Where to go on holiday in August: 27 top destinations
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Time for the final hurrah, folks, now that peak sunshine’s approaching. Make the most of the dazzling days – if ever there was a month to take a chance on the English seaside, this is it. Europe’s jam-packed, of course, but one can still take refuge in a handful of heavenly secret spots, even in the South of France. To soak up some sun without having to endure the scorching heat, see our guide to where is not too hot in August. Intrepid adventurers might head for the Arctic, however. Meanwhile, festivals are drawing eager crowds everywhere from Wiltshire to Papua New Guinea. And, no matter how busy your destination might be, there’s always a way to visit more sustainably. Here are 27 ideas for rounding off the summer in style.
Getty ImagesBodrum, Turkey
Temperature: 34° high; 24° low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 4 hours
Time difference: BST+2It’s all happening along the Bodrum Peninsula right now. The azure waters off these sandy shores are no stranger to sleek superyachts, but in recent years they have arrived in their droves between May and October. The rich and famous zoom over for long lunches in Maçakızı and terra firma stays at the hottest hotels, from Mandarin Oriental to the newly-opened Maxx Royal Bodrum. August temperatures are better for lazy beach days than exploring, but a long afternoon or two is enough to tick off key attractions such as Bodrum Castle and The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus – a now-ruined wonder of the ancient world. Navigate high-class hotspots like the boutiques of Yalıkavak Marina or Göltürkbükü’s promenade, or tuck into seafood feasts in charming fishing villages such as Gümüşlük surrounded by animated locals.
Where to stay: Lujo Hotel Bodrum is a dreamy resort near Güvercinlik ideal for families looking to entertain little ones while enjoying all the picturesque region has to offer. For a more adult-only feel, Maçakızı is one of the most notorious spots in town, complete with a sparkling beach club that has attracted countless stars over the years.
Getty ImagesZakynthos, Greece
Temperature: 33°C high; 21°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 3 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: BST+2Leave the southern shore to the package-holiday people and explore the Greek islands’ best-kept secret: Zakynthos’ splashy side. One of the stars here is the all-suite Olea hotel: all whitewashed minimalism, dangling rattan pod seats and natural, earthy tones. It almost blends into the sleepy hillside where it sits, surrounded by jagged mountains, fragrant pine forests and serene, sandy shores. Yes, it sizzles here in August, but that’s what the hotel’s extravagant, lake-like pool is for — not to mention the Ionian’s cooling waves. In fact, in these circumstances, booking one of the Olea’s swim-up suites makes sense.
Where to stay: We love Porto Zante, where you can choose from eight villas, all with five-star facilities, set above a pristine bay of finely raked sand. For a more haute hippie vibe, check out Olea's hard-lined concrete minimalism for yourself. Halcyon Seas is a two-bedroom villa located in the hills above the famous Blue Caves. For something truly special, take over this dreamy tree house hidden within the island's olive trees.
Comporta, Portugal
Temperature: 28°C high; 19°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 2 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: BST+0Everyone knows about the Algarve, Portugal's most popular holiday destination, but fewer have heard of the equally as beautiful and far more laid-back Comporta, on the west coast and about an hour's drive from lovely Lisbon. This is the region of golden-sand stretches of beach, of rice paddies, canals and fields bulging with organic courgettes and broccoli. Having attracted designers, models and high society for years, there's an incredible offering of stylishly designed villas to rent, from pared-back and beachy to glass-walled and decked out with mod-cons. Even in August, Comporta remains blissfully uncrowded; rent a villa, stock up on fresh produce from a roadside seller and spend sunny days wandering down sandy tracks and swimming in the Atlantic swirl
Where to stay: At Campo de Arroz, a family-friendly project that sleeps 10 and makes the most of its views over rice fields. Quinta da Comporta is a smart boutique stay with an emphasis on wellness – think freshly prepared meals from the organic garden and rice-infused spa treatments. If you're looking for something cheap and cheerful, this charming cabin offers a chic getaway with a great location. And it should come as little surprise that hip and ahead-of-the-curve Comporta isn’t short on eco-friendly design hotels. See the Biosphere-certified Sublime: private villas built from sustainable materials; on-site organic garden supplying both restaurant and spa; composting plant; solar heating; and more.
