The vibrant biodiversity of the Galapagos holds immense allure for the nature enthusiast. 
If you want to know more about the conservation programmes and charities associated with the island or if you just want to know the latest news updates from the island you can visit this site.
For luxury tours and cruises visit this site.
Pic courtesy Marshdude/ Peter Marshman from flickr.com
A small group of ten islands at the northernmost end of the Philippine Republic, the province of Batanes is a couple’s delight. A romantic getaway that guarantees seclusion and breathtaking views, Batanes boasts of having a pristine environment. With such natural beauty, one wouldn’t need much else to have a fulfilling vacation. However, there’s more...
Batanes has a long history that goes back four thousand years. Ivatans, a Filipino ethnolinguist group who constitute the majority of the population of the sleepy island province, are descendants of Austronesians who migrated to the islands four thousand years ago. They lived in mountain fortresses called idjangs and loved to drink sugarcane wine called palek. It’s been found that they also used gold as currency. Their culture survived the tyranny of the English, Spanish, American and even Japanese who visited and invaded them at different periods in history. Some of their influences remain in the architecture of the island.
Perpetually cloudy, it’s always raining in Batanes. The best time to visit is mid-March to June but sometimes the weather is nice as early as February and as late as July with an Indian summer supposedly taking place sometime in September.
If you love the heady scent of rain drenched earth and the sweet sound of crickets chirping you will love these islands.
With 53 peaks of the Rocky Mountains most of which are above 14,000 feet in height within its boundaries, Colorado is the skiing destination of choice for skiers from all over the World.
The thrill of skiing amongst pristine tree lined ski trails is like no other. You can pick from several trails depending on the level of your skill from Beaver Creek and Steamboat to Crested Butte.
Vacation homes are available along ski trails.Click here to find out more about ski rentals in Colorado.
New Zealand has everything from sun-spilt beaches to snow capped mountains and glaciers. You can walk up the side of on active volcano or thru endless valleys of rain forest. Awe-inspired fjords of the Deep South west and a wild and rugged west coast offer you sights that are no more than a few hours drive from each other.
Set aside enough time for New Zealand because that's the only limitation you're likely to face while exploring the country.
Other than its natural beauty, the country also offers dozens of activities including Bungee Jumping, rock climbing, skiing, Snow boarding, windsurfing, hang gliding, sky diving, parachuting, river rafting, jet boat riding, mountain climbing, jet skiing, cave-rafting, mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and much, much more.New Zealand is an all-year round vacation spot.
When you go to New Zealand will depend on what you want to do once you get there. The most popular time is in summer from December to February. great walking tracks appear and beaches come alive. Flowers bloom and fresh fruits fall off trees.
Expensive accommodation and airfares! Outdoor pursuits are best a this time.
If you're looking to ski in the Southern Hemisphere winter, then your months are June to August and you'll be heading to Queenstown, Mount Hutt, Cantebury or the Central Plateau. While these areas are dear (read expensive) for tourists in this season, the rest of the country has a dearth of tourists and you'll get some significantly discounted rates. Fall, that's February thru April, is the pleasantest time to go with few visitors and lovely, temperate days.
The Spring months of September to November are lush, beautiful months with daffodils, green grass, bluebells and rhododendrons. But the weather in these months is changeable with unpredictable rains and late snowfalls in the Southern island being common.
For people interested in Maori culture and who'd like to witness New Zealand's thermal activity - geysers, bubbling mud pools, and the like, the North island is the place to be.
Though the South island has got the reputation for being the adventure center and is less populated and more rugged, you can do your fair share of hiking, bungee jumping, rafting, swimming with dolphins in the north too.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
The best time to be in Madrid is spring or fall. The climate is generally temperate with balmy May possibly the most glorious time and October also dishing up ideal weather. The crowds are fewer during these two months too.
August is a tricky time to go... it's really peaceful but even inhabitants of Madrid take off at this time leaving 75 percent of the city's restaurants and shops shut!
Being the highest capital in Europe Madrid sees more extreme seasons. July and August are rather hot and dry hitting temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mid April- June and September- November are the nicest times.
Spain has about 3000 feasts and fiestas in a year! Besides the usual holiday celebrations fron New Year's Day and Christmas to Easter and National Day, take a look at a few others on the Madrid Calendar.
