{"id":97170813,"date":"2016-03-01T06:00:10","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T06:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97170813"},"modified":"2016-03-12T02:52:22","modified_gmt":"2016-03-12T02:52:22","slug":"cherry-blossoms-carnival-unlimited-pad-thai-5-must-see-spots-this-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/cherry-blossoms-carnival-unlimited-pad-thai-5-must-see-spots-this-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Cherry Blossoms, Carnival, & Unlimited Pad Thai: 5 Must-See Spots This March"},"content":{"rendered":"

March has finally arrived! How excited are you? I\u2019m super excited.<\/p>\n

March means the beginning of spring! It\u2019s the light at the end of the cold, slushy tunnel that is winter in the Northern hemisphere. It hasn\u2019t quite gotten warm yet, but it\u2019s coming. IT\u2019S COMING, I TELL YOU.<\/p>\n

So, where to go this month to celebrate the beginning of longer days, shorter nights, and warmer weather? We\u2019ve got you covered. You\u2019ve never welcomed springtime this well before.<\/p>\n

1.) If You\u2019re Feeling Adventurous and Ready to Explore<\/h3>\n
\"Luciano<\/a>

Luciano Mortula\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s be real, most people ring in the spring with a trip to Cancun. But if you\u2019re looking for something a little less MTV, and a little more Anthony Bourdain, take a trip over to the Middle East. The weather\u2019s perfect this time of year\u2014summertime hasn\u2019t quite kicked in yet, meaning it\u2019s dry, sunny, and pleasantly warm\u2014and your trip will be anything but ordinary as you venture through the mosques, souks, and desert dunes of old Arabia.<\/p>\n

Abu Dhabi<\/a>, Dubai<\/a>, Doha<\/a>, and Muscat<\/a> are all perfect destination possibilities. Each city is safe, welcoming to foreigners, and filled with activities for travelers of every taste. Whether you want to relax on the beach or ride camels into the sunset, you\u2019ll be a happy camper. Plus! Direct flight options galore. Brush up on your Arabic, folks!<\/p>\n

2.) If You Just Can\u2019t Get Enough Pad Thai<\/h3>\n
\"Ningnung\/Shutterstock\"<\/a>

Ningnung\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Are you constantly ordering Seamless from that Thai restaurant around the corner? Put down the disposable chopsticks and grab your passport, because March is the perfect time of year to hit Thailand for real. Think of all the coconut curry you could eat!<\/p>\n

But seriously, Thailand<\/a> is where it\u2019s at this month. March is the sweet spot between monsoon season and the peak heat of summer, meaning you\u2019ll get to enjoy this nation\u2019s wonders in perfect weather, without high season crowds. Relax on the beaches in Phuket, explore the crowded alleyways of Bangkok<\/a>, or check out the ancient temples and elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. It\u2019ll be SO much better than eating takeout on your couch.<\/p>\n

3.) If You\u2019re a Spring-Loving Flower Child<\/h3>\n
\"IZO\/Shutterstock\"<\/a>

IZO\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

If spring is your favorite season, then there\u2019s really only one place you should be headed this month\u2014Tokyo<\/a>. Towards the end of March, the city\u2019s countless cherry blossom trees bloom, turning the city into a gorgeous sea of springtime flowers and happiness. Seriously, Tokyo does not get any more beautiful than this.<\/p>\n

The exact dates for optimal cherry blossom viewing change every year, varying along with the weather. Plan your trip for the last week or two of March for your best chance to see this city in bloom. And of course, don\u2019t miss the Cherry Blossom Festival in Ueno Park, where hundreds of lanterns will be lit in honor of spring\u2019s arrival. Prepare for beauty overload!<\/p>\n

4.) If You Want to Skip Ahead to Summer Already<\/h3>\n
\"Filip<\/a>

Filip Fuxa\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

So, you\u2019re unimpressed with spring and its lukewarm temperatures, you say? Fair enough. If you\u2019re a fan of summertime heat, the cool air you\u2019ll feel this March just isn\u2019t going to cut it.<\/p>\n

The solution? Head south to St.Thomas<\/a>. The Caribbean U.S. Virgin Islands will welcome you with all the hot sun, clear blue waters, and white sandy beaches your summer-loving heart desires. But what really sets St. Thomas apart? While you could get the Caribbean beach experience on a variety of islands, St. Thomas is the only one with a month-long party happening all through March.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right folks\u2014it\u2019s Carnival season<\/a>, and St. Thomas wants you to dance your heart out in between sunbathing sessions. Every day is filled with pageants and calypso events, tying up the final week of the month with parades, fireworks, and a giant core festival. Your standard beach vacation just got turned up about a thousand notches.<\/p>\n

5.) If You\u2019re Looking for Some All-American, Natural Beauty<\/h3>\n
\"Erik<\/a>

Erik Harrison\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

If hiking boots are more your style than dancing shoes, Arizona<\/a>\u2019s calling your name this month. With longer days to hike in and around the valley, coupled with moderate temperatures before the heat of summer sets in, March is a nature nut\u2019s dream in this red rock state.<\/p>\n

But soaking in the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon isn\u2019t all there is to do in Arizona\u2014check out the spas and golf courses in nearby Phoenix<\/a> as well, or drive up to Flagstaff for a taste of cowboy-hippy chic. Get ready to feel relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated, because this desert state does spring like it\u2019s nobody\u2019s business.<\/p>\n

March is an awesome month to be traveling, am I right? Where are you headed this month? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

March has finally arrived! How excited are you? I\u2019m super excited. March means the beginning of spring! It\u2019s the light at the end of the cold, slushy tunnel that is winter in the Northern hemisphere. It hasn\u2019t quite gotten warm yet, but it\u2019s coming. IT\u2019S COMING, I TELL YOU. So, where to go this month […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":97170815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,66,1416],"tags":[258,260,262,259,228,261,266,225,265,264,156,48,263],"class_list":["post-97170813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaches","category-interests","category-travel-guide","tag-auh","tag-bkk","tag-cnx","tag-doh","tag-dxb","tag-hkt","tag-march","tag-mct","tag-phx","tag-stt","tag-top-5","tag-travel-tips","tag-tyo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97170813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97170813"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97170813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97175394,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97170813\/revisions\/97175394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97170815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97170813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97170813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97170813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}