Searching for a trip to shake off the winter blues? Whether you're dreaming of sun-drenched beaches or all-night parties, Florence Derrick rounds up 5 destinations to brighten up your spring...
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Spring Break in Cancun is a rite of passage for students around the world, with pool parties, club nights and beach concerts going on for six weeks. But if foam parties and strobe lights aren’t your thing, you can still fly to Cancun at this time of year and get the turquoise seas, palm trees, white sands and bohemian culture that Mexico’s Caribbean coast is famous for. Hop straight on a shuttle bus to Playa del Carmen – its chilled-out, sophisticated little sister, an hour’s drive south.
As trendy as Tulum but a bit more affordable, Playa del Carmen makes a great base for day trips to the pyramids at Chichen Itza, the nearby cenotes (natural sinkholes to swim in) and the 45-minute ferry to Cozumel, an undeveloped paradise island where the crystal-clear water is made for scuba diving. But stay put for a few days to enjoy its walkable city centre, where you’re never more than a couple of blocks away from the enticing Caribbean Sea, boho bars and boutique hotels.
Book a room at Hotel La Semilla, where shabby chic décor is surrounded by lush junglelike gardens and topped by a sun-drenched roof terrace. After a day sipping Tulum beer (made with seawater) with your toes in the sand, make your way to Lido Beach Club for a zingy bowl of aguachile rojo (Mexico’s answer to shrimp ceviche) before hitting up La Perla Pixan for some of the country’s highest accoladed mezcal cocktails.
As trendy as Tulum but a bit more affordable, Playa del Carmen makes a great base for day trips to the pyramids at Chichen Itza, the nearby cenotes (natural sinkholes to swim in) and the 45-minute ferry to Cozumel, an undeveloped paradise island where the crystal-clear water is made for scuba diving. But stay put for a few days to enjoy its walkable city centre, where you’re never more than a couple of blocks away from the enticing Caribbean Sea, boho bars and boutique hotels.
Book a room at Hotel La Semilla, where shabby chic décor is surrounded by lush junglelike gardens and topped by a sun-drenched roof terrace. After a day sipping Tulum beer (made with seawater) with your toes in the sand, make your way to Lido Beach Club for a zingy bowl of aguachile rojo (Mexico’s answer to shrimp ceviche) before hitting up La Perla Pixan for some of the country’s highest accoladed mezcal cocktails.
DK Top 10 Cancún and the Yucatán
View BookBangkok, Thailand
Swap lingering grey days for humid heat in Thailand’s alluring capital city. Book a boutique room at Bangkok Publishing Residence, where a rooftop hot tub is just a stone’s throw from some of the major pagodas, temples and gilded Buddha statues. Don’t miss the enormous, 46m-long reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, a central temple complex that houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand.
Make good use of the city’s slick metro system and begin the evening at Srinagarindra Train Night Market, where over 2,000 stores sell vintage clothing and furnishings, alongside hip street food stands and bars. Plot your night out over a beer: are you in the mood for donning a pair of heels and heading skywards to a swanky rooftop bar? In Silom, upscale Sky Bar offers 360-degree views and colourful drinks, while NOBU is hard to beat for glamorous small bites and Thai Margaritas.
For something more down to earth, Silom Soi 4 is the go-to LGBTQ+ district, with fun neon bars lining the street. Or perhaps Bangkok’s little-known drum and bass scene appeals.
Make good use of the city’s slick metro system and begin the evening at Srinagarindra Train Night Market, where over 2,000 stores sell vintage clothing and furnishings, alongside hip street food stands and bars. Plot your night out over a beer: are you in the mood for donning a pair of heels and heading skywards to a swanky rooftop bar? In Silom, upscale Sky Bar offers 360-degree views and colourful drinks, while NOBU is hard to beat for glamorous small bites and Thai Margaritas.
For something more down to earth, Silom Soi 4 is the go-to LGBTQ+ district, with fun neon bars lining the street. Or perhaps Bangkok’s little-known drum and bass scene appeals.
