20 best places in April of 2020
Temperature: 30°C high; 26°C low
Season: dry
Travel time from UK: 11 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT +7
What’s just as raucous as a Full Moon Party, but significantly wetter? Thai New Year, or Songkran, that’s what. A five-day public holiday in mid-April, the country essentially turns into one giant, good-natured water fight, with locals and tourists alike soaking each other in the streets. One of the more enthusiastic places to embrace this soggy ritual is Koh Samui. But the island of your budget backpacker days has – in parts, at least – grown up. A world away from flimsy beach huts and lethal bucket ‘cocktails’, Kamalaya is a jungly wellness retreat staffed by monks. Or the Four Seasons remains as ‘be seen’ as ever. The private infinity pools of its hillside villas make for a more relaxing way to get soaked.
Sustainable travel tip: Thai staff who work in busy beach destinations such as Koh Samui must contend with the high costs of living in a tourist town, without comparable wages, so the best thing you can do here is tip – generously.
2. BOLIVIA, SOUTH AMERICA
Temperature: 17°C high; 4°C low
Season: wet
Travel time from UK: 20 hours
Time difference: GMT -4
The end of rainy season in Bolivia, April marks a magical time on its famous salt flats. The weather makes 4x4 touring manageable again, but the bright-white plains remain partly submerged in water, turning them into a mirror. A rough-and-ready four-day tour is unforgettable, passing smoking volcanoes, a flamingo-flecked red lagoon, and deserts scattered with Dali-esque ‘rock trees’ on the way. After, scrub up in its newly chic capital, La Paz. Gustu, founded by Noma’s Claus Meyer, serves riffs on local dishes (think: llama tartare). For a nightcap, try craft cocktails blended with native firewaters at design hotel Atix, a glass parallelogram with floor-to-ceiling views of surrounding Andean slopes.
Sustainable travel tip: Gustu isn’t just La Paz’s hottest restaurant: the kitchen is staffed by graduates of Meyer’s Melting Pot cooking schools, which mentor students in some of Bolivia’s most deprived areas. Eating here not only supports the regional food system, but creates better jobs for locals too.
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