Oliver PilcherIsla Holbox, Mexico
Temperature: 33°C high; 24°C low
Season: wet
Travel time from UK: 10 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: BST-5Ever seen those envy-inducing Instagrams of ‘influencers’ posing in kaleidoscopic hammocks while happily pegged into the soothing shallows of an impossibly emerald sea? They were probably taken on Isla Holbox, a drowsy, barefoot island at the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, long touted as ‘the new Tulum’. Yet Holbox is still so hard to reach that it hasn’t quite lived up to that characterisation: it still has no designer yoga studios or restaurant waiting lists, and its roads remain unpaved. The island can only be reached via passenger ferry from Chiquila, a three-hour drive from Playa del Carmen, which makes it a reliable place for going off-grid. There’s nothing to do but live the simple life of the 2,000 people who reside here year-round. In August, large pods of whale sharks gather offshore, adding yet more natural splendour to a wonderfully quiet scene.
Where to stay: Ser CasaSandra has a brilliant beach bar serving top-notch food. Rooms are packed with locally-made furniture – the best have private balconies and sea views. Another option is Punta Caliza, a whitewashed, thatch-roofed boutique hotel with one of the best pools in town.
Getty ImagesThe French Lakes
Temperature: 25°C high; 12°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 1 hour 40 minutes
Time difference: BST+1The French Riviera and Provence are crazy-busy and crazy-hot from mid July until September. For a breath of fresh air, head instead to the Alpine lakes of Lac de Bourget, Lac D'Annecy and Lac D'Aiguebelette where the waters are just as clear, the food just as French, and the crowds fewer. The lakes are perfect for beach-seekers; at Lac D'Annecy athletic types jet-ski the Mediterranean-blue water, families rollerblade along the shores and the restaurants are far more affordable. There's also something lovely about staying in the mountains; the air is clear and fresh, the surrounding peaks scattered with ancient ruins and the little towns bustle with French provincial life.
Where to stay: Auberge Du Père Bise, a lakeside hangout with one of the region's prettiest swimming pools.
Getty ImagesTurks and Caicos, West Indies
Temperature: 32°C high; 27°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 9 hours 15 minutes
Time difference: BST-5This British overseas territory at the southern tip of the Bahamas might be a favourite of today’s splashiest celebrities (the Kardashians are regularly spotted here), but the Turks and Caicos archipelago has been an under-the-radar, superstar hideaway for some time. Keith Richards, Bruce Willis and Donna Karan all own estates here, as do others drawn by the uncommon allure of a Caribbean-style paradise without crowds. Flawless Grace Bay beach on the island of Providenciales is buzzing with high-end hotels, though those seeking a seriously smart stay head to Amanyara at the opposite side of the island for more seclusion. Or leave behind flashy Providenciales for day trips to the lesser-populated islands, where dazzling white beaches bask in splendid isolation. While August can bring scattered showers, temperatures are high and room rates low(er).
Where to stay: Even Grace Bay has its quiet bits – we like family-friendly West Bay Club or the lush tropical pavilions at Amanyara.
Getty ImagesNorfolk, United Kingdom
Temperature: 22°C high; 12°C low
Season: summer
Time difference: BST+0Britain’s festival season peaks in August, with several of summer’s biggest hitters taking over forests, parkland and even beaches (Wilderness, Green Man, Creamfields and Boardmasters). One attractive weekender is Houghton – the electronic music event curated by legendary London club Fabric’s resident DJ Craig Richards – which will see a top line-up of DJs, sculptures and dazzling light installations set up around the stunning grounds of Norfolk country house Houghton Hall. Come for the party but stay for one of the UK’s very best summer getaways: sipping on North Sea Coffee Company’s third-wave brews as you stroll Cromer’s charmingly retro pier; spotting grey-seal pups in sand dunes at Horsey and Winterton-on-Sea; hiring out one of the colourful beach huts along Wells-next-the-Sea’s shoreline; and, of course, boating the Broads.
