2023 Hot List: 2023 trave
Because you don’t want to find yourself in a hurricane having packed for a beach party,
JANUARY
Wrap up warm and head to Norway, Iceland and Greenland for the best of the Northern Lights, or chase the powder in the Alps. The mountains will be thick with skiers and snow. For something unique, the annual Chateau-d’oex Balloon Festival takes place from January 21-29 in the Swiss Alps. Book a balloon flight and skim over dreamy peaks smothered in white frosting. On the flip side, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines will be basking in good weather: dry, warm and sunny, with water clarity for snorkelling and diving as good as it gets.
FEBRUARY
It’s festival month, with the likes of Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans hosting Rio Carnival and Mardis Gras respectively. If their excessive crowds make you wince, now is also an excellent time to hike in Patagonia while the trails are free of snow. Those still seeking the white stuff will find Canada’s twin peaks of Whistler Blackcomb saturated in it, as well as skihungry obsessives from across the globe. If you’ve always dreamed of a dalliance on the Nile or toucanspotting in Costa Rica, temperatures are more comfortable in Egypt now and February is the driest month for the latter.
MARCH
Anyone up for a turtle race? Mon Repos near Bundaberg in Queensland is home to a large nesting site for endangered loggerhead turtles. By March, the eggs are hatching and a mad dash to the water’s edge has begun. Book with Mon Repos Turtle Encounter Tours to witness this spectacle from a respectable distance but be warned, loggerhead infants are just 5cm long and this is no walk in the park. For more wildlife encounters, March is a stellar month to visit the Galapagos Islands. Turtles are nesting on these shores too and sleepy-eyed sea lion pups lollop on the sand.
APRIL
Did you know water visibility reaches up to 50m at
Poor Knights Islands during the autumn? That’s right, a world-class attraction right on our doorstep. Snorkelling will be fruitful for the tame; diving damn near faultless for the Padi-trained. If you’re thinking of a South Pacific getaway right now, consider Vanuatu for the spectacle that is land diving. Every April, the islanders build tall wooden towers up to 16m in height and then every Saturday, they leap — head first — from the top. With just two springy vines to break their fall, the custom is said to have inspired A. J. Hackett’s bungy jump.
MAY
Probably the only opening you’ll get to summit Mount Everest is in May, but if the Himalayas’ “Death Zone” doesn’t appeal, it’s a good month for a cruisier Everest Base Camp trek. With milder May temperatures, set aside at least 10 days for the challenge. Prefer to tramp with a little more oxygen in your lungs? Walking the Camino de Santiago in spring presents a panorama of verdant countryside saturated in wildflowers. Now is also the time to holiday in Bali. The rainy season has passed, the sun is shining and better yet, it’s still the shoulder season. Air New Zealand’s seasonal direct flights from Auckland return in March next year until the end of October.
JUNE
Things are hotting up in Europe, temperature-wise and price-wise — welcome to the high season. Still, it’s a near-perfect time to experience the best of the Mediterranean, from Greek island-hopping to excessive pasta consumption in Italy. June is also a lovely month for a European river cruise; days absorbing every nugget of culture and warm nights spent on deck, watching the landscape unfold. If you’d rather stay close to home, head to Australia for Vivid Sydney, lighting up the city from May 26- June 17.