About India Climate

In a country where topography varies wildly, climatic conditions are only bound to vary wildly too. Classified as a hot tropical country by many, that is a definition that holds true for most of but not all of India. Exceptions include the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the north and Sikkim in the northeastern hills. In most of India summer is hot. It begins in April and continues till the beginning of October. The heat peaks in June with temperatures in the northern plains and the west soaring above 40° C. The monsoons hit the country during this period too, beginning 1st of June when they are supposed to find the Kerala coast. Moisture laden trade winds sweep the country bringing relief to a parched northern India but devastation in the east where the rivers Brahmaputra and Ganga flood annually. Tamil Nadu in the south receives rainfall between October and December, beneficiary of the retreating monsoons.

The plains in the north and even the barren countryside of Rajasthan reel under a cold wave every year in December - January. Minimum temperatures could dip below 4° C but maximum temperatures usually do not fall lower than 12° C. In the northern high altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and parts of Uttar Pradesh, it snows through the winter and even summer months are only mildly warm. The east receives rain from April to August. September to November is relatively dry and the region only has sporadic showers. There are winter rains in December and January. This abates for two months and then it's time for the monsoon season yet again. The central plateau has similar climate to the north but the mercury does not dip as low in winter. It rains from mid June to September.

The Indian year features six seasons: spring, summer, the rainy season, early and late autumn, and winter, but effectively there are but three - summer, winter and monsoon. You'll be better off visiting during the high-season winter months (Nov-Mar), when most of the country experiences pleasant, moderate temperatures, though cities in the north get chillier days as snow falls in the Himalayas. As a rule, always be prepared for warm to hot days, with the possibility of cooler weather at night. As with all season-driven destinations, there is a downside to traveling during peak months: From December to January, for example, Goa swells to bursting point with foreigners and city folk who arrive for the sensational beaches and parties. Lodging rates soar during these periods, so you may want to wait until theshoulder season (Sept-Oct, Mar-Apr), when there are fewer people and rates are very negotiable.

Summer (generally Apr-June) sees little traffic, and for good reason - the daytime heat, particularly in India's north-central regions, is debilitating, even for the locals. This is the time to plan your trip to the Himalayas instead, particularly to high altitude provinces such as Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh in Jammu andKashmir. Ladakh, a magical region in the far north of the country, can only be visited June through September - the rest of the year it remains a destination that's strictly for hard-core adventurers looking to trek through ultra-extreme cold conditions.The monsoon drenches much of the country between June and September, usually starting its season in Kerala. Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh don't get too much rain during this period; instead they get more rainfall from a second monsoon that hits just this region around mid-October and runs through December. In Rajasthan, central India, and the northern plains, the rains typically arrive by July and fall until early September. Some of the regions are at their most beautiful during the monsoon, but it can be difficult to move around, and there is a higher risk of exposure to diseases like malaria. Flooding, power failures, and natural destruction are also not uncommon. We have noticed however, that the monsoon has become increasing fallible and locals will tell you that global warming has had a devastating impact on the rains. These days, it's possible to spend most of June in Kerala and see only a few days of intense showers.

Regarding the question of "when to visit India", the best time to visit India for tourists is the winter season. The season lasts from October to February. It is a pleasure to visit India during these cooler months, when the heat of summer is no more. Around this time, the usually wet areas of North - East also become dry, making it easier to travel there. Even the hot South India is blessed with cool weather and rain on beaches in this peak season for India. Another reason to visit India in these months is that they coincide with the celebration mood in India. This is the time when maximum well-known festivals of India are celebrated.

Testimonials

Rating:4.5 out of 5

Lucille Fernandes

“ I must comment that we had Boris Pereira as our Memorable India Tour Manager and he really made our trip excellent in every way. Honestly, apart from the two of you I do not know about the memorab

Surendra, Canada

“ The whole trip, from beginning to end, was truly wonderful and memorable. We learned so much about India, and saw so many beautiful things, that it is difficult to put our amazement into words. Th

Alexandra, Colombia

“ I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for all of your time and effort to plan this trip at the last minute. I know that the pressure was on, but you handled everything very professionally.

Petra Carlesi, Germany

“ Our trip was FABULOUS! I've been trying to decide what to tell you were the highlights, but I just can't narrow it down at all. We enjoyed everywhere we went. Each destination was unique and had s

William

“ India was great. In fact it was unbelievable. My wife said it was the best vacation we have ever had-and we have had many. The people of India are the kindest and nicest that we have ever meet. Th

Chelliah Selvanasan

“ Very reliable.gives excellent hotels.very homely understanding drivers.you can contact them at any time.our family has been in their tours 4 times.i cam recommend to any one.Very resonable rates.

