Where to go on holiday and when

A month-by-month guide of when to go where on holiday in Africa, Latin America and the Indian subcontinent.

Scarlet macaw in flight, Peru

January

Good time to visit gorillas and chimps; dry season in East Africa (inc. migration) and Costa Rica; gorgeous climate in India . . .

February

Prime time for Antarctica and Patagonia; excellent for India and Nepal; Galapagos Islands are warm and calm; green season in southern Africa . . .

March

Generally great wildlife viewing in Latin America; excellent tiger viewing; it’s still dry season in Bhutan and Burma/Myanmar; Victoria Falls is in peak flow . . .

Vacquero on horseback in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

April

Easter in Costa Rica? Beaches and wildlife in eastern South Africa; a very pleasant month for exploring Ecuador and the Indian subcontinent . . .

May

Madagascar is a good idea from now until about October; great weather in Peru and Ecuador; Zambia’s Liuwa Plains are wonderful this month . . .

June

The annual flood reaches Botswana’s Okavango Delta; the dry season begins in Zambia (until about October); great trekking in Peru . . .

July

Great for jaguars in Brazil’s Pantanal (until October); East Africa for safari and beach holidays; chimp & gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda . . .

August

The height of the migration in Masai Mara or northern Serengeti; explore Peru or Ecuador; Madagascar’s peak month . . .

September

Festivals in Bhutan; lively macaw and parrot-licks in Peru’s Amazon; try a walking safari in Zambia; a different beach holiday on Lake Malawi . . .

October

Chill out on beaches in India, Brazil or Africa; combine Galapagos Islands and either Ecuador or Peru mainland; carmine bee-eaters are in Zambia . . .