Brief Overview
As a matter of fact, May is unbeatable. This transitional period between seasons is alluring because of its endearing qualities. At this juncture, the southern hemisphere’s animal viewing prospects are unrivalled, while the northern hemisphere is in full post-winter mode. May is a time of the year when the weather is improving and the crowds still haven’t quite cottoned on, so tourists get to enjoy the fruits of the globe without having to share them with every other living, breathing being. Where are the finest destinations to travel in May? To be frank, they can be found all over the world, and here we’ve compiled a collection of the absolute best examples for your viewing.
Paris, France
Perhaps the best time to visit Paris is in May. Temperatures are moderate, spring flowers are in full bloom, and the summer hordes have yet to arrive. The third Saturday of May is La Nuit des Musées, when the city’s museums stay open late and offer free admission to tourists. The Jazz Festival at Saint Germain des Prés gets toes tapping with free performances and seminars, while the Tous à l’Opéra event provides free concerts and tours of the opera house.
South Korea
A trip to South Korea in May sounds like a fantastic idea for a million and one different reasons.
The temperature range is also favourable, with lows around 13 degrees and highs around 23 degrees. Now we can look forward to blue skies and warm days, before the humidity of summer sets in.
In early May, Damyang hosts its annual Bamboo Festival, where you can drink alcohol made from bamboo stalks, make your own bamboo crafts, and even go fishing with a bamboo basket. Moreover, there is the Festival of Green Tea in Boseong. It’s not a contest to figure out what that’s about.
Considering that March through May and September through November are prime seasons, airfare is frequently quite affordable in May.
Southern England
There’s no denying that the English climate is notoriously difficult to predict. Or that if you go in May, luck will be on your side. Nonetheless, the sky is clearing up and the temperature is rising. The weather is also more favourable in the south than it is in the north, which is typically several degrees colder.
Some of the best places to see the region’s famous bluebell woods, which may be found in Kent, Wiltshire, and elsewhere, are in the south. In addition, the Chelsea Flower Show is held in London in May.
The remainder of London doesn’t require any introduction, and there’s plenty to enjoy without a penny. Watch out for the last week of May half-term if you’re considering a trip to London and attempt to prevent a collision to minimise your time spent in a crowded tourist trap.
Catalonia, Spain
There’s more to Catalonia than just Barcelona, but if you want to see the provincial capital before the summer crowds arrive, May is a great time to do it. Girona, further north, has a historic district that seems like it could have been a set from Game of Thrones. In addition, El Celler de Can Roca, which has been named the best restaurant in the world not once but twice, is located there. Next travel to the southern portion of the Costa Brava, away from the tourist traps, where honey-hued stone towns like Peratallada and Pals and the Cuban-style palaces of beachside Begur contain lovely, independent hotels. The most beautiful stretch of beach on this Coast is located in the Caribbean-blue bay of Aiguablava, which is a short, meandering drive away. You might be able to score a spot in the sun in May, before it becomes the most sought-after beach in all of Spain.
Munich, Germany
Not content to wait until fall to don your lederhosen? In May, Munich hosts Springfest, also known as Fruhlingfest, which is like Oktoberfest but not as big. You can count on the same dangerous combination of amusement park rides and alcoholic beverages, but with much smaller and less rowdy audiences. The city’s equivalent of hygge is called “Gemütlichkeit.” Take it all in at a pub with a garden lit up with fairy lights or a subterranean bar with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Isn’t that enough hopping? The surfers on the Eisbach wave in the English Garden are enjoying the sunshine and the year-round swell. As we are in Germany, the park’s nudist area could potentially be crowded if the weather holds out.
Dublin, Ireland
So, you won’t be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with us? But, not everyone in Dublin is drunk and rowdy. There’s a clear month in May for dark artists to perform. The city’s literary progeny, including James Joyce, William Butler Yeats, and Oscar Wilde, found inspiration in its Georgian streets, and each year in May, the city hosts the International Literature Festival, an event that celebrates the city’s intellectual heritage by bringing authors from all over the world to London to debate and stir up controversy. Afterwards you can go on a literary pub tour and drink where some of Dublin’s most famous authors drank a century ago. You may enjoy the Grand Canal, eat at the restaurant/bookstore The Winding Stair, and see plays by contemporary Irish writers at the Abbey Theatre, which Yeats helped create.
Norwegian Fjords
One option is to take a cruise through the fjords; another is to take a monumental road journey, gliding along the edges of cliffs and meandering through verdant farmland as blue water sparkles below. Hiking routes are free of both visitors and the annoying midges of summer in May, when wildflowers are at their peak. Travel the Discovery Way from Bergen to see the apple trees in bloom at the stunning Hardangerfjord and have your heart racing at the edge of Pulpit Rock. Bergen, with its Scandi-red clapboard houses and its buzzing cocktail bars, is a fantastic place to calm your worries. No Stress, which takes pride in its homemade syrups and juices, is a reliable spot to find a lively crowd.
Washington D.C.
May in the United States’ capital sees highs of 23 degrees and lows of 12 degrees. Although the summers in D.C. are notoriously muggy, you may still enjoy some of the season’s milder temperatures by taking advantage of this sunny window.
The National Memorial Day Parade and Passport DC, a month-long series of workshops, exhibitions, and fun festivals honouring the city’s diplomatic community, both take place in May.
If the weather is fine, you might also attend a jazz concert outdoors at the National Gallery of Art for free.
Nepal
You should consider visiting Nepal in May if you are undecided on where to go. After all, two of the major events in the country occur during the perhaps greatest month of the year, and the weather is generally very pleasant. While Buddha Jayanti is a colourful ode to the lives and times of Gautam Buddha, Tiji Festival celebrates the (supposed) triumph of good over evil. Keep in mind that May is likely the best time to see the temples of Bhaktapur, so long as you don’t need to visit for the two major festivals held there.
West Coast, Australia
In search of magnificent shores and life-changing wildlife encounters? You may see stingrays, dolphins, Australian sea lions, fairy penguins, and more on a road trip around Australia’s West Coast. It is possible to go scuba diving with whale sharks (the largest fish in the world) in Ningaloo Marine Park during the month of May; in fact, the town of Exmouth hosts an annual whale shark festival. The quokka and its young can be seen on Rottnest Island, which is accessible from Perth through a 30-minute ferry ride. As cars are banned on the island, cycling is the best option for getting around.
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