After the monsoon, the Upper Lake brims to its banks and the hills turn green. Winter brings cool mornings, migrating birds on the Bhoj Wetland and long walks through Chowk Bazaar, where beaded batuas hang in shop doorways. By May the heat takes over, and evenings belong to the lakeshore breeze.
Past the twin minarets of the Taj-ul-Masajid, the city climbs over low hills, with Van Vihar's rescued tigers and bears on one shore of the lake and newer neighborhoods on the other. The climate is humid subtropical, with hot summers, a wet monsoon and dry, mild winters. A Local Friend keeps the plan loose, so a sudden shower or a clear sunset can steer the day somewhere better.
