Where To Go Next Month: The January Edit

Hello, 2020. The start of a new year (and decade) is an exciting one for travel. Open a fresh calendar to 366 days of potential travel plans and adventures – 2020 even gives you a bonus day to recover from jet-lag, thank you very much, leap year.

We’re calling it: January is the month when we most need to reset and recharge. And, if you’re from the northern hemisphere, getting some much-needed sun is probably high on your agenda too.

Put these destinations on your travel radar for January. From spotting toucans in Costa Rica to desert off-roading in Abu Dhabi, here’s where to go next month…

The mild and dry early months make January one of the best months to see Costa Rica in all of its glory. Yes, it’s peak season, but plan your trip wisely because Latin America mother nature is putting on its best show. Think volcanoes, lakes, cloud forest and both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.

Go Tarzan in the tropical rainforests or zone out like a sleepy sloth on the paradise beaches. Wildlife is abundant here so you’ll quickly become a pro at spotting colourful toucans in the Monteverde cloud forest or listening out for howler monkeys in the canopy tops at Lake Arenal.

It’s often overlooked by its glitzy neighbour, Dubai, but Abu Dhabi is an excellent option for lavish hotels, winter sun and some serious shopping trips. Abu Dhabi maintains a more distinctly Arabian ambiance than Dubai, but it’s not short of things to do either if you want to stay active. Pack your itinerary with safari desert off-roading, visiting the new Louvre gallery, watching polo at Ghantoot, and losing afternoons in the souk-style stalls of Central Market. Time to hone those haggling skills.

Puerto Naos is dubbed the jewel of La Palma, plus, it’s home to the island’s largest beach. Less hectic than other locations of the archipelago, Puerto Naos is the ideal place to kick back on a sheltered, golden sandy beach and swim in crystal-clear waters to take advantage of the balmy January weather. Famous for its volcanic sand and the greenish hues that come from the dust of olivine rocks, it’s a hotspot for paragliding thanks to the adjacent coastal cliffs – ideal if you want to get a bird’s-eye view of the landscape.

If you want a slower pace of life for January (who doesn’t?), fill a backpack for Laos, aka the land of a million elephants. Known as Southeast Asia’s best kept secret, Laos maintains a much more chilled way of life than the mega-bustle of Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam. Witness Laos at peak beauty in January during dry season with plentiful sunshine and minimal rainfall, from the historical capital of Vientiane, to the breathtaking landscapes of Vang Vieng on the Nam Song River.

From architecture, to mouthwatering food, to a jungle of people and tuktuks, January in Mumbai will start your year with a lift of energy and inspiration. The vibrant street markets are worth a visit, while a trip to India Gate is where you’ll get your token India snap, and of course, a visit to the reopened Taj Hotel for a cup of masala chai following its devastating terror attacks.

As the 4th most populous city in the world and one of the most populous urban regions in the world, Mumbai is brimming with a growing youth population. A Soho House Mumbai has opened in the Bollywood-centric Juhu, a New York inspired Food Hall near Bandra’s fashionable district and so much more. It’s worth a visit to see the new Mumbai that is being created.