The best places to travel by month

Start off your year right, chasing warmth and moving south. New Zealand is where you need to be in January! Enjoy its foaming waterfalls and watch the endless night sky full of stars or visit the caves to see lights that may in fact seem like stars but are actually bioluminescent worms. In Kenya, you can see baby animals born in wildlife preserves as well as flamingoes on the Rift Valley Lakes. If you’d like some winter experience instead, stay in a glass igloo in Finland, visit a Light Festival in Amsterdam, take a picture of frozen Plitvice Falls in Croatia or go to a small village in Bukovina region of Ukraine to take part in pagan festivities with dancing bears and “gypsies."

Whales, birds, and butterflies go to Mexico for the winter. And so should you! It’s a great time to explore Mayan sites, enjoy the beaches and nature. To get off the beaten track, explore volcanoes in Guatemala or Costa Rica. February is also a unique time to see the Firefall phenomenon in Yosemite Park. And don’t miss all the carnival fun! Take part in the Battle of Oranges in Ivrea or watch an epic dance battle in Gualeguaychú, Argentina. If you suddenly feel like you missed winter, head to White Turf race on the Lake of St.Moritz, where riders wearing skis are towed by horses (skijoring).

Extend your carnival experience well into March. Get covered in white at Galaxidi Flour Carnival in Greece or in yellow at Bhandara Festival in India. If that seems not extreme enough, try fire fights in Bali, during the Nyepi New Year, or Jeju Fire Festival in South Korea. But if you need just a quiet escape from the world, immerse yourself in the amazing nature of the Galapagos Islands. March also brings out the best beauty and colorful blooms in Texas, California, and Japan.

Spring is in the air! Witness the amazing transition of changing seasons on the train from Davos to St.Moritz. Or celebrate the season surrounded by blooming sakura trees in Washington D.C., roaming through wild poppies in Antelope Valley of California, or picking tulips of Skagit Valley near Seattle. Rhododendrons bloom in the Nepal Himalaya region. And more colors await in Honduras where flower carpets are made for Easter. Meanwhile, it’s New Year’s Eve in Laos and Myanmar - time to learn about their unique traditions: baci and thanaka. April is also an excellent time to visit Thailand before monsoon and shop at Bangkok’s floating markets. Or take advantage of the rains in the Sahara desert and see the vanishing Chott el Jerid Lake.

Europe has never been more beautiful: blooming wisteria in Naples, blossoming Provence and flowering patios in Cordoba! Besides, the party season is back in Ibiza! Late spring is also the best time to see the waterfalls: roaring Niagara in North America or the beautiful Tumpak Sewu of Java, Indonesia. If you think you’ve seen everything on this earth, go underground to experience the divine light of Java’s The Jomblang Cave, or see another wonder of light in Manhattan, NYC. To continue digging underground, move to Romania and have some fun in Salina Turda, an amusement park set up in an abandoned salt mine.

The temperatures are soaring in the south, so it’s finally time to move north. Catch those beautiful blue hours in Sweden, get zero sleep during midnight sun in Norway, Iceland, and Greenland. Celebrate summer solstice “Viking style” with huge bonfires at Norway’s Sankt Hans celebration, Jaanipaev in Estonia or visit a very similar fiery Nit de Foc in Mallorca. Another great night-time activity for June - looking for fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But don’t get lost! Or if you want to get lost, try taking Badrinath Road in Uttarakhand, India, one of the most dangerous and scenic highways on earth which is only open for a few months.

Tired of midsummer heat? Cool yourself down in Alaska! Only at this time you can explore active glaciers and try akutaq or an Eskimo ice cream. Go to Svalbard to see polar bears and the amazing Brunnich's Guillemot Bird Bazaar. Mongolia is a great place to avoid tourist crowds. July is also the best time to go trekking in Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada and drive through some of the highest and remotest roads of Colorado. And yes, you can still find some less touristy towns and villages in Tuscany that are hidden among endless sunflower fields.

Let yourself loose and enjoy those warm summer nights enjoying your favorite bands. Reading & Leeds Festivals are among several good options that you have in August. Also, you can never go wrong with mountains! Alpine Roads in Austria and lush Longsheng mountain rice fields are perfect for serene meditation. Machu Picchu offers its beautiful Inca Trail, while British Columbia gathers all mountain biking fans for an annual Crankworx Whistler. Explore the Highlands and discover the amazing Fingal’s Cave on one of Scotland’s most remote islands. And don’t forget to follow the iconic Burry Man in Queensferry and see whales in the Atlantic. The gentle giants are also impressive on the other side of the ocean, by the shores of Massachusets.

The mellow season on the Mediterranian has officially started so pick your favorite island! Join a grape-throwing bash on Mallorca, hear polyphonic singing in Corsica or discover the massive fireworks of San Michele in Sicily. Unique star-shaped sand can be seen at this time in Okinawa, Japan. But if you prefer something more cool and quiet, then it’s still a great time to go to Iceland to catch a glimpse of The Northern Lights. Every September, Wisconsin gathers a massive harvest of cranberries on its marshes. You can see how the berries color the river red. And it’s your last chance to fly in a hot-air balloon over Colorado Springs.

Fall reveals its amazing colors everywhere, but if you want to feel spring freshness, visit Victoria’s largest tulip festival. It’s also the right time to relax in the desert. Discover the amazing Utah Hoodoos or fly a hot air balloon in Albuquerque. Go trekking and find some peace in the Kathmandu Valley. Witness Wildebeest Migration in Tanzania or the amazing Silver Dragon, the biggest bore tide in the world near the Qiantang River, China. Etretat and Normandy is another perfect idea for a long October weekend. Finish off this amazing month with a mystic Samhain celebration in Ireland.

When it gets grey and cold outside, it means you need a vacation more than ever. Warm Mexico and Guatemala will surprise you with their amazing Day of the Dead traditions, like huge colorful kites called barriletes gigantes. At this time, Nepalese worships dogs and celebrate the victory over darkness. Nature enthusiasts can witness the birth of a coral reef off the coast of Australia and see the legendary giant waves in Nazare, Portugal. Kyoto will give you the gift of the most amazing fall foliage, meanwhile, Alaska trains are ready to take you to the true Winter Wonderland.

There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than watching a candle-lit kayak Saint Lucia procession in Copenhagen. Or swinging through a luxurious ballroom in Vienna. You can always beat winter gloom with spectacular light displays of Oglebay and Greenbrier in West Virginia. Meanwhile, December is also time for Hanukkah lights in Jerusalem. If you want to forget about winter, go to Vietnam for beaches and trekking in Sa Pa, or see the amazing sulfur pools in Ethiopia. Find the best weather and vibrant nature in Tasmania and Sydney. And finally, start working on those New Year resolutions early and take part in a massive run in Madrid on December 31st.