{"id":97174050,"date":"2016-01-04T10:00:12","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97174050"},"modified":"2015-12-30T19:37:57","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T19:37:57","slug":"snorkeling-elephants-wine-for-days-your-must-see-guide-to-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/snorkeling-elephants-wine-for-days-your-must-see-guide-to-january\/","title":{"rendered":"Snorkeling, Elephants, & Wine for Days: Your Must See Guide to January!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy 2016, folks! The holidays are over, the dust is finally settling after a month (or two!) of family visits, gift shopping, and overall merry mayhem, and you FINALLY have a chance to sit down and relax.<\/p>\n

Phew.<\/p>\n

Take a deep cleansing breath. It\u2019s time for some real fun!<\/p>\n

What should you do to kick off the awesomeness of 2016? Travel, of course! January is a great month to be globetrotting\u2014lots of places around the world are experiencing great weather coupled with smaller crowds following the holidays. And, let\u2019s be real, you could use a vacation.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are some of the best places to kick off your new year. Happy travels!<\/p>\n

1.) If You Believe that Timing Is Everything<\/h3>\n
\"Tami<\/a>

Tami Freed \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

You should head to Belize<\/a>! This Central American country plays seriously hard to get when it comes to the right time to visit\u2014it\u2019s obnoxiously hot, humid, and rainy for much of the year. But, come January, Belize is pleasantly warm and dry, meaning if you want to visit, you should do it RIGHT NOW.<\/p>\n

Seriously. The window is small.<\/p>\n

Why should you be pumped about Belize? It\u2019s got incredible beaches, gorgeous Mayan ruins, tropical jungles to trek through, and best of all\u2014very small crowds. Belize is what it\u2019s all about this month, folks!<\/a><\/p>\n

2.) If You Love Elephants and Snorkeling<\/h3>\n
\"Somchai<\/a>

Somchai Siriwanarangson \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Thailand<\/a> is the place for you. This gorgeous Southeast Asian nation has something for everyone. From the animal loving nature nut to the hippy beach bum, you\u2019re pretty much guaranteed to fall in love with Thailand. And, guess what? The weather there is perfect this month!<\/p>\n

If you want to commune with nature, head north to Chiang Mai. You can trek through the Thai jungle, visit the famous Elephant Nature Park<\/a>\u2014which rescues elderly, abused, and disabled elephants, among a slew of other animals\u2014and even go on an ATV adventure through the Mae Rim Valley. If you\u2019re feeling extra adventurous, pop across the border near Chiang Rai into Myanmar or Laos.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d rather lay on the beach, head to Phuket! From there, you can hop over to one of the countless Thai islands, all offering incredible snorkeling, parties, and general beach bumming activities. \u01f8\u0101 kl\u1ea1w<\/a>!<\/p>\n

3.) If You\u2019re a Luxurious Adventurer<\/h3>\n
\"michaeljung<\/a>

michaeljung \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Hello, South Africa<\/a>! There are a zillion reasons to visit South Africa all year round, but in January, we challenge you to find a reason not to visit! The weather\u2019s perfect, so head south for a classic African safari, a tour around Cape Town, and a dip in the Indian Ocean. Don\u2019t forget to rent a car and take a breathtaking drive around the Garden Route!<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re done driving, kick back with a glass (or a whole bottle!) of South African wine. The country has a 400-year history of winemaking, with a ton of famous vineyards dotting its countryside. Yum<\/a>!<\/p>\n

4.) If You\u2019re a Classic Snowbird<\/h3>\n
\"bartuchna@yahoo.pl<\/a>

bartuchna@yahoo.pl \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Snowbirds have been keeping it real in January for decades, and you know where they love to go? Miami<\/a>. It\u2019s close, it\u2019s affordable, and it\u2019s WARM. What more could you ask for?<\/p>\n

A lot, as it turns out, since there are plenty of spots in the US\u2019s southern half that could satisfy those three basic requirements this time of year. What makes Miami so unique? Its mojitos, its unbeatable parties, plus its booming hotel and restaurant scene are all on the list. Even better, the city is a hub for innovative art galleries and exhibits, playing host to the American Art Basel show each winter. And of course, don\u2019t forget the beaches. There\u2019s no better place to escape the snow this month<\/a>!<\/p>\n

5.) If You Actually Love the Snow<\/h3>\n
\"Galina<\/a>

Galina Barskaya \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

If you want to do the opposite of escape the snow this winter, head over to Lake Tahoe<\/a> to get in some quality time with the powder. This popular ski destination is having an exceptional year\u2014the snow started as early as November<\/a>\u2014and the views of its winter-y lake are absolutely gorgeous. What better way to unwind after the holidays than to slip down the slopes by day and kick back in a fancy Tahoe<\/a> lodge by night?<\/p>\n

Where will you be spending your January vacation? Let us know in the comments section below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Happy 2016, folks! The holidays are over, the dust is finally settling after a month (or two!) of family visits, gift shopping, and overall merry mayhem, and you FINALLY have a chance to sit down and relax. Phew. Take a deep cleansing breath. It\u2019s time for some real fun! What should you do to kick […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":97174055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,69,67,1019,70,68,66,1018,114],"tags":[250,374,1327,260,1333,879,1331,1326,1329,1328,1087,252,1265,1092,249,1330,889,1207,1332],"class_list":["post-97174050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure-travel","category-arts-and-history","category-beaches","category-caribbean","category-family","category-food-travel","category-interests","category-international-destinations","category-travel-photography","tag-beach","tag-belize","tag-best-places-to-visit-in-january","tag-bkk","tag-bze","tag-cpt","tag-elephants","tag-january-2016","tag-january-deals","tag-january-travel","tag-lake-tahoe","tag-mia","tag-miami","tag-rno","tag-skiing","tag-snowbird","tag-south-africa","tag-thailand","tag-trekking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97174050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97174056,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97174050\/revisions\/97174056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97174055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97174050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97174050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97174050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}