This article originally appeared in Lonely Planet.

As we look forward to 2022, 365 days of epic adventures, cultural experiences, foodie forays and wondrous wildlife encounters stretch out before us. But it can be hard to know where to kick off the year of travel. 

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or information, Lonely Planet has done the legwork for you, answering the travelers' perennial question: where to go when. While the ongoing and ever-evolving travel restrictions due to COVID-19 remain, these are some of the top passport-fillers for January to inspire your travels or add to your bucket list. 

Where are the best places to visit in January for wildlife and nature?

Poland 

In Poland’s wintry wildernesses, it’s time to put down the smartphone and tap into your primal intuition on an expedition tracking wolves, bison and elk footprints through the snow. 

Antarctica 

At the end of the world in Antarctica temperatures "soar" to freezing point (or a little above) and near-permanent daylight mean endless, warm days (well, it’s all relative) for catching sight of the sprawling penguin colonies with their newly-hatched chicks, seal pups and whales as well as sailing between gargantuan icebergs twinkling in the sunlight.

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