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The weather can be a wild and unpredictable beast, and is an important factor to consider when planning your dream holiday. Of course, ideas about the perfect weather conditions really depend on where you’re heading – with sunshine clearly a lot more in-demand for the idyllic beach getaway than on a heli-skiing adventure. With this in mind, we’ve taken a look around the world, and come up with this guide on the best time to travel – although any time is always a good time to get out there and explore!
Africa
For many tourists, the lure of a visit to Africa is the chance to get up close and personal with many species of wildlife, on a safari adventure, an experience that can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. If you’re heading on safari, the ideal time is during the dry season, between May and August. Due to the relative lack of rainfall, vegetation levels are lower, allowing for prime conditions for game viewing. This is also the winter period, the time of year when many animals are migrating, on the move searching for food and water, making frequent sightings a likely occurrence. However, before heading on safari it’s worth thinking about which animals you’d most like to see, as the best times can vary from species to species. The winter months also tend to be the busiest time of the year, so if you’d rather a less crowded, slightly rainier experience, summer is the season for you.
North America
The continent of North America covers such a huge, diverse landscape that there’s no ‘best’ time of year to go in general, it’s all about what you have planned. Let’s start with Canada – as one of the world’s premium alpine destinations, many tourists visit for a skiing or snowboarding holiday. There’s a bit of a west-east divide when it comes to the weather – if you’re heading east, avoid December and January, as the temperatures are bitterly cold. However, if you’re hitting the slopes out west around Whistler, these months are ideal, as there are frequent showers in later months.
The United States is home to many hugely popular holiday spots, but none more so than New York City. It’s the city that never sleeps, so you’re guaranteed a great time whenever you go, but for a really special stay, head to the Big Apple in the winter months of December and January. This city celebrates the festive season like no other, with a spectacular giant Christmas tree in Rockefeller Centre, adorned with thousands of sparkling lights. There’s also the world’s most famous New Year’s celebration in Times Square, with the iconic giant ball drop on the stroke of midnight. Although it’s also winter in New York, the city never gets unbearably cold, making this the ideal time of year to visit.
South America
When travelling to popular tourist attractions in South America, such as Macchu Pichu, if you plan your trek between November and February, plan to get a little wet. For outdoor adventures and trekking in most parts of South America, April and May are perfect. These months are just before the high season for tourists, so it won’t be too crowded, and in-between weather conditions ensuring you won’t be too hot, nor freezing in the evening. Elsewhere on the continent, if you like to party, February is the time to visit, regardless of the weather, for the annual Rio Carnival. It’s a spectacular parade of colour, music and dance, and is the biggest street celebration in the world.
Australia/Oceania
Like most other continents, Australia experiences huge changes in weather from one place to another, even during the same time of year, so again, the ideal time to visit hinges on your planned itinerary. If you’re heading north to the Great Barrier Reef, avoid the summer months if possible, as the humidity can be stifling. Even in the middle of winter, Cairns enjoys temperatures in the high 20s, perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
Another world-famous landmark right on our doorstep in Australia is Uluru. In the Northern Territory, there can be extreme variations in temperature, with blazing hot days in summer, and below freezing weather during winter evenings. Therefore, it’s best to visit the Red Centre in the in-between seasons of spring or autumn.
Asia
Many parts of Asia enjoy fairly warm weather all year-round, with winter consisting of just a few chilly evenings. So, the main weather factor to consider when planning your Asian adventure is not so much a matter of hot and cold, but rather wet and dry, because when it rains here, it’s often a cats-and-dogs deluge. The wet season varies from country to country across Asia, with Thailand in particular experiencing a variety of weather patterns. But, whatever time of year you’re going, it’s possible to have a dry Thai beach break, with Koh Samui’s wet season from October to December, and Phuket’s between May and October. Elsewhere, Bali gets wet from December to February, and most parts of Vietnam experience their rainy season from May until September. But every rain cloud has a silver lining – most of the time, showers tend to be of the short and sharp variety – so after a brief downpour, you’ll usually have the rest of the day to get back out there and enjoy the outdoors.
Europe
There’s not really a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ time to go to Europe in terms of the weather. If you’re hitting the beach in countries such as Croatia, Portugal, Greece and others, the summer months of June, July and August are obviously the ideal time to top up your tan. However, if your European expedition is more about the culture, and soaking up the sights rather than the UV rays, plan your journey around winter – there will be fewer queues and less crowds, allowing more time to get around and see as many places as possible, or if you prefer a slower pace, more time to unwind and enjoy. For the best of both worlds, plan your holiday for either end of the European summer, so April/May, or September/October.
Antarctica
Antartica is on the ultimate bucket list of many a traveller, and to get the most out of your dream trip, visit during the summer months. There are more hours of sunlight, which of course makes for better viewing conditions for spotting the many species of wildlife – including penguins, huge whales, seals and much more. The world’s least-visited continent is a wonderland of incredible scenery, with dramatic icebergs and impossibly blue skies, making for an unforgettable holiday.
Plan your next adventure today with your local, personal travel manager. Visit http://www.travelmanagers.com.au/ptm-search/
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