Colombia

Layers are your friend. Colombia's temperatures vary massively depending on altitude and region, so you could be in a cool mountain city one day and sweating on a Caribbean beach the next. Pack lightweight clothes, a warmer layer, a waterproof jacket and decent walking shoes. If you're heading into the jungle or mountains, you'll want to add a few more destination-specific bits too.

It's exactly what it sounds like: mountains, coffee plantations, colourful towns and plenty of very good coffee. The Coffee Cultural Landscape covers parts of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, with popular stops including Salento, Filandia and the Cocora Valley. It's a brilliant place to slow things down for a few days and see a different side of Colombia.

I'd give yourself at least two weeks for a decent taste of the country, but three to four weeks gives you much more breathing room. Colombia is bigger and more geographically varied than it looks on a map, so don't try to cram everything into one trip.

Colombia is a year-round destination, but the generally drier periods are December to March and July to August. That said, the weather varies massively by region, so there's no single perfect time for the whole country. The Caribbean coast tends to be sunnier from December to April, while the Amazon, Andes and Pacific coast all have their own weather patterns. If you're planning a longer trip, it's worth checking the conditions for each region you're visiting rather than relying on one national forecast.