Where to stay: The Harper in Langham’s former glass-blowing factory fills a contemporary void in the historic countryside villages of north Norfolk. For a more laidback stay, check in to The Chequers Inn. See our pick of the best hotels in Norfolk for more.
Getty ImagesSibenik and the Kornati Islands, Croatia
Temperature: 31°C high; 21°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 2 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: BST+1Croatia, believe it or not, is still actually an option, even though its picture-perfect medieval cities and extraordinary coastline welcomed 20 million visitors in 2018. And one sometimes suspects that all 20 million turn up in August, when those straight-out-of-a-fantasy-novel fortified towns are bursting at the seams. Thank heavens, then, for Obonjan. This wellness retreat from the team behind the Hideout festival, sprawling across a private island of the same name, got off to a shaky start when it launched in 2016. But the kinks have been completely ironed out, and guests are guaranteed a tempting mix of yoga classes, chill-out music and glamping. Spare some time as well for Sibenik, a short speedboat ride away: a major historic city and a lovely labyrinth of chalk-white stone. A day’s sailing around the Kornati Islands – unpopulated idylls given over to vineyards, orchards, and little else – also supplies some much-needed mellow.
Where to stay: At Obonjan, an islet devoted entirely to glamping that is served by private shuttle boat from Šibenik. Up to 700 glampers stay in its wooden forest lodges and canvas bell-tents under towering pines.
Getty ImagesLlangollen Canal, Wales
Temperature: 20°C high; 12°C low
Season: summer
Time difference: BST +0For a quintessential summer jolly that swerves both busy cities and seasides, a canal-boating trip is ideal. This is self-contained, slow travel at its best: drifting through green and pleasant landscapes aboard your private vessel, with enough room for several generations of family, or else a few friends. Plus, despite the leisurely pace, there’s plenty to keep you occupied: be that the ever-shifting scenery, the pubs that tend to accompany overnight moorings, or attempting to navigate your way through locks. Probably the finest route is along Llangollen Canal, which passes through Cheshire countryside and Shropshire’s little-known lake district, before crossing into Wales and taking a hair-raising route over Pontcysyllte Aqueduct: an iron trough only just wide enough to accommodate your craft, with a sheer 120ft drop on one side. Then breathe a sigh of relief at scenic Horseshoe Falls, before ending at Llangollen, a picture-book-pretty town on the River Dee. Plan for a languid week of floating. Also: if ever there was a time to find good weather in Wales, surely August is your chance. Bear in mind that narrowboats run on diesel engines and use solid-fuel stoves for heating and cooking. Reducing the running time of both these energy sources – ie, using them as efficiently and sparingly as possible – will dramatically improve the craft’s impact on the environment.
Where to stay: Drifters Waterway Holidays can point you to reputable hire companies, instructions included.
Getty ImagesSlovenia, Europe
Temperature: 22°C high; 12°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 2 hours 15 minutes
Time difference: BST+1This country has lately made a name for itself as European Region of Gastronomy 2021, showing off its distinctive wine culture (natural and orange varietals are big here) and established traditions of farm-to-fork dining. But still on the hush-hush side is the Slovenian Riviera, a 30-mile sliver of Adriatic shoreline with all the teal-green ocean and fairy-tale architecture of Croatia’s Dalmatian coast but without the crush of tourists. Even in August, when temperatures linger comfortably in the 20s, there’s little in the way of high-summer stress. Instead, there are the wild strips of sand around scenic seaside village Izola, the splendid isolation of Moon Bay’s cliff-hemmed curve, and no shortage of sophisticated beach hangouts (Barbara), boutique hotels (Memento) and spas (Lepa Vida Thalasso). The weather is also perfect for exploring vineyards, boating on pretty Lake Bled and spending a few active days in the Alps.
Where to stay: At a floating glamping village from the team behind Michelin Plate-awarded Pikol restaurant.
