Wayfarer, June: Kerala in the rains, Meghalaya's root bridges and a rainy-season kit.
Editor's Dispatch
For most of India, the monsoon is not a season for travellers to avoid, but one that arrives whether we are ready or not. It brings relief, and sometimes trouble. This month we have tried to write about it the way people who live with it do: with respect, with some planning, and with a little patience.
You will find a good deal of practical advice in these pages: what to carry, which places to avoid when the rain is at its heaviest, and why a flexible booking is worth more than a cheap one. We have also tried to say plainly where the rain makes travel risky. Landslides, floods and flooded roads are real, and an official alert is worth more than any travel blog.
Lead story
The monsoon is a season, not a problem: KeralaThe south-west monsoon reaches India through Kerala, usually in the first days of June. For travellers who plan for it, it is one of the most rewarding times to be there.
Also in this issue
- Meghalaya in the rains: root bridges and rules of the roadThe Khasi Hills are among the wettest places on Earth, and the living root bridges grow best in the wet. How to visit them without harming them.
- The Konkan and the Western Ghats, slowly, in the rainsA coast that closes its beaches for the monsoon, and a mountain range that does the opposite. How to enjoy both without fighting the weather.
- Bali in June: the dry season, and the quieter coastsA calendar correction first: Bali's rains are in the cooler months, and June is the start of high season. Here is how to enjoy it without the crush.
- Midsummer in Sweden: maypoles, herring and the longest lightSweden's Midsummer Eve falls on 19 June this year. Here is what to expect, and why the best place to be is a village.
- The Rainy-Season Travel KitA one-page list to save, print or share: what to carry, and what to check.
Coming up
- Hemis FestivalHemis Monastery, near Leh, Ladakh · 24–25 June 2026 (set by the Tibetan lunar calendar) (approx. — verify)
- Dree FestivalZiro Valley and Apatani villages, Arunachal Pradesh · Village rituals 4 July, main celebration 5 July, concluding 7 July 2026 (approx. — verify)
- Rath YatraPuri, Odisha · 16 July 2026 (main chariot procession); return journey on 24 July (approx. — verify)
- Nehru Trophy Boat RacePunnamada Lake, Alappuzha, Kerala · August 2026 (traditionally the second Saturday of August; confirm the exact date) (approx. — verify)
One practical tip
In the monsoon, treat every closure as final and every alert as real. A day lost to rain is cheaper than a day lost to a landslide.
Your turn
What is the best rain you have ever travelled in? Reply and tell us — we may feature your answer.