Summer highlights for this year include Copenhagen’s music festival Distortion, Peru’s Festival of the Sun and gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Here's where to go and when. Flick through our photo gallery above to learn about which places to visit.
June: Bali, Copenhagen and Peru
Bali has year-round appeal, but the summer months are when the weather is driest and the days are sunniest. It's also when the Bali Arts Festival kicks off. Starting on June 16, the month-long cultural celebration of music and art sees the streets of Denpasar transformed into a hive of activity. If cooler climes are more your bag, head to Copenhagen where music festival Distortion wraps up in early June. By day, revel in free street parties, crowd-surfing sessions and street food aplenty, then get ready for nightfall, when it's all about the music. Expect some of the biggest names in electronic on the decks. With June marking the start of the dry season, it's a great time to visit Peru. In Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, the Festival of the Sun takes place on June 24, drawing thousands of people to celebrate the winter solstice.
July: Wimbledon, Honolulu and Mauritius
Over in the UK, attention turns to Wimbledon – a decidedly British spectacle. Commencing on July 1, the world's oldest tennis championship is all about on-court action, strawberries and cream, and a spot of royal mingling and celebrity spotting. Over on the other side of the pond, July 4 celebrations take place across the United States. Avoid the mainland and head for Hawaii's Honolulu to party tropical-style amid a frenzy of fireworks, hula dancing and island vibes. The fireworks displays at Ala Moana Beach Park are consistently rated as some of the best in the country. Feeling energetic? Go off the beaten track in Mauritius by signing up for the annual Ultra Trail Raidlight, taking place from July 28 to 29. This running event winds through fields, forests, mountains and beaches, covering anything from 10 kilometres to 100 kms. Recover at the first all-inclusive five-star resort in Mauritius, the Shandrani Beachcomber Resort and Spa.
August: Edinburgh, Portugal, Rwanda, and Munnar
If you can handle the crowds, Edinburgh's Festival Fringe, running since 1947, is a must-do. For three weeks starting August 2, the Scottish capital will be an explosion of creative energy that coincides nicely with the military prowess of the marching bands, pipes, drums and acrobats on show at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Elsewhere in Europe, Portugal basks in its warmest months but savvy travellers are headed for Evora in the country's south, where wind-dusted conditions render it perfect for a summer walking trip. Explore one of Portugal's most beautifully preserved medieval towns, and stay at the Tivoli Evora Ecoresort for conscious-free luxury lodging. Head south of the equator to Rwanda where the dry season is in full swing, meaning only one thing: epic gorilla-trekking experiences. Head west to the recently opened One&Only Nyungwe House in the heart of the African rainforest, where chimpanzee and colobus monkey experiences await. Closer to home, August brings Indian monsoons, but that doesn't mean the subcontinent is off the cards. Head to Munnar in Kerala for misty tea gardens and rolling plantations that glow implausibly green at this time of year. Spend your days trekking to ancient temples and visiting the nearby Attukad Waterfall.
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