Depending on where you are in the world, May heralds spring or autumn and often the last month of shoulder season. In our opinion, there is no better time to make the most of lower prices and fewer people. We've pulled together our pick of the best May holiday destinations so that you can start planning your May getaway.
Svalbard
For photographers
May is a beautiful time of year to visit the Svalbard Archipelago as the Arctic emerges from a long, dark winter. Visiting in May will give you the best of both worlds as much of the landscape will still have a significant snow covering but there is 24 hours of daylight and largely bright, clear skies. It is going to be chilly with average temperatures hovering around -3 degrees celsius (26.6 Fahrenheit), but there is little rainfall making for crisp, clear photographic conditions.
Visiting one of the remote lodges on the main island of Spitsbergen is a great choice, our favourite being the off-grid Nordenskiöld Lodge, located right next to a glacier sharing the same name. Or visit Isfjord Radio Adventure Hotel for birdwatching, walruses, a sauna with one of the most magnificent views and a refined dining experience.
As the month progresses and the sea ice starts to recede, more explorative boat trips are possible from the capital of Longyearbyen and the expedition cruise ships start to return after their season in Antarctica. Polar bears stalk the sea ice for seals and by braving the chilly temperatures and snowy conditions you may be rewarded with memorable sightings and the pictures of a lifetime.
Trips start at £3,500 per person, excluding flights.
Nordenskiöld Lodge
Japan
For variety
May can be one of the busiest months to travel to Japan but this is for good reason. The first week of May is known as ‘Golden Week’ and it sees a series of no less than four national holidays (Shōwa Day, Constitution Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day).
The pleasant spring weather attracts not only overseas visitors but also locals taking advantage of the holidays to enjoy free entry to parks, museums and other attractions. Keep a lookout for the flying of koinobori, windsocks or kites in the shape of carp or koi on Children’s Day. The carp is meant to symbolise courage and strength because of its ability to swim up a waterfall.
The famous cherry blossom season starts in March and extends into May, but with the onset of spring Japan’s other garden blooms also come into their own. The Ashikaga Flower Park, just over an hour outside of Tokyo, is particularly famous for its ancient wisteria trees.
May boasts pleasant temperatures and low rainfall so while Japan is known for its warm hospitality, the contrast of modern and ancient culture, incredible cuisine and ease of travel, it is also a great month to discover its spectacular landscapes. Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan’s main islands and well-known as a skiing destination but it is also a wonderful area for hiking, along with the well-known area of Hakone in the shadow of Mount Fuji and Nikko. The latter is just north of Tokyo and often only factored in as a day-trip from Tokyo but we think it's well worth spending a couple of days in the area if you're keen to stretch your legs.
We’d recommend at least 10 nights.
Trips start at £4,000 per person, excluding flights.
Mount Fuji
Cape Verde
For hikers and relaxers
Cape Verde, off the coast of west Africa, is best accessed via Lisbon from the UK in just over 8 hours and what awaits is a diverse island system often referred to as Africa’s Galapagos Islands.
While the 10 scattered islands offer Caribbean-like beaches and crystal-clear seas they are so much more than a fly and flop destination. By digging a little deeper you will find a vibrant arts and music scene, volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, bustling markets and, of course, wildlife. May is a little too late for big hitters, such as humpback whales, which come here to breed in March and April and a little too early for loggerhead turtles, which haul ashore to lay their eggs during the rainy season from July to October. However, with waters home to 20 species of dolphin, porpoise, rays and shark there is still plenty to see beneath the waves. Above ground, at the lagoon Lagoa do Rabil on the popular island of Boa Vista, keep a lookout for the endemic lago sparrow.
The islands of Santo Antão, Fogo, São Nicolau and Santigo offer the best hiking opportunities. The right one for you will depend on your preferences - will it be gentle hikes through lush valleys and picturesque local villages or conquering the 2,829m peak of Pico do Fogo? As each island has its own personality, we would recommend combining a couple of islands and then finishing on the beach on Boa Vista or Sal.
We’d recommend at least 10 nights.
Trips start at £3,600 per person, excluding flights.
Casa Cavoquinho, Santo Antão
Zambia
For safari goers
May is the start of the dry season in Zambia. It's also when some of our favourite camps open up again for the oncoming safari season (sometimes after being completely rebuilt, such is the power of Zambia’s wet season).
In contrast to its competitors in the safari market such as Botswana, Kenya or Tanzania, a lot of Zambian camps are still owner-run and managed. It can be hard to describe just the difference this makes until you experience it but we think it's one of the key things that sets a safari here apart from those other destinations.
Take Tafika Camp in the northern realms of the South Luangwa as an example. Tafika Camp was established in 1995 by John and Carol Coppinger and Bryan Jackson. John used to work as a guide for the legendary safari operator Robin Pope and to this day the family run the camp, spearheaded by John and Carol’s daughter Jen and her husband Nick. When staying here you don’t just feel like another visitor to the camp. You feel the warmth of a family and the history of the place and how it came to be where it is today.
In May you will still find fairly thick vegetation, high grasses and full rivers as a result of the preceding rains, but in Zambia’s prolific national parks this rarely presents a problem for wildlife viewing. If anything it enhances the overall aesthetic of the experience and the lower rates and stay-pay deals make it even more attractive.
We’d recommend at least 6 nights on safari.
Trips starts at £5,000 per person, excluding flights.
The inside of a room at Tafika Camp, South Luangwa
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