Where to go Autumn/Winter
September Keeping with wildlife, head over to Borneo in September to see orangutans and other primates in their natural habitat. Finish with some down time at one of the luxury hotels over by Kota Kinabalu.
October New England in the fall, the changing of the leaves makes for Instagram worthy photos, but Boston and the other coastal towns and national parks are worth a visit in their own right. Heading east, try Vietnam for a mixture of hilltribe culture, busy cities and wartime history but beware how this long thing country has varying climates in the north to the south.
November Year-round sun that is unbearable for the average Brit in the summer, head to the middle east in November. Dubai is a favourite for winter sun, regional flights from Birmingham make Dubai a great mid-haul destination for guaranteed sun. In contrast to the modern city landscape in Dubai, try Jordan for your Indiana Jones inspired adventure. Petra is thought to have been built as early as 5th century BC and will take your breath away as you see the Treasury in all its sandstone glory.
December Bringing up the end of the year, if you are looking for a pre-Christmas treat, head to Thailand for the busy city of Bangkok, find your zen in the northern city of Chiang Mai and relax on the golden sand beaches of Phuket and Krabi. For your Lara Croft moment, cross the border into Cambodia to explore the impressive Angkor Wat, catching sunrise over this impressive structure.
January Think south in January; winter in the UK, Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. For a once in a lifetime trip make the journey to see the dramatic ice cliffs of Patagonia; combine with further exploration of Chile and Argentina for good food, desert landscapes and colourful architecture. If the 20+ hour journey times don’t put you off; Australia and New Zealand are perfect at this time of year. Don’t try to do too much in a short time; Australia is huge and while New Zealand is smaller, you will appreciate the scenery much more at a slower pace. For fun in the sun, the journey time can be much shorter to the Caribbean; a range of islands with a number of direct flights makes it an acceptable journey for a 7 night holiday.
February For a cultural trip with some time relaxing on a beautiful beach at the end of a hectic itinerary, look to India or Sri Lanka in February. Sri Lanka is compact enough to see most of the country in a 2 week holiday, stay in Sri Lanka for a beach break or make the short journey across to the Maldives. In India focus on one area in the South or Rajasthan, avoid heading any further north until later in the year.