WAYFARER
The Brahmaputra, mile by mile
- Bihu: Assam's new year, on the drums
- Kumaon's quiet hill towns, beyond the crowds
- Songkran, and the slower north of Thailand
- Machu Picchu in 2026: the new rules, explained
Rivers and Roots
Every place we love has a river somewhere nearby, even if it is hidden under a road. This month we decided to follow the real ones, from a muddy ferry ghat in Assam to a rope bridge in the Andes, and to ask the people who work on them what the water asks of them.
April is also a month of new years. Bihu in Assam, Songkran in Thailand, Vishu in Kerala: communities mark the turn of the season with food, noise and a good deal of generosity. We have tried to write about these as invitations rather than spectacles, and to say plainly where dates and rules may change.
You will notice that our People & Places pages are built from published reporting, and we say so on every page. We have not yet met the people we write about, and we would rather tell you that than pretend. Where you can, buy from them, stay with them and thank them directly.
Write to us about the river you grew up beside. We would like to hear it.
— Gitanjali Gautam, Editor-in-Chief
This month's theme. April is the month of beginnings along the water. Assam greets its new year with drums on the Brahmaputra plain, Thailand pours water over its elders' hands, Dutch bulb fields turn to colour, and in the Peruvian Andes a bridge of woven grass waits to be made new. This issue follows rivers to the people who live by them, and roots to the people who keep them alive.
Contents
Cover storyThe Great Escape
Northeast IndiaNortheast India: Beyond the Familiar
IndiaIndia: Beyond the Usual
AsiaAsia: A Continent of Experiences
Around the WorldAround the World
- Keukenhof and the bulb fields, without trampling themA spring garden that opens for only seven weeks, and the working fields outside it that deserve even more care.RESEARCHED · CHECK OFFICIAL SITE FOR TICKETS
- Machu Picchu in 2026: the new rules, explainedLimited daily numbers, three circuits and official tickets only. A planning guide for one of the world's most visited sites.RESEARCHED · VERIFY ON THE OFFICIAL TICKET SITE
Real stories from the roadPeople & Places
- The dhol-maker of MuktapurAs Bihu drums gain official recognition, a maker near Guwahati hopes the honour reaches the people who build them.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- The man who planted a forest on a sandbarA Mising farmer on the Brahmaputra has spent more than four decades turning a bare sandbar into woodland.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- Lek Chailert and the elephants of northern ThailandA woman from the north of Thailand has spent three decades rescuing elephants from street begging, riding and shows.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- The bridge that is rewoven every JuneFour Quechua communities in the Peruvian Andes renew a grass-rope bridge by hand every year, as they have for centuries.COMMUNITY PROFILE · FROM OFFICIAL AND PUBLISHED SOURCES
Food, heritage and natureTaste, Heritage & Nature
- The Taste of Travel: an Assamese Bihu tableRice cakes, sesame sweets and a sour fish curry: what to ask for when you are invited to eat.RESEARCHED · VERIFY LOCALLY
- Heritage Without Borders: the Moidams of CharaideoAssam's newest World Heritage Site is a burial landscape of the Ahom dynasty, which ruled the Brahmaputra valley for nearly 600 years.RESEARCHED · CHECK LOCAL ACCESS RULES
- The Natural Calendar: AprilWhat to look for, where, and how sure we are.RESEARCHED · SEASONAL, NOT GUARANTEED
- Responsible travel: on rivers and with riverside peopleSix habits that make a river trip better for the river and for the people who live on it.PRACTICAL · EVERGREEN
Practical toolkitTravel Smart
- The Changeable-Weather Packing ListApril weather in the Netherlands, the Kumaon hills and the Peruvian Andes has one thing in common: it changes by the hour.PRACTICAL · EVERGREEN
- The 24-Hour Destination: AmsterdamOne illustrative day. Hours, queues and your own pace will change it.ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY · VERIFY LOCALLY
CommunityReaders' Pages
- The Traveller's Lexicon: ayniA Quechua word for the work that communities do for one another.LEXICON
- Travel Quiz — AprilFive questions. Answers appear in next month's issue.QUIZ
- Your turn: describe your home riverReader engagement idea for the next issue.READER INVITATION
- The Traveller's Bookshelf: three books about riversThree books we would pack.RECOMMENDED READING
Reader and contributor briefsBe part of Wayfarer
Festivals & events radar
Dates below come from our festival guide and are approximate. Always confirm with the official organiser before you book; lunar-calendar and annually announced events are provisional until confirmed.
