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© Sean Pavone / Alamy Stock Photo
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By
If March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, then April is
spring’s true awakening. All month long, the weather continues to get
warmer, the sun shines brighter, the grass gets greener, and rain
showers, while frequent in some parts of the world, usher in some of the
most beautiful blooms of the year.
Spring showers are the least of anyone’s worries in
places like Casablanca, Morocco; or Brussels, Belgium, where April
drops the least amount of rain all year. However, if it’s the budget
you’re worried about, places like Chicago and Copenhagen—two of the most
affordable places to travel this month—offer endless opportunities to
experience architecture, culture, and art.
Related: The Best Places to Travel in 2016
[post_ads]Rising temperatures, frequent showers, and
even-more-present sun—a perfect equation that ushers in riots of color.
Japan, and particularly Kyoto, celebrates the very brief but truly
beautiful cherry blossom season in April when, for a mere two weeks,
landscapes are aglow in pink. Over in the Netherlands, tulips also reach
their peak, blanketing the country’s rolling fields and windmill-dotted
meadows with deep shades of yellow, purple, red, and white. Both are
spectacle to behold.
There might be no better way to celebrate the
season than to take part in some of its most anticipated outdoor events.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Carnival takes over the streets of St.
Thomas, where drops in room rates after high season mean great deals to
be found while the parades and the parties are still raging. Meanwhile,
in mainland America, Georgia gears up for the famed Masters Tournament
in golf, drawing fair-weather fans to charming Savannah and its parks
filled with oak trees dripping in Spanish moss—ideal for afternoon
picnics and leisurely strolls.
Ready to take advantage of the mild weather before
the crazy summer crowds and temperatures descend? These are the places
to go now. Looking to make plans for January, February, March, or the rest of the year? We've got those recommendations too.
U.S. Virgin Islands
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Hurricane season aside, there’s no bad time to visit the U.S. Virgin
Islands—a Caribbean paradise of white-sand beaches, world-class water
sports, beautiful oceanfront hotels, and restaurants doling out all the
conch fritters and mojitos you can handle. Peak season is over by April,
but that doesn’t mean the party has ended. Carnival
takes over the streets of St. Thomas for the month, bringing with it a
fun-filled roster of food fairs, boat races, and rollicking parades
featuring eye-popping costumes and music. Escape the commotion at Caneel Bay,
a blissful wellness retreat tucked away in Virgin Islands National
Park. The best part? You don’t even need to bring your passport.
Kyoto, Japan
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A 1,000-year-old history. Countless shrines and temples. Geishas strolling down ryokan-lined streets. It’s easy to see why this former imperial capital of Japan was voted the world’s best city in 2015 by Travel + Leisure
readers. Kyoto’s romance peaks in April, when the country’s famed
cherry blossoms blanket the landscape in pink. The place to stay is Hoshinoya Kyoto,
a century-old riverside villa opening this month with not one but two
landscaped gardens where one can take in the foliage after a traditional
kaiseki meal. For a further retreat into nature, head two hours southeast to the Mie Prefecture, where the minimalist Amanemu, Aman’s new hotel inspired by the classic Japanese onsen experience, looks out over tranquil Ago Bay.
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Copenhagen, Denmark
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The allure of Hans Christian
Andersen town is irresistible from May through October. April, in
contrast, marks the tail end of Scandinavia’s brisk spring, making Copenhagen one of the world’s cheapest places to travel
this month. Those that take advantage of low-season rates are in for
another treat: the seasonal reopening of Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe’s
oldest and most charming amusement parks. After a spin on the wooden
roller coaster or the Star Flyer, the world’s second-tallest carousel,
stop by Kähler i Tivoli for a traditional open-faced sandwich snack.
Bogotá, Colombia
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Rain falls often in Bogotá
during the summer, and April is no exception. But this Colombian capital
offers more than enough shelter in way of its culinary scene, which is
currently experiencing something of a renaissance. An increasing food
hot spot, Bogotá has everything one needs to embark on a cultural culinary adventure, from empanada stands to ramen bars to burgers to Middle Eastern comfort food at Israeli-born chef Nimi Molad’s Baita. Make your base the Four Seasons Casa Medina, housed in a storied 1940s mansion—and don’t miss the tapas at its glass-roofed courtyard restaurant, Castanyoles.
Chicago, Illinois
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Even as its winter gusts wind down, Chicago remains one of the most affordable places to travel this month—and the hotel scene couldn’t be hotter, what with newcomers like the Art Deco-spun Chicago Athletic Association and the renovated Peninsula Chicago
becoming destinations in their own right. Outside your digs, all signs
point to warmer weather, and in Chicago, there’s plenty to keep you
busy: world-class museums, hot-hot-hot restaurants, a nightlife scene that continuously raises the bar, and—finally—baseball, as both the Cubs and White Sox home openers kick off the season to roaring crowds.
Los Angeles, California
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L.A. is beautiful come April,
but this year offers even more reasons to make California your next
stopover. A significant exhibit on acclaimed American photographer
Robert Mapplethorpe opens in LACMA, titled “The Perfect Medium,” while
the Getty spotlights his portraits and still lifes. After your culture
fix, the next place to head is Koreatown, which has steadily become a culinary destination for much more than Korean food.
Try cult favorites like Cassell’s Hamburgers and inspired mixology at
the Walker Inn from the team at New York’s Death & Co.
Martinique
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For a long time, Martinique
remained a sleepy, rainforested isle often overlooked among the rest of
the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles islands. But this year has brought new
energy into downtown Fort-de-France. Its active military base, housed in a 17th-century fort, is reopening to visitors, not to mention the contemporary Simon Hotel, the first hotel to open on the island in more than a decade. Already one of the best Caribbean islands for foodies,
Martinique is experiencing an upsurge in creative cuisine beyond its
Creole influences, from Brazilian to bagel sandwiches to an inspired
cocktail program at the rooftop bar, Le Cloud. The weather here is
beautiful year-round—best to catch the dry season before it ends in May.
Chengdu, China
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Hong Kong and Shanghai aside, Chengdu has become a major player in China’s tourism industry, from arts and culture to food and hotels. Yes, this is the place to see pandas. But it’s also where you’ll find Chinese heritage vying for a place among the city’s rapid modernization. Right now, its hotel boom
has stepped into the spotlight, and there’s no shortage of options on
where to bed down: there’s a Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Temple House
(complete with a thousand-year-old Chinese Buddhist temple), and Grand
Hyatt, as well as the new Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain retreat, in a
bamboo forest a half hour outside town. In April, the weather warms up,
making time spent outdoors at the botanic garden or panda base all the
more pleasurable. Thanks to a new 72-hour no-visa policy, dropping in
for a quick visit has never been easier.
[post_ads_2]The Netherlands
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Spring has arrived in the
Netherlands, and with it the riotous colors of fresh-bloomed bulbs,
which canvas its flat landscape in every direction. April is peak tulip
season, depicted by generations of painters from Claude Monet to Jan
van Goyen, and there’s no better way to see them then on a road trip
through the countryside. A highlight: Keukenhof, a garden in Lisse open from late March to mid-May and a sight to be seen with 70 acres of parkland blanketed in some 7 million flowers. For solo travelers,
few destinations beat the Netherlands for safety, friendliness, and
navigability. Try not to miss King’s Day, a national holiday in April
honoring the monarchy, when everywhere from Amsterdam to the Hague
celebrates with open flea markets, street performances, and everything oranj.
Savannah, Georgia
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