9 places to visit in spring 2023

For foodie experiences

Foodie travellers will be thrilled to hear about the launch of a new festival in the Channel Islands. Taste Guernsey will showcase the island’s top restaurants, chefs and produce, in a month-long event celebrating the spectacular culinary offerings.

You’ll be guaranteed to have one of the best dining experiences of your life, as the chefs and hospitality staff at more than 20 venues will be competing against each other for the top prizes in categories including Best Seafood Dish, Best Dish Using Local Guernsey Produce, and Best Service – as voted by diners. Expect skilful and creative plates all made with fresh, local ingredients.

More information: visitguernsey.com

Did you know, nearly two thirds of the world’s artichokes are grown in Monterey County? No wonder it’s known as the 'Artichoke Heart of the World'. In recognition of this unique vegetable, the Artichoke Trail was launched this spring to celebrate the region’s agritourism.

Stopping off at 20 destinations, the new trail connects visitors to restaurants, farm stands and attractions. One of those stops is at the famous Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery in Castroville – a city that is celebrating its 160^th anniversary since its founding this year, as well as being the home to the Castroville Artichoke Festival in early June.

Another stop involves a walking tour of the Pezzini family farm. Here, you will be taught about the vegetable – how its grown, cultivated and prepared – before heading to the Choke Coach food truck to sample the harvest in many different forms.

More information: seemonterey.com/

For art and culture

Antigua and Barbuda will be coming to life with art, music, film and dance for its new week-long festival this spring. From 16 to 22 April, Antigua and Barbuda Art Week brings attention to the talented painters, poets and performers of this twin-island paradise, with the theme ‘Culture in Colour’ taking focus for each creative form.

The festival will open with its week-long art exhibition at the Boom and Gunpowder House in English Harbour, displaying work by well-known visual artist Emile Hill, and leading contemporary artist Heather Doram. There will also be self-guided art walks, where visitors can peep into studios and watch the professionals at work.

Things conclude with the chance for visitors to get hands-on. Be inspired by the island’s top artists before picking up a paintbrush and creating your own masterpiece.

More information: visitantiguabarbuda.com

Be the first to experience a fascinating new exhibition in Toronto this spring. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) opens ᑐᓴᕐᓂᑐᑦ TUSARNITUT! Music Born of the Cold on 20 May, a collection dedicated to the vital role of music in Inuit culture – the indigenous people of Northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Greenland.

There will be more than 100 works as part of its art collection, including prints, sculptures, drawings and installations, and these still pieces will all be brought to life with accompanying music and archival footage. Two musical genres will prominent throughout the exhibition: qilaujjaniq (drum dancing) and katajjaniq (throat singing), both of which are fundamental parts of Inuit history and culture

More information: rom.on.ca

It will be 50 years since world-renowned artist Pablo Picasso died come the 8 April. In honour of his life and legacy, exhibitions will be popping up throughout Spain – his country of origin – throughout the year.

Madrid takes the top prize for the greatest number of Picasso-inspired exhibitions, but to get away from the capital, why not visit A Coruña? This Galican city sitting on the northwest coast of Spain is where the artist spent much of his childhood from nine years old. It’s also where Picasso experienced pivotal moments of his life, from his first exhibition to the death of his sister.

Being such an important place in Picasso's life, A Coruña Museum of Fine Arts is putting on an exhibition titled Picasso: White in the blue memory (23 April 23 – 23 June 23). The collection will explore his early work while he was A Coruña, and how it transcended into his future masterpieces.

More information: museobelasartescoruna.xunta.gal

For wildlife encounters

Spring is one of the best seasons for a spot of twitching, and the North York Moors National Park is a fantastic place for it. This year, expert wildlife guide Richard Baines, is taking small groups out into the heart of this national park – Dalby Forest.

But instead of looking for birds, Richard encourages people to try using another sense – our hearing. On this birdsound safari, you will stroll through the wooded area and listen out for the sounds of a march tit sneezing, or a turtle dove purring. This region has the largest population of the endangered turtle doves, and is doing its best to increase populations by improving its habitat.

In May, the first nightjars arrive to the forest from Africa. To coincide with their arrival, Richard is also hosting twilight nightjar tours, so you can listen out for their unique love calls and also watch their fascinating courtship behaviour.

More information: yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk

It may not be the first African country that springs to mind for your spring trip, but Sierra Leone tourists industry is set to change thanks to a brand new airport terminal which opened in Freetown in March. Five times larger than its prior terminal, it is the first green terminal in West Africa – completely powered by solar energy.

Of course, this development isn’t the sole reason to visit Sierra Leone’s capital. But just outside of Freetown is a chance to get close to the country’s beloved chimpanzees. In Western Area Peninsula National Park, the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary was first launched to rescue and rehabilitate chimpanzees, but now has become a diverse conservation organisation, home to more than 100 of these beloved animals. Complete your eco-adventure with a stay in one of the six eco lodges in the area.

More information: tacugama.com

For festival fun

Washington DC has been home to flourishes of cherry blossoms for more than 100 years, ever since the Mayor of Tokyo gifted the gorgeous trees to the US capital in 1912.  It celebrates this friendship between the two countries and the beginning of spring with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, three-weeks of events beginning on 25 March.

Expect a dazzling opening ceremony and kite flying on the first day, with other spectacular spring activities following weeks, continuing the celebration even after peak bloom. During the Petalpalooza (8 April), expect interactive art installations and fireworks, and during the National Cherry Blossom Parade (15 April), large floats and marching bands will take to the streets. 

More information: nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Is there anything more picture-worthy than hundreds of hot air balloons taking to the sky and floating above an other-worldly landscape? AlUla Skies Festival is the place to experience this, whether you’re in the sky or gazing up to it.

But this festival is more than than just hot air balloons. You can also get air bound a variety of other ways, from helicopter rides to braving a giant canyon swing.

When the night comes, the skies in AlUla become some of the darkest in the world, thanks to minimal light pollution. Take part in astrophotography, or join a trip to Harrat Viewpoint and watch the dark canopy drape over the daylight.

More information: experiencealula.com

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