As April hits, spring is in full bloom and Europe is heating up. Morning dips in the Med are still on the nippy side, but sun-dappled terraces are starting to fill up and beach bars are pulling up the shutters for spritzes after swims. Where to go in April? Japan flutters with cherry blossom season, drawing travellers from all over the world who dream of standing beneath the boughs and scattering fallen petals like confetti. It’s a fine time to head into Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains whilst the valleys are smothered with swathes of green and temperatures can’t dampen progress and you can tick off bucket-list material with a springtime jaunt to Egypt.
BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL IN APRIL
USA
Spring has sprung and nature is blooming. A fine time then to head to the US and poke around some of its wilder corners while hiking through wildflower-speckled valleys and canyoning through deep chasms away from the searing sun. Beaches aren’t too crowded and you can still gaze at salty-haired surfers riding the waves and join an impromptu beach party with a crowd of bright young things. New Yorkers are pulling off their ties and rolling up their sleeves in gorgeously green Central Park and the Jazz Festival in New Orleans is in full swing.
Seychelles
The Seychelles have a knack for always looking good. Turquoise seas send ripples onto flour-soft sand, huge boulders dazzle in the heat haze, travellers doze under palms, and snorkellers float amongst fish, manta rays and turtles. As luck would have it, the islands bask in bright sunshine all year round, but visit in April, and you’ll catch the Seychelles before the trade winds whip up from May to September.
Japan
There’s no better time to visit Japan than in April. As the dry, clear weather moves across the archipelago, the spring sunshine sparks the sprouting of cherry blossom season - reason enough to visit the country. So revered are these pastel-pink trees, the art of viewing them has spawned its own verb – 'hanami' - which usually involves a picnic under the boughs of the cherry blossom.
Peru
Few countries pack in diversity like Peru. Sunbathers and surfers flock to its crinkly coastline; cool seekers try and bag tables at Lima’s cult restaurants; climbers stalk the flanks of the Andes; Machu Pichu retains its crown as one of Peru’s top sights; and the fringes of the Amazon lure countless travellers with unimaginable raw majesty. Time it all right, with a trip in April when the weather’s perfect for adventures into the Andes, the jungle’s humidity is at an all-time low and it’s the beginning of the dry season.