Where to go in Asia in June

Bali and Indonesia

Bali, Komodo, Lombok

Dry, sunny and not yet at peak prices. Seas are good around Komodo and the Gilis. The Bali Arts Festival runs for several weeks in Denpasar. A good month for most plans in the country.

Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi, the steppe

Green steppe, warm days and long daylight. Camps are open and the weather is generally dry. The Gobi is hot but bearable. A good month before the July festival crowds arrive, and flights run on a full schedule.

South Korea

Seoul, Gyeongju, Jeju

Getting hot and humid by the end of the month. The monsoon, jangma, usually arrives in the last third. The first half is still pleasant, with long daylight. Jeju is lush, and the beaches open for the season.

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Borneo

A drier month on both the east coast and in Borneo, good for the islands and the wildlife. Kuala Lumpur and Penang are hot, with storms. School holidays can bring extra families to the beaches.

Japan

Kyoto, Tokyo, Hokkaido

The rainy season, tsuyu, settles over Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka from early June and lasts into July. It is humid, grey and soft rather than stormy. Hokkaido has no rainy season, so it is the sensible place to be, with cool, clear days.

Taiwan

Taipei, Taroko, Tainan

Hot, humid and wet at the start, then drier and hotter. The first typhoons can arrive. Dragon Boat races bring colour to the rivers. Early-morning walks and mid-day museums make it workable, and prices are lower.

China

Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai

Hot and increasingly humid. Shanghai enters its plum rain season in the middle of the month. Beijing is hot and dry. Early morning visits keep the heat manageable, and the big sites are less crowded than in spring.

Vietnam

Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Saigon

Heat and humidity build everywhere, with rains in the south and the north. The central coast is still sunny and good for beaches. Early mornings are the time to see Hanoi and the delta on foot.

Cambodia and Laos

Angkor, Luang Prabang

The wet season settles in. Rain is usually brief and heavy, often in the afternoon, and the countryside is a vivid green. Angkor is quiet and photogenic with clouds, and rooms are cheap. Roads in the north can be slow.

Thailand

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui

Green and wet on the Andaman coast, where waves are higher and some boat trips are limited. The Gulf islands are in their best season. The north is lush, with quiet temples and cheaper rooms.

The Philippines

Manila, El Nido, Cebu, Bohol

The southwest monsoon begins, with rain, rougher seas and the first typhoons possible. Palawan trips can be cancelled on bad days. Prices fall. Reasonable for flexible plans, but the best weather has passed.

Sri Lanka

Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Galle

Rain on the west and south coasts continues, with rough seas that make swimming unsafe on many beaches. The east coast is dry and pleasant. The cultural triangle is hot and mostly dry, with fewer visitors.

India

Rajasthan, Kerala, Delhi

The monsoon reaches Kerala in early June, and the rest of the country follows. Heat breaks with heavy rain. Kerala's Ayurveda season, with lush landscapes and low prices, begins. Rajasthan is hot and humid.

Nepal and Bhutan

Kathmandu, Pokhara, Paro, Thimphu

The monsoon reaches Nepal and Bhutan, with heavy rain, cloud-covered mountains and leeches on trails. Roads can be cut by landslides. Some regions, such as Upper Mustang, are in the rain shadow and stay dry.