The finest destinations to visit in January are full with adventure. Northern Europe’s freezing dark days are blanketed in snow, so you’ll need to warm up with twilight snowshoe walks and husky mushing beneath a curtain of the Northern Lights. At the opposite end of the globe, comparatively pleasant just-above-zero temperatures entice people to go on Antarctic excursions.
“JANUARY IS A MONTH OF TWO EXTREMES, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU GO ON THE EARTH. DEEP FREEZE IN FINLAND ON A NORTHERN LIGHTS SAFARI, OR SOAK IN THE SUN IN COSTA RICA AND CUBA“
If you want to shake the ice off your bones, move to the Southern Hemisphere. Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Antarctica, and Australasia are all picking up steam right now, due to good weather and burgeoning species. Furthermore, from Ethiopia’s Timkat celebration to New Year’s fireworks, many nations are illuminated by New Year and leftover Christmas events.
Read our guide to learn more about the best destinations to visit in January.
JANUARY VACATION ACTIVITIES
Northern Lights
If you want to shake the ice off your bones, move to the Southern Hemisphere. Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Antarctica, and Australasia are all picking up steam right now, due to good weather and burgeoning species. Furthermore, from Ethiopia’s Timkat celebration to New Year’s fireworks, many nations are illuminated by New Year and leftover Christmas events.
Wildlife watching
In India, tigers are out and about for longer in January – simply dress warmly for cold mornings and shorter days, and bring sunglasses for some wonderful winter sunlight. It’s also festival season, so expect to see anything from camel to kite festivals.
Just be aware that national parks will be overrun with people on Republic Day (January 26). In the Caribbean, Dominica is known as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean,” and in January, you may see pelicans, parrots, whales, and spinner dolphins. It’s also an excellent time to look for jungle wildlife in Costa Rica or elephants in Sri Lanka.
Expedition cruises
Because of the longer, warmer days and an abundance of penguin chicks and seal pups on the ice, January is the most popular month for Antarctic cruises. Book early since these spaces fill up quickly. It’s also an excellent time to visit the subantarctic islands, since temperatures and waters have cooled.
BEST PLACES TO GO IN JANUARY VACATIONS
FALKLANDS, SOUTH GEORGIA AND ANTARCTICA CRUISE
On a three-week trip, this epic Antarctica cruise visits the Falkland Islands and South Georgia en way to the Antarctic Peninsula. This route begins in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina’s Patagonia. You may also do it the other way around, so check with us to see which voyages meet your vacation availability. The key difference is whether you face the treacherous Drake Passage at the start or conclusion of your voyage. In any case, you will be treated to some of the most breathtaking scenery and animal viewing chances. Such as the Falkland Islands, which have a fantastic assortment of accessible wildlife, including sea lion colonies, elephant seals, five penguin species, and 200 bird species.
We keep a watch out for whales and other birds, including albatrosses, as we cross between the Falkland Islands and South Georgia through the renowned Antarctic Convergence. We spend several days exploring South Georgia Island’s ecological marvels, where its magnificent 3,000m mountain crest is the source of glaciers that cascade down to protected beaches and is also home to king penguins and elephant seals.
The South Orkney Islands, home to a few researchers and a plethora of penguins, fur seals, and migrating whales, provide a breathtaking spectacle with their glacier-covered topography and icebergs. The next destination is the most accessible region of the Antarctic, the namesake Peninsula, which we sail around for many days, depending on the weather at the time. But witnessing icebergs up close, staring in astonishment at towering frozen mountains, observing ice floes and animals such as leopard seals and whales is really remarkable. The highlight for many is, of course, stepping foot in one of the world’s remaining great wildernesses.
COSTA RICA HIGHLIGHTS VACATION & BEACH
This Costa Rica holiday is a custom trip, therefore this is merely our proposed itinerary, which we may modify based on your preferences. Although we feel it represents many of the attractions of Costa Rica, both cultural and coastal, wild and lovely. It’s a demanding schedule, but you’ll have earned your few days at Samara beach on the Pacific coast’s Nicoya Peninsula at the end of it.
Starting in the capital city of San Jose, you’ll go to this bustling city to get a taste of everyday Tico life, try some delicious Costa Rican cuisine, and see its superb museums. Moving rapidly into more rural Costa Rica, which is what most visitors prefer to see, your first destination is the well-known Tortuguero National Park. The only way to visit these untamed environments for a diversity of animals from monkeys to manatees, the most renowned of which is the green turtle that gave the park its name, is by boat. During your stay, you will be accompanied by a variety of local specialists, all of whom are highly trained members of the local community and are completely devoted to the preservation of Costa Rica’s valuable history.
From water to fire, your next destination is Arenal Volcano, the most famous of Costa Rica’s numerous volcanoes, which is now a national park. Go for a stroll on the suspended walkways and nature paths, search for monkeys and amazing birds, and relax your muscles in the hot springs. With a last stay in neighboring La Fortuna at a beautiful ecolodge.
