Best places to go for a holiday in August

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PERU

Why you should go: It's winter in Peru, the driest time of year and the best time to visit Cusco and Machu Picchu. Peru does, however, have plenty of other fabulous sights, including Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon, nicknamed the ''Valley of Wonders'' for its plunging gorges, green valleys, snow-capped volcanoes and desert landscapes.

Don't miss: South America's Inca Trail takes four days of high-altitude walking from sub-tropical jungle up through cloud forest and into dazzling Andes scenery, reaching altitudes of 4200 metres in places. Some of the route is along paved paths laid by the Incas a half-millennium ago, and you'll pass several Incan ruins, but the highlight is the arrival at legendary Machu Picchu. See peru.travel

See also: The Peruvian city that's just like one of Europe's finest

MONGOLIA

Why you should go: Though it rains in August, temperatures are warm, the grasslands bloom and rivers are at their best. Mongolia is one of the world's great wilderness areas, with magnificent mountain and steppe scenery but a scant population and (for the moment) hardly any tourists. The local culture is best experienced by staying in a yurt, participating in yak tending and meeting eagle hunters.

Don't miss: The Gobi Desert, with its fabulous dune landscapes, camel rides, chance to camp in yurts and occasional Buddhist temples wedged beneath cliffs. The Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs are good spots for hiking. The Gobi also has some excellent dinosaur fossil sites. See mongolia.travel

See also: Mongolia: roving with nomads on rolling plains

POLAND

Why you should go: Poland is best known for lively, history-jammed cities such as Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow, undergoing quite a renaissance in dining and fashion. But when high summer brings warmth and greenery to this part of northern Europe, you're also well-placed to explore a countryside of gentle coastlines, Tatra Mountains (with Zakopane a good base for hiking) and the scattered lakes of scenic Masurian Lake District.

Don't miss: August is festival season, so take your pick. Pol'and'Rock (polandrockfestival.pl) in Kostrzyn is Europe's largest open-air festival and features well-known music groups, especially from northern Europe. The OFF Festival in Katowice (off-festival.pl) is a showcase of some 100 alternative music groups. See poland.travel

See also: Why Poland is Europe's next big thing

CITIES

BERLIN, GERMANY

Why you should go: Berliners love the outdoor life, and August is the perfect time for kicking back in parks, bar terraces, beer gardens and on the deckchairs that dot the riverbanks. Street parties, open-air concerts and festivals enliven the city, and the capital's infamous nightlife never seems to stop.

Don't miss: The vast Tiergarten is a huge green space that encompasses meadows, lakes, meandering paths and great areas of lawn. With more than 20 kilometres of leafy walks, it's just the place to relax before throwing yourself back into city life. A corner is taken up by Berlin Zoo (zoo-berlin.de), notable for its giant pandas. The park is also scattered with monuments; clamber up the Victory Column for fine views. See visitberlin.de

See also: Top 10 reasons why Berlin is Europe's coolest city

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

Why you should go: The Northern Territory's best time of year brings dry, cooler weather and the emergence of the must-experience Thursday and Saturday evenings Mindil Beach Sunset Market (mindil.com.au). It's also Darwin Festival time (darwinfestival.org.au), with theatre, music, art exhibitions and pop-ups bars and dining. You can also take in the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (darwinaboriginalartfair.com.au).

Don't miss: Darwin Waterfront Precinct (waterfront.nt.gov.au) is the city's recreation zone, with artificial beaches, playgrounds, swimming pool and a good choice of restaurants. Walk out around the wharf to RFDS Tourist Facility (rfdsdarwin.com.au) for an overview of the history of both the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the World War II bombing of Darwin. See northernterritory.com

See also: Top food in the Top End

TAIPEI, TAIWAN

Why you should go: Although hot and humid, August is a great month for festivals in Taipei, which include the Fringe Festival (fringefestival.taipei), the music- and culture-oriented Riverside Festival, and the Arts Festival (artsfestival.taipei). The National Palace Museum (npm.gov.tw) is the world's greatest repository of Chinese culture, and the city's fabulous street markets and street food are also worth a journey.

Don't miss: To keep cool in the summer heat, try baobing, a traditional snack of shaved ice and various fruits, especially watermelon and mango. Elaborate versions are topped with wafers, sweetened peanuts, marshmallows, various syrups, condensed milk or sugarcane juice, and have hip contemporary names such as ''strawberry blizzard'' or ''mango avalanche''. See travel.taipei

See also: Twenty reasons to love Taipei

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Why you should go: August sees Geneva's lakeshore promenades at their best, psychedelic with flowerbeds and offering fine views across Lake Geneva to the French Alps. A giant summer Ferris wheel set up in the Jardin Anglais is a romantic way to appreciate the city's setting, and is surrounded by a mini village of chalets dishing up Swiss food and wine.

Don't miss: Geneva's famous water jet soars 140 metres above the lake. Seven tons of water are aloft at any one time to create the spectacle. The fountain's location on the lake's edge, surrounded by promenades and nearby manicured parks, makes it the perfect destination for a stroll. Nearby Parc Le Grange has a fabulous summer rose garden. See geneve.com

See also: Unwind in Geneva's hippest suburb

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Why you should go: You get the best of Scottish weather, and the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival (edfringe.com) runs all month, offering a smorgasbord of more than 3300 shows across 300 venues, featuring everything from theatre and dance to circus and comedy acts. The equally famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (edintattoo.co.uk) is also in July, and celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Don't miss: The National Museum of Scotland (nms.ac.uk) provides an eclectic collection of steam locomotives, dinosaurs and the original cloned sheep Dolly, suitably stuffed for posterity and testament to the ongoing inventiveness of Scotland's scientists. The National Galleries (nationalgalleries.org) hold works by the European greats but have a particularly interesting section on Scottish painters. See edinburgh.org

See also: Best places to visit in July

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