Ask any travel professional right now, all they’ll tell you they have been busy! With places like the Bahamas experiencing a 129% increase in travel this year (and Tuscany tourism up a whopping 141%!) You can imagine it’s pretty much the same across the globe. Naturally, that means it may be more difficult to sneak in those last minute getaways. You may have also heard of friends waiting weeks or even months for refunds from airlines and tour providers – suffice it to say that things are definitely backed up in the industry.
So, that leaves some of us needing to plan ahead! We’ve put together a small list of destinations that shine during the North American summer months, from Iceland with its midnight sun, to Botswana, where the low rainfall has the wild animals sticking around the watering holes. Let’s plan for a summer you’ll never forget.
Iceland
There really is no wrong time to visit Iceland, but “chasing the midnight sun” is something you can only do at the end of June, and we absolutely recommend adding it to your bucket list. The summer months also make certain parts of the country accessible that might not be in the winter, and the best time for spotting whales around Iceland is the summer: June, July, and August. If you’re looking to do Iceland on foot, mountain huts and campsites along the famous Laugavegur Trail are only open between late June and early September, giving you a small window to experience the black lava fields, hot springs, and multicolored mountains along the path.
Check out this incredible tour which brings you to both Iceland and the Faroe Islands, lands settled by Vikings. Included is a sailing on the wonderful Smyril Line ship between these two fascinating countries. This excursion would be a summer to remember, to say the least!
Porto
Festa de São João do Porto is a festival during Midsummer, on the night of 23 June, in the city of Porto, Portugal. Thousands of people come to the city center to pay a tribute to Saint John the Baptist, in a party that mixes sacred and profane traditions.
The festival originated as a pagan festivity back in the 14th century as a celebration and thanks to the sun god for a good harvest and abundance. It was later christianised as a celebration to São João by the Church, but many of the pagan customs remain even to this day, like the usage of basil, wild leek and the bonfires. This festival has been celebrated in Porto for about 700 years and it is truly part of the city’s identity, you don’t want to miss out on this all night party.
Klahoose First Nation
Desolation Sound (located on the northern end of the Salish Sea and of the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia) falls within the traditional territories of the Tla’amin, Homalco, and Klahoose First Nations. Klahoose Wilderness Resort is an authentic all-inclusive luxury eco-resort, a perfect spot to watch the Xawgəs (Grizzy Bears) return to the Toba Inlet in mid-August for the annual salmon run, a cycle that has taken place for time immemorial. If you listen closely and you will hear their heavy breaths mingle with the rushing water – it is an exhilarating and truly amazing spectacle that only a select few will have the privilege of seeing.
If this sounds like your kind of excursion, click here to learn more.
Peru
The best time to visit Peru is between May and October (during the dry season). The days are sunny, the skies are vividly blue in the Andes, and things cool off nicely at night. It’s the best time to visit if you plan to go on a hike, but being the peak season, early booking is crucial. As the mid-way point between the popular destinations of Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley is the perfect place to rest a while and book a night or two at a rustic resort. However, if you’re wanting to experience something truly unique, there is a town where traditions inherited from the Incas -like dialoguing with the cosmos and the environment- are preserved: the Mullak’as Misminay community.
A really magical and welcoming place, where hosts will make you feel as part of their family, and you will be able to live a truly unique experience; a summer like no other! Click here to learn more.
Botswana
Botswana is undoubtedly one of the most incredible wilderness areas in the world, and many experts consider the cooler months of June to August as the best time of year for a safari, as the wildlife viewing is consistently excellent, and there’s virtually no rainfall. Game viewing is at its peak during these months when animals are concentrated in higher numbers at water sources as the dry season wears on. The dry season is perfect for gliding your way across the calm waters by boat or a traditional mokoro (canoe) so you can see hippos, crocodiles and malachite kingfishers in their happy places. If you’ve also always dreamed of seeing the world famous Victoria Falls, perhaps give this tour a look over. This small-group safari tour is designed by one of our partners in Africa to maximize wildlife experiences in the southern areas of Africa, using some amazing safari camps in Botswana. Visits to the majestic Victoria Falls and beautiful Cape Town are also included.
Canadians may think of winter as the best time to get away, especially to sunny destinations, but these spots really shine in the summer months! As always, reach out to us if you want to make this summer one for the books.