Planning & Period

• When you are planning a trip it is important to know what is the best time to visit a specific country. It can be pretty disappointing to find out that it is actually rainy season, while you planned to spend a few weeks on a sunny tropical beach. When it is winter north of the equator, it is summer on the other side. The summer is not automatically the best time to visit certain areas. In short, when to go can be quite a complicated matter. When you are going to your dream destination make sure to check the weather and other conditions during the time of your visit!

General remarks & advice

• Often the rainy season in a tropical country is not as harmful as it seems (Indonesia, Thailand). Most of the time the weather is fine, unless you are very unlucky. Look for a destination where the weather differs per region, so that you can always escape from the rain.
• Watch out for places that are known for extreme weather circumstances. Natural phenomenons such as hurricanes and cyclones are usually not a lot of fun.
• If you are going scuba diving, make sure that during the time your visit the sea is not to rough, so that the visibility is clear.
• In some areas it is important to be aware of common diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which are being spread during specific weather or seasons.
• Going to Africa to see some wildlife? Make sure you plan your trip when the wildlife parks are open. You do not want to find out that the park is closed when you already in Tanzania.
• Some places can be a lot of fun to visit during special events, such as carnival in Brasil, a mid-summer night party in Scandinavia etc. Sometimes it is better to avoid certain events. Try, for instance, to find a restaurant that is open during the Ramadan in a Muslim country.
• Unfortunately our climate is changing, so you cannot completely rely on the information that is available. It happens more and more that locals tell you that it is the first time in thirty years that it is raining this early in the season or that they don’t understand where all the clouds are coming from.
• People have different opinions about the best time to visit a specific region. Some people like to go to a place when it is 40 degrees Celsius, while other people already think 20 degrees Celsius is too hot.
• Be aware of the difference between minimum and maximum temperatures. The minimum temperature in San Francisco in the summer is 12 degrees and the average temperature is 18 degrees. This means that in the evening you will need a sweater.
• Be aware of height. Ecuador is a tropical country, but the capital Quito lies 3.000 meters above sea level. This means that it can be very warm during the day, but very chilly in the evening.
• The temperature of the sea water can be much colder than the temperature of the air. The weather in Tunisia might be OK in February or March, but swimming can be very unpleasant at that time of the year

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