Destinations for this July (part 1)
The month of June is well underway so it’s the best time there is to start looking at destinations for this July, in case June is still a work month. July is a great chance to savour the special atmosphere of Ramadan in some parts of the world, or party while in others, whether it’s beaches, lakes or parks.
Iceland
During the month of July, an Icelandic day will last up to twenty hours and the weather is positively mild – at least for Icelandic standards. This means that you will be visiting during peak tourist season, when the big attractions like the Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik are quite busy, but the warmer weather means that usually frozen roads are open, so this makes it a great time to explore Iceland’s very elemental wilderness.
This is a great destination for outdoorsmen, because the fjords, glaciers, lava fields, meadows and countless small islands are wonderful for hiking, cycling, horseback riding and kayaking. One interesting destination to check out during July is Hornstrandir – an uninhabited peninsula, one of Europe’s last great wildernesses or you might want to venture into the deep interior and reach Kerlingarfjoll via the Kjolur route.
The Middle East
We can’t talk about visiting the Middle East during July without mentioning the fact that there are several sources that would advise you to avoid travel to Muslim-majority regions during the holy month of Ramadan, but that might not be necessary.
Between late June and late July, the majority of Muslims will be fasting between dawn and dusk as a sign of their dedication to Islam and this means that the entire atmosphere and pace of the region changes rather dramatically, at least from a traveller’s perspective, making it a fascinating time to visit.
There a wonderful communal mood of spirituality during the day and celebration during the nights when you’ll find yourself invited to lavish Iftar meals or hanging out in an enormous Ramadan tents where you can snack, smoke shisha and play games until the small hours.