Getty ImagesArachon, France
Temperature: 25°C high; 17°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 1 hour 40 minutes
Time difference: BST+1Forget la dolce vita: come to Arcachon in August and taste la vie Française instead. It doesn’t get much more delightful than this laidback seaside town – just 40 miles from Bordeaux – loved for its golden beaches and age-old oyster farms. There’s little to do but wine, dine and cultivate a tan. Height-of-summer heat a bit much? Hire a bike and tootle along to nearby dinky villages (we like L’Herbe and Le Canon), where the oysters are just as fresh and the wine flows just as freely. Even adventure seekers are catered for: join the surfers barrelling up and down those wild Atlantic waves off Cap Ferret. A day trip to this headland — lately getting a reputation as the ‘Cape Cod of France’ – should be on the cards even if surfing is not your thing. Just a short ferry ride from Arcachon, it offers some of the loveliest bistros imaginable for overdoing the oysters and champagne. Bottoms up.
Where to stay: Further over in Cap Ferret, La Maison du Bassin is a real find in a sleepy fishing village. An elegant beach house with blue shutters, there are just 11 rooms, a leafy terrace and a wonderful bar.
Getty ImagesSvalbard and Vesteralen Archipelagos, Norway
Temperature: 8°C high; 2°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: from 7 hours 40 minutes
Time difference: BST+1Those looking for their next big adventure — and, let’s face it, their next big travel boast – are increasingly turning to Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago halfway between the mainland and the North Pole. The number of cruises making the journey here has rocketed by 20 per cent every year for the past decade, according to officials in the area. The main draw? Polar bears, best viewed in the height of summer, when the ice melts enough to allow ships through. Of course, there’s also the beauty that goes with being one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas: infinite ice fields, pristine snow-cloaked peaks, electric-blue icebergs. If you’re not up for a big expedition, though, try Vesteralen instead. Closer to civilisation, but still wild and isolated, these islands are all forested mountains and immaculate fjords, and offer a near-guarantee you’ll see whales. Exploring Svalbard inevitably involves a cruise ship: hardly well-known for their sustainability. But you can, at the very least, opt for a small-ship cruise, which leaves less of a footprint. Check out Responsible Travel for guidance on small-scale Svalbard voyages that adhere to strict environmental and conservation policies.
Where to stay: At Isfjord Radio, a clapboard hotel set in a former radio and weather station facing Greenland Sea.
Getty ImagesTranslyvania, Romania
Temperature: 29°C high; 18°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 2 hours 50 minutes
Time difference: BST+2In fact, this is a destination fit for a king-in-waiting: the Prince of Wales fell in love with the area on a visit in 1998, and has spent the ensuing years buying and restoring farmhouses intended for holiday rentals, the most elegant of them being his tranquil Zalan Valley nature retreat. Still, Transylvania remains satisfyingly obscure, making it a wonderful place to unplug. Butterfield & Robinson is ahead of the curve with its biking and walking tours, where you’ll stay in UNESCO-listed cottages and sleep in commanding castles. Resist the temptation to visit amid spooky winter gloom – go bask in August’s sunny warmth.
Where to stay: Akasha Wellness Retreat is set among the tree-topped mountains and unspoiled pastures of Piatra Craiului National Park.
Getty ImagesDevon and Dorset, United Kingdom
Temperature: 21°C high; 12°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from London: 1 hour 10 minutes
Time difference: BST+0The best of English seaside and countryside fuse in Devon and Dorset, where a crop of exciting new openings are adding a dash of glamour to the sweeping biscuit-coloured beaches, rolling moorland, fine country houses and even finer cream teas. In Devon, Art Deco marvel the Burgh Island Hotel had a multimillion-pound makeover in 2019, which restored its Thirties heyday as ‘the best hotel west of The Ritz’. Dorset’s Jurassic Coast needs no introduction, but there are some spiffy things happening inland, too: see Abbot’s Court in Winterborne Kingston, a lovely Victorian farmhouse renovated under the patronage of Farrow & Ball, where the locally grown, reared and foraged dishes shoot for Michelin glory and rooms are named for rare-breed pigs.
Where to stay: Gara Rock has incredible views on a craggy clifftop spot near Salcombe in Devon. Or check out our edit of Dorset's best Airbnbs.
