Astrological adventures: Where to travel based on your zodiac sign

Adventurous Aries? Voyaging Virgo? Globetrotting Gemini? Whether you find western astrology to be just a bit of fun or something more serious, it can be amusing to see what the planets say about your personality. In turn, you might just find that your astrological placements provide a useful gauge for many life choices - including where to travel. We’ve scoured the zodiac, and Planet Earth, and come up with suggestions for where to go based on your astrological sign.

Aries - sunny SoCal, USA March 21 - April 19

As the first sign in the zodiac, you are the astrological young-at-heart Aries. You are pioneering, spontaneous and a burst of sunshine. You know how to get the party started and like to be challenged. For your perfect getaway, head to Southern California, where you can bask in the sunny glow. Hire a car, put the top down and live your most glamorous life cruising the Sunset Strip, clubbing with LA’s prettiest, or soaking up the rays in chilled-out San Diego. Get your hit of muchneeded action by signing up for a surfing lesson or follow your strong spontaneous side and drive to Las Vegas just for the hell of it. It’s the Aries way.

Taurus - Tuscany, Italy April 20 - May 20

No one understands how to enjoy the earth’s finest pleasures better than you, dear Taurus. Your constellation may be the bull, but your ruling planet is Venus and you are easy to seduce with fine tastes and sophisticated, beautiful surroundings. Head to Italy Tuscany specifically - where you can cozy up in a rustic villa, crack open a bottle of fine Chianti and simply take in the perfect views. Make sure to plan a day to see some of humanity’s most elegant artworks Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus hangs at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, for a start.

Gemini - twin cities May 21 - June 20

As the sign dominated by the twin constellation, you are known for having multiple personalities, Gemini. We know it’s just because you love meeting people, communicating and sharing ideas, and since you’re a mutable sign, you are prone to change (often, your mind). Your ruling planet is white-hot Mercury, which zips around the sun faster than any other planet, so it’s important for you to visit somewhere that stimulates your ever-ticking brain and offers something to fit your dualistic, fluctuating nature.

Cancer - South of France

June 21 - July 22

Kind Cancer, you really get what ‘slow travel’ means. Cancer’s constellation is the crab and you’re ruled by the emotional moon, meaning you are most comfortable in your shell and like to feel at home wherever you are. That means having a few creature comforts and a very easy-going pace to your trip: tasty food, a thoughtful museum, maybe a cooking course. We think you should spend some time in the south of France, where the relaxed energy will revive you. Snag a cozy rental apartment (hotels are far too impersonal for you) in Aix-en-Provence, where you can wander the leafy boulevards, stop for an espresso or a glass of Provencal rose, then meander through one of France’s oldest art museums - the Musee Granet - to fill your culture cup.

Leo - Argentina July 23 - August 22

Leos - the lions of the zodiac - are ruled by the sun and tend to light up dance floors and gatherings with their warm energy. It’s true that many Leos love the spotlight, but we know you are also big softies who crave true romance, childlike adventure and good energy. Travel is in your blood and you need to go somewhere that will produce great stories to tell for years to come. Somewhere that has it all: Argentina. The blazing Buenos Aires nights will give you plenty of opportunities to get up to no good, and you can indulge your passionate, fiery personality with lavish steaks and wine, then hit the beach for a party like no other or maybe an amorous interlude with a mysterious stranger. You do nothing by halves, so plan a hiking trip in Patagonia to find those epic views you crave... and yourself, of course.

Virgo - Malaysia August 23 - September 22

Virgo’s sign is the virgin, but really, you are a practical creator ruled by the asteroid Chiron (in Greek mythology, Chiron was a healing centaur wounded by one of Hercules’s arrows). You are exacting and value organization, clarity, luxury and wellbeing. Though sometimes you come across as picky, you are in fact a sign that constantly thinks about how to perfect things and are a natural-born helper. In many ways, you live to fix, and by that count, Virgo, we reckon you need a little healing time for yourself on a spa retreat. The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Perak, Malaysia offers opulent relaxation, with plenty of trickling streams, neatly arranged zen gardens, private plunge pools and stone massages on speed dial.

