South India
Pattumala
Wagamon
Malampuzha Dam
Best Time To Visit South India
Best Time: Winter Read More
Winter is the best time to visit South India
Deccan Plateau
Located in the western and southern India, Deccan Plateau is guarded by Western and Eastern Ghat, the Nilgiris, Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the east, west and south respectively, and separated by the Gangetic Plains in the north. Encompassing the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and a little of Maharashtra, the plateau is drained and fed by several rivers leading to the region being heavily populated. The volcanic soil of the river basins favour cotton cultivation. Other important crops- millets, oil-seeds, wheat, and coffee plantations. The towering mountain ranges of Western Ghats prevent the south-west monsoon to reach the plateau; hence, it receives very little rainfall. Some of the flourishing destinations of the region are- Aurangabad, Badami, Bangalore, Bidar, Calicut, Gulbarga, Hampi, Hyderabad, Ooty etc.Best Time to Visit
The climate of the Deccan Plateau varies from semi-arid in the north to tropical in most of the remaining region with both wet and dry seasons. March to June is the summer season which is very hot and dry with the temperature rising upto 40 degrees celsius sometimes. The climate remains exceedingly hot and humid and restricts any outdoor activities. Monsoons begin by June and go up till October with average rainfall. Although the season is a little humid and inconvenient with surprising rain showers, it is a good time to trek and witness the waterfalls in all their splendour and glory. Winters on the other hand, are pleasant, and cool, the days are balmy and are perfect for outdoor excursions; hence, winter season is considered the best time to visit the region.Coastal Plains
Flanked by Western Ghats and Arabian Sea in the East and Bay of Bengal and Eastern Ghats in the West, Western and Eastern Coastal Plain are narrow strip of lands in the peninsular region of India. The Western Coastal Plain are an example of submerged land. The city of Dwaraka was once a city in the Indian subcontinent, however, now it is completely submerged under water. Narrower in the centre, the western coastal plains get broader in the north and south. These are narrower than their Eastern counterparts. But since they receive direct southwest monsoons, they are wetter than the eastern plains. The western coastline is also more indented thus, paving way for several estuaries, coves, creeks and a number of ports and harbours formed naturally. Some of the important ports include- Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc. located along the west coast.Malabar Coast is the bottom-most section of the Western Coastal Plains formed in Kerala. This region has a distinctive feature called Kayals meaning backwaters. These water bodies are inlets of the sea or shallow lagoons which lie parallel to the coast. It forms an ideal environment for inland navigation, fishing and is a hotspot of tourist activities. The Eastern Coastal Plains; however broader and drier than the western counterparts as the high peaks act as barrier to the southwest winds preventing sufficient rainfall. Unlike the Western Coastal Plains, these have fertile deltas formed by the rivers. And due to the emergent coastline, it has fewer number of ports and harbours. Both the plains are suitable for agriculture- western for tropical crops while eastern for rice. They are also a source of salt, mineral oil and gas.
Best Time to Visit
The coastal plains observe an exceedingly hot and humid summer season which lasts between April and June. The mercury soars as high as 40 degrees celsius and the humidity gets increasingly uncomfortable. It is inadvisable to visit the region during summer. With the oncoming of monsoons, the Western Coastal area receives heavy rainfall and downpour, not suited for outdoor activities or sightseeing. However, the winter season starts by the end of October which is considered the most ideal time to visit the place. Lasting till February and March, the climate remains cool and soothing, the days are pleasant and humidity is low. Most of the adventure activities are also open in this season.Western and Eastern Ghats
The states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are occupied by the magnificent continuous mountain ranges called Western Ghats or the Sahyadris. Running parallel to the southern coastline along the Arabian Sea, the ghats have a flourishing wildlife and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a variety of forest types and consisting of the huge river systems of Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Thamiraparani and Tungabhadra, the Western Ghats form one of the four watersheds of the country. A large number of perennial rivers take origin here and run over across the map to be drained into the Bay of Bengal; for this reason, the region has several waterfalls and no deltas. Owing to the diverse topography, fertile soil and ideal climatic conditions, the area sustains a whopping number of flora and fauna species. It is also home to a vast variety of avifauna species and maintains a large fish and insects population.Eastern Ghats are however, discontinuous and run through Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and some regions of Kerala. Flanked by the Deccan Plateau and Bay of Bengal, the mountain ranges are comparatively shorter than the Western Ghats. The ranges are made up of charnockites, granite gneiss, metamorphic gneiss and knondalites etc. and consists of rich reserves of minerals and ores. The draining of rivers give rise to fertile soil which is suitable for crop cultivation and supports a rich wildlife. Both the Eastern and Western Ghats are home to several national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and protected area to conserve the flourishing flora, fauna and other wildlife of the area.
