365 days of travel inspiration

The writers of the Lonely Planet guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei did not address the question of suitable footwear, presumably concluding that climbers would be appropriately equipped.

The writers of the Lonely Planet guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei did not address the question of suitable footwear, presumably concluding that climbers would be appropriately equipped.

Published Sep 25, 2014

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London - Do you know the best time to hike the Andes in Patagonia? That would be January 11. Or doze on the beach next to sea lions in the Galapagos? March 27, in case you were wondering. Motorbiking through the Himalayas during the short snow-free season? Best to do it in July.

Have you booked your perfect holiday to the Maldives, only to turn up in the wet season? Or arrived for a peaceful getaway in Valencia in late August, to be met with a mass food fight in the streets for the Tomatina festival?

Knowing where in the world to go at what time is made easy in a new book by Lonely Planet. The Best Place To Be Today is packed with 365 days worth of travel inspiration.

Showcasing a new adventure every day, the book, compiled by Sarah Baxter, reveals the best time to visit – be it a specific date to catch a unique cultural festival, or a small window in which to witness a rare wildlife event.

Did you know that the most spectacular time to visit Iguazú Falls is in December during the wet season, when the waterfalls are at their fullest?

Or that September to October is the time to witness la arribada, when up to 200 000 olive ridley turtles arrive to lay their eggs on the Pacific Coast beaches of Mexico and Central America?

If you are planning your next holiday, flip through to the month of your choice to be inspired by what is happening around the world during that time. You could be seeing the best Northern Lights spectacular of the year in March or listening to the lovesong of mating pandas in China in April.

Some highlights of the book include spotting penguins in Antarctica (February 8) and Platypuses in Australia a week later.

Many travellers include seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom in Japan on their bucket lists – so Baxter suggests enjoying a Hanami (picnic under the trees) on March 26.

Witness the “fifth” season in the boglands of Soomaa, Estonia, in early April, when the melted snow water rushes down from the uplands.

The endangered giant pandas in China are notoriously hard to track, but your best chance of spotting one is during April, when females are fertile for a few days.

There are only a few weeks of the year to see certain wonders, like the otherworldly interior of Iceland, only accessible in July and August.

Or the “silent lightning” in Venezuela in November – in Catatumbo National Park at Lago de Maracaibo, there are frequent flashes of spectacular lightning, with no accompanying thunder.

Witness up to 120 000 elephants line up to drink from the Chobe River in Botswana during dry season in September, or watch salmon-fishing bears in Alaska in July.

Baxter says: “When you drill down into the calendar year, you can find the world’s seasonal secrets, like Vanuatu’s land-divers marking the start of the yam season or the brief window of opportunity to trek while listening to the sound of mating pandas.

“Organising the planet this way helps you pick a destination for that June honeymoon or your October annual leave. You can even use it to inspire your whereabouts on your next birthday.” – Daily Mail

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