Monsoon Safari: Although a safari during the monsoon isn’t typically thought of as a vacation, many nature parks and wildlife reserves are open throughout the year, including during the monsoon, due to the country’s vast geographic area and the varying climates in those regions. Although it may be more difficult to see the much-anticipated wildlife, the rainy safari experience is captivating. However, there are a lot of additional reasons to go on safari during this season. The top ten national parks to visit during the monsoon season are listed here.

1. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district stays partially open during the monsoon, attracting wildlife lovers. It keeps tiger zones 6 to 10 open year-round. The park blends dry desert plants with dense forest trees. Visitors often spot tigers, leopards, jackals, and nilgai during the monsoon. Its stunning scenery and wildlife make the monsoon safari a must-visit.

2. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
During the monsoon, you can safari through the Jhirna Zone and Sitabani buffer area, even though heavy rains close most of the park and make paths muddy and tough for 4×4 vehicles. Wildlife like deer, antelope, and boar come out to play in the rain, and nature blooms lushly. Train your eyes to spot Asian barbets, quail, partridge, owls, pheasants, parakeets, and hunting raptors, This season offers excellent birdwatching opportunities.

3. Periyar National Park, Kerala
Located on Periyar Lake’s shore, this park is famous for its elephants that love the lakeside. Just four hours from Kochi, it bursts with life during the monsoon. You can spot elephant herds, monkeys in the trees, and wild orchids blooming. Though tigers are elusive, watch for sambar deer, darters, cormorants, kingfishers, Malabar hornbills, racket-tailed drongos, and barking deer.

4. Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

This ideal monsoon retreat, which is only four hours from Bengaluru, changes with the rains. The wilds change from brown to vivid green, introducing visitors to a revitalized setting. The elephants emerge to play in the rain, but the tiger is still elusive. You can see bison and wild boar near the full watering holes. Watch the local peacocks greet the weather with dances when it starts to rain.

5. Bandhavgarh National Park: Madhya Pradesh
Bandhavgarh is home to a wealth of wildlife and a rich history. There is plenty to discover in the park, from historic sandstone caverns to regional folklore. Buffer zones are open for visitation during the monsoon, but core zones close. The dense foliage and lush plants come to life after summer. There are 250 bird species and 37 animal species in the park. You will probably see a sambar deer, but you may not see all of them. This area is also home to pond herons, sarus cranes, Asian green bee-eaters, jackals, wild canines, sloth bears, and leopards. To see it all, you can select safaris in the morning or the afternoon.

6. Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai, the first wildlife sanctuary in South India, was founded in 1940 and is home to the biggest population of Asian elephants in the world. You may observe gaurs, sambars, dholes, striped hyenas, golden jackals, sloth bears, and elephants being fed and bathed in the wild. Mudumalai is a fantastic year-round vacation since it is situated in a rain shadow, which prevents excessive rainfall. The woodland becomes verdant and lush from June to September. Look for trees that draw a lot of birds, such as the Singapore cherry, flame of the forest, and laburnum, when on a safari. Or hike through the sanctuary to take in the tribal life, the Moyar River, and the morning fog.

7. Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand
Half of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is made up of the 87 square kilometer Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Chamoli district. With the arrival of the monsoon rains, the park, which opens in June, becomes a colorful carpet of more than 600 exotic flowers, such as orchids, poppies, primulas, marigolds, daisies, and anemones. Streams feed the valley, while waterfalls tumble down the slopes. Wildlife such as the Himalayan weasel, lime butterfly, black bear, red fox, and grey langur can be seen. Travelers can arrange self-guided hikes or participate in guided trips. By 5 p.m., tourists must head back to the neighboring community of Ghangaria when the park shuts.

8. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa
Do you know what bioluminescent mushrooms are? These luminous mushrooms, which glow in bluish-green or vivid violet hues, illuminate the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Goa during the monsoon season. The sanctuary is close to Valpoi and provides guided trips to see wild boar, sambar deer, natural trees, and endemic orchids. Black panthers, tigers, jungle cats, and the “big four” poisonous snakes, such as the spectacled cobra and saw-scaled viper, are also occasionally spotted by tourists. In addition, Mhadei offers exhilarating monsoon sports like rock climbing at Chorla Ghats, trekking across its hilly landscape, and white-water rafting on the vibrant Mhadei River. It is hence a perfect monsoon getaway.

9. Hemis National Park, Ladakh
The rare snow leopard can be found in Hemis National Park, which is situated just outside of Leh. Since Ladakh receives minimal rain, the monsoon season is the optimum time to come, especially after sufficient rainfall. Hemis, which takes its name from a monastery within the park, is home to about 200 snow leopards, although it takes time to spot one. Tibetan sheep, blue sheep, and Ladakhi urials, the big cats’ prey, will be easier to spot. In addition, the park is home to mountain weasels, marmots, mouse hares, brown bears, Tibetan wolves, and red foxes. Since cars are not allowed, you have to hike the specified paths, which often takes two days. There are six hamlet settlements within the park where you can camp.

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10. Kali Tiger Reserve, Karnataka
This nature park, located three hours east of Goa, takes its name from the Kali River that runs through it. Tigers, spotted and black panthers, elephants, Indian bison, sloth bears, monkeys, langurs, barking deer, little Indian civets, reptiles like king cobras and Russell’s vipers, and countless bird species inhabit the woodlands you enter after driving through teak forests. Recently, scientists discovered over 4,500 butterflies in the forest, including golden tree flitter, onyx, and blue nawab species. During the monsoon season, the reserve’s many lakes and watering holes brim with life.

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