Travel calendar: our tips for where to go in March

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Travel calendar: our tips for where to go in March

Drink in New Zealand's wine harvest or find cause for distraction as creatures emerge during Costa Rica's verano (dry season) this month...

Laura Holt

BY Laura Holt23 November 2019

It’s crossover season this month, when the seasonal pendulum swings as the northern hemisphere shifts into spring and the southern half of the world settles into autumn. Get ready to drink in New Zealand’s wine harvest, seek out sun in Costa Rica and party in the ‘live music capital of the world’. Austin, we hear you…

GO WITH THE FLOW

It’s the peak of Costa Rica’s verano (dry season) this month, spanning from January to April. There’s little rain on either the Caribbean or Pacific coasts, so it’s a reliable time to hit the beaches of the Nicoya peninsula, as well as whale-tale-shaped Uvita de Osa further south. Wildlife fans will also find cause for distraction, as the rainforests drop their leaves and water sources become scant, so Costa Rica’s creatures become easier to see.

ESCAPE THE CROWDS

Fancy a drink? Visit New Zealand from February to April, as vineyards across North and South Island become hives of activity during the annual wine harvest. The weather’s still warm following summer – especially in the ‘winterless north’ around the Bay of Islands – yet there’s less footfall. As the first month of autumn, expect bursts of seasonal colour the further south you go.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

The self-proclaimed ‘live music capital of the world’ throws on a big fiesta this month as SXSW – South by Southwest – takes over Austin. Be there to see the next musical stars arise with live performances and artist showcases across the Texan capital.

BOOK NOW FOR…

A big trip to India: you’ll need six months to plan Rajasthan and from September onwards is the best time to visit. Ponder which heritage havelis you want to stay at, arrange tiger permits for Ranthambore and start settling on the cities you don’t want to miss: Jaipur (the Pink City and state capital); Jodphur (the Blue City, famed for Mehrangarh Fort); and Jaisalmer (a giant sand castle which rises out of the Thar desert). Decisions, decisions…

For more travel inspiration, explore where to go in April