The best places to visit in December 2023

Guatemala may be called the Land of Eternal Spring, but that doesn’t mean the weather is spring-like all year round.

This past year has been a time of regeneration, renewal and reckoning for travelers and the travel industry alike.

San Juan, the rainbow-hued capital of Puerto Rico, is a vibrant hub for music, food, and culture, and the best way to explore is to roam its fascinating, fun-filled neighborhoods.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Norm Bour, a 69-year-old nomad who prefers ferry travel. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Over the past couple of years, Puglia has become one of Italy's trending destinations—but there is more to the region than just photo-worthy locations. Puglia is home to numerous folkloric traditions, ancient histories and diverse landscapes, from the dramatic coastline along the Parco Nazionale del Gargano to the scattered trulli in the Valle d’Itria and the crystalline beaches of Salento. It’s truly difficult to narrow down the best things to do in Puglia, but the following 11 are the most spectacular experiences you need to consider on your next trip.

There’s been a rockslide somewhere in the Maurienne Valley, deep in the French Alps. By the time I’m due to set off on an intricately planned, early autumn European rail trip from London to Athens, nearly a week has passed since the incident. My intended path through France, Italy and then on to Greece via sea had relied on a connection from Lyon to Milan passing directly through this region. Now the route is out of action and it could be months before the railway tracks are dug out from the rubble. Initially, I’m irate. En route to the Eurostar terminal at London’s St Pancras at 6.30am, however, I encourage myself to think differently.

For some families, visiting Walt Disney World during the holidays is a major bucket-list item, and, according to Jill Knonenborg, a travel agent who specializes in Disney destinations, it is the best season to visit.

While Instagram has long been the hotspot for influencers posting their luxurious travels to faraway destinations, TikTok is slowly dominating this space. The hashtag for "travel" videos has amassed over 220 billion views.

Lonely Planet, a leader in the travel industry best known for its blue-spined guidebooks, just released its annual Best in Travel report. 

An island that lures with its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, Bali is a destination that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. Known for its rice terraces, lush jungle, sandy beaches and Hindu temples, it offers a plethora of experiences and appeals to a range of travelers — from surfers and yogis to honeymooners, families and spiritual seekers.

Picture it: After years of fantasizing and months of planning, you finally arrive at the destination you've always dreamed about. Except, it's just not how you pictured it.

While accepting one of the many Oscars he received for the film Parasite at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020, South Korean director Bong Joon Ho advised that Americans would do well to “overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles” in order to discover an even broader swatch of amazing films than already available at our fingertips. Indeed, subtitles are nothing to be afraid of—but that doesn’t mean the movies they caption can’t be scary themselves. Amongst our editorial staff, in fact, there’s a consensus that foreign horror productions are actually much more terrifying than those produced stateside—bolder, bloodier, darkly funnier, and more haunting for their willingness to leave questions unanswered.