May is unmistakably a summer month which conjures up mixed feelings in different people. For populaces staying in countries with tropical and continental climes, the summer season means endless days of sweltering weather with high levels of humidity. For those residing in countries where the weather is almost heavenly during summer with temperatures hovering between 15-25 degrees centigrade, it’s the perfect time to freak out.
Summer lasts for a very short duration in the continents of Europe and North America. However, the season offers enough opportunities to people bitten by the travel bug to make the most of their summer holidays. Educational institutions remained closed for nearly two and a half months and most shops and outlets keep their shutters down. You’ll find all sorts of tourists like backpackers, holidaying families, student groups on educational exchange programs, and other travelling groups making plans for visiting popular tourist destinations.
May is undoubtedly a very convenient month for planning a tour to some of the most exotic locations in the world. One can make plans for visiting the Mediterranean, Caribbeans, and many countries in Asia, Europe, North and South Americas, and of course, Australia in this month. For one thing, the weather in these places is perfect at this time of the year with lots of sunshine.
For instance if you’re visiting Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) or the Nordic countries (Iceland and Finland) you can watch the phenomenon of ‘Midnight Sun’. In these countries, you can stay outdoors for long hours as the sun does not set until midnight! You can also plan a tour to the Mediterranean region (Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and their neighbouring countries) where you bask in the sun-kissed beaches and enjoy different types of water sports.
Furthermore, if you research a little on the net, you can land a bargain deal for a package tour. Since the tourist season just begins to pick up in May in many of the travelling spots around the world, you can find budget deals if you’re an early bird. Irrespective of whether you want to soak yourself in the atavistic charm of a mountain resort or get a suntan in a sunny beach, you’ll surely find a location of your choice.
In case you’re travelling with your family, you’ll obviously need to plan well in advance. If you can find a reliable travel operator, planning for your summer holidays will seem like a breeze. Be sure to make a meticulous background check before you can enlist a travel agency. Also equip yourself with the local laws of the place you intend to visit and any stipulations that may apply to tourists.
To say the last but not the least, do not forget to get travel insurance especially if it’s a family tour. Some glamorous regions and striking Places to Go on Holiday in May 2013 have been put together for your sake after scrupulous research. You can take your pick from any of the following glam destinations for a tour filled with unalloyed fun and adventure.
1. Head Off To The Caribbeans
The Caribbeans with its pristine beaches and warm waters of the Caribbean Sea can cast a spell on even the most fastidious of travellers. There are almost an infinite number of fantastic spots that you can visit like Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Cayman Islands. You can sprawl out on the numerous warm beaches dotted in the many small islands. If you want an adrenaline rush, you can try your hand at water rafting, snorkelling, and water surfing.
The Caribbean Sea is teeming with different species of flora and fauna many of which are endangered. You can explore the same via deep sea diving. Putting up is also quite affordable during this time of the year as many hotels, villas, and resorts charge low rates. If you’re an avid golfer, you’ll come across some of the best golf courses in St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Jamaica. The climate will set the tone for nights of endless partying not to mention the great food.
2. The Wily Charms Of The Mediterranean
You can never go wrong with Mediterranean. At least that’s the opinion of almost all travel agents, tour operators and of course, seasoned tourists and globetrotters have about the Mediterranean. So, if you’ve chosen Mediterranean as your summer holiday destination, you could not have made a better choice.
In case if you haven’t yet picked on the spot to visit as you cannot make up your mind, then you can opt to vacation just anywhere in the Mediterranean. It can be safely recommended that you can stopover at any town or settlement that is situated alongside the entire stretch of the Mediterranean Sea. You can end up in Majorca, Menorca, Mallorca, and Ibiza in Spain. You can keep Catalonia and the Basque region in your priority travel list.
Neighbouring Italy competes strongly with Spain for attracting travellers with itchy feet. Italy-the land of Roman civilization-has many splendid destinations where the travel hungry tourist can spend a week in the lap of luxury. You can relax your weary body and bruised soul in the islands of Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, and Palermo. Amalfi Coast with the mountains in the background and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean can really make you nostalgic.
You can also head to Greece if you’re thinking about going Mediterranean in May. The very name of the country conjures up visions of Grecian architecture, the great Greek poets and philosophers, and of course Athens-which was the epicentre of ancient civilizations. You can visit the Grecian islands of Minoa, Crete, Mykonos, Ithaca, Santorini, Skyros, Gavdos, Tilos, Icaria, Rhodes, Corfu and much more.
Turkey is another nation that has some great and really extraordinary spots if you’re thinking of touching down somewhere in the Mediterranean in May 2013. Istanbul which was formerly known as Constantinople-seat of the great Ottoman Empire-can really take you back in time because of its old world charm. The historical monuments that bear testimony to the dizzy heights architecture reached during the Ottoman regime are a must see.
You can also head off to the Aegean Coast or North Cyprus. If you have time to spare during your Turkish sojourn, surely visit the Straits of Bosporus. One end of the Bosporus Bridge is on the Asian continent and the other is on European soil.
3. Experience A Déjà Vu In Northern Europe
Think about Northern Europe and you’re most likely to have visions of fjords, inlets, lakes, mountains with sheets of ice and snow, reindeers, and Vikings. You can plan for a fortnightly trip to Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. The first leg of your tour starts with Norway.
If you’re touching down at international airport in Oslo, then you spend a day or two in one of the most beautiful capital cities in Northern Europe. Keep a day aside for sailing around the Norwegian glaciers and fjords. Do not miss out on taking a tour of the Norwegian coastland on a local ship. Norway is known all over the world as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ although you can watch the sun at midnight from parts of Sweden, Norway and Nordic countries as well.
Your next stop could either be Denmark or Sweden. Copenhagen-the Danish capital will surely captivate you. Copenhagen is a very flat city and you’re likely to find more pedestrians or cyclists on the streets and lanes than motorists! Visit the Oresund Bridge that connects Denmark to Sweden. In fact, you can enter Sweden via this bridge. Definitely visit Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Malmo and Gothenburg are other great Swedish cities you can tour.
Iceland is known as the country of thousand lakes and you’ll know why once you get there. It is undoubtedly one of the most stupendously beautiful countries in the world with its spellbinding glaciers, lakes, mountains, geysers, and volcanoes. If you visit Finland, surely visit Helsinki-the Finnish capital and also the headquarters of Nokia-the cellphone giant.
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