When: 29 to 31 January

As the Year of the Snake slithers in and the Dragon’s fire and smoke fade, the heartbeat of drums will echo through Hong Kong. Festooned with glowing red lanterns, lion dances and perfumed by bunches of flowers and piles of fruit, the city is swept up in the Lunar New Year festivities, which involve fireworks, much feasting and get-togethers.

The main event? The Chinese New Year Parade gets the revelry started and brings a buzzy street-party vibe to the Tsim Sha Tsui area. You can buy tickets for spectator stands lining the route from the Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Centre in Kowloon.

The dazzling Lunar New Year fireworks explode over Victoria Harbour on the second day of the celebrations. A strong case can be made for watching the spectacular from Michelin-starred French fine-diner Cristal Room, helmed by chef Anne-Sophie Pic, on the 44th floor of the Gloucester Tower in the Central district. The rooftop pool at the brand-new Kimpton Hong Kong also offers stiff competition in the viewing stakes.

When: Late March to early April

South Korea’s cultural impact – K-pop, K-beauty, K-drama – is known as Hallyu (the Korean Wave) and it’s time to ride it. In the neon-lit capital, Seoul, where the pace is dizzying, cherry blossom season welcomes an irresistible, if fleeting, opportunity for calm reflection.

Pilgrims to the Cherry Blossom Festival (beotkkot) have just a few days to witness peak efflorescence. Join the crowds who flock to Yeouido Hangang Park to admire its almost 2000 cherry trees or take a cruise on the Han River and glide past the natural confetti. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms at luxe hotel Signiel Seoul, occupying the 76th to 101st floors of Lotte World Tower, overlook the blushing blossoms that encircle Seokchon Lake.

In Seoul, the local greeting, “Have you eaten?”, is a great question. Here, where innovation is part of the everyday, even the pastries are avant-garde. Desserts at Nudake are, frankly, bonkers – consider the Onion Pickle Burger Cake of sweet onion cream, chocolate cake patty, American cheese and pickle in salty buns – but one taste will dismiss any doubts.

When: 13 April to 13 October

Next year, Osaka will become the first Japanese city to host the World Expo twice – the other was held in 1970. Every five years, nations gather to share their ideas, innovation and technology and this time, participants will ponder the theme Designing Future Society For Our Lives. Yumeshima (Dream Island), a vast 390-hectare area built in Osaka Bay for the Expo, delivers panoramic views from its Grand Ring, an incredible wooden structure that’s 20 metres high and two kilometres around.

The six-month-long exhibition is a tasty side dish to Osaka itself, with its enticing food culture known as kuidaore (“eat until you drop”). Izakaya is non-negotiable if you want to experience the city’s nightlife. Join the after-work crowd at the Osaka Yakiton Center (3-19 Namba-sennichimae, Chuo-ku) for grilled pork skewers and self-pour sake. Binbiya (1-7-26 Sonezaki-shinchi, Kita-ku) gained a Michelin star in 2013 but the plum-simmered sardines are still affordable.

The Four Seasons Hotel Osaka riffs on the Expo theme. It has 21 rooms with tatami sleeping mats, sliding doors and low-slung tables – a modern take on the classic ryokan (inn).

When: 17 May to 8 June

If the extent of your knowledge of Washington, DC begins and ends with Veep, it may come as a surprise that the city is hosting WorldPride 2025. But DC’s compact grid has dual personalities. Yes, it’s the nation’s capital but it’s also a collision point of cultures, on the dividing line between the North and South of the United States, and has the highest per capita LGBTQI+ population in the country.

An extra reason to celebrate is that next year’s WorldPride coincides with the 50th anniversary of DC’s own Capital Pride. An opening ceremony kicks things off, followed by a packed calendar of events, including the WorldPride Parade along  Pennsylvania Avenue.

Diversity is also expressed in a culinary sense. Sample Ethiopian kitfo at Tsehay and pandan lattes at Hiraya then book at mod-Lebanese Ilili for hummus with Maryland blue-crab falafel. Nearby, the new Pendry Washington DC signals that The Wharf precinct has arrived. Rooms look out on the Potomac River and the lift to rooftop drinking den Moonraker has a bar cart, in case you can’t wait to reach the top.

When: 1 to 4 August

The feeling of remoteness takes on a new significance in Arnhem Land, a vast 97,000-square-kilometre wilderness in the north-east corner of the Northern Territory. Owned by the Yolŋu people, the Gove Peninsula is bordered by