Getty ImagesSingapore, Anambas, and Riau Islands
Temperature: 31°C high; 26°C low
Season: wet
Travel time from UK: from 13 hours
Time difference: Singapore BST+8; Anambas and Riau Islands BST+7Singapore has enjoyed new attention since the release of Crazy Rich Asians – and while the flashy city state is more often considered a stopover en route to down under, it makes an even better jumping-off point for a quartet of sensational private islands. Just 150 nautical miles northeast, Pulau Joyo is a beautiful barefoot retreat in the Anambas, where guests stay in ‘driftwood palaces’ sporting an aesthetic you might call Robinson Crusoe luxe. Also in the Anambas, Bawah Reserve’s teak overwater bungalows venture across a trio of remote, protected lagoons. Further east, the Riau Islands offer Cempedak, where two-floor, eco-chic villas have huge decks and spiral staircases; and Nikoi, with its own rainforest alongside bleach-white sands and stilted beach houses. Go get lost.
Where to stay: Before you venture to the islands, stay over at Raffles Singapore, the city state's most famous address and one of the best hotels in the world.
Renato D'AgostinChicago, United States
Temperature: 27°C high; 21°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 8 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: BST-6The Second City comes into its own in summer, when temperatures head for the high twenties, Lake Michigan sparkles and the Loop’s waterside Grant Park bursts into life – and never more so than when the Lollapalooza festival hits. When the music stops, head for Chicago’s buzzing foodie district, Logan Square: The Bakery at Fat Rice’s miso fudge brownies are a revelation, while the Midwest-Mexican small plates at Quiote go down a treat with the bar’s extensive mezcal collection (we loved the wood-fired cabbage with burnt sourdough puree). And yes, The Aviary remains the best bar in town, if not the States. Would you expect anything less of a joint that employs three full-time ice chefs? Exactly. Get on that guest list.
Where to stay: Try The Kimpton Gray in the Loop district, which has brass-trimmed lifts that used to ferry bankers. Following a citywide drive to improve sustainable practices in hospitality, nonprofit organisation Green Seal has certified a number of Chicago hotels, including Kimpton’s swanky Hotel Allegro and the grand InterContinental Chicago.
Getty ImagesEcuador, South America
Temperature: 18°C high; 8°C low
Season: dry
Travel time from UK: 14 hours 10 minutes
Time difference: BST-5For a little country, Ecuador sure packs a punch. You can climb volcanoes, trek the Amazon, surf around the Pacific coast’s sleepy seaside towns, zipline through cloud forest, then dive into Quito, one of South America’s most compelling capitals. You can also experience legitimate ancestral medicine (ayahuasca ceremonies – available at registered centres around Quito – are the real deal). Be sure to dip into the city’s 16th-century Old Town, Latin America’s largest and best preserved. For piscos, it’s got to be Cafe Mosaico, where the terrace view swoops over red rooftops and toward volcanic slopes. Plus, catch cool bands at guerrilla-style gigs (next to a secret lake, in a church) by keeping up with Sesiones al Parque. Yes, August is peak season, but Ecuador doesn’t exactly get packed, and it’s among the driest times of year. Ecuador is much more than a gateway to the Galápagos. It’s a dream destination of its own.
Where to stay: In the Galapagos, eco-hotel Pikaia Lodge is set in a 31-hectare private reserve. Rooms are designed like the bridges of ships and guests have access to the hotel’s day cruises. Ecuador also has an impressively developed network of eco-stays that are well worth seeking out. Among the best-known: Black Sheep Inn, in the heart of the Andes; and Kapawi Ecolodge, which fosters connection with Indigenous peoples in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.
Getty ImagesAmsterdam, Netherlands
Temperature: 22°C; 13°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Time difference: BST+1August is a month bookmarked for fun, and a long weekend in Amsterdam will provide you with enough merriment and wild stories to carry you through the winter. Everything is hyped up in the Dutch city; museums are wacky, weird and downright fascinating, and cafés go from loud and lovely to totally laid-back. Mosey around the tourist areas like Jordaan and the old town and head to the seriously cool East Amsterdam, which is packed with kitsch shops, art galleries and delightful people enjoying a Grolsch in one of the café gardens.
Where to stay Vintage furniture rubs against modern design at The Hoxton Amsterdam, set behind a magisterial canalside façade. For a private stay, see of our edit of the best Airbnbs in Amsterdam.
