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Summer heat is upon us and with it come unpleasant heat waves and lots of sweating. There are many ways to escape the summer heat, but most just choose to go to the beach or a local pool to cool off.
If you want something more exciting than that, you’ve come to the right place! After all, not everybody enjoys overcrowded pools and expensive drinks. There are plenty of locations you can visit that still have acceptable temperatures and interesting sights to see. Guest bloggers, Agness and Cez of eTramping.com, offer five of them starting with South Africa.
#1 Cape Town, South Africa
Since South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, you can enjoy long sunny days without wishing you had a block of ice to hug. June and July are basically South Africa’s winter, so if you want to escape the summer heat – it makes for a great destination.
Just remember to bring a light waterproof jacket. While South African winters aren’t cold and dreary like in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re still bound to catch some warm, rainy days. Summer is the best season to view the wildlife in this wondrous country. and Table Mountain National Park is perfect to explore.
From atop the mountain, you can view the whole city, Robben Island, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, and Devil’s Peak. What makes for an impressive sight from below is the mist that often gathers up at the peaks. While you’re in South Africa, keep in mind not to dress too “touristy.” You might run into trouble with some of the locals in different townships if you flash your wealth around.
#2 Isle of Skye, Scotland
The United Kingdom is always a great place to escape the summer heat. British weather is cloudy and rainy almost half of the time, and summer is no different. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from visiting this stunning piece of natural landscape in Scotland. It’s especially perfect for those who enjoy hiking but don’t necessarily like the heat.
Visit the fields of Faerie Glen, the cold and clear waters of Fairy Pools, all the way down to the landslip of Quiraing, whose heart-quickening beauty can’t be captured on camera. Dunvegan Castle and its gardens are also nice if you visit when it’s not raining.
Sadly, despite all the folksy names, you won’t encounter any pixie people. The entire isle is still a magical place to be in and there’s a way you can catch the obligatory summer beach fun. Take a trip down to the Claigan Coral Beach for some spectacular views. Don’t forget your jacket, though – the wind can be deeply chilling.
#3 Machu Picchu, Peru
If the herds of sheep in Scotland aren’t your cup of tea, maybe you’ll enjoy being photo bombed by the Llamas in Machu Picchu. The summer heat is easy to escape in this ancient Inca city high up in the Andes. You might need some time to adjust to the altitude, but once you do this land of mystery holds much to explore.
A guide might be necessary to get the full experience, but you can travel it solo just as well. Machu Picchu is home to many ruins like the Temple of the Sun, the Moon Temple, the Temple of the Three Windows, and others. After you’re done exploring the area up close, there’s one more thing you need to do. Conquer Huayna Picchu peak and admire the expansive mountain layout.
#4 Reykjavik, Iceland
If you google pictures of Reykjavik you’d swear the city was made out of Legos! Neatly aligned and colorful houses will greet you in the cozy (albeit cold) capital of Iceland. This is where you should go if you’re completely serious about wanting to escape the summer heat. It’s always cold here, but the sights are something to behold.
Reykjavik is a great place to have as your “headquarters” in the country. From there you can go on Arctic cruises to view the Northern Lights, whale watching, wildlife spotting, and other activities. Tours can also lead you to geysers, volcanoes, and ice caves. In no time you’ll see how diverse the geological formations in Iceland are.
Now, while you’re in the city, consider visiting the flea market, Kolaportid – which is located down by the harbor. You can find all sorts of trinkets and souvenirs here without having to spend a fortune.
The list could go on, but we’d rather not spoil everything for you. There are so many interesting places to visit in Iceland – you’d be amazed just how much natural beauty is hiding on this island at the end of the world.
#5 Denali National Park, Alaska, U.S.A.
What better way to escape the summer heat than by going on a trip to Alaska? Here you’ll be able to admire the tallest mountains in North America while doing some wildlife spotting. Grizzly bears, moose, wolves, caribou, and other majestic creatures live their lives in this clean and well-preserved park.
Go canoeing and have a picnic afterward. Summer really brings out the natural beauty of Alaska in ways you can’t imagine. Just remember that most of the park is tundra. If you were expecting lush forests, you need to head further south and into Southeast Alaska.
Heads up – Only tour buses are allowed to go past mile 15 in the park. If you were planning on renting out a motorhome to visit the park, that might inconvenience some of you. Still, there are plenty of opportunities to take some excellent photographs and enjoy yourself.
How Do You Escape the Summer Heat?
Are you just an average Joe/Jane that goes to the pool, sipping a cold beverage? Or do you enjoy visiting an exciting place once in a while? Tell us your story in the comments! We’d like to hear about some of the interesting locations you’ve traveled to cool off and have some fun.
Many thanks to Agness and Cez of etramping.com for this sponsored post.
Do you find that you only visit your best hometown spaces when you have company?!
