Many people plan their travels to avoid the Monsoon seasons, the very word conjures up images of constant deluge and rained out travel plans. However the weather in monsoon regions is generally more predictable that in temperate climates, rains most often come late in the day and last a couple of hours.

In many areas the arrival of the monsoon is celebrated, without it life would be extremely difficult. In India there are festivals held with the first rains and some lucky locals collect their winnings from bets placed on the arrival of the rain.

For photographers the monsoon season provides dramatic skies, lush new flora and revived waterways, including waterfalls. There is also some natural phenomenon that can''t be seen at any other time of the year, such as the reversal of the river flow in the Tonle Sap in Cambodia.

There are many good reasons to travel during the monsoon season, it is considered the off season and there are less tourists, it is greener, cheaper and even if you find yourself somewhere particularly wet there is always a drier place you can move on to. Many people actually consider this time of the year the best for travel.

Remember that India is a country of a billion people and has the strongest monsoon season of all, yet the people continue to live happy lives despite the rain and in many ways with thanks to it and seeing your first monsoon storm is actually a pretty cool experience.