Where to go in September
September's the time for a grape escape in Europe and mass animal migrations, including turtles nesting in Central America
Few places aren’t enticing in September. In the northern hemisphere, the Indian summer lingers – holiday crowds have thinned, days are warm and evenings balmy, grapes are plump and waves welcoming. Head south and spring’s on the way – flowers flourish, beasts breed and locals celebrate. Wherever you are, it’s time to lace up, pack your camera and head off into the great outdoors.
Events & festivals
LOCAL CULTURE – Join devotees at Bhutan’s Thimphu Tsechu for four days of ritual dancing and performances involving traditional costumes and terrifying demon masks. Welcome in the Ethiopian New Year and the end of the ‘Long Rains’ with bonfires, processions, singing and dancing. The Lao festival of remembrance, Boun Khao Salak, is celebrated in Luang Prabang – the Mekong throngs with snaked-headed boats.
FOOD – Wander the streets of Singapore’s Chinatown, nibbling cakes during the traditional harvest-time Mooncake Festival, or come out of your shell at the Galway Oyster Festival to slurp down the aphrodisiac bivalves.
DRINK – Oenophiles rejoice in grape harvests across Europe: in Jerez, Andalucía Spain, shows of flamenco and horseriding liven up the Vendimia; while in the south of France, Nîmes, Provence, buzzes during the Féria des Vendanges; and Madeira’s capital, Funchal, comes alive with light and sound shows. And let’s not forget beer: Munich’s Oktoberfest is ale and hearty from the middle of September.
Wildlife
CROC SHOW – The late dry season in Kakadu National Park, in Australia’s Northern Territory, sees crocs massing in the receding waterholes.
WILDEBEEST & ZEBRA – Vast herds sweep across the plains of Kenya’s Masai Mara during the Great Migration between July and September.
MARINE LIFE – Green and hawksbill turtles nest on the Caribbean beaches of Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. Whales breach in the waters around Hermanus, South Africa – celebrated with a festival – while humpback whales are spotted around Tonga. Elsewhere, orca gather in Puget Sound, Washington State, USA; manta rays fly over Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef; and dolphins frolic around the Azores.
OTHER WILDLIFE – Brown bears gorge on salmon swarming up the rivers of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. Huge herds of caribou migrate from the treeline to calving grounds in the Arctic Tundra. And Brazil’s Pantanal is at its wildlife-rich best from July to September, offering the best chances of spotting jaguar.
Activities
HIKING – Europe’s Alps, Pyrenees and Tatras all entice trekkers, and with the end of the European holidays, paths and accommodation options are clearer.
SKIING – Pack your skis and head for New Zealand – the Austral winter means there’s white stuff here pretty reliably from July to September, especially on the Southern Alps and peaks around the South Island.
ISLAND-HOPPING – Nip around the Greek Islands – the crowds are thinning, the days are cooling and the sunsets over Santorini more beautiful than ever – or hop on a gület for a ‘blue cruise’ along the Lycian Coast, Turkey.
HORSERIDING – Saddle up in Iceland for the traditional Réttir, the annual horse and sheep roundup across the spectacular volcanic landscapes.
Natural phenomena
HIGH TIDE – Witness the awesome power of the sea in the Bay of Fundy, Canada where the world's highest tides create large whirlpools, rip-currents and bizarre rock formations. Keep your eyes open for the wildlife drawn to its waters.
WHALE CALVES – Every September crowds of people gather at Walker Bay, South Africa to watch in amazement as thousands of whales mate and raise their calves next to the cliffs.
SAND DUNES – Marvel at the enormous, ochre-red sand dunes that dominate Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia. It's vast landscape is home to a surprising amount of extraordinary wildlife; stay on the lookout for herd of oryx antelope, or a meerkat family standing to attention. Alternatively listen for the echo of a distant whooping hyena or jackal.
The weather is nice in:
VERMONT, USA 10-20°C
CAYENNE, Guyana 24-34°C
BEIJING, China 14-26°C
FRANCISTOWN, Botswana 13-31°C
VALLETTA, Malta 23-28°C
BRATISLAVA, Slovak Republic 13-23°C
In September the kids are back at school and suddenly the world feels emptier. Popular spots like Santorini, Greece become feasible and the gardens on Madeira are in bloom. The leaves are beginning to turn in Vermont, USA too. It's cool and crisp but the foliage is spectacular.
Spring comes to the southern hemisphere; it's hot and humid in Borneo – but it always is – but it's still worth swinging by to see the old man of the jungle, the orang-utan.
Conventional wisdom says:
Avoid the Caribbean. It's hurricane season.
Wanderlust says:
Head south to the Caribbean islands closest to Venezuela like Netherland Antilles, Grenada, Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad & Tobago. The hurricanes have already passed and the weather's fine.