Northeast India & India
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rongali (Bohag) Bihu | Assam | 14 April (Goru Bihu) and 15 April (Manuh Bihu) 2026; festivities continue for several days official | The Assamese new year, with Bihu dance, dhol and pepa, pitha and gamosa gifts.. |
| Shad Suk Mynsiem | Weiking Ground, Shillong, Meghalaya | 13 April 2026 (state holiday in East Khasi Hills) official | The Khasi thanksgiving festival, known as the dance of the peaceful hearts.. |
| Thrissur Pooram | Thrissur, Kerala | 26 April 2026 (main day), with rituals before and fireworks into the early hours of 27 April official | Kerala's great temple festival of decorated elephants, drums and fireworks.. |
| Moatsu Festival | Ao Naga villages and Mokokchung, Nagaland | 1–3 May 2026 official | The Ao Naga festival that marks the end of the sowing season.. |
| Hemis Festival | Hemis Monastery, near Leh, Ladakh | 24–25 June 2026 (set by the Tibetan lunar calendar) official | Masked cham dances at one of Ladakh's best-known monastery festivals.. |
Asia
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Songkran (Thai new year) | Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya and elsewhere) | 13–15 April 2026 (core dates; some cities celebrate longer) official | Thailand's new year, with temple ceremonies for elders and the famous water festivities.. |
Europe
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keukenhof 2026 season | Lisse, the Netherlands | 19 March to 10 May 2026 official | The world-famous spring garden, with timed tickets required.. |
| Venice Biennale (Art) | Giardini, Arsenale and Forte Marghera, Venice, Italy | 9 May to 22 November 2026 (pre-opening 6–8 May) official | The 61st International Art Exhibition, open for six months.. |
| Midsummer Eve | Sweden (Dalarna is a classic setting) | 19 June 2026 (Midsummer Eve), 20 June (Midsummer Day) official | Maypoles, dancing and long light across Sweden.. |
Africa & the Americas
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival | New Orleans, USA | 23 April to 3 May 2026 (two four-day weekends) official | Music, food and craft from Louisiana's communities across two weekends.. |
| Q'eswachaka bridge renewal | Quehue district, Cusco region, Peru | Second week of June 2026 (exact days set by the communities) verify | Four Quechua communities rebuild the grass-rope bridge by hand over three days.. |
| Inti Raymi | Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru | 24 June 2026 official | The Festival of the Sun, staged each year at the Inca fortress above Cusco.. |
Oceania & international
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid Sydney | Sydney, Australia | 22 May to 13 June 2026 (23 nights) official | Light installations, music and ideas across the city, with a large free programme.. |
| FIFA World Cup 2026 | United States, Canada and Mexico | 11 June to 19 July 2026 official | The first men's World Cup hosted by three countries; expect heavy travel demand in host cities.. |
Format example
Real developments reported before this issue's date. Each item is labelled announced or implemented, with a source.
- Machu Picchu, Peru: Ministry of Culture sets 2026 daily visitor limits at 5,600 in high season and 4,500 on other days (announced; Andina, 3 November 2025). https://andina.pe/ingles/noticia-planning-to-visit-machu-picchu-in-2026-check-out-new-ticket-rates-and-visitor-limits-1050546.aspx
- Thailand: Tourism Authority of Thailand confirms Songkran 2026 will go ahead nationwide (announced; TAT News, 26 March 2026). https://www.tatnews.org/2026/03/songkran-festival-2026-to-proceed-nationwide-welcoming-global-visitors-to-thailands-unesco-recognised-new-year-celebration/
- The Netherlands: Keukenhof opens for its 2026 season on 19 March, with fixed-time tickets required (implemented; Keukenhof official). https://keukenhof.nl/en/
- Europe: the EU's Entry/Exit System is due to become fully operational at Schengen external borders on 10 April 2026 (announced; European Commission). https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/smart-borders/entry-exit-system_en
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