Prime times to head on holiday
Asia? Safari? Skiing? Gemma Nisbet has the lowdown on the best months to go on holiday.
The planning of any trip starts with two big questions: where to go, and when to go? Possible answers to the former are practically endless — and we provide plenty of suggestions each and every week in Travel — but the latter is a little more straightforward. Here’s our run-down on when to visit.
SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Travelling in the tropics is very much seasonally driven and depends on the monsoonal weather patterns. The high season falls during the dry season and the timing of this varies across the region depending on the climactic zone. In Bali, for example, dry season is April-October, with July-September the busiest time, although the Christmas and new year period is also very busy. In Laos and Cambodia, the best time to visit is November- February, when it’s dry and cooler.
Some countries are a little more complicated weather-wise because of their geography. Long, skinny Vietnam has multiple, distinct climactic zones and the best time to visit different areas can vary considerably — but it’s worth noting that the busiest periods tend to be July-August and November-March, particularly around Tet (Vietnamese New Year), which will fall next year on February 8.
Thailand also has a variety of weather patterns. Bangkok and Chiang Mai will be most pleasant, weather-wise, from November-February.
Equatorial destinations such as Singapore and Malaysia tend to have fairly consistent weather year-round but avoid the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia from November- February — heavy rains mean many resorts are closed.
Local holidays that may affect your trip include Nyepi in Bali (which falls on March 21 this year), when quiet falls over the island and tourists are expected to remain in their hotels for the day. In Muslim-majority countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, you may find things are quieter during Ramadan (from June 18 this year). End-of- Ramadan celebrations (Eid ul-Fitr; July 18 this year) may make travel more difficult in these countries, with a surge in domestic tourists.
ON SAFARI IN AFRICA
Peak safari season in southern and eastern Africa coincides with the dry season, when it is cooler and animals are concentrated around water sources, making them easier to spot. Depending on where you’re heading, this will generally be the months from May or June to September or October, variable according to the country and even the specific area or park you’re visiting. Note that some safari lodges close during the rainy season.
If you want to see the spectacle that is the Great Migration across the Serengeti and Masai Mara in Tanzania and Kenya, the key time is July- October. If you’re going to Victoria Falls, water levels will be highest just after the rainy season (about March-May) but visibility is best from about June-September, when water levels are lower and the falls less obscured by spray. And if you want to see the gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda, the drier months of June-September and December-February offer the best conditions.
EUROPE
The summer months of June to August are the busiest, visitor- wise, in Europe. Depending on where you are in the continent, temperatures can get very warm — for example, in southern Italy and Spain — and you’ll also have to contend with European school-holiday crowds in July and August.
In Italy, most of the country seems to head off on summer holiday for the month of August — expect many shops, restaurants and other businesses to be closed, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas.
Consider visiting in autumn and spring, especially April and May, and September and October. You’ll find accommodation and airfares are cheaper and the crowds less dense but the weather should still be reasonable.
NORTH AMERICA
As in Europe, the northern summer is the busiest period in much of the US and Canada, so it’s worth aiming to visit during the shoulder seasons when prices should be lower. This particularly applies if you’re planning to visit the warmer southern parts of the US — many of these States can be very hot during July and August, which isn’t ideal if you’d like to be out and about sightseeing.
If you’re heading to Niagara Falls, the famous Maid of the Mist boat trip runs from April/ May (depending on conditions) until October, although the falls themselves are open for visitors 24 hours a day year-round. Note they can get very busy during the summer, and while they’re very unlikely to freeze over in winter, conditions can be very chilly.
In Canada and Alaska, cruising the Inside Passage is best from June-August when the weather is warmer, the days longer and the wildlife more active.
SKIING
As long as you’re willing to travel, you should be able to find decent ski conditions most of the year in different parts of the globe. The Australian snow- sports season in the ski fields of Victoria and New South Wales runs from about early June- early October, depending on your destination, with the peak season in the middle of this, in July and August. New Zealand’s ski season is roughly equivalent to ours. If you’re looking for snow fun during the Australian summer, the Northern Hemisphere ski season generally runs from late November-April or even early May, depending on the weather conditions and the destination, with options including North America (US and Canada), Japan, South Korea and Europe (predominantly France, Switzerland and Austria).