Chandra & Saroj Akhil, Melbourne, Australia

“ Dear Raj, Thank you very much for your email. We arrived home safely with a lot of immortal memories of Great India. From the very beginning to the end of our Tour with your Company we enjo

Deb Grazel, Virginia

“ Dear Raj, We had a wonderful time on our trip. Now I realize that with the Christmas season you had to change some of the hotels around since some were not available. So with the being said here

Elmira Galimova

“ Memorable India provided an excellent service!!! I would definitely recommend this company because they are honest, reliable and pretty decent service rates. Well done guys!!! ”

Kim Barcardi

“ I just returned from the India and Nepal trip and wanted to let you know what a great experience it was to have the tour guides Friendly Planet choose on both legs of our trip. Vishwakarma, our gu

Jeannie Shu

“ We had the time of our lives on your oct. Taj Mahal + Mumbai Trip. No other place in the world can you see such a combination of beauty, history & diversity! From the elephant ride up to the Jaipu

John Schwab, West Hollywood, CA

“ Though I could never expect perfection in any experience, I can say that for the price, the Taj Mahal Express was an excellent value. The experience in "Incredible India" exceeded my expectations

Dennis Setlock

“ This was our first tour with Friendly Planet Travel, and we were very nervous because the price was SO low! Well, we are extremely impressed with the service, the quality of the hotels, the tours,

Philip Thomas

“ INCREDIBLE INDIA it was! We sincerely congratulate you on the immense depth you went to make sure we had a lovely maiden trip of India. Your staffs' punctuality, client relationship, guidance, war

Walker Theresa

“ Tour with Memorable India I walker and my family planned a tour for Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan. This was booked through Mr.Raj of memorable india. The booking was done on a short notice yet every

Robort Lee

“ Hi raj I reach home safely. Thank you for arranging a very good trip for me this time. It was indeed a good experience for me. During my stay in hotel Rambagh, I received free upgrade of 2 rank

Piyasiri Maddugoda

“ The organization of the trip was excellent. Staff was very friendly and courteous, specially the drivers; Rakesh and Dev Raj. Guide Orm Prakash was exceptional and Raju was good. Cars were comfort

The Stevenson family

“ Hi Raj, We are safely back from our Indian adventure and just wanted to say a huge thank you for our fantastic holiday. In particular, Anand was excellent - not only did he safely drive us round

Jenny CEO, Orbis International

“ Hi Raj, First of all, let me thank you for the travel arrangements in India. Everything was just superb. Our driver, Jagdish, was wonderful. He is a great driver (the traffic really is incredible

David Thomson

“ As always, we had an amazing time in India and Alex and I were greatly impressed with Memorable India from beginning to end. We were particularly taken with the new Taj property, the Nadesar Pa

Ravi Malla

“ I just wanted to thank you for the fabulous holiday you put together for us. It could not have been better, your representatives and our driver were just great. It took some time to get used to bu

“ We would like to thank you once again for a remarkable and memorable experience in incredible India. We had an amazing time and this was thanks to the Memorable India team, which was constantly by

Michael Loos MAN Truck & Bus AG (Germany)

“ A big thank you to the team at Memorable India. I am presently at the last leg of my South India trip. I must say everything was very well organized and went perfectly as planned. The best part of

USA / Canada 16 Nov 2012

“ We have just returned from our tour to southern India and would like to express our appreciation to all of those involved in the planning (Khan in delhi) and those who guided and helped with detai

Ismial Daya 23 Dec.2012

“ Yes, our tour of Rajasthan Goa was absolutely magical and far exceeded our expectations. Although we have widely travelled throughout the world, this was our first time in India and we will def

Altaj Ramani , UK

“ We had a wonderful time in India last month. You were very helpful and efficient in all the planning and booking stages - thank you very much. We were also impressed by the efficiency of Memora

Srilal Parera

Sobhi G.M.Luxury Sales, Good Travel,Egypt (September 2012)

“ During my trip in India, I would stress that it's the genuine warmth and care that each guide exhibited partnered with and their personal pride in their beautiful country is something special and

Taksen, Singapore

“ Yes, our tour of Rajasthan was absolutely magical and far exceeded our expectations. Although we have widely travelled throughout the world, this was our first time in India and we will definit

T.Walker , Freelance Journalist for The Financial Times (Aug. 2012)

“ Got back this morning after just about the best trip we've ever been on and don't know how to begin to thank you both for making it all possible. All the hotels were wonderful. Memorable India,

Fiona

“ our tour of Rajasthan from 12-21 Dec 2011 was absolutely magical and far exceeded our expectations. Although we have widely travelled throughout the world, this was our first time in India and

Jonathan and Liz Rawes

“ We had a wonderful time in India last month. You were very helpful and efficient in all the planning and booking stages - thank you very much. We were also impressed by the efficiency of Memorabl

Allah Hafiz, Imran, (Canada)

“ Dear Mr. Raj First of all please accept my deepest, humblest apology for not writing you earlier. Actually I had gone to US and have just returned. Mr.Raj...Thank you so much for everything you

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