Start the year right: Best places for a holiday in January

With the family obligations of Christmas behind you and a nothing-happening month stretching ahead, what better time to escape? Whether you’re after snow or sun, there’s a destination for you – and plenty of adventure for those who think they’ve been everywhere.

Countries

Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park has amazing scenery and, most famously, mountain gorillas.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Rwanda is the go-to destination of the moment, so get there before everybody hops on the bandwagon. It’s a great destination at a modest price range. January is the dry period, which is perfect for trekking, and in national parks wildlife such as rhinos, lions, elephants and giraffes concentrates around waterholes.

Don’t miss: Volcanoes National Park, which has amazing scenery and lava caves, but whose big-ticket highlight is the mountain gorillas who live in its cloud forest. Few things beat coming face to face with these intimidating and awesome creatures. You can also spot other primates and monkeys, and over 200 types of butterfly and 350 types of birds. See visitrwanda.com

Vietnam

Stunning Halong Bay. Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Vietnam’s sweltering climate goes AWOL in January, leaving you with pleasant, sunny weather. School holidays in Europe fizzle out early, so aim for mid-January onwards. The variety is great: terrific Halong Bay and highland scenery, beach resorts, national parks, and the history and urban buzz of cities.

Don’t miss: Vietnam remains one of Asia’s cheapest destinations and Phu Quoc is the place for a budget beach getaway. The island has numerous quality resorts set on white-sand beaches, while behind lie national parks where you can trek through rainforest and refresh under waterfalls. For a stinky diversion, visit a factory to see how local specialty fish sauce is made. See vietnam.travel

Japan

Nagano’s famous snow monkeys enjoy winter in Japan.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Japan in winter is a magical place of warm teahouses, light-strung trees, ancient temples slumped under snow, and the world’s best powder skiing. Sprawling ski areas in the Japanese Alps centre on 1998 Winter Olympic host Nagano, where you’ll also find thermal springs to soothe your ski muscles, and national parks that are home to snow monkeys.

Don’t miss: For a non-ski getaway, Izu Peninsula is within easy reach of Tokyo and a great place for impressive views of Mount Fuji, and to experience Japan’s onsen (hot-spring) culture. At Itoh, sit in hillside springs and soak up fine views along with mineral salts. At Shimoda, onsens are coupled with fine old temples. See japan.travel

Chile

Torres del Paine National Park is one of South America’s highlights.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Admittedly this is high season in Chile, but for good reason. In cities, everyone is out enjoying the summer. With 5000 kilometres of magnificent coastline, you’re never far from a beach. And beyond, whether you’re in the Andes mountains or way down in Patagonia, this is the perfect time for outdoor adventure, with the weather warm without being too hot.

Don’t miss: Torres del Paine National Park, one of the highlights of all South America. Think lakes stained into vivid colours by suspended minerals, gleaming glaciers, and jagged granite mountains thrusting towards the sky – plus the pleasures of luxury wilderness lodges after your hiking day is done. See chile.travel

Antarctica

South Georgia is a wildlife wonderland.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: No, Antarctica isn’t a country, but as one of the great frontiers of adventure travel it should be on the bucket list. January is one of few windows of opportunity to get there on an expedition cruise during the summer season. It’s also peak time for penguin chicks, those ultimate balls of fluffy cuteness.

Don’t miss: The Antarctica Peninsula is the main destination. Find an extended cruise, though, that takes in the icy mountains, volcanoes and lunar-like landscapes of the South Shetland Islands. Meanwhile South Georgia is unbeatable for its sheer numbers of wildlife, including vast penguin and seal colonies and seabirds that fill the skies. See iaato.org

Cities

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is sweet in January.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Balmy temperatures, low humidity, fresh sea breezes and not much rain make January a sweet time to visit this Caribbean port. The Spanish-era old town is World Heritage listed, with a tangle of colourful houses, baroque churches and cobbled plazas, all draped in bougainvillaea and wrapped in 13 kilometres of fortifications straight from a pirate movie.

Don’t miss: Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, a whopping 17th- and 18th-century fortress that covers an entire hill and dominates the old town. It’s a great place to clamber around, but another highlight is the spooky tunnels beneath, some unlit, that will make you feel like Indiana Jones. See colombia.travel

Lake Louise, Canada

Lake Louise is frozen over in January.Credit: iStock

Why you should go: Even after Christmas is over, you can jingle your bells in the Canadian Rockies with a ride in a one-horse open sleigh, and admire alpine landscapes. Lake Louise, frozen over, is a spectacle straight from a snow dome: get out on the ice to skate or play ice hockey. You can also ski amid gobsmacking scenery.

Don’t miss: Follow the spectacular Trans-Canada Highway to Banff in one direction, and the Icefields Parkway to Jasper in the other. Massive mountains rear on either side and glaciers tumble down the valleys in between. The Columbia Icefield is the world’s largest icefield outside the Poles. Fabulous, and not nearly as busy as in summer. See banfflakelouise.com

Delhi, India

Republic Day in Delhi. Credit: Bloomberg

Why you should go: Winter is the cooler dry season in northern India and Delhi the gateway to its delights. Although chaotic and polluted, the capital has magnificent monuments from several empires, including the Red Fort, Friday Mosque and Humayan’s Tomb, the Moghul emperor’s mausoleum that foreshadowed the Taj Mahal with its elegant architecture.

Don’t miss: Time your visit for India’s Republic Day on 26 January, the centrepiece of three-day celebrations. One of the world’s most impressive parades is held along ceremonial, monument-lined Kartavya Path. Military regiments march – and some ride horses or camels – while bands play and helicopters above scatter clouds of petals onto onlookers. Daredevil motorbike riders close the show. See incredibleindia.org

Aspen, US

There are 90 runs at Snowmass, Aspen.

Why you should go: With four different mountains, this glamorous celebrity ski resort in the Colorado Rockies provides plenty of skiing, plus other adventures such as snowmobiling. But beyond world-class skiing, Aspen town has an interesting silver-mining history, quirky counter-culture edge, excellent dining and shopping, and a lively bar scene.

Don’t miss: Beginners can hit gentle, well-groomed Buttermilk, while intermediates can tackle 90 runs on Snowmass, which has more vertical metres than any ski resort in North America. On Aspen Mountain, a third of its runs is ungroomed – Colorado’s champagne power is legendary. For an advanced challenge, head to Highlands’ intimidating runs; Highland Bowl is a backcountry rite-of-passage with 45-degree pitches. See aspensnowmass.com

Harbin, China

Harbin’s Ice and Snow World is marvellous at night.Credit: AP

Why you should go: January is frigid in China’s northeast, but you have to see the world’s most spectacular ice festival. This is the relatively low-season month: although Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival runs in February too, Spring Festival holiday crowds can be staggering. As a bonus while here, take a side trip to Yabuli, China’s largest ski resort.

Don’t miss: The festival’s two sites, both a must. Sun Island features giant snow sculptures, while Ice and Snow World has recreations of famous monuments (such as the Great Wall and Taj Mahal) built with blocks of ice from the Songhua River. They’re especially marvellous illuminated at night, along with ice lanterns in the shapes of tigers and dragons. See cnto.org.au