Getty ImagesPapua New Guinea
Temperature: 28°C high; 18°C low
Season: dry
Travel time from UK: 25 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: BST+10Talk of travel to Papua New Guinea and the word ‘intrepid’ inevitably gets used. In reality, though, the infrastructure is indeed so sparse that visitors have little option but to join an organised tour. Still, though you mightn’t be hacking your own way through primeval rainforest, PNG can’t fail to feel impossibly exotic: a land of steaming volcanoes and remote, pierced-and-feathered tribes. August is undoubtedly the time to visit – the dry season’s in full swing and the country is host to two jaw-dropping cultural carnivals: the Sepik River Crocodile Festival and the Mount Hagen Cultural Show. At the latter, more than 100 communities gather to share traditional costumes, rituals and music: terrifying masked ‘mudmen’, vividly painted chiefs, the eerie skeleton dancers of the Chimbu tribe. Meanwhile, on the Sepik River, clans gather to celebrate their bond with local wildlife – namely, the world’s biggest crocs. Note: because travelling to PNG generally involves group tours, the experience can feel a little more akin to attending a show than engaging with other cultures. Search out small group tours that really focus on interactions with people and customs: Responsible Travel is a good place to start.
Where to stay The famed Rabaul Hotel has been open since the 1950s.
ShutterstockGuyana, South America
Temperature: 31°C high; 23°C low
Season: dry
Travel time from UK: 9 hours 6 minutes
Time difference: BST-5If you’re keen to avoid crowds, you could hardly do better than Guyana. It’s typical to arrive at the country’s top attraction, Kaieteur Falls – the world’s longest single-drop waterfall – and discover you’re the only human for miles. That’s because more than 80 per cent of this English-speaking nation, wedged between Brazil and Venezuela, is blanketed with virgin rainforest: making it both a treasure trove of implausible wildlife and a challenging, final-frontier-like expedition. What Guyana lacks in smart hangouts, it makes up for in bright-blue tarantulas, jaguars and giant anteaters; demanding treks and jungle camps. Early August is a savvy time to land: immediately after the rainy season, when the waterfalls are fullest and the forest at its lushest. At the end of all that adventuring, there’s a party to be had in its happening coastal capital, Georgetown: a distinctly Caribbean-flavoured mix of reggae clubs, crumbling British colonial architecture and lashings of rum.
Where to stay: At Rewa eco-lodge.
Getty ImagesPortland and Seattle, United States
Temperature: 27°C high; 14°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 10 hours 40 minutes
Time difference: BST-8With less than 200 miles between them on Interstate 5, Portland and Seattle have long battled it out to for the title of hippest city on the US west coast. Seattle is the larger of the two and its food scene is incredibly exciting at the moment, with talented chefs and excellent restaurants. Portland is smaller and infinitely more hipster: the tattooed locals are beamingly friendly, and the youthful city has a quirky food scene alive with food trucks and microbreweries.
Where to stay The Ace Hotel Portland is a social hub as much as a hotel, with an industrial-chic aesthetic.
Getty ImagesTanzania, East Africa
Temperature: 30°C high; 20°C low
Season: dry
Travel time from UK: 11 hours
Time difference: BST+3For a big, blow-out beach and safari holiday, Tanzania has it all: game parks packed with wildlife, islands of icing-sugar sand in azure-blue seas and, of course, Kilimanjaro. The weather is at its loveliest in August with the end of the rainy season and none of the stifling summer heat. For an unforgettable experience visit Ruaha and Selous, Tanzania's two largest game parks, which are not only stocked full of wildlife but have plush bush camps and excellent guides, or try the smaller Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria for trekking with chimpanzees. For sun, sea and sand, Zanzibar and the Spice Islands are as gloriously tropical and exotic as their names invoke, and big brands such as Per Aquum are sprucing up Zanzibar's hotel scene with superlux beachfront suites and villas.
Where to stay: At Singita Sabora, the most romantic tented camp on the African plains.