Libra - Istanbul, Turkey September 23 - October 22

The most balanced sign in the zodiac is Libra, whose name in Latin and constellation are weighing scales. Libras are the fair judges of the world who value balance, peace and harmony, and because you are also ruled by Venus, you’re hopeless romantics who can’t help but love beautiful things. As an intellectual air sign, you’re great philosophizers and thinkers and appreciate anything that’s thoughtful and well-made. With such a need for symmetry in your life, we think you should head to the very centre of the world: Istanbul, a city that straddles two continents. In Istanbul, you won’t have to choose between Asia and Europe (we know you hate picking sides); you’ll get them both in one, or stay completely centered by taking a boat trip down the mighty Bosphorus, which divides the city and the two continents.

Scorpio - Johannesburg, South Africa

October 23 - November 21

Brave, deep, dark and enigmatic, scorpions are drawn to the mysterious and like to push boundaries. Your ruling planet is Pluto - arguably not a planet at all, far away, difficult to see and composed largely of ice and rock - but if you manage to get up close, also beautiful, just like you, Scorpio. Though you’re curious about everywhere and can find the art in almost anything, we think you will appreciate somewhere that, like you, has the power to survive and thrive through difficult times. And like you, Johannesburg is a city with a rich personality and scars that only make it stronger. We know you feel a lot, though you keep a hard shell that covers your obvious emotions; you’ll relate to Jo’burg’s turbulent history and the city’s magnificent ability to hold itself up amidst times of great and deep divide.

Sagittarius - South America (all of it)

November 22 - December 21

One word for you Sagittarius: expansiveness. You’re ruled by the biggest planet in the solar system - Jupiter, a world associated with bounty, blind optimism and reach. Sagittarius is symbolized by the archer constellation and you are known wanderers - the natural travelers of the zodiac. As truth-seekers, you are prone to fly off to find yourself when any mood at all strikes. We know you’re restless and love the wild things, whether that means camping under the stars, swimming in pristine lakes, exploring gritty urban scenes or all of the above. A short city-break just won’t do for you, so that’s why we think you should set off on the adventure of a lifetime by backpacking around South America. With a whole continent at your disposal and plenty of passionate culture to fuel your fire-sign personality, you just might find the fountain of youth you always seem to be searching for.

Capricorn - Taiwan December 22 - January 19

As the most ambitious, driven and hardworking sign in the zodiac, Capricorns deserve a holiday more than any other. And yet you won’t be satisfied with just any old vacation. You desire to go somewhere important, to learn all of the things you can about the world and to remain efficient in the going. You’re ruled by Saturn, a god who ushered in a golden age on earth and was celebrated through feasting and revelry, meaning you also know how to have a good time. So, we’re sending you to Taiwan, where the workhard/play-hard ethic has long held sway. You will marvel at Taiwan’s clean, efficient public transport, its fiercely freedom-loving attitude and its verve for getting things done. But when work clocks off here, there are all-night markets to eat your way through, temples to lose yourself in and beaches to linger on.

Aquarius - Detroit, USA January 20 - February 18

Oh, Aquarius, you love to act the rebel, but we know you’re a true humanitarian who’s constantly seeking all that is innovative, avant-garde and experimental. You root for underdogs and you value freedom, counterculture and, frankly, a little bit of the weird in life. We think you’ll dig Detroit: America’s greatest comeback kid, a place full of creative people employing DIY spirit to revive their city from economic peril. We suggest taking a tour of the on-the-rebound ruined Packard Plant to get a sense of just where Detroit’s coming from, and then hop from the hip-to-hipper stalls at Eastern Market looking for an eccentric souvenir to take home. And since we know you love music, don’t miss the Motown Historical Museum, where the likes of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye all got their start.

Pisces - The Himalaya February 19 - March 20

Dreamy Pisces, you rarely come down to earth and may not even be from this planet, but you are the healer and the lover of the zodiac. You’re also an old soul, a spiritual seeker, a romantic. You need downtime, gentle air and somewhere free of crowds. Short of sending you into outer space (where your mind mainly seems to stray anyway), we suggest you ascend to the roof of the world. Tibet is vast, exceptionally beautiful, brimming with spirituality and quiet - all things you value in life and travel. Your sign is symbolized by the fish constellation, and many Pisceans are revived by water, so aim for one of Tibet’s sacred lakes, such as Nam-tsoor Yamdrok-tso, where you can gaze at turquoise waves, go for a swim, and then drift from monastery to monastery, meditating, learning and practicing compassion for all humankind, just as you are meant to do. —-www.lonelyplanet.com