BEST TIME TO VISIT INDIA & SOUTHEAST ASIA

SouthEast Asia

INDIA

In very general terms, the best weather in India is between October and mid-April. The actual high season runs between November and March. The idea here is to avoid the heat, which can become unpleasant to the point of debilitating in the summer. Also, taking the so-called ‘shoulder months’, either side of the high season, can be a strategy to avoid the crowds. Tourist numbers, particularly in popular coastal destinations like Goa, peak in December and January.

Hill stations are best enjoyed from mid-September to mid-December and then from March to mid-July. Ladakh, a magical region in the far north of the country, is best visited from June to September, when most other parts of the country are in the grip of the monsoon. Mid-winter anywhere north of Udaipur (Southern Rajasthan) will be chilly morning/evenings and north of Delhi gets quite cold.

NEPAL

Most travellers to Nepal come to trek, and the best time for this is from September to November (autumn). With the monsoon only recently finished, the countryside is green and lush, the air is crisply clean and the Himalayan views are near perfect. Furthermore, the weather is still balmy. There are also some important and colourful festivals to enjoy, though the Dasain festival in October can be disruptive if you are on a tight schedule.

February to April, at the end of the dry season, is the second-best period to visit. It’s a bit warmer so high-altitude treks are not as arduous. Visibility is not as good as earlier in the dry season, but Nepal's wonderful rhododendrons and other flowers are in full bloom.

BHUTAN

Like Nepal, trekking in Bhutan is best in the autumn; September to November. Bear in mind though that Bhutan has some awesome festivals which are well worth factoring into your schedule. If you consider visiting Bhutan in the spring (March – May) the mountain views won’t be as clear but you’ll be compensated in other ways. Firstly you’ll miss the crowds, plus you’ll witness a spectacular array of flowers in full bloom and finally you’ll be able to witness the magnificent Paro tsechu festival.

SRI LANKA

The best time to travel to Sri Lanka is between the monsoon seasons. You should be relatively safe between January and April. Located so close to the equator, Sri Lanka is always quite warm and even in the monsoon months it is possible to travel around for it does not rain all the time.

The best time to visit Borneo is between March and September when it is relatively dry and before the monsoons arrive. For the same reason, the best months to visit Malaysia are considered to be May to September. The best time to visit Vietnam will depend if you’re travelling predominantly in the north or south. if you’re going north, go during the summer, but avoid the months between July and November- hurricanes sometimes hit this part of the country at the time; if you’re going south, go between December and April, when it’s dry and relatively cooler. In late-January or early-February the ‘Tet’ New Year festival takes place and you may find many hotels fully booked and services shut down. Laos is typically tropical, and the monsoons hit the country between May and October. Aim to go there between November and February- that’s the time when it’s the least hot, and not raining either. Although the country has relatively few tourists, whatever tourist traffic there is, peaks in August, and between December and February.

Thailand's monsoons arrive around July and last into November. By far the best time to visit is from February to March when the weather is kind and the beaches are at their finest.

Just a final note that if you happen to be passing through Singapore between the end of May to July, you will have arrived during the 'Great Singapore Sale' and may pick up some great bargains!

BEST WEATHER IN INDIA & SOUTHEAST ASIA

This guide to the best weather in USA & Canada weather is intended only as a guide to countries based on rainfall, temperature and humidity. It doesn't reflect other considerations mentioned above - just the weather! The world's weather patterns are changing, so please use this guide as a rough guide only.