DK Top 10 Bangkok
View BookNew Orleans, USA
On 4 March, New Orleans celebrates its biggest party of the year, Mardis Gras, with marching bands, dazzling parades, glittering costumes and a whole lot of music and dancing. In the infamous French Quarter, you can drink your craft Sazerac cocktails in an open cup while strolling between bars – a novelty in the US – on Frenchmen Street, which heaves with live jazz.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Mardi Gras as the party hasn’t paused for long. The legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (or simply, Jazz Fest) takes over the Fair Grounds Race Course from 24 April to 4 May. Headlined by musical giants Lenny Kravitz, Lil Wayne & The Roots, Burna Boy, Gladys Knight and Kamasi Washington, its 13 stages also set the scene for up-and-comers to wow the crowd with their jazz, blues, R&B and more.
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Mardi Gras as the party hasn’t paused for long. The legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (or simply, Jazz Fest) takes over the Fair Grounds Race Course from 24 April to 4 May. Headlined by musical giants Lenny Kravitz, Lil Wayne & The Roots, Burna Boy, Gladys Knight and Kamasi Washington, its 13 stages also set the scene for up-and-comers to wow the crowd with their jazz, blues, R&B and more.
DK Top 10 New Orleans
View BookGoa, India
Beach parties and festivals take over this party mecca’s palm-fringed sands and sun-faded beach shacks from November to March annually. Goa has been the place to dance since American hippies first started gathering at Anjuna Beach in the 1960s and 70s, bringing flower-power vibes and psychedelic sounds with them. By the 90s this stretch of idyllic coastline was the global capital of trance, spearheaded by Paul Oakenfold, and its fondness for Full Moon parties and forest raves just beyond the beach continues today.
Party culture is alive and well in Anjuna, where classy bars like Sol Beach Goa serve sundowner cocktails with sushi, often with musicians performing live. Further up the beach is Mayan Beach Club, where a terrace sheltered by billowing white drapes is hugged by the sea’s swell, and don’t miss the iconic Café Lilliput, which has been throwing progressive electronica parties since 1986. When it’s time for a rest day, the emerald-green pool, tranquil wellness spa and wooden verandahs at boutique hotel Ānamiva await – plus a Mediterranean restaurant which hosts all-vinyl DJ sets while you dine.
Party culture is alive and well in Anjuna, where classy bars like Sol Beach Goa serve sundowner cocktails with sushi, often with musicians performing live. Further up the beach is Mayan Beach Club, where a terrace sheltered by billowing white drapes is hugged by the sea’s swell, and don’t miss the iconic Café Lilliput, which has been throwing progressive electronica parties since 1986. When it’s time for a rest day, the emerald-green pool, tranquil wellness spa and wooden verandahs at boutique hotel Ānamiva await – plus a Mediterranean restaurant which hosts all-vinyl DJ sets while you dine.
DK Top 10 Goa
View BookRio de Janeiro, Brazil
In Brazil at this time of year, there’s one word on everyone’s lips: Carnaval. Taking place from 28 February to 8 March in 2025, it’s the world’s biggest and best-known party, and should be on every party traveller’s bucket list. Made up of over 500 blocos (street parties) which start a month before and end two weeks after the main event, the carnival tempts some two million revellers to Rio every day. It goes without saying that you should witness the week-long samba parades, where samba schools and live musicians show the world how to move. Grab a caipirinha and leave your inhibitions behind.
If your trip to Rio misses out on Carnaval, all is not lost. Last year, Rio de Janeiro was voted Time Out’s best nightlife city in the world, and not just for its annual carnival. Rio’s nightlife is pleasingly affordable compared to many other major cities, and its carpe diem attitude is intoxicating for party-going visitors. While it wouldn’t be Rio without a spontaneous, samba street party every now and again, much of Rio’s nightlife of the moment is growing from trendy mixology bars like Alba or Vian, in the lively, beachfront Botafogo district, which transform into intimate dancefloors on the weekend.
If your trip to Rio misses out on Carnaval, all is not lost. Last year, Rio de Janeiro was voted Time Out’s best nightlife city in the world, and not just for its annual carnival. Rio’s nightlife is pleasingly affordable compared to many other major cities, and its carpe diem attitude is intoxicating for party-going visitors. While it wouldn’t be Rio without a spontaneous, samba street party every now and again, much of Rio’s nightlife of the moment is growing from trendy mixology bars like Alba or Vian, in the lively, beachfront Botafogo district, which transform into intimate dancefloors on the weekend.
DK Top 10 Rio de Janeiro
View BookWant More Content Like This?
