If spring brings with it the scent of blooming flowers and visages of rolling green fields, then autumn conjures up the aroma of pumpkin spice, rich harvests and leaf carpets in lush reds and golds. Here are five of the best places to celebrate the season and catch the beauty of fall foliage.
South Korea
You don’t have to travel to Europe to see stunning fall sights – just head to South Korea. This is the best time to visit the country’s numerous parks and temples, all awash with colour. Nature’s “yellow brick road” can be found at the Asan Gingko Tree Road, about 2.5 hours away from Seoul. The road is a favourite haunt for photography enthusiasts, who flock to it to capture the vivid carpet of yellow on the ground, as well as above.
Closer to the city, step into an oasis of tranquility at Changdeokgung Palace, and watch as red maple leaves float gently onto the surface of still ponds. Of course, no autumnal trip would be complete without paying a visit to Nami Island, which is especially pretty during this season.
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Vietnam
Autumn in Vietnam is rich and colourful, heralded by cool weather in the north and rain in the southern regions. Head to Sapa and its sprawling rice terraces where the paddy, ripe for harvest, ripples like a sea of gold down the hills.
Hanoi is particularly romantic in autumn, its ancient streets exuding an air of mystery and nostalgia; its parks carpeted in leaves. Alternatively, venture to the far northern reaches to Ha Giang, on the borders of China, to see blooming fields of pink buckwheat flowers.
Italy
Fall is a season of harvest and abundance, and Italy is the best place to experience the best of nature’s bounty. Take part in the many food and culture festivals across the region, such as the Alba White Truffle Festival in Piedmont or the Boccaccesca Food and Wine Festival in Tuscany. There’s also Eurochocolate, Italy’s biggest celebration of chocolate where visitors will find every chocolate confectionery and snack imaginable.
Finland
The fells of Lapland turn into a riotous landscape of colour in autumn, or ‘ruska’ as it is known to the locals. This is the best time to go hiking and foraging for nature’s produce, as the forests are bursting with berries and mushrooms. It is also when Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) season begins. Check yourself into a mobile cabin near Lake Inari – Finland’s third largest lake – for a front row seat to the spectacular phenomenon.
