By Caitlin Etherton
June 21 marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and vacation season is in full swing—with plenty of destinations to choose from, no matter your style or speed. To make decision time go as smooth as that beachside sangria, take a look a published in June our list of 2018’s best summer trips.
The National Geographic, in a very interesting article by Caitlin Etherton, published in June, made a list with the best summer destinations 2018. Among the mentioned are the Yousemite, Island, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Masai Mara (in Africa), Lebanon, Southern Indonesia, Borneo and two South American dream destinations, of which she says:
Ilha Grande
Brazil’s Ilha Grande may only be a 15-minute boat ride from Jacareí (or a roughly hour-long ferry from Rio), but its 106 quiet beaches, musical rainforests, and car-free streets feel a world away. Most of the island is protected within Ilha Grande State Park, meaning the jungle hikes to Lopes Mendes Beach offer sightings of many endangered tropical species, including maned sloths, brown howler monkeys, and the red-browed amazon parrot. Stay in a breezy pousada, drink passionfruit caipirinhas lagoon-side, or visit one of the island’s over 30 restaurants for a bowl of traditional shrimp moqueca—a bright stew of fresh seafood steeped in coconut milk and palm oil.
PERU
Peru enjoys its dry season from May through October, meaning clear skies and sun are likely for Inti Raymi, one of the biggest festivals in South America. Every year, the climax of the festival falls on June 24: Hundreds of dancers in handwoven ponchos descend on Cusco to sing, burn fires, and call upon the Sun God in a stunning day-long ritual that has been performed since the early Incan empire. If crowds in the thousands-plus unnerve you, an August trip to similar, smaller festivals in Wiracochapamp and Huamachuco promise firework displays, fewer tourists, and equally colorful turco and campesino performances.
