Wild lupin flowers paint Lake Takepo in New Zealand purple during early summer. — Photos: Pixabay
For flower fans, spring and summer are the best seasons to visit places where floral wonders are the main attraction.
Be it yellow, red or every other colour of the rainbow, here are six destinations across the world that you will want to visit to get your flower fix.
Shikisai-no-oka (Japan)
This particular area in Biei, Japan bursts into a kaleidoscope of colours from April to October every year.
Shikisai-no-oka, aka Four Seasons Hill, is a 7ha flower garden located in central Hokkaido. Aside from the rows upon rows of flowers (which include Japanese anemone, lavender, salvia and dahlia), it also features plenty of fun seasonal activities and an alpaca ranch.
Over 30 kinds of flowers bloom from late April to October in Biei, Japan. — Photos: Pixabay
Spring-summer activities include rides on a hot-air balloon or a Shikisai Norokko tractor bus.
If you’re a “snowbird” (someone who loves snow) as well, visit during winter to see the white snow blanketing the garden. This is the only season you’ll get to have fun snowmobiling or snow rafting.
Lake Tekapo (New Zealand)
From mid-spring to early summer, wild lupin flowers paint South Island’s Lake Tekapo in various shades of purple.
The best time to capture this purplish panorama is in November (don’t forget, spring in New Zealand is September to November), when the flowers are in full bloom.
Other than enjoying the beautiful views, you can also admire the scenic skies. Being part of the Unesco Dark Sky Reserve, Lake Tekapo is a great place for stargazing.
If you’re visiting in spring, September will be the best month for this. Visit during winter (June-August) if you want to stargaze while relaxing on an underwater hammock in the hot pools of Tekapo Springs.
Red poppies are a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers at Belgium's Flanders Field. — Unsplash
Flanders Field (Belgium)
Its full name, Flanders Field American Cemetery And Memorial, might leave you wondering why you would visit a flower field here.
Located in Waregem, it is the only World War I cemetery in Belgium and is the smallest American Battle Monuments Commission’s cemetery in the world.
The flower that you’ll encounter here is the red poppy (aka corn poppy or Papaver rhoeas), which has become a remembrance symbol for fallen soldiers since World War I. The crimson-hued flower is also regarded as the unofficial national flower of Belgium.
A daisy flower field in Chile has been named the world’s most beautiful flower field of 2024. — Photos: Pixabay
Torres del Paine National Park: Daisy Flower Field (Chile)
According to research done by British hotel chain Premier Inn, there is no flower field in the world more beautiful than the daisy flower field found in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.
The 2024 study involved an eye-tracking software and participants who were presented with flower field images to see how long their gaze remain on each one.
When it came to the daisy flower field, “participants’ eyes lingered over images of these blooms for an average of 3.89 seconds”.
If you wish to see the “World’s Most Beautiful Flower Field” with your own eyes, you’ll have to hike the W trek in the Chilean national park.
Luoping, China shines bright from February to March thanks to the yellow rapeseed flowers.
Luoping (China)
So significant is the bright yellow rapeseed or canola flower in the Luoping County, in the Yunnan Province of China, that there is a Luoping International Canola Flower Culture Tourism Festival held annually to celebrate it.
Typically held from late February to April, the festival gives locals and tourists alike the chance to view the flowers while enjoying various activities.
These include making sticky rice cakes, going on hot air balloon rides, watching fireworks displays and sampling local cuisines, like the traditional pancake Luoping Baba.
Recommended spots for the best views are at Jinji Peak, to admire the golden ocean of rapeseed flowers below, and Luosi Fields, to appreciate the spiralling rapeseed terraces.
Sunflowers can be found blooming in Val d'Orcia, Italy in the summer.
Val d’Orcia (Italy)
Over in Val d’Orcia in Tuscany is a different kind of yellow flower giving it a “golden” makeover every summer.
Being one of the few areas in Italy where sunflowers are cultivated, Tuscany is popular for sunflower chasers. These sunny blooms start growing in the beginning of summer, i.e. June, but will typically have its golden glow up in July, lasting until August.
The small roads of Val d’Orcia are one of the places where sunflowers bloom. This scenic region is also known for its countryside charms and medieval villages (like Pienza and Montalcino).
