Could you tell me what the weather is like in Kathmandu in February and March? I am planning a trip, staying a few days in the city, with perhaps some trekking nearby too. Rebecca Minton, Southampton

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Getting to grips with the weather in Nepal is tricky, as it has five seasons and lots of local variations, dependent on altitude ­ the country lies from just above sea level to the highest spot on earth ­ and whether a place is north or south facing.

In general though, the period from February-April, which is at the tail end of the dry season, is a good time to visit. The weather is warming up after the chilly winter nights, which can touch freezing point in Katmandu, and the days are lengthening, with 6-8 hours of sunlight per day and temperatures from 20-25 degrees. There are only about 13 rainy days across the whole three months too, and a bonus is that much of Nepal's wild flowers are in spectacular bloom.

The drawback is that it can be dusty, which is irksome on long road journeys, but can create a murky haze that obscures clear views of the mountains.

The best time to visit is at the beginning of the dry season, from October to November. At this time of the year, the temperatures hover around the high 20¹s, and there¹s an average of 10 hours sunlight a day, with just about a day of rain across the whole two months. The air is clean for great mountain views, and the countryside is freshly lush from the monsoon.

The times to avoid are May and early June, which are rather too hot and dusty for comfort, and the monsoon, from mid-June to September, which obscures the mountains in cloud and turns trekking routes and roads to mud.

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