TRAVEL SPECIAL... PLAN FOR OCTOBER NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

PLAN FOR OCTOBER NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

OCTOBER

1 CORSICA The cold winds haven’t yet started on this enigmatic island, so while it’s cool, you can still enjoy the beaches and the great cuisine, and you won’t be bothered by the crowds either. 2 VIETNAM The two monsoons make this a tough country to plan for, but if you head there end October and stick mostly to the southern half, you should get warm, dry weather, perfect for exploring (vietnamtourism.com).

3 JAPAN Cool, reasonably dry weather and the fantastic colours of autumn streaking across the islands — go now to explore a spectacularly pretty Japan beyond the madness of Tokyo (jnto.go.jp).

4 PERU The dry trekking season, ideal for marching the Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu, lasts from April to October; the end of this season offers a good blend of fair weather and moderate tourist numbers (visitperu.com).

5 JODHPUR, RAJASTHAN The Rajasthan International Folk Festival sees world musicians gather at Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort (jodhpurfolk festival.org).

AVOID! NEPAL The weather’s good at this time of the year, but it’s high season, so you’ll be swamped by tourists — and there’s the Dasain Festival as well, which can disrupt your travel arrangements.

NOVEMBER

1 NORTHERN LIGHTS November is a great time to go: the aurora borealis is easily visible in the 24-hour darkness of winter, and it isn’t as bitterly cold as it can be in deep winter. Good places to go are Sweden’s Arctic region, Tromsø in Norway, and Alaska.

2 ZAMBIA Everyone’s heard of Maasai Mara animal migration, but Zambia has one of its own: the wildebeest thunder & dance on Liuwa Plains. There are also less-famous parts to explore (zambiatourism.com).

3 OMAN It starts to get cooler, but there still aren’t too many visitors. Go for mountain and desert scenery, forts, villages and Wahiba desert (omantourism.gov.om).

4 BURMA The rainfall is at its lowest from November to February, and the heat less sticky than usual.

5 ROCCA CANTERANO, ITALY Go celebrate a break-up! The festival of Horned One, Festa del Cornuto,in Rocca Canterano, near Rome, features parades, actors and satirical compositions on the ugly business of betrayals and bust-ups. No moping and weeping allowed!

6 PUNE, MAHARASHTRA NH7 Weekender festival returns, featuring music ranging from folk rock to electronic to hard rock. It’s also chilly and dry in Pune, perfect for soaking up a little beer (nh7.in).
AVOID!

CHICAGO The Windy City gets really windy and a little gloomy during this time. It does snow, but you can expect more than the occasional blizzard, and breezes that really cut through to the bone.

DECEMBER

1 ANTARCTICA Go watch the penguins in the Antarctic summer: you’ll see million-strong rookeries of penguins laying their eggs, as well as seals, whales and walrus.

2 TURKEY It’s certainly cold in Turkey at this time, but also dramatic, with good possibilities of snow in Istanbul and Cappadocia, and most important, the Whirling Dervish Festival in Konya, where the famed Sufi artistes try to attain a higher state (goturkey.com).

3 MALAYSIA It hosts its annual shopping festival, the Year-end Sale. Stores offer great discounts and promotions (tourism.gov.my).

4 CHRISTMAS MARKETS Come winter, northern Europe is covered in Christmas markets — from Copenhagen to Birmingham. Head to Cologne, Munich and, well, most of Germany, Prague, Vienna, and Tallinn in Estonia for the big ones.

 
AVOID!

CHINA Sounds like it should be steamy and very Asian, but its winters can get bitingly cold, especially towards the north. Wait till springtime to visit.
THE RANN OF KUTCH, GUJARAT Hundreds of luxury tents are set up at the edges of the white salt desert from December 15 to January 31, and you can enjoy the Kutchi dance, music, food, sports and handicrafts on display (rannutsav.com).

SET 130120