes like hot appams and fish curry, and a slower, rain-soaked pace of life. Bookings have risen 23%, making it the go-to spot for those seeking calm.

• Kovalam beach: A wide, crescent-shaped beach lined with palms and a lighthouse marking its southern end. During the monsoon, the beach feels quieter and more open, ideal for long walks and stormy sea views.

• Padmanabhaswamy temple: A striking example of Dravidian architecture, known for its high gopurams and intricate stone carvings, is central to the city’s heritage.

• Poovar backwaters: A scenic spot where the lake, sea, and Neyyar River meet, bordered by mangroves and sandbars. Best explored by boat.

2. Pondicherry

Travellers wander the wet cobblestone lanes between cafés and crêperies while the coastline stays quiet, making it a peaceful, walkable city for the season. A 30% increase in bookings reflects its growing appeal during the rains.

• White Town: The city’s historic French quarters, with narrow cobbled lanes, pastel buildings, art galleries and restored colonial homes. It’s also home to several heritage cafes like Cafe des Arts, Coromandel Cafe and Bread and Chocolate — ideal for a steaming cup while it pours.

• Rock Beach: A stone-lined promenade, known for its open views, evening breeze, and wide walkways. The stretch is lined with restaurants and gelato parlours, making it an easy place to stroll, snack, and take in the drizzle.
• Auroville: A quiet, self-sustained township on the city’s edge, with forested paths, rustic cafés, and the Matrimandir, a gold-domed meditation space at its centre.

3. Coorg

Travellers immerse themselves in the region’s unique cuisine and Kodava culture, and explore the rain-lush coffee plantations, waterfalls and trails.

• Abbey Falls: A monsoon-fed, gushing waterfall tucked inside a coffee estate, with a short trail walk leading up to it.

• Raja’s Seat: A small garden and viewpoint overlooking mist-covered valleys that are especially striking after a spell of rain.
• Dubare Elephant Camp: A lush, forest-side camp along the Kaveri River where visitors can interact with, or watch elephants being bathed, fed, or walking through the trees.

4. Visakhapatnam

Vizag takes on a dramatic edge during the monsoon, with clouded skies and sweeping views of the coast. Bookings have risen 20% as travellers head here for its weather, pace, and scenic drives.

• Kailasagiri Hill Park: A hilltop space with views of the stormy coastline, reachable by road or a short ropeway ride.
• Bheemili Beach Road: A quiet coastal drive that curves along cliffs and fishing villages between Vizag and Bheemunipatnam. Lush, quiet, and best experienced with the windows down.
• Rushikonda Beach: A long curve of golden sand bordered by green hills, dotted with fewer crowds in the monsoon.

5. Goa

With a 28% rise in bookings, it remains a top choice for those seeking nature-rich calm, beyond its sandy shores.

• Dudhsagar Falls: A four-tiered waterfall on the Goa-Karnataka border, best seen gushing during peak monsoon, making the trek worth it.
• Fontainhas: Panjim’s Latin Quarter, filled with colour-blocked Portuguese-style houses, narrow lanes, and heritage cafes.

• Chapora Fort: Rain or sun, it’s a favourite, partly for its cliffside views, partly for Dil Chahta Hai fans.

6. Mumbai

With a 20% rise in bookings, the city continues to draw in travellers.

• Marine Drive: A path best explored on foot, with rain-soaked views, hot street food, slow walks, and long chats while facing the stormy sea.

• Gateway of India: A colonial-era arch built in 1924, facing the Arabian Sea with ferries and grey skies, echoing Old Bombay history.
• Sanjay Gandhi National Park: A forested expanse within city limits, with monsoon trails, waterfalls, and the ancient Kanheri Caves.

7. Varanasi

Bookings are up 30% among travellers seeking reflection and atmosphere.

• Dashashwamedh Ghat: The city’s busiest riverfront, where the Ganga Aarti glows brighter in the rain, reflected in the water below.
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple: A Lord Shiva shrine located in the heart of the old city that’s visited steadily through the monsoon.
• Assi Ghat: A quieter ghat in the south where mornings begin with yoga, live music, and views of the rain-fed Ganges.

8. Udaipur

Bookings here are up 20% this season.

• Lake Pichola: A calm, expansive lake bordered by palaces and heritage hotels, especially striking in the rain when the water reflects Udaipur’s historic skyline.
• Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace): A hilltop palace built for watching rains while overlooking clouds drifting over the Aravalli hills.
• Jag Mandir: An island palace with marble pavilions and garden courtyards, offering city views, that’s best reached by boat across the rain-filled lake.

9. Dharamshala

Bookings are steadily growing, with a 5% increase this season.

• Bhagsu Waterfall: A short trek from Bhagsunag leads to this cascade that’s stronger and fuller during the rains.
• St. John in the Wilderness: A 19th-century stone church surrounded by deodar forest, that’s quiet and shaded in the monsoon.
• Namgyal Monastery: The monastery stays busy through the monsoon, with daily prayers continuing as visitors and monks move quietly through the rain-damp corridors.

10. Meghalaya

Known as the “Abode of Clouds,” Meghalaya is a favourite among trekkers and nature lovers.

• Nongriat: A double-decker living root bridge, accessible only on foot, surrounded by dense forest and gushing streams in the monsoon.
• Nohkalikai Falls: India’s tallest plunge waterfall, fed by daily rain and surrounded by cliffs and mist.
• Cherrapunji and Mawsynram: Among the wettest regions in the world, home to monsoon-fed valleys and limestone caves like Mawsmai and Arwah, set deep in lush rainforests.