1. Norway
Make no mistake: Norway is cold in January. The coldest month of all in fact, with temperatures dropping to -2°C or lower, depending on how far north you go. But it’s also one of the most beautiful months to visit, if you’re after a snowscape unlike any you’ve seen, or a winter sports adventure like no other. So pack your thickest winter travel gear and get going.
Expect to see most of the country blanketed in crisp, white snow, and brace yourself for some dreamy sunrises and sunsets. Add in a high chance of seeing the Norwegian Northern Lights – a neon spectacle made possible by the dark, clear winter night skies – and you’ve got yourself a photographer’s dream.
Bonus? There are fewer visitors around, given the chill, so the out-of-season snaps you’ll be able to shoot will have next to no people blocking the view. It also makes this notoriously expensive country a little bit less costly.
2. Malé, The Maldives
Read any guide to Malé and you’ll find out that the capital of the Maldives is densely-populated. But it also has local markets, mosques and museums galore.
Malé makes a great base for those hoping to explore the whole archipelago, too. It’s easy to transfer to the Atolls for scuba diving, water sports and the chance to see some of the Maldives’ most fascinating marine creatures: reef sharks, hammerheads, dolphins, manta rays and on shore, turtles.
Of course, you won’t be the only person soaking up all Malé and the Maldives has to offer. January is the beginning of the dry, sunny season, the best time to go weather-wise, with temperatures hovering between 26°C and 31°C. After a tropical rainy season spanning from May to November, it’s only natural that locals and travellers alike will want to soak up the sun and clear skies, too.
