India is so vast that the climatic conditions in the far north have little relation to those of the extreme south. While the heat is building up to breaking point on the plains, the people of Ladakh, high in the Himalayas, will still be waiting for the snow to melt on the high passes.

India has a three-season year-the hot, the wet and the cool. Generally the best time to visit is during winter (November to February), although there are regional variations.

The south-west monsoon or rainy season is from June to September. And the post-monsoon season, which is the north-east monsoon in south India is from October-November. Summer is hot everywhere, except in the hills. Many a hill station at this time of the year comes to life to celebrate a gay holiday season. The winter season is the most pleasant times of the year throughout the country. Rainfall in India tends to be variable. The north-eastern regions, the western slopes of the Western Ghats and parts of Himalayas have very heavy rainfall.