Getty ImagesThe Channel Islands
Temperature: 20°C high; 14°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 1 hour
Time difference: BST+0With their Champagne-coloured sand beaches, cobalt-blue waters and laid-back approach to life, the Channel Islands are compared surprisingly often to the Caribbean. Slightly French, slightly British but completely unique, the islands are perfect for a quick getaway or a week of lolling around on the sand and exploring the quaint seaside villages. Jersey and Guernsey remain charmingly eccentric and twee, with a maritime, riviera-feel to their towns, which bustle with seafood restaurants and harbour cafés; while the smaller islands of Alderney, Herm and Sark are as beguiling as they are beautiful.
Where to stay: The Braye Beach Hotel in Alderney is set above the dunes in a row of 18th-century fishermen's cottages.
iStockEdinburgh, Scotland
Temperature: 18°C high; 11°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from London: 1 hour 25 minutes
Time difference: BST+0Wonderful, beautiful Edinburgh – is there a time of year when it isn't heaven? But by far one of the most fun months is August, when the medieval streets are filled with buskers, artists and actors vying for your attention during Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Every corner of the already raucous city roars with laughter. Wander into a pub down one of the cobbled streets and you might chance upon a little-known genius stand-up show, or head to one of the more famous acts who will be taking up their monthly residency in one of the city's fascinating buildings, from the Central Mosque to Dovecot Studios Ladies Baths. There are brilliant things to do in Edinburgh all year round. Not to mention wonderful options in terms of where to stay.
Where to stay: At Scandi-meets-Scottish bolthole Market Street Hotel, with a rooftop Champagne bar. Another option is The Balmoral, the city's original grand dame hotel, recently refreshed by Rocco Forte Hotels' Olga Polizzi. For more recommendations, see our round up of the best hotels in Edinburgh.
Tara MorganDublin, Ireland
Temperature: 20°C high; 11°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 1 hour 25 minutes
Time difference: BST+0If there's one thing the Irish are famous for, it's their love of a good time, and where better to be wooed by the Emerald Isle's charm than in Dublin? In less than an hour and a half you could be in the fair city, perfect for nipping over to on the bank holiday weekend. History buffs will love the incredible library at The Long Room of Trinity College, literature-lovers should go to Sweny's Pharmacy mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses. Immerse yourself in local culture in the lanes of the so-called creative quarter between Grafton Street and George's Street and grab the best pint of Guinness you will ever taste. If you need a break from the city, Dublin's surrounds are just as gorgeous; hike up Dublin Mountain for amazing views or dive into the icy Irish sea in Dublin Bay.
Where to stay The Mayson has a locally rooted heritage and a 21st-century creative attitude
Getty ImagesBritish Columbia, Canada
Temperature: 22°C high; 14°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 9 hours 35 minutes
Time difference: BST-8This corner of Canada is well-known for its jaw-dropping natural beauty – but Brits often associate the towns and resorts here with ski season. Come in August instead for a fresh look at the mountains and lakes. Cities such as Vancouver embrace the summer months with patio dining and plenty of hiking opportunities, while heading across the Rockies to Lake Louise and Banff rewards travellers with glimpses of truest blue waters. Take the time to explore with Indigenous-led experiences, which connect travellers to the cultures most deeply tied to this land – we named BC one of our top 23 places to visit in 2023 thanks to the growing Indigenous-owned and -operated tourism scene here.
Where to stay: Klahoose Wilderness Resort is a new property with a focus on Klahoose First Nation culture and wildlife viewing.
Getty ImagesWyoming, USA
Temperature: 27°C high; 17°C low
Season: summer
Travel time from UK: 13 hours 10 minutes
Time difference: BST -7This is the least populous state in the USA – a place of vast plains and wide prairies. It's where you'll find the country’s first national park, Yellowstone (it also stretches into neighbouring Montana), as well as Grand Teton National Park, which is defined by the awe-inspiring Teton mountain range. There are things happening here, though: Jackson Hole Valley is home to the eponymous Jackson town. In winter, this is skiing country, but in summer, visitors can take on hiking, horseriding, attend rodeos or camp out in the real wild west.
Where to stay: the Anvil Hotel, a mid-century motel with a great restaurant and affordable rooms.