The cooler cloud woods of Monteverde are a welcome respite from the volcano, where you may walk on a canopy through these fairytale-like woodlands cloaked in mist, preserving the valuable orchids, mosses, and bromeliads below. And then to the beach, where you’ll have several days to really rest, enjoying the palm-lined beach at Samara, devoid of major hotels and coastal crowds, but a great area to locate a hammock and unwind. For pure desert island bliss, join a guided kayaking excursion out to Isla Chora.
GALAPAGOS CRUISES
The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s top holiday locations. A week on a Galapagos cruise takes you to otherworldly islands with breathtaking volcanic vistas and beaches teeming with animals, many of which are endemic to the Galapagos.
The natural splendor here will surprise you no matter where you go. Every day is unique in this archipelago of over fifty volcanic islands. You may choose your boat based on your budget and the route that most appeals to you.
Because there is so much to select from, each boat covers two distinct week-long itineraries. Isabela, Fernandina, and Genovesa are the most isolated Galapagos islands, providing some of the greatest snorkeling, volcanic vistas, pirate history, and wildlife.
Tortoises, birds, and spectacular coastal snorkeling abound in the more central islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, and Floreana, some in protected coves and others in and around remarkable geographical features.
KERALA TAILOR MADE VACATION
Your journey starts with two nights in the old harbor city of Cochin. The Dutch, Portuguese, and Chinese immigrants’ impact is still visible here, and you may explore synagogues, temples, and churches in this unique cultural melting pot. You may also view Vasco de Gama’s tombstone, the navigator who found the maritime passage from Europe to India. Back at your hotel, take a nice bath in your tub and look out the window for dolphins swimming in the sparkling seas beyond.
Proceed to the interior from here. Tigers, monkeys, antelope, and elephants may all be found at Periyar National Park. After arriving, go on an instructive nature walk with park experts, then relax by inhaling in the aroma of tropical flowers and spices hanging in the plantation near your accommodation. Swim in the pool, relax among the palm trees, look for Macaque monkeys in the trees, and spot butterflies.
Then take a lovely journey back to the coast to stay at a wonderful resort near Lake Vembanad’s emerald-green waters. Relax in your pool-side villa, which has its own private swimming cove, or go on a sunset boat on the lake. You might also have an Ayurvedic massage.
Finally. Drive to Allepey for a day-long houseboat trip around the region’s canals and rivers. While at Varkala, you may eat delicious Keralan cuisine and wander along the extensive beaches. Watch the fisherman send their boats out to sea every morning, with the promise of fresh fish for supper! Or just unwind on a hammock among the coconut trees, drifting off to the sound of breaking waves.
COSTA RICA WILDLIFE VACATION
Immerse yourself in Central America’s ecosystems by taking a Costa Rica wildlife holiday, which will have you peeking through the undergrowth in jungles, cloud forests, and mangrove swamps, as well as checking out the beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
Hiking in Arenal Volcano’s realm and staying overnight in a rainforest lodge in Piedras Blancas National Park provide a real thrill for the senses, with trips to Monteverde and Savegre Cloud Forest also contributing to this Costa Rica wildlife vacation being an incredibly exciting and immersive experience.
Costa Rica is endowed with a plethora of animal activity, as you’d expect from any exotic location for a wildlife trip, with sloths, monkeys, and toucans all populating rainforest canopies and the green turtles of Tortuguero National Park making the most of protected beaches.
From hiking trails and boat rides to free time and guided tours, this 16-day Costa Rica wildlife holiday delivers the ideal introduction to Central America’s natural environment, with unforgettable animal encounters to remember long after the tan has gone.
FINLAND NORTHERN LIGHTS VACATION, WILDERNESS AURORAS
Northern Lights holidays in the town of Menesjärvi give guests a high possibility of viewing the Aurora at its most beautiful, with no light pollution and unimpeded views of the night sky from the namesake lake. This holiday begins in Finnish Lapland at Hotel Korpikartano, a beautiful hotel that was formerly a boarding school but now provides the ideal wilderness lodging for visitors looking for the Northern Lights.
It was formerly a distant boarding school, but it is now operated by a fantastic team who have developed the most welcome accommodation for visitors to this untamed corner of Finnish Lapland. They specialize on traditional home cuisine, with enough of goodies to keep you going for all of your outdoor activities. Local foods are a specialty, notably freshly caught fish or reindeer from local herders.
There are 28 rooms, all of which are decorated in a modest, local manner and are ensuite. There’s also a community room with windows facing north, so it’s a great location to hang out by the fire while waiting and watching. There are two indoor saunas and one outdoor wood-burning sauna, as well as easy access to the lake for the classic post-sauna bath.