The monsoon is nearly upon us, and it can be one of the best times of the year to travel. Thanks to the life-giving rains, most of India turns green, and the celebration of life is at full blast. Streams appear everywhere, and most hill stations in peninsular India get clothed in clouds that descend right to the ground.
However, traveling in the monsoon to view these emerald vistas needs some thought. So, here are seven tips to help you maximize your upcoming monsoon holidays.
Check the weather forecast
Checking the weather forecast can mean the difference between enjoying a lovely day trip and getting drenched five minutes into your outing. Sometimes the consequences can be harsher. Monsoon trekkers have had to be rescued by fire departments when seasonal rivers morphed from babbling brooks to raging torrents within a few hours of heavy rain. Always check the weather forecast, and if it looks like your planned day looks likely to be washed out, then, as the saying goes, maybe you should take a rain check.
Synthetic clothing is your friend
While cotton, wool, and other natural fibers are great during the summer and winter, the fabric made from these materials tends to retain a lot of water, making the clothing heavy and leaching out precious body heat, and causing irritation to the wet skin from friction. Synthetic materials do not get heavy when wet, retain body heat much better, and dry out quickly. In addition, they are light to carry and fold up into a smaller area, meaning you can carry a smaller backpack on your trip.
Get the proper footwear
Sports shoes and leather footwear are great for their intended purposes, but they aren’t the right footwear for the monsoon. Sandals or floaters are a better option during the monsoon for regular walking around since there aren’t any socks to get wet. Make sure you don’t get leather sandals with cushions in the soles; that is a recipe for footwear disaster in the monsoon.
Look for a pair that will offer excellent grip in wet conditions. For more serious walking like trekking, look for trekking boots with waterproof yet breathable construction – you’ll find materials like Gore-Tex or Novadry to be the popular choice if you tend to twist your ankles regularly.
If you find good footwear to be out of your budget at this point in time, do consider a small personal loan to finance a great pair of trekking shoes. Sure, they might seem expensive at first, but they will offer unparalleled comfort and safety – and they will be cheaper than a trip to the hospital!
Waterproof your bag and devices
The Indian monsoon means relentless, heavy rain for hours at a time. It is important to make sure your backpack, clothes, and devices are safe from getting wet. Get yourself a stormproof or waterproof bag, and maybe even individual waterproof bags for your clothes inside the bag. Alternatively, you can cover your bag with a waterproof cover.
Waterproof pouches for electronic devices are available for electronic devices as well – the original waterproof cover manufacturer for electronic devices, Aquapac, is available in India. Still, there are several more affordable options available as well. Many of the latest electronic devices have a water-resistant rating, like the top-end Samsung Galaxy phones, Apple iPhones, and Amazon Kindles.
However, their warranties do not always cover water damage, so getting a waterproof cover might be the best way to use them during the monsoon – along with insurance if your device is really expensive. If you feel like you’ll go over budget getting waterproofing and insurance for your precious electronics, a small, quick personal loan might just be the thing you need to make up the difference!
Carry meds with you
Reserve one of your waterproof pouches for medication. Depending on the destination and duration of the trip, you’ll need broad-spectrum antibiotics and medication to prevent vomiting and diarrhea. If you’re going farther afield, you’ll need bug repellent, especially for mosquitoes. If you’re going to need to refill water from natural sources, you’ll need antimalarial and water purification tablets as well.
Avoid food and water from unknown places
The monsoon means life, and that includes flies and disease too! Avoid street food and unknown water sources, as you will not know how hygienic they are. Eating at well-known places can quickly become a big drain on your vacation’s budget, but health needs to take priority over everything else.
A personal loan can be just what you’re looking for – lenders now have personal loan EMI calculators on their websites to help you work out what amount will be affordable for you. You can also adjust the tenure to suit your EMI requirements; all the calculations are done instantly!
Always carry a hairdryer
This might sound like a silly addition, but a hairdryer can mean the difference between getting dry quickly and heading to a hot meal and having to wait for damp clothes to dry in the morning when you need to start your day’s activities.
Monsoon trips can be tricky sometimes, but they certainly give you some of the most memorable times of your life! If your budget this year doesn’t allow you a good monsoon trip, a personal loan for travel can be a great solution.
Shop around for a loan and see which entity is offering low personal loan interest rates – remember to look at both banks as well as NBFCs. Their websites usually have tools like a personal loan EMI calculator, so you can plan well ahead and make certain that the loan is affordable for you.
