Best weather
| Destination | Avg high | Rain | Comfort | From / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town South Africa | 26°C | 15 mm | 100% | $47 |
| Cartagena Colombia | 30°C | 4 mm | 100% | $43 |
| Chiang Mai Thailand | 29°C | 8 mm | 100% | $26 |
| Lima Peru | 26°C | 1 mm | 100% | $38 |
| Luang Prabang Laos | 28°C | 8 mm | 100% | $26 |
| Medellín Colombia | 28°C | 65 mm | 100% | $38 |
| Pai Thailand | 30°C | 8 mm | 100% | $25 |
| Siem Reap Cambodia | 31°C | 4 mm | 100% | $27 |
| Antigua Guatemala Guatemala | 24°C | 3 mm | 99% | $33 |
| Da Nang Vietnam | 25°C | 83 mm | 97% | $27 |
| Bangkok Thailand · editorial pick | 32°C | 9 mm | — | $32 |
| Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam · editorial pick | 32°C | 12 mm | — | $28 |
| Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain · editorial pick | 21°C | 25 mm | — | $65 |
| Mexico City Mexico · editorial pick | 21°C | 11 mm | — | $43 |
| Oaxaca Mexico · editorial pick | — | — | — | $38 |
| Playa del Carmen Mexico · editorial pick | 28°C | 136 mm | — | $50 |
Comfort = 65% temperature fit (24–31°C ideal) + 35% rainfall fit, from WMO monthly normals; editorial picks are shown without a score.
Budget destinations
- Pai$25–$136/day
- Chiang Mai$26–$165/day
- Luang Prabang$26–$168/day
- Siem Reap$27–$160/day
- Da Nang$27–$168/day
- Ho Chi Minh City$28–$180/day
- Bangkok$32–$208/day
- Antigua Guatemala$33–$196/day
Warm-weather destinations
- Cape Town26°C · 15 mm
- Cartagena30°C · 4 mm
- Chiang Mai29°C · 8 mm
- Lima26°C · 1 mm
- Luang Prabang28°C · 8 mm
- Medellín28°C · 65 mm
- Pai30°C · 8 mm
- Siem Reap31°C · 4 mm
Adventure destinations
- Cape Townhiking, adventure, surf
- Chiang Maihiking, mountains
- Limasurf
- Medellínmountains
- Paihiking, mountains
- Antigua Guatemalamountains, hiking, adventure
- Da Nangsurf
- Zanzibar (Stone Town and Paje)surf, adventure
Digital nomad bases
- Chiang Mai150 Mbps · community 5/5
- Medellín120 Mbps · community 5/5
- Buenos Aires100 Mbps · community 5/5
- Mexico City100 Mbps · community 5/5
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria250 Mbps · community 5/5
- Cape Town100 Mbps · community 4/5
- Da Nang100 Mbps · community 4/5
- Bangkok200 Mbps · community 4/5
Full nomad ranking for January →
Backpacking routes in season
Two Weeks in Thailand
Temples, mountains and an island, in the order that makes sense.
Three Weeks in Ecuador and the Galapagos
Andean markets and crater lakes, then a land-based week in the Galapagos.
Three Weeks in Cuba
From Havana to Baracoa by colectivo, with nights in family-run casas.
Three Weeks in Sri Lanka
Rock fortresses, the hill-country train, leopards and a colonial fort town.
Three Weeks in Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Tea hills, backwater houseboats, cliff-top beaches and South India's great temples.
Three Weeks in the Philippine Islands
Palawan lagoons, Coron wrecks, Visayan reefs and the surf island of Siargao.
Three Weeks in Singapore and Malaysia
Hawker food, heritage port towns, tea highlands and a duty-free island.
Four Weeks in Colombia
Andean cities, coffee hills and a Caribbean finish from Bogota to Palomino.
Four Weeks in New Zealand
Geothermal north to the fiords of the south, by campervan or bus.
Four Weeks in Patagonia
Granite towers, calving glaciers and lake country across Chile and Argentina.
One Month in North India
Delhi, the Ganges, the Taj Mahal and Rajasthan's fort cities by train.
Six Weeks in Mexico
Capital to Caribbean through Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan.
Six Weeks in Central America
Mexico's south to Costa Rica: ruins, volcanoes, reefs and Spanish.
Three Months in Southeast Asia
The banana pancake trail, done with time to stop.
Four Months of European Winter Sun
November to February in Europe's mildest corners, from the Canaries to Cyprus.
Six-Month Gap Year in Australia and New Zealand
The east coast, a regional work block, Melbourne and New Zealand's South Island.
Six-Month Asia Nomad Circuit
Month-long bases from Seoul to Bali, timed to follow the dry, mild seasons.
Six-Month Latin America Nomad Circuit
A month each in six Latin American cities, from Mexico's highlands to Rio.
One-Year World Trip
Twelve months, five continents, a season in each.