The best month for a destination is rarely the most convenient one, so here is how the year tends to fall across the journeys we plan most often.
The Himalaya
Kashmir is at its best from April to October, with the tulips in April and the meadows through summer. Sikkim and Arunachal are clearest in October and November, once the monsoon has washed the haze out of the air and Kanchenjunga is reliably visible at dawn. Passes such as Sela can close in deep winter.
The south and the islands
Kerala and the Andamans both read best from November to March — dry, warm, and calm enough for the backwaters and for snorkelling off Havelock.
Further out
Vietnam and Thailand suit the same November-to-March window. Dubai is comfortable between November and March and punishing in high summer. Europe runs May to September. Kenya follows the wildlife rather than the weather: the Mara is at its most dramatic from July to October.
Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly whether they are the right ones — and what the alternative would look like.
