When And Where To Go To See Cherry Blossoms (And Other Flowers)

WHEN: Mar 13 to 16 (Jeju), Mar 26 to 27 (Seoul), Apr 1 (Gyeongju). The best time to see forsythia and azalea flowers in their full glory is after Mar 20 (Jeju) and Apr 1 (Seoul). Until mid-April.

WHERE: In Seoul, the Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival at Yeouido Park and Yeouiseo-ro (behind the National Assembly Building) has a spectacular view of the blooms against the Han River backdrop. Travel out to the picturesque Jeju (it’s a one-hour flight from Seoul) and schlep to Jeju University Street to add (K)pops of colour to your IG feed. Running enthusiasts should make a dash for the Gyeongju Cherry Marathon (www.cherrymarathon.com, see previous pic) on Apr 1 in the historical city of Gyeongju and race in a sea of pink at the Shilla Millennium Park.

For more info, go to www.kweather.co.kr (Korean only) or call +8221330 (English hotline).

(Photo: Korea Touism Organization)

WHEN: April

WHERE: On its own, Bonn’s Altstadt is already exceedingly picturesque, what with the historic Old Town’s classic architecture and quaint cafes that dot the tranquil residential area. Add to that the breathtaking lush pink tunnels of cherry blossoms in full bloom every spring, and you get an Instagrammer’s dream come true. The most intense sakura action is at Cherry Blossom Avenue (pictured), or the hip Heerstrasse, where numerous Japanese sakura trees were planted in the 1980s to beautify these narrow streets.

For more info on travel deals to Bonn, go to www.zuji.com.

(Photo: Zuji Singapore)

WHEN: Mar 23 to May 21

WHERE: If cherry blossoms are too mainstream for you, buck the trend and check out some tulips in Amsterdam. For only eight weeks a year, visitors get to frolick in the floral wonderland of Keukenhof (pictured), one of the world’s largest spring gardens adorned with over 7 million spring blooms such as tulips and daffodils. Pencil in a visit to the flower auction at Aalsmeer, which sprawls over 990,000m². Yes, flowers are serious business here. For those who’d rather let others do your vacay planning, a Chan Brothers Travel’s Holland tulip tour includes these stops, and then some.

For more info, go to www.chanbrothers.com.

(Photo: Chan Brothers Travel)

Coffee, tea or hanami? These are the dates of sakura first blooms to note down if you’re headed to Japan to get your foliage fix.

• TOKYO: Mar 24
• KYOTO: Mar 28
• OSAKA: Mar 28
• HOKKAIDO: May 3

For updates, go to http://www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php.

(Photo: Zuji Singapore)