It is perfectly fine if you spent all of last year just looking at Facebook pictures of your friends travelling to godforsaken places throughout the globe. But now it's time to up your game and make them jealous in one go. Go through this list of the best places to visit in January and begin 2021 by travelling the world!
Here is a list of 10 best places to visit in January outside India in 2021:
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and a major economic hub in western Europe. But that doesn't mean it has a dearth of interesting places for travellers to enjoy. It is located along the Duoro river estuary, making it a completely self-sustaining economy. The city boasts of breathtaking architecture with various contemporary artists leaving their impressions on the skyline. If you are all about food, you will become a culinary evangelist for the city, owing to its retro cafes and family-run taverns.
Famous for: Football and culture.
Things to do: Try the famous port wine. Football fans must visit the FC Porto Stadium.
Weather in January: Average temperature is 10 degrees celsius. Days are sunny, nights are chilly.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 52,000
For more details, read this.
Anytime is a good time to visit Venice, but January is the best time. The winter at this time accentuate the beauty of "The Floating City" even further. It's a dream come true for art lovers since it's a gorgeous mix of old Venetian and modern Italian architecture. The resulting epic grandeur is accentuated by the signature Grand Canal waterway through the city, culminating fittingly at the Palazzo Ducale and Basilica di San Marco. You need to visit it to believe it.
Famous for: Art and Grand Canal.
Things to do: Get around the city in a gondola. Go on a wine tour.
Weather in January: Average temperature is 3 degrees celsius with only 9 hours of sunlight.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 67,000
For more details, read this.
This is India's only neighbour on the list, and that automatically makes it the most "visit-able" since inclination towards the familiar is part of the rudimentary human psyche. Myanmar's capital is a criminally overlooked destination in our country, but it is just as good as any other South Asian city. Literally translating to 'the royal city of sun', Naypyidaw is famous for its grandness with eight-lane highways, ministry buildings, round-the-clock electricity, generals' residences, and a lot more. Even substandard hotels seem luxurious.
Famous for: Temples and food.
Things to do: Visit the Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda. Stay at luxurious resorts, because they aren't that expensive.
Weather in January: 27 degrees celsius. The night chill is similar to what you experience in India.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 31,000
For more details, read this.
If you haven't yet been to Thailand, you're probably the only one in the entire neighbourhood then. Phuket is extremely welcoming to tourists, especially Indians, hence there's no reason why Thailand should be left out from the places you will have visited in 2017. Despite being 49km long (that's HUGE), it's completely surrounded with water. While the Phuket Town is an artsy, culturally-profound capital, Rawai on the island's tip remains completely aloof and hippie-welcoming with its laidback attitude.
Famous for: Beaches and nightlife.
Things to do: Just chill at the Karon Beach. Visit the Phuket FantaSea cultural theme park.
Weather in January: Average is 27 degrees celsius. Perfect for sunbathing.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 42,000
For more details, read this.
If you've seen the cult dark comedy In Bruges, you know exactly what to expect in this peculiar city. It's a prominent world heritage site according to UNESCO and that automatically makes it a haven for art connoisseurs. It's also called the "Venice of the North" so you can imagine how many new fairytales of your own you can create whilst walking down the cobbled roads to the whitewashed facades of historic churches. Spring is meant for daffodil carpets spread all over the city.
Famous for: Beer and art.
Things to do: Climb up the 366 stairs of the medieval Belfry Tower. Admire the flemish primitive artworks at Groeninge Museum.
Weather in January: Average temperature is 5 degrees celsius. Remains dry, but nippy.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 62,000
For more details, read this.
Cruelly made infamous by the American intervention in the late '60s, Vietnam is a mystical land that deserves to be navigated by every serious backpacker. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is the capital and largest city in Vietnam, making it the melange of everything the now stable country stands for. With its high-octane energy on the streets, the finest hotels alongside, and the most expensive of boutiques at the photogenic squares, HCMC spoils tourists and changes their perspective about the country forever.
Famous for: Food and art.
Things to do: Visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. Nibble on street food.
Weather in January: Average temperature is 30 degrees celsius, but remains pleasant all though the day.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 46,000
For more details, read this.
January is the time to finally visit that firang cousin living in "Amrika", but that is only if he lives in San Antonio (SA). This is one of the largest cities in the country and has something for everyone, whether he is a lover of hip-hop music, sport, art, liquor or adventure. The only downside is that SA could be a bit heavy on the pocket. The two most popular destinations of SA – the Alamo and the Riverwalk – are surprisingly right at the city's centre, making it easier for one to extract local flavour. Unlike other metropolitans, San Antonio greets you with a lingering pace for you to get into the mood of the place at ease.
Famous for: San Antonio Spurs (basketball team) and music.
Things to do: Visit the shrine of The Alamo. Witness an NBA match.
Weather in January: Temperature fluctuates between 3 degrees and 16 degrees celsius, but it's always sunny during the day.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 82,000
You've been to Goa? Bali is cleaner and better. This Indonesian island is primarily known as a honeymoon destination to the Indians, but surprisingly it's connected to us in a lot more ways than that. According to the 2010 census, 83.5% of people on the island follow Hinduism, making it easier for all of us to saunter onto the beaches thinking of them as our own. Known as the 'island of the gods,' the locals are a peculiarly warm breed probably believing the age-old Indian saying Atithi Devo Bhavah, making the city one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the world.
Famous for: Beaches and religion.
Things to do: Chill at Seminyak Beach. Visit the ancient Hindu temple Uluwatu.
Weather in January: 26 degrees celsius is the average, making the climate perfect to roam around topless on the beaches.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 35,000
For more details, read this.
The capital and the most populous city of Argentina, Buenos Aires is arguably the most important cultural hub of the entire western hemisphere and is one of the best places to visit in January. Although located an entire globe away from India, the streets will seem eerily familiar to every Indian because the climate is similar and it's a developing nation boasting of rich history. Probably Argentina's greatest cultural contribution to the world, tango is what makes the city effortlessly sexy. When you watch people "making love in the vertical position" while they are engrossed in a steamy strut, you realise that there's nothing that can hold Buenos Aires back from expressing itself.
Famous for: Lionel Messi and tango.
Things to do: Witness a local football match. Roam the streets at night, because the city never sleeps.
Weather in January: Average is 12 degrees celsius, and the air is dry.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 40,000
For more details, read this.
Unarguably the most beautiful entry on this list, Tenerife is the most populated among the famous Canary Islands in Spain. It is an extremely popular tourist destination making it pretty liberal as compared to other Spanish (or European) cities. The island is open to hippie culture spilling good music and positive vibes onto the streets. The sultry beaches can parallel those of Rio, the sprawling museums can match those of Lucknow, and the mystical temples can be compared with the chapels of the Vatican – the islands are a potpourri of experiences you will never have had before.
Famous for: Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and biosphere reserves.
Things to do: Visit the Loro Parque zoo to see tigers and dolphins. There is a huge Museum of Fine Art for artists and aficionados alike.
Weather in January: Average is 17 degrees celsius but remains sunny throughout the day.
Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 71,000
For more details, read this.
Which other city do you think deserves to be on the list of best places to visit in January? Tell me in the comments!
Planning to visit any of the above then? Or do you have other plans? Write your own story here.