Most travelers prefer to travel during the summer. But, traveling during the monsoon season has its charms. Be it the pitter-patter of rain on French windows, or the smell of frothy hot chocolate on wet evenings; rainy vacation days can be quite pleasant and romantic when traveling to exotic locations. However, traveling during the rainy season can be quite harrowing if you don’t take the right measures.
Choose Your Location Wisely
If you absolutely hate rain and want to avoid it altogether, you can always plan ahead and choose spots that do not have rain during your dates of travel. Pick tropical countries that maintain sunny weather throughout the year.
Even if you choose locations that are slightly more temperate or humid, you can always research the weather ahead of your visit and make your plans accordingly. Be sure to check the weekly weather forecasts for the location you have picked during the dates you wish to travel.
Waterproof Clothing is a Must
Make sure to carry all the right items that can protect you from rain. These include:
- Ultralight raincoats – Avoid clunky, heavy raincoats that can weigh you down, and instead choose a lighter fabric. A silky fabric raincoat can go well with an evening dress, while one made out of a woolly water-resistant fabric can be ideal for winter. Raincoats also come in quilted, linen, and high-tech varieties.
- Synthetic clothes and bag covers – Make sure to carry clothes made of materials like polyester and spandex. Lightweight cotton clothes also dry easily, in case you are out of synthetic clothing.
- Rain shoes- Water-resistant shoes are a must if you want to keep your toes dry. Try water-resistant trail runners if you are traveling outdoors, and remember to carry silica gel bags to keep your shoes from stinking up.
- Umbrellas – This one’s an obvious item on the list, but nevertheless useful if you don’t want to wear a raincoat, or just want to do some walking in the rain.
Protect Your Health
Traveling in the rain may be romantic, but insects and airborne diseases are real problems you need to plan for before traveling to a rainy destination. Smart items to carry include:
- Analgesics to alleviate pain
- Antihistamines for allergies, stings, and bug bites
- Cold, flu, and cough medicines to ward off the common cold and flu, even if you happen to get wet
- Antacids to relieve indigestion and keep acidity in check
- Antiseptic ointments and Band-Aids for burns or scrapes.
Keep Mosquitoes at Bay
Make sure to pack plenty of mosquito-repellent when traveling during the rainy season. Rain breeds insects that transmit fatal, infectious diseases like malaria and dengue. When purchasing insect repellents, try to look for the active ingredient DEET, as this is the most potent type of repellent.
Food and Water Safety
While immersing yourself in local culture and cuisine might be your thing, it is best to avoid eating a lot of street food. Try to eat from places that follow proper food safety standards, and save the street food eating for summer. Street foods are usually made in open spaces, and rain increases the chances of contamination.
If you are going off of the main road, carry a supply of canned and packaged foods to avoid consuming streetside grub during the monsoons. Also, remember to carry bottled drinking water, and try to avoid tap water.
Waterproof Your Devices
While they appear to be tame, Ziploc bags can do wonders to seal your gadgets and digital items. In addition, these translucent bags can be used to cover your phone while still allowing you to take selfies.
Of course, you could spend a bit more and purchase rain-protective covers for your phones and tablets. But, Ziploc bags can do the trick as well. If you are carrying expensive cameras, invest in a dry box, silica gels, and one-time-use camera sleeves to protect your lenses from moisture damage.
Get Insured
While traveling in the rain can be a lot of fun, any kind of travel can involve accidents, injuries, flight delays, cancellations, and a litany of other issues. Getting travel insurance is always a smart decision. Visit Insubuy to view, compare and purchase the right plan for your trip.
Have a Hotel Staycation
If you are not the outdoorsy type, the rainy season can be a great time for you to travel. A number of hotels and resorts are designed specifically for staycations where couples, families, or even single people can spend some time in an exciting location away from the worries of the world, but in the luxurious comfort of a hotel.
Here are some of the activities you can plan to make your monsoon staycation exciting:
- Find a nice book – Remember that thick novel lying half-read on your shelf for ages? It’s time to finish that. Getting stuck indoors can be great to catch up on some hotel room reading, with a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
- Plan a spa day – You might be surprised at the variety of services local spas around the world can provide. Every culture and place has its own essence regarding wellness techniques. Explore local spas, or book hotels that offer extensive spa services, so that you always have a cozy place to go if it starts to pour. In the monsoons, you can opt for eucalyptus oil massages, as they not only help improve blood flow, but also keep away the rain-induced common cold.
- Spend quality time with family- If you are traveling with family, breakfast in bed or movie nights can be a great way to entertain everyone indoors while enjoying some quality time. Many hotels accommodate indoor activities for children, such as in-house game rooms or kiddie pools.
- Workout- While most people avoid working out even at home, Yoga or exercise in relaxing locations with just the right ambiance can be therapeutic. If you are a fitness enthusiast, plan indoor workout routines that you can enjoy inside your hotel while on your trip.
Get Creative
Channel your creative side. Rain can be poetic and inspiring, and you can spend your indoor time writing journals, taking photographs, or catching up on family matters. With rain hindering outdoor activities, monsoon vacations are an excellent way to destress and reconnect with your inner self.
You can even take the time to learn a new hobby. Art or creativity workshops are common in every city. A rainy day can be the perfect excuse to spend a day learning the art of Chinese pottery, or understanding the subtle balance of flavors in a freshly made curry.
Map the Route Ahead
When traveling to islands or mountains in the rain, it’s always better to plan the route ahead of time. Try to pick routes and locations that have several nearby local attractions. In a lot of regions, the weather changes quickly. Sometimes, you can travel from one beach or village to the other and find no traces of rain. Having alternate itineraries can be very helpful to avoid getting stuck in one spot.
Travelling can be fun through all weather, be it rain or shine. If you follow the right steps and measures, you can have a great vacation no matter what the weather.
