South Asia
South Asia's travel calendar is written by the monsoon: the cool season from November to February is the recognized best window — the north Indian plains are clear and dry, and festivals are dense (Diwali falls mostly in October–November, Holi in March); before the hot season of March–May arrives, head for the Himalayan foothills and highland tea country to escape the heat; from June to September the southwest monsoon sweeps the subcontinent — Kerala and the Western Ghats turn a glowing green, Ayurveda treatments and monsoon viewing come into season, though some roads and island ferry routes are affected by weather. In Sri Lanka the east and west coasts have opposite rainy seasons, so one shore is always sunny; Nepal, meanwhile, reigns supreme with the mountain clarity of October–November.
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