Where to travel in January

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January is peak winter in North Asia and peak summer in the southern hemisphere, so you can choose real snow or long beach days. Book early if your dates touch the school holidays or Chinese New Year, which some years falls in late January.

1. Hokkaido, Japan

Reliable powder snow for skiing in Niseko and Furano, snowy hot-spring towns and fresh seafood in Sapporo and Otaru. Days are short and cold, often well below zero.

Key sights

• Niseko and Furano: Deep, dry powder snow and ski resorts with English-speaking schools.
• Otaru Canal: Old stone warehouses, glass workshops and music-box shops, lovely under snow.
• Noboribetsu: Hot-spring town beside Jigokudani, a steaming volcanic "Hell Valley".

Tip: Pack proper thermals and waterproof boots; city shoes are slippery on packed snow.

2. Chiang Mai and northern Thailand

The cool, dry season: mornings around the mid-teens °C, clear afternoons, and the easiest time for temple visits, night markets and day trips to Chiang Rai.

Key sights

• Doi Suthep: Golden hilltop temple with views over Chiang Mai.
• Old City temples: Wat Phra Singh and the ruined chedi of Wat Chedi Luang, inside the old moat.
• White Temple, Chiang Rai: Wat Rong Khun, a dazzling all-white modern temple, an easy day trip.

3. Melbourne and Tasmania, Australia

Long summer days for road trips along the Great Ocean Road, wineries and Tasmania's national parks.

Key sights

• Great Ocean Road: Coastal drive to the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks.
• Melbourne laneways: Street art, coffee bars and small restaurants in the city centre.
• Cradle Mountain, Tasmania: Alpine lakes and the Dove Lake circuit, with wombats at dusk.

4. New Zealand

Summer hiking season on the South Island, with long daylight hours for Queenstown, Milford Sound and the lakes.

Key sights

• Milford Sound: Cruise beneath waterfalls and sheer cliffs in Fiordland.
• Queenstown: Lakeside base for jet boats, hiking and wineries.
• Lake Tekapo and Aoraki/Mount Cook: Turquoise lake, dark-sky stargazing and the Hooker Valley walk.

Tip: Popular huts and campsites book out months ahead.

5. Luang Prabang, Laos

Dry and pleasantly cool, ideal for the slow pace of temples, the morning alms giving and waterfalls nearby.

Key sights

• Morning alms giving: Monks walk the streets at dawn; watch quietly from a distance.
• Kuang Si Falls: Tiered turquoise pools you can swim in.
• Mount Phousi: Short climb to a hilltop stupa for sunset over the Mekong.

Weather to plan around

North China and Korea are bitterly cold and dry; Hanoi is often grey and drizzly. Vietnam's central coast (Da Nang, Hoi An) is still in its wetter months early in the year.

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