When to Visit Southeast Asia, Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand and South America

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* Shoulder Seasons are highlighted  in BLUE

Bali and Lombok

When to Go to BaliApril, May, June, July, August, September, October

  • Jul & Aug High season is Bali’s busiest time. Book ahead for rooms.
  • May, Jun & Sep Often the best weather: slightly cooler and drier; less crowded.
  • Jan–Apr, Oct & Nov Low season makes spontaneous travel easy. Note the Nyepi holiday

The popular dry season, referred to as “summer” by the locals even though it is the southern hemisphere, is cooler and much more pleasant. The best time to visit is during the dry season from April to October.  This is also high season together with Christmas and New Year, when most hotels and villas will charge higher rates.

Cambodia

Cambodia When To Go Lonely PlanetDecember, January, February

* Can be visited at any time of year.

The ideal months are December and January, when humidity levels are relatively low, there is little rainfall and a cooling breeze whips across the land, but this is also peak season when the majority of visitors descend on the country.

From early February temperatures keep rising until the killer month, April, when the mercury often exceeds 40°C. Some time in May or June, the southwestern monsoon brings rain and high humidity, cooking up a sweat for all but the hardiest of visitors.

The wet season, which lasts until October, isn’t such a bad time to visit, as the rain tends to come in short, sharp downpours.

Angkor is surrounded by lush foliage and the moats are full of water at this time of year. If you are planning to visit isolated areas, however, the wet season makes for tough travel.

Some visitors like to coordinate their trip with one of the annual festivals, such as Bon Om Tuk or Khmer New Year.

Vietnam

When to Go VietnamNovember, December, January, February, March April

  • Dec– Mar Expect cool weather north of Hue as the winter monsoon brings cloud, mist and drizzle.
  • April Danang’s riverfront explodes with colour and noise during the city’s fireworks festival.
  • Jul– Aug Perfect beach-time on the central coastline, with balmy sea and air temperatures.

Hanoi (North) Best Time To Visit
December, January, February

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) (South)
November, December, January, February, March

Laos

Luang Prabang

November, December, January, February

Thailand

THAILAND WHEN TO GONovember, December, January, February

The best time to visit Thailand is from November to February, when the weather is at its coolest and driest.

From March to April it is increasingly hot, and from May to October increasingly wet. There are significant regional differences, which mean that at any time of year there’s a beach at its best. The southwest monsoon strikes the Andaman coast first and hardest: from May to November the sea is often too rough to swim in and it’s no fun being on exposed western beaches, even if it’s not raining.

Krabi, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta are also affected, and many southern resorts and hotels close altogether. Sheltered by the mainland in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is much less affected by the southwest monsoon. Instead it gets the northeast monsoon that brings the heaviest rain in October and November. Pattaya and Koh Samet, confused by mixed influences from both monsoons, have a burst of rain in March and soak through September and October, but continue to pack in the crowds whether it’s raining or not. The rainfall varies from year to year but often by September mud roads are washed out all over the country and much of Bangkok is flooded. Northern Thailand sees more extremes of temperature: it’s cool from November to February, and may even see a very occasional frost at higher altitudes, increasingly hot from March to May, and wet thereafter, with most rain falling in August and September.

Chiang Mai

November, December, January, February, March

Bangkok

December, January, February, March

Phuket

December, January, February, March, April

Ko Sumai

June is a great time to visit as the weather is good with little rain and not too much heat, but visitor numbers are low as most holiday-makers are waiting for the European school holidays of July and August to come to the island.

Indonesia

May, June, July, August, September

Malaysia

June, July, August

Singapore

June, July, August

Australia

September, October, November

Best Time to go to AustraliaHIGH SEASON (DEC−FEB) » Summertime: local holidays, busy beaches and cricket. » Expect to pay up to 35% more for big-city accommodation. » Winter (June to August) in Central Australia and the north − mild days and low humidity.

SHOULDER SEASON (SEP−NOV) » Warm sun, clear skies, shorter queues. » Local business people are relaxed, not yet stressed by summer crowds. » Autumn (March to May) is also shoulder season − atmospheric in Melbourne.

LOW SEASON (JUN−AUG) » Cool rainy days down south; mild sunny skies up north. » Tourist numbers are down; restaurants and attractions keep slightly shorter hours. » Head for the ski resorts in Victoria and NSW.

Queensland

High season on the Great Barrier Reef is from June to December. The best overall visibility is from August to January.

Best Time to Go Australia - Lonely PlanetWhen to Go Cairns Lonely PlanetFrom December to March northern Queensland (north of Townsville) has a distinct wet season, bringing oppressive heat and abundant rainfall (from July to September it’s drier and cooler). Cyclones can occur from November to March but are not common and shouldn’t prevent you from going (an effective cyclone warning system is in place in the Pacific). Anytime is generally good to visit the Whitsundays. Winter (June to August) can be pleasantly warm, but you will occasionally need a jumper during the day and a light jacket at night. South of the Whitsundays, summer (December to March) can be hot and humid, but the wet season doesn’t extend as far south as the Whitsundays. Southern and central Queensland experience mild winters (June to August) – pleasant enough for diving or snorkelling in a wetsuit.

Sydney

April, May, June, July, August, September, October

Brisbane

July, August, September, October

New Zealand

Best Time: February through April

THE SEASONS

SPRING, SEPT, OCT, NOV

This is a beautiful time to visit—the countryside is flush with new green grass, baby lambs, and blooming trees.

Christchurch in the spring means blossoms, bluebells, and daffodils in abundance; Dunedin is a splurge of rhododendron color. The weather can still be very changeable right up to mid- October, so come prepared with light rain gear. In the South Island, it’s still perfectly normal to get late snowfalls in September.

SUMMER DEC, JAN, FEB

This is peak tourist season, so you’ll pay top dollar for accommodations and airfares. Book early to avoid disappointment—this also applies to the major walking tracks, such as Milford, for which you should make bookings 6 months ahead. Beaches all over the country come alive, and boaties flock to the water. Fresh fruit are falling off the trees. (You must try Central Otago cherries and apricots; the apple district is Hawke’s Bay.) And everyone should see Central Otago when the lupines are flowering, with brilliant colors etched against blue skies and golden tussock.

AUTUMN  MAR, APR, MAY

Personally, I think the best time to visit is February through April. The temperatures are pleasant (still hot in Feb in most parts), and even in April you’ll be wearing summer clothes in the upper North Island. The most spectacular autumn colors are found in Queenstown, Central Otago, and Christchurch. Keep Easter and April school holidays in mind, though, when accommodations may be tight in some areas.

Aukland

February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October

South Africa

From North to South

Kruger National Park

April, May, June, July, August

Durban

April, May, June, July, August, September,

Port Elizabeth

December, January, February

Cape Town

November, December, January, February, March

India

New Delhi

December, January, February

Buenos Aires Argentina

June, July, August, September

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