India, July 4 -- Vacations are synonymous with sunshine, tan lines, and cerulean skies. But your favourite destinations unveil a whole new personality during monsoon season, coming alive with mist, clouds, thunder and tranquil rains. If summer vacations are the blockbuster hits everyone's buzzing about, monsoon getaways are the indie films, intimate and atmospheric.

Monsoon vacations may not be mainstream, but they are full of quiet twists and calming moments. They offer what formulaic, high-octane summer blockbusters miss: a soulful depth.

Hari Ganapathy, Co-founder of Pickyourtrail, shared with HT Lifestyle 5 international monsoon destinations, along with what you can see, do and eat there:

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