5 train journeys you must take this monsoon
There are a lot of us who still love train journeys. After all, what else does a traveller when he gets to see some amazing panoramic vistas. Come monsoon, these views simply get better.
Picture this: you are sitting in a moving train and all you can see outside the window are breathtaking views of pastoral greens that are brightened after a few spells of rain. And every few yards, there’s a villager’s hut overlooking a farm. If that’s so beautiful to imagine, we don’t really need to tell you how the real experience of it will feel like.
In short, a monsoon train journey is one of the best things you can experience as a traveller this season.
We have shortlisted a few train routes that you might like to experience this monsoon.
Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai
There can’t be a better railway route in India if you are looking to experience an amazing monsoon train journey. The trains from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai travel through the Western Ghats, which is one of the greenest belts in the country. While you will be enchanted by the lush green landscape of the Ghats on one hand, views of the Arabian Sea will leave you charmed while the train slowly approaches Mumbai. Tunnels, bridges, rivers, farms and villages add to the beauty of this memorable journey.
Kalka to Shimla
If you haven’t taken the toy train ride from Kalka to Shimla during the monsoons, you haven’t really experienced the true beauty of this journey. Travelling on this narrow gauge railway during the rainy season draws your attention towards the verdant beauty of Shimla and its surrounding hill towns. The landscape is brought back to life by greener trees and thicker bushes. Adding to the charm are the scattered clouds kissing the landscape for as far as you can see. It looks like a frame right out of an artist’s canvas.
Bengaluru to Goa
The route itself is enough to remind you of the country’s green belt. The train journey from Bengaluru to Vasco-da-Gama in Goa takes you from the flatlands of South Karnataka to the land of sea beaches and coconut trees in a journey through a picturesque landscape that showcases rain-soaked beauty of the region’s flora, coupled with several waterfalls that come on the way. The biggest highlight from the route is the famous Dudhsagar Falls, which recently got renewed fame after the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Chennai Express was shot there. Although trains were not allowed to travel past the waterfall due to safety issues, but recent reports confirmed that Goa’s state tourism board is rooting for the revival of train journeys here.
NJP to Ghoom
Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Darjeeling Toy Train attracts travellers from different parts of the world, the journey from New Jalpaiguri to Ghoom in Darjeeling gets even better during the monsoons. Although you won’t be able to see mesmerising views of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the other Great Himalayan peaks, you will be left asking for more when the continuous views of a landscape that gets better and better with every spell of rainfall. As the train chugs on the ancient mountain route, you will get drawn by the aura of a colonial charm that’s beyond words–right from the old brick structures to the tunnels, impressions of British India is evident in every corner of this moss-covered railway route that dates back to the late 19th century. The experience gets even better when the train travels through the scattered clouds on the way. The journey is magical to say the least.
Bengaluru to Mangalore
This train journey will take you through the very heart of the Western Ghats. Travelling through the deepest greens, the route will take you past beautiful streams and charming waterfalls. And not to forget, some of the most breathtaking views of the valley. A bonus feature of this journey are some of the tallest railway bridges in the country, each of which is no less than an engineering marvel.
