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| See the World, Explore the Excitements |
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 Fantastic Tours offers totally flexible holidays, combining accommodations* and touring arrangements to fit your personal requirements.
We have compiled a 12 month Traveling Calendar - containing a startling number of exotic destinations and holiday options suitable to travel for every month. All suggested destinations will be reviewed from time to time due to political, climate changes, best deals and traveling factors in order to provide you the best tour advice.
January
New Delhi , India Summer in Delhi is no joke - from April the temperature climbs relentlessly to more than 45 degrees C (113 degrees F) in May and June and the heat doesn't really abate until October. Dust storms called loo sweep in from Rajasthan with considerable fury.
The arrival of the monsoon, at the end of June, brings intense humidity - the murder rate usually peaks in this month.From November to March is the best time to visit, with cool but sunny weather. Plus Holi, one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals, takes place around this time. October sees the end of the monsoon, but is reasonably pleasant.
Nights can be quite chilly in December and January. Don't let your first impressions of Delhi stick like a sacred cow in a traffic jam: get behind the madcap fa?ade and discover the inner peace of a city rich with culture, architecture and human diversity, deep with history and totally addictive to epicureans. Both Old and New Delhi exert a beguiling charm on visitors. Lose yourself unwinding the secrets of the city's Mughal past in the labyrinthine streets of Old Delhi before emerging into the wide open spaces of imperial New Delhi, with its ordered governmental vistas and generous leafy avenues.
February
Athens, Greece.
Spring and late autumn are ideal, as the summer heat can be brutal and hordes of people in transit to the cooler islands make it hard to get around. If you can stand the heat, the mid-August mass exodus of Athenians make it much easier to get around Athens .
Winters in Athens are lively and give you a different experience. You can save money on accommodation and, besides, ithe off-season is quite a pleasant and lively time with few tourists.Redolent with history and mythology, Athens is an affable city enlivened by bustling outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets that wind through the city's ancient sites and its fair share of urban eccentrics.
If you get into the Athenian mindset, you'll enjoy one of the most laid-back and quirky European cities. The city may look like a concrete jungle and still suffers from bouts of the dreaded nefos (smog), but beyond its noisy and chaotic veneer is an undeniable charm. The spruced up historic centre, major sites and major dining and entertainment precincts are all close together making Athens is a great walking city.
March
Beijing, China Spring time is the best time to visit China. China it's a different world. Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited patience, it's best to follow a loose itinerary here, such as following the Silk Road, sailing down the Yangzi River, or exploring the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province. Of the shoulder seasons, autumn is optimal - the weather is gorgeous and fewer tourists are in town. Locals describe this short season as tiangao qishuang - literally 'the sky is high and the air is fresh' - with clear skies and breezy days. Spring is less pleasant - not many tourists but lots of wind and dust. Summer (June to August) is considered peak season, when hotels typically raise their rates and the Great Wall nearly collapses under the weight of marching tourists.
Winter is the extreme opposite but makes for pretty surrounds if you can stand the freezing temperatures; you'll have Beijing to yourself and many hotels offer substantial discounts. Everything is chock-a-block during the Chinese New Year (usually in January or February) and the week-long holidays of International Labour Day (May 1) and National Day (Oct 1). From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the desert landscapes of Xinjiang, China is a land of cultural and geographic schisms. It's not that it has completely done away with its Maoist past - it's more that the yin of revolutionary zeal is being balanced by the yang of economic pragmatism.
April
Nice , France.
The capital of the C?te d'Azur, is not 'nice' - what an insult! Nice is a sparky, sexy city, with a gritty underside that keeps it grounded. If Nice were a person, it would wear designer cocktail dresses with old army boots, cause lots of trouble and be livid about that insipid adjective.
Nice's beaches are pebbly. on the other hand there are a lot of them, and most are free, warm and clean as a whistle. The city itself is brash and bold (there's no such thing as being too old to wear a bikini) and enormously popular, so if you're looking for a place of serenity and Zen-like peace... move on.
May
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Heat freaks will be happy all year round in Rio; the weather never really dips below 20?C (68?F) in winter, although it can get rainy, especially in summer. Carnaval is often a more important consideration than weather for travellers deciding when to come to Rio. The city is in full party mode, and the excitement on the streets is unsurpassable.
However, everyone becomes a little unglued around the time of Carnaval - there are more car accidents than usual, prices are noticeably more expensive and you won't have a moment alone. Still, it is Carnaval. The cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) is one of the most densely populated places on earth.
The Cariocas - as the inhabitants are called - thrive on dance, drink, beach, sport and sun. It's a city of Dionysian spirit whose people live life head-first. The international tourist crowd take advantage of Rio's ritzy side - there are innumerable opportunities to be decadent. But Rio also has much to offer the budget traveller. There are cheap hotels and restaurants aplenty, and the beach is a free entertainment zone.
June
Phuket, Thailand Dubbed 'Pearl of the South' by the tourist industry, Phuket is Thailand's largest, most populous and most visited island. A whirl of colour and cosmopolitanism, Thailand's only island province revolves around and thrives on tourism, but still retains a spark of the real Thailand. There are a hundred and one ways to pass the day in Phuket. There are also more tourists here than on any other Thai island - it certainly knows how to cater to tourists' every whim. Most flock to the beaches on the southwestern side, which are loaded with amenities and entertainment options.
July
Pokhara, Nepal.
Imagine a perfect, snow-capped mountain buffeted by icy Himalayan winds. Imagine a millpond calm lake reflecting the snowy peaks. Now imagine a village on the shore, thronged by travellers and reverberating to the sound of 'Om Mani Padme Hum' wafting from shops selling prayer flags, carpets, masks, singing bowls and CDs of Buddhist mantras. That's Pokhara.
