Deals rain during monsoon

Many travellers use the season to get great discounts from hotels and airlines

Imagine this: If you go on a holiday to Himachal Pradesh (Manali, Shimla) in May, an all-inclusive seven nights package would cost Rs 37,000 per person, excluding Delhi. But, if travelling in June, it would cost Rs 22,694, including to-and-fro airfare from Mumbai.

The sharp fall happens because the monsoons are considered a lean period, and airlines and hotels go all out with discounts, sometimes up to 30-50 per cent. This throws up good options for couples, youngsters and anyone looking to save costs. While families with kids can choose short weekend trips as most schools reopen in June, single travellers can look at long trips.

This monsoon, for Rs 40,000, a family of four can take a four-day holiday to Goa, where they can enjoy the sea and beaches without the usual tourist crowds. Even if you cant' indulge in water sports, enjoy the scenic beauty, the architectural splendours of Goa's temples, churches and old houses. Or for about Rs 50,000 , spouse and you can can take a trip to Kerala, explore the backwaters and walk around the tea gardens in Munnar, enjoying the greenery in the rains.

Lean season travel - a trend? The monsoon months are usually categorised as lean periods - the period before the winter travel season. Budget conscious travellers, honeymooners and solo men or women travellers can benefit largely during a lean travel season. According to estimates from travel companies and tour operators, the annualised growth in monsoon travel has been of 15-20 per cent over the past five years.

Says Amit Agarwal, senior marketing manager-India & South East Asia Hotels.com: "Travellers now prefer destinations that offer fun adventure activities. Monsoons are also a perfect time to witness the country's spectacular waterfalls." And, travellers can save up to 30 per cent of the total cost, as airlines and hotels offer discounts during this period, according to Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox and Kings.

To attract tourists, hotels and resorts often make packages inclusive of sightseeing and activities that are most enjoyed during the season, says Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com. Resorts arrange for shows and local cultural programmes and authentic local food that are best enjoyed in this season. They also arrange for activities like short treks, trips to waterfalls, cycling, water sports, etc.

Destinations, deals and wellness: "Goa, Kerala, Coorg, Kodaikanal, Udaipur and Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Shillong in the northeast, Lonavala and Mahabaleshwar are some of the favourite monsoon destinations as these places are at their scenic best during the monsoons", says Neelu Singh, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and director, Ezeego1 (see box).

With the development of new tourist circuits and improved rail and road connectivity to Tier II and Tier III- cities, travellers are increasingly opting for domestic short haul locations for quick getaways. New entrants on the radar for monsoon getaways are Bekal and Hampi, says Rajeev Kale, president and country head-leisure travel, MICE, Thomas Cook (India).

"Traditionally, the monsoon is considered to be a good time to indulge in rejuvenating wellness therapies. Resorts and wellness centres lure tourists with attractive holiday packages during the monsoon. These packages have been picked up by tourists in a big way. There are packages catering to both single travellers and families,'' says Daniel D'souza, head-sales, India and NRI markets, SOTC Travel.

Keep in mind: Safety precautions should be top for all travellers in the season. "Travellers have to be careful especially in hilly areas, as they are more prone to random road blockages due to landslides, flash floods, etc, during the rainy season. Swimming in the sea could be dangerous in some areas. There are also chances of flights getting cancelled or delayed due to the weather. In such circumstances, the airline will reschedule your booking to a later date or refund your ticket as you prefer,'' says Dhall of Yatra.com.
PACKAGE FEATURES

WATERFALLS, SCENIC BEAUTY

Munnar, Allepey, Cheeyappara - in Kochi; Bekal - in Kerala; Cherrapunji, Shillong - in Meghalaya; Konkan, Kune falls - in Lonavala; Mahabaleshwar - in Maharashtra; Coorg, Hampi, Jog falls - in Karnataka, Kodaikanal - in Tamil Nadu,Goa

RIVER RAFTING, PARA GLIDING

Kolad - in Maharashtra; Rishikesh - in Uttarakhand; Ladakh; Barapole in Coorg, Dakshina Kannada - in Karnataka

TREKKING

Amarnath for Amarnath Yatra- in Kashmir; Leh - in Ladakh; Peb, Harishchandragad, Peth, Tung, Ticona, Lohgad, Mrugagad, Gorakhgad, Prabalgad - in Maharashtra; Kufri (Shimla), Parwanoo (Solan), Manali - in Himachal Pradesh; Deoria Tal - in Uttarakhand

CAMPING

Khandala, Panchgani, Matheran, Igatpuri, Bhandardara, Raigad, Malshej Ghat, Rajmachi - in Maharashtra; Narkanda (Shimla), Kasol, Chail - in Himachal Pradesh

REJUVENATION PACKAGES

Kerala