It is now May and for many countries in Southeast Asia, it has started to rain. Although there is no official definition to when the rainy season starts and ends, most accounts have it at July-October. However, May is already seeing her fair share of downpours and June, for some, is already the start of the grey sky season. Don’t let this put you off though. Traveling in Southeast Asia during the rainy season does have its advantages.

1. Cooler weather – This comes as a welcome relief for many. From March to May, the weather becomes unbearably hot for some, reaching 40 degrees Celsius on certain days. During the rainy months, the weather is a more tolerable 28-33 degrees.
2. Less tourists – The rainy season coincides with the region’s low tourist season (as a result of it). Lines are shorter, prices are lower and bookings become easier.
3. Greener landscapes – For adventurers and nature lovers, the scenery glows with a bright green hue.  Rice fields come alive, waterfalls are actually waterfalls and jungles are as lush as ever.
4. The perfect opportunity to lounge about – The rainy season offers comfortable night’s sleeps, especially if it pours at night or late evenings. In addition, when it does rain, it is the perfect time to venture in Southeast Asia’s indoors, albeit at a mall, movie theater, bar or restaurant.

And in case you haven’t known, the rains here may be heavy, but they are rather short (lasting about 30 minutes or so). Your best bet is that it will occur in the afternoon, which of course makes the day cooler. And since it is hot and tropical in Southeast Asia to begin with, the heat practically evaporates the water quicker than anywhere else.

Here’s one general rule of the rainy season in Southeast Asia. The further south you go and the closer you get to Indonesia, the more the rainy season reverses from the months mentioned earlier. Bali’s weather, for example, has the rainy season generally at December-March, with June-September being the dry and cool season.

The rainy season in Southeast Asia presents a great opportunity to explore the region. An umbrella may be handy, but the season should definitely not deter you from basking in the wonders of the region.