Around the world, autumn is arriving, and there’s probably no better place to observe the beauty of “fall” than North America. The fiery reds, oranges and browns seen as the leaves change colour occurs because of a chemical shift caused by the trees, which harness sunlight, shutting down for the winter. The season is just beginning, peaking in October and ending by early November.
As travel companies gear up for a short but busy "leaf peeping" season, there are websites dedicated to forecasting fall foliage, area by area, and coach, train, horseback, self-driving tours and even boat trips available. The New England states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are the most popular. You could also take your own walking trip through the Appalachian Mountains, or dozens of other locations.
If you’re only planning a citybreak, Boston or New York state and Connecticut offer accessible locations. Closer to Washington, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a 650km long network of scenic roads stretching through Virginia and North Carolina. Elsewhere in the world, Japan, the UK and Quebec in Canada are worthwhile.
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Read more:
Forest bathing? Now it's serious business
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[ Travel briefs: three new boutique hotels in Paris ]
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Tree hugging trips in Italy
In the Italian Dolomites, the Adler Dolomiti hotel has launched a "yoga and the healing power of trees" weekend, to "exploit the vitality provided by trees." The trip includes two outdoor sessions of yoga, as well as an introduction to "silvotherapy", from the Latin silva meaning woods. The three-night break costs from 554 euros (Dh2,443) per person, based on two sharing a room (www.adler-dolomiti.com).
Designer treehouse opens in Tulum
In Mexico, the Berlin-based Design Hotels has just opened the Tulum Treehouse in a mangrove forest near the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. The five-bedroom house has been created by local craftspeople and an international design team and features large terraces and spacious living area to create a "re-interpretation of jungle living" as an "exclusive, full-service jungle escape." The treehouse costs from $1,487 (Dh5,460) per night including taxes and breakfast.
