Where to travel in January

 

Uganda

It’s a dry season (or dryish) in Uganda, which means good conditions for tracking endangered mountain gorillas. It’s estimated that approximately 700 of these magnificent creatures survive, with half of them in the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

 

Where to travel in February 

 

Carnival celebrations in Rio and Venice 

It’s Carnival time in Rio de Janeiro, so samba your way through the celebrations, and also in Venice, where you can catch parades, fireworks, and masked balls. 

 

Where to travel in March 

 

Iguazú Falls

The mighty Iguazú Falls are in full flow in March, thundering down a gorge that divides southern Brazil and Argentina. 

 

Where to travel in April

 

Japan 

It’s sakura season in Japan, which means cherry blossoms are blooming. They spread northwards, appearing in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hiroshima in late March and April. 

 

Where to travel in May 

 

The Adriatic Coast 

Montenegro is the place for a multi-activity holiday. May is the start of rafting season, conditions are good for hiking, and the coastal spots aren’t yet packed with visitors. On the other side of the Adriatic, Abruzzo in Italy is taken over by wildflowers and butterflies. 

 

Where to travel in June 

 

St Petersburg 

It’s the White Nights festival in St Petersburg, where the sun doesn’t set and the city is buzzing with ballet, opera, music, and other cultural events.

 

Where to travel in July 

 

Pantanal, Brazil 

July is the peak dry season in Brazil’s Pantanal wetland, with thinning foliage and shrinking water pockets increasing the chances of sighting jaguars—the park is home to the world’s highest concentration of these elusive predators.

 

Where to travel in August 

 

Turquoise Coast, Turkey 

Hop on a traditional twin-masted sailboat (gület) to explore the gems of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, the wind in your hair and nothing but the sea, skies, and a whole lot of relaxation to contend with.

 

Where to travel in September 

 

Dublin, Ireland 

Sipping a Guinness in a Dublin pub is one of the Irish capital’s essential cultural experiences (and rightly so), but come September it’s another series of historic venues that take center stage as the Dublin Fringe Festival rolls into town, bringing with it an exciting mishmash of off-the-wall theatre, film and art installations.

 

Where to travel in October 

 

Jordan

 

Autumn temps in Jordan are around 27ºC/81ºF, making it a decent time to visit the mystical city of Petra and follow the old Bedouin paths onwards to Dana. 

 

Where to travel in November 

 

Northern Thailand

Mesmerizing landscapes are on offer in Northern Thailand, where hiking trails that thread through waterlogged rice paddies to waterfalls and hilltop stilt villages are even more special without the selfie-snapping summer crowds.

 

Where to travel in December 

 

Finnish Lapland 

Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland is the "official” year-round home of Santa Claus, but for the real festive feeling, is best visited in December.