I`m so happy that the family is in town to remind me of the joy of living in San Diego,
(Even during our chilly May Gray days.)
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Rockabilly at a local haunt,@thecordovabar Never know who`s playing, but it`s always a good time.
I like to watch. My @twoleftfeet tap on the sidelines
Have a great Memorial weekend.
And thank you for your service.
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Morning in magnificent Edfu.
Here, the Pharoahs celebrated and prepared offerings. The god Horus protected. Isis ruled with compassionate justice.
Today, the temple was hot, noisy with excitement and wonder, but the power of this space endures.
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Weekend break from regular programming...
Attended the final tour concert of Half.Alive at the Los Angeles Wiltern.
What a masterful show and great crowd!
I discovered they were from Long Beach (a formative place for me.) Then they blew me away when I stumbled across their first Jimmy Kimmel performance well before the Big Pause. This was my 3rd show, and the night was so well curated, such fun - start to finish.
What favorite local band have you followed for years?
Thanks to @alongcomesmary26 for joining me!
A few moments of bites and sips in Aswan, Egypt.
See all the Egypt food experiences on YT:
https://youtu.be/Wg3ee83-MYU
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I found a few moments to myself in Karnak Temple.
Tourism is back, and the heat is rising, but go, just go.
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#travelwritersuniversity #templearchitecture #gratitudedaily
The most beautiful train station - Cairo`s central. It`s full of symbolic shapes on a scale that complements the country`s history.
I didn`t need a ride. This was the destination.
#visitegypt #tripwellgal #traveltuesday #travelwriterscafe #egyptseraitravel
I`ve waited a lifetime...many actually....
Egypt, Day 1 - Cairo
Many thanks to @egyptseraitravel for masterfully arranging everything.
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I’m actually excited to say that I’ve been to all of the 5! And totally agree that they are great places to avoid the summer heat. Destinations which have a really nice mild temp, because I’m like the goldilocks bears lol I like it not too hot but not too cold – has to be juuuuust right :D!
Reykjavik was probably my favorite destination, we took a car and road tripped through Iceland for a week – was the perfect temperature, and we enjoyed the midnight sun which means the days never ended!
You are so intrepid and experienced. Of course, you’ve seen them! Reykjavik has been pulling me for a long, long while and I love the midnight sun from my days in Alaska.
Be right back, I have five flights to book! Haha, I would love to fly off to any of these locations right about now. Even though summer is winding down, it’s still fairly hot and humid, so any of these cities would be a nice break from this weather.
Hope the booking went well, Kim!
Literally every place mentioned here is somewhere I really want to go. (I’m scottish and have never been to Skye, a travesty!) What a great list!
There are so many spots across my county and state that I’ve yet to see as well. Keep going!
These are great suggestions. I actually know someone who just did Denali National Park this summer, and she’s definitely agree. Honestly, I want to visit all of these places, but I think Reykjavik and Cape Town are at the top right now. We just exited a major heat wave, and I know there will be more. I’ll keep these in mind for our next escape!
Thank, Patricia. Any time you pick just five places in the world for any list there are so many, just as worthy, spots omitted. I hope you get to visit these few.
What a great list and how sad I am that I haven’t made it to any of these places yet. Hopefully I will get there soon.
You have time! I hope you do get to some of these eventually.
All the places look amazing on your list! It’s basically summer all year round in Singapore so we pretty much like to get away any time of the year 😉 I’m particularly excited about trying Iceland or Cape Town! Gotta get down to planning my holidays in 2018 so thanks for the suggestions!
I hadn’t realized that about Singapore! Yes, I hope you get to visit somewhere cooler eventually.
Aww man, we would love to visit every single one of these cities! We are actually trying to go to Machu Picchu, but in May-June. Agness and Cez did a great job with this list – great idea too!
Scotland is an amazing way to escape the heat! The windy areas will keep you cool
I look forward to finding out myself one day!
The Scottish isle is definitely addition to my knowledge. I loved Capetown and Iceland. Also posted a detailed post on Iceland recently,
Those are three I’ve yet to visit. Can’t wait.
Cape Town’s “winter” is cool enough to provide an escape from the heat, but it is still warm enough … great list!
Thanks, Brent. I hope to test your opinion one day.
You certainly picked some gorgeous destinations to escape the heat! I’ve not been to South Africa or Scotland (although, I’m hoping to be in Scotland escaping the heat next summer), but I can speak for last three destinations! They’re perfect places to beat the heat and do some seriously awesome exploring! I went to Iceland in the winter, so I’m hoping to explore it in the gorgeous days of long sunlight on my next visit there!
Iceland looms large on my bucket list too. Thanks, Paige.