August
South Africa, AfricaSummer can be uncomfortably hot, especially in the lowveld. Higher-altitude areas are pleasantly warm over summer, but the mountains are prone to rain and mist. The northeastern regions can be annoyingly humid, but swimming on the east coast is a year-round proposition. Spring is the best time for wildflowers in the Northern Cape and Western Cape provinces. Winters are mild everywhere except in the highest country, where there are frosts and occasional snowfalls.
Holiday-makers stream out of the cities from mid-December to late January: resorts and national parks are heavily booked and prices on the coast can more than double. School holidays in April, July and September can clog up beaches and national parks, but you can dodge the outdoors crowd in favour of some of the great arts festivals held in September and October.
A city of astonishing contrasts, a huge metropolis where opulent wealth and desperate poverty live side by side: Johannesburg is the intriguing, dynamic heart of this turbulent country. If you want to see the real South Africa - and try to understand it - Jo'burg has to be on your itinerary. Jo'burg, Jozi, eGoli or 'the city of gold' (never Johannesburg) is by far the largest city in South Africa. It's brash, fast-growing and often ugly, but it's got wealth, energy and a beautiful climate. If you take reasonable precautions and listen to the locals, you can enjoy it in safety.
September
Cairo, Eygpt
Cairo has only two seasons: summer and 'not-summer'. Given the choice, you're far better off visiting during 'not-summer', a period that stretches roughly from September to April or May. It's also worth considering the timing of the various Muslim festivals when planning your trip.
During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, many businesses work half-days, museums and tourist sites shut early and many restaurants only open after sundown. Alcohol is rarely served outside hotels and you may have to show a passport to prove that you're not Egyptian (they're forbidden from drinking in public places throughout the month).
Cairo isn't a gentle city. Home to more than 16 million Egyptians, Arabs, Africans and sundry others, the 'Mother of the World' is an all-out assault on the senses. Chaotic, noisy, polluted, totally unpredictable and seething with people, the sheer intensity of the city will either seduce or appal. Cairo doesn't have the resources for graceful boulevards and cobbled squares and the kind of dolled-up, prettified buildings that cry out to be photographed and stuck in an album. Historic buildings are buried in age-old quarters of the city that have yet to be tamed and made tourist-friendly.
October
Mexico City, MexicoMexico City's climate is temperate year round, though it can get a little nippy at night from November to February. During this period, because of thermal inversion, air pollution is often at its heaviest. Jacarandas bloom from February to March, and either month would probably be preferable to April, when the city can become unpleasantly dusty and polluted. Though the city will sweep you up at any time of the year, the holiday periods of Semana Santa and Christmas to New Year are particularly jovial, busy times to visit. October may be the pick of the months: the rains of summer have abated, everything is still green, smog is at its lowest levels, and the Day of the Dead provides a real highlight. Many Mexicans do their holidaying in July or August. Mexico City is the world's third-largest metropolis (only Tokyo and NYC are bigger).
Mexico's best and worst ingredients are all here: music and noise, brown air and green parks, colonial palaces and skyscrapers, world-renowned museums and ever-spreading slums. one moment the city is all Latin beats, glamour and excitement; the next it's drabness, poverty, suffocating crowds and rancid smells. In spite of the negatives, Mexico City is a magnet for Mexicans and visitors alike. You certainly won't be bored in this complex city.
November
Melbourne, Australia
With the northern states taking the brunt of tourism down under, Melbourne is a best-kept secret year round. The shoulder seasons are the gems. While Melbourne's spring is a sight to behold, with multitudes of gardens in bloom and the festive Spring Racing Carnival heralding summer, any local will tell you that mid-autumn sees Melbourne at its most resplendent. A sturdy coat never goes astray at this time, but a little cold is worth bearing for the strolls through the amber and ochre parks. Melbourne is dubbed marvellous for a reason.
Healthy hedonism masquerades as high art: Melburnians are equally passionate about football and ballet, fashion and restaurants. They are ravenous for music and hot for theatre. It's a smorgasbord of a city that you'll want to sink your teeth into. A leafy bayside community on the 'upside-down', brown Yarra River, Melbourne is, in turns, cosmopolitan, suburban, cultivated, conservative and a haven for the avant-garde. Visitors come for its shopping, restaurants, nightlife and sporting calendar, and most agree that it's one of the world's most liveable cities.
December
Hong Kong, China
Weatherwise, October, November and most of December are the best months to visit Hong Kong; the skies are clear and the sun shines. The June to August heat/rain combo might push your endurance but there's a lot of sunshine and, after all, it's summer.
Hotels tends to offer substantial discounts outside the high seasons of March-April and October-November. Travel can be difficult during Chinese New Year in late January/early February. Hong Kong has the big city specials like cultures, happenings, 15.2 million elbows and an insane love of clatter. But it's also efficient, hushed and peaceful: the transport network is excellent, the shopping centres are sublime, and the temples and quiet corners of parks are contemplative oases.
The best thing about being in Hong Kong is getting flummoxed and fired by the confluences and contradictions of a Chinese city with multi-Asian and Western elements. It's about savouring new tastes, weaving through a human gridlock and humming some Canton pop tune while slurping your noodles.
 *JK Paradise now operates with over 50 leading brands across Asia and Europe, including Spa Associations, Spa Brands, Octopus, an online travel portal; Galileo, a global distribution system (GDS); GTA, a wholesaler of global travel content and Hostel World, a wholesaler of hostels around the world.
All photos courtesy of their respective owners and creators. Copyright 2006 JK Paradise Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to The Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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