January sees parades staged through the main thoroughfares in anticipation of the Feast of the Epiphany.
In February you get to be part of the biggest draw in Spain's cultural calendar - ARCO, Madrid's International Contemporary Art Fair with exhibits drawn from galleries around the world.
The Madrid Carnaval kicks off with a big parade along the Paseo de la Castellana and wraps up in style with a masked ball at the Círculo de Bellas Artes on the following night. Fancy-dress competitions, dancing in the streets all mark the Carnival ending with a sentimental "burial of a sardine" at the Fuente de los Pajaritos in the Casa de Campo. A concert in the Plaza Mayor follows that evening.
The Semana Santa week leading up to Easter Sunday sees plenty of non-religious festivities too. One of the most elaborate Holy Weeks celebrations in Spain, you'll see processions of hooded penitents moving to the wail of the saeta, a love song to the Virgin or Christ. Heavy floats can be seen bearing images of the Virgin and Christ.
The bullfighting season jumpstarts with the Holy Week offering a visitor some fantastic insight into the Spanish temperament.
On May 2, rock concerts and flamenco shows take place all over the city and particularly in the Dos de Mayo square to commemorate the uprising against the French forces.
Every city and town, big or small, in Spain celebrates its local saint's day. In Madrid, it's the Fiesta de San Isidro on May 15. A wide range of public performances, concerts, dancing, bullfighting mark the day of Madrid's patron saint. Natives run wild over ten days celebrating with food fairs, Castilian folkloric events, street parades, parties and other festivities.
The Corpus Christi in June is a major holiday marked by a big procession.
The summer binge of Madrid in July is the Veranos de la Villa with much happening from pop and classical music, folk dancing, zarzuelas, flamenco and open air cinema. The program changes every year but is always fun.
Two fun feasts mark August - Beginning with the Lavapies Feast on August 1 and going on till the La Paloma Feast on August 15, there is aplenty of children's games, floats, music, dancing and street fairs. What's really interesting to see is thousands of people racing through the narrow streets and apartment dwellers throwing water on them to cool them off!
September is a great time for theaters and concerts. But the Autumn Festival with a series of operatic, ballet, theatrical and music performances is held in October. This festival of world renown has reasonably priced tickets.
Better look out on December 28 - the spanish equivalent of April Fool's Day.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
Aruba has consistently mild temperatures with no major rainy season. It's a hop-on-to-a-plane-right-now place. Any time at all.
From December through April are touristy months with the weather at its driest. January is a peak visiting month, though if you want to be a part of some festivities, then the last 2 weeks of February are a maelstorm of parties and parades with the Carnival in full swing.
For a more relaxed time, try mid-april to september.
Following Easter, the rates will drop and go down still further in June-November which is the hurricane. That's a good time for a string-budget traveler especially considering that Aruba lies well outside the hurricane belt.
Besides the Carnival in February, you might want to look out for the Aruba Music festival in October and ostensibly the best catamaran sailing event in the world, The Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta for a week in November. If you're not sailing, then grab a patch of sand and watch the races. There are other events orgaized for the entertainment of non-sailors too.
Aruba is a brilliant escape plan. In fact I have a friend who's constantly on the lookout for a small island where we're to build our huts and start life anew and I think I just might help him out by suggesting Aruba.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate with plenty of sunshine all year round. Nights and mornings are usually cool and temperatures are varied given the geographical diversity with a hot and humid coast, temperate inland and very dry north and northeast.
Though main tourist season in Kenya is in the dry months of January-February and July-August with March to May experiencing long rains and October to December facing short rains, it really isn't that bad to go in the wet season either. In fact it can be a little adventurous to slide around in and out of mud in your car and of course quieter, less congested and much cheaper!
The hot and dry months of January and February see large congregations of bird life on the Rift Valley Lakes. Game gathers around water sources and is easier to spot.
June to September is the time to go if you're a wildlife freak... actually even if you're not. The spectacle of almost countless wildebeest, zebras, and other species migrating from Serengeti to Masai Mara is truly awesome. Nothing like seeing nature's raw power to make yourself feel the grandness of the world.
July and August are the best months for overall game viewing. And October to January have the clearest seas making these months the best time for snorkeling and diving.
Other than the usual holidays of Christmas, Easter, New Year's, Kenya also celebrates Eid-al-Fitr and Diwali, MUslim and Hindu festivals respectively.
The other national holidays are Moi Day (Oct.10) named after the president, Kenyatta Day (Oct.20) - a celebration in honor of all the heroes who died fighting for independence and Mandaraka Day (June 1), which is the anniversary of self-government.
The reason to watch out for these annual holidays is the Kenyan form of celebration - dancing. Traditional dances like masai and samburu are part of all celebrations with much hpynotic swaying, energetic leaping and precision movements. Dance competitions are held all over between various ethnic groups adding to the diversity of the celebrations.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
The best season to go to Gold Coast is any season! It sounds trite I know, but with its sub-tropical climate, Gold Coast enjoys mild winters and lovely hot summers with about 287 sunny days a year!
With some of the most popular beaches, one of them actually called 'Surfer's Paradise'... GC really is a great place to go for surfing enthusiasts and experts. If you want to choose a particular surfing season or spot then you might worry about when you get to Gold Coast.
Another activity in Gold Coast that's season oriented is the humpback whale watching. In the months from June to October, the whales migrate between the Antarctic wilderness and the Great Barrier Reef and can be seen at Moreton bay.
The festive calendar at Gold Coast breezes through food, music, races, wine, films and of course, surfing.
The Gold Coast Film Fantastic and the In the Bin Film Festival are both held in September. One for fantasy films and the other for shorts.
The Big Day Out music festival held on the Gold Coast in January has bands start playing from 11am and going on late into the night (around 11.30pm). The festival features bands from all over the world and Australia. There are two main stages featuring the headlining acts, some smaller stages for local bands and the Boiler room, for DJ's and dance music. Don't miss this one if you enjoy live music.
Blues on Broadbeach is 5 days of the best in blues.
A la Carte in the Park and On the Beach are food and wine festivals where you get to sample food from the best restaurateurs, caterers and wine merchants.
Tastes of Gold Coast held in August on Surfer's Paradise is another food and wine festival in the same vein.
An interesting festival is the Medieval & Militaria festival with 2 days of laser skirmishes, tournaments, battles, military vehicles, militaria markets and history being re-enacted in general.
The Lexmark Indy 300 is held in October - from parties to some serious horse power.
The Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Racing Carnival is 18 days of parties, dinners and races with prizes worth a minimum of 100,000 AUD.
And the popular Australian Surf Life Saving Championship held towards the end of March.
Besides these, there are the golf tournaments and the performing art events, the innurable wine fests and the tasty food experiences... a whole host of events to look forward to whichever month you find yourself in Gold Coast.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
When to go to Austria quite depends on where you want to go. Vienna with its busy festival calender is a year round destination. As are the other urban areas. If you are going to the mountainous regions, you'll get two distinct tourists seasons - winter sports and summer hiking.
For warm weather, go between April and October but if want to ski and see the snow, make your trip fom November to April. Though keep in mind that away from the skiing ranges and areas, the rest of the country is quite wet and miserable during the snow.
Weather conditions vary only slightly across the country. Upper and Lower Austria can be quite foggy, the lowlands in the north and the east enjoy more continental weather and sudden thunder showers are possible througout the year at the higher altitudes.
Vienna pulls quite a crowd at Christmas time, New Years and Fasching, the ball season. January sees not only the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra launching the year and the carnival but also the 'Eistraum' - or Dream on Ice, with the square betweeen the Town Hall and the Burgtheatre being converted into a giant ice skating rink with music and kiosks. The Dream on Ice lasts till mid-march.
January also sees the Mozart Week in Salzburg.
The last night of the Carnival in February sees the Opera Ball. You may not need an invite like the grand balls in Venice but you do need a rather expensive ticket.
March is the month of spring festivals with the world's greatest composers ushering in blooms and greenery into the country.
May and June play host to the International Music Festival where you'll hear orchestras and see conductors known over the world. You could hear old masterpieces performed like they were meant to be. The same months also stage operas, musicals, theatre, damces performed by amateus and the internationally acclaimed at the Vienna Festival.
On June 20 is the Midsummer Night celebration with bonfires and and folklores mumbled over them.
The Salzburg Festival is held in July and is a must on your Vienna calender if you can manage it. Cultural performances galore with chambermusic,plays, concerts, operas, the essential Mozart opera are performed at various venues in Salzburg.
The Vienna International Film Festival is held throughout October showcasing the experimental and the best of European cinema.
Christmas time is great in Vienna specifically, with open air markets decked with holly and ribbons springing up with toys and trees and roasted chestnuts and... just a little bit of Christmas cheer.
Austria has a hectic events calender mostly tinkling with music. No wonder Sound of Music was set in this country. (If you haven't seen the film, please do.)
The Sri Lankan island as a whole is a year round destination... but if you are visting a specific area you need to be prepared for the 2 monsoons and the contrary weather.
The Yala monsoon hits the south west and hilly parts of the country from May to August and November to April are the dry months. Some of the best beaches and tourist spots are on this part of the island and hence the dry months here are peak tourist season.
The north and east coast of Sri Lanka sees the Maha monsoon which pours down from October to January and keeps away from May to September.
october-Novemeber might also see thunderstorms all over the island.
It's best to plan your holiday according to when you want to be - where you want to be, though average temperatures are 27 degrees in Colombo and higher elevations going down to 16 degrees.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
Visit Mallorca between June and August for great weather, but be warned - the number of tourists is also at its highest during this season. The sun visits for as many as 11 hours and though the mountainous regions might see thicker clouds, summer storms are rare.
May to early June and Sepetember, October still have good weather and more value for money, though October sees the most rainfall.
November, Decemeber and January see fewer sunny days but since Majorca temperatures rarely fall below zero, it's always a great holiday destination - even in the apparent off season!
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
Between mid-May to mid-September, you just can't go wrong visting Alaska. Peak season is mid -June to mid-August but the days are long and the weather gorgeous for most of these 4 months.
While mid-June to mid-July is considered the best time to visit keep in mind that if you care to avoid mosquitoes, then July end will suit you better.
If you want to hike in high country or the Arctic regions, the Tundra will only melt by late June.
For those looking for the colors of the Northern Lights, August-September is best.
September-October are the best times for some wilderness solitude but with shorter days and rainfall.
No one really recommends Alaska from November to March.
With Alaska coming back from the winter months, April-May is a luminiscent time to be there - everything sparkles, the sun shines and the nights are cool.
May-June are the best months for catching wildlife (on camera please!) and see the snow-capped hills and wildflowers blooming.
July-august is the most popular time with fish biting, warmth flowing and lovely berries dotting the trees.
Since Alaskan weather isn't predictable, don't worry your head too much about picking the perfect time, just come in good cheer and enjoy your plans anyway!
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
The best time to visit Istanbul is in spring (April to June) or autumn (Sepetmeber & October). Winter in any other part of Turkey but Istanbul is not advisable getting seriously snowed in or rained out.
The two most important events in the Turkish calendar that you need to keep in mind while planning your trip are the Kurban Bayrami and Ramazan. Turkey has a 5 day public holiday for the former and this could seriously affect your plans.
Seasons which see the Formula 1 Grand Prix or the International Film Festival are quite full and may make it difficult for you to find accommodation. Plan ahead!
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com
Now that you’ve found a place as good as home, plan your vacation at a time when you can get the most out of what Venice has to offer (that is if you’re quite sure your boss won’t let you take a year off)
Here’s a run down of the best times to visit Venice:
February: in Venice is exciting indeed.. 10 days of the world’s most famous carnival! A simple black sheath and white mask in enough to make you one of the revelers. Of course if you have deeper pockets, you could deck yourself out in elaborate costumes and be part of the many balls and gala dinners.
May: The Vogalonga is not only a boat marathon but one of the strongest and longest standing statements to Venetian authorities. Every year a 30 km non-competitive rowing event is organized to revive the rowing tradition and protest the motorboat traffic harming the foundations of the city.
March – June: Mostly event free months and also free of the usual gaggle of tourists that Venice caters to the rest of the year.
September – August: If you’re film buff, September could help you mix up a potent cocktail – all the inherent drama and romance the city has to offer and The Venice International Film Festival.
Though July and August are usually considered months to avoid because of the high level of tourist inflow, the Festa del Redentore takes place in July and has the famous night of fireworks on the water. It’s like a play in the sky with its own language of color and starbursts.
Get more details on events on the Venice calendar.
Picture Courtesy: www.flickr.com