These are all on my bucket list — especially the Isle of Skye and Iceland. My daughter just went to Scotland and traveled with cinemetographer and drone pilot Chris Newman (apparently he’s famous!) and he let her use his drone footage in the blog post she wrote for me. One look at that video, and I was totally sold. In case, you want to see it, too, it’s at http://www.postcardsandpassports.com/scotland-simply-stunning/ Otherwise, just edit out the link.
Sounds like she had quite an opportunity. Thanks, Tami
Thank you, my dear, for this opportunity to write about some of the most inspiring places that we have or will be visiting soon. Reykjavik is definitely worth checking out this winter. Greetings from sunny Gdańsk. 🙂
Thanks, Agness. You’ve inspired many with this list.
Love these suggestions. Would love to escape to Cape Town right now. DC gets ridiculously hot in the summer, these are great choices.
Cape Town would be wonderful to explore right now for certain. I don’t envy you being in the D.C. humidity.
Wish I could go to all the places you listed above since I stay in a furnace – Delhi. Thankfully i am off to Ireland and Scotland next month. And I am planning to visit the fields of Faerie Glen.
I can’t even imagine living in Delhi! Would love to see it one day. Glad to hear you’re escaping the heat and crowds soon.
Really spectacular vistas in all the pictures you have chosen for this post. Alaska has been haunting us for a few years now and given a choice from among these destinations, Alaska is what we would pick.
Alaska is truly spectacular. I lived in SE for several years and the beauty still haunts my dreams.
Great list!! Reyk would be a great place to go this time of year, since it’s so mild. Fantastic other destinations, though. Isle of Skye sounds amazing!
The Isle of Skye does sound perfectly wonderful, doesn’t it? I’m looking forward to a mild fall in Southern California after weeks in steamy Palau.
I’m English and we don’t, in general, do well in the heat. If it is over 25 degrees for more than a few days, all we can do is moan about it. I’m currently in British Columbia and this summer has seen some brutal heat. Roll on Fall and the cooler temps so I can go hiking.
My constitution doesn’t handle heat well either but I love diving in tropical places – always a toss up. Hope your fall arrives soon.
My favorite summer escape is Cape Cod. It’s just a wonderful place to visit albeit a bit expensive. One of my bucket list items it to explore the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Never made it over to that side of the country.
I’ve only glimpsed Cape Cod as a child so you’ve got me there. Would love to explore the East Coast more and definitely more of the Isle of Skye.
Iceland has been on my bucket list for a long time. There’s so much to do there. I wish to make it there next year and check off some activities such as whale watching and viewing the northern light!
I’m with you and would love to see Iceland’s Northern Lights. I wonder how the solar flares have affected them.
I’m with you and would love to see Iceland’s Northern Lights. I wonder how the solar flares have affected them.
Great tips for those who wish to escape the summer heat and for those of us who come from the tropics too haha..because sometimes the high humidity can get a bit much for us 🙂 #TheWeeklyPostcard
I always imagined the tropical humidity would be easier for locals! Thanks for dropping by, Kat.
All of these are lovely places to getaway from the summer heat. But I would say these places are good to go any time of the year. Machu Picchu and Iceland are places we would like to explore. For us these places are the stuff that our dreams are made of and we hope we get there someday.
I so loved seeing the splendor of Machu Picchu and Iceland is, yes, the stuff of dreams.
So many nice places in here. I will not mind escaping the heat in any of these places. I went to Reykyavik on May and the weather was nice and cool. So, agree it is an ideal place for those who prefer template climates (like my husband). #WeekendWanderlust
I love to mix it up and sample different climates but, like your husband, prefer more temperate spots.
Wow I love this list! The Isle of Skye, Iceland and Alaska are all on my bucket list! Last summer we did Prince Edward Island off the coast of eastern Canada and it had amazing temps and beaches that are not crowded. Well worth it!
I’ve always wanted to visit Prince Edward. Love the NW so much.
This is a wonderful list and I’ve done just that for two of them: Denali and Reykjavik. Now I must do the other three!
So cool (literally) that you’ve been to Denali. That mountain was a life-changer for me. Reykjavik is so colorful.
I would pick Iceland. That is my dream destination.
Iceland is one of those iconic places. I so hope that global warming allows the beauty to continue.
There are some fantastic ideas here. Thank you! Personally I can’t tolerate too much heat and prefer to travel out of the main holiday season. I don’t mind a bit of bad weather for some stunning scenery and interesting things to do but it can be tricky choosing the ideal spot – the post and pics are inspiring and I’ve added a few destinations to my list!
You and I have a lot in common with juggling the pluses and minuses of independent travel. Thinner crowds, a bit of rain and natural beauty work for me.
Love these wonderful destination suggestions. I have been to a couple and want to visit the others. If I am stuck is a really hot place, I usually like to cool off with some ice cream.
Got me giggling, Mr. McCool. Ice cream works just about anytime.