May is an outstanding month for finding “sweet spot” (shoulder season) travel opportunities across a vast portion of the globe, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s often the ideal time to visit before the intense heat and overwhelming crowds of peak summer (July/August) and after the unpredictable weather of early spring. You’ll typically find delightful temperatures, blooming landscapes, and significantly fewer tourists than the subsequent months. For the Southern Hemisphere, it often signals the onset of winter or drier conditions, making it a “sweet spot” for some regions and deep off-season for others.

Main Regions Globally and Their Associated Seasons in May:

Northern Hemisphere:

• • Temperate (e.g., Europe, US/Canada): Spring is in full bloom, transitioning to early summer. Pleasant to warm temperatures. Overwhelmingly a shoulder season with moderate crowds, heading towards peak.

• • Tropical/Subtropical (e.g., Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia): Pre-monsoon heat or early onset of monsoon/rainy season. High heat and humidity with increasing rainfall. This is largely deep off-season.

• • Arctic/Far North (e.g., Iceland, Norway, Alaska): Late spring/early summer. Mild temperatures, rapidly increasing daylight. This is the shoulder season moving towards peak.

Southern Hemisphere:

• • Temperate (e.g., Southern South America, Australia/New Zealand): Autumn is in full swing, transitioning to early winter. Cooler temperatures, fall foliage. This is primarily a shoulder season.

• • Tropical/Subtropical (e.g., Southern Africa, parts of South America): Beginning of dry season or pleasant pre-winter conditions. Warm, sunny. This is largely a shoulder season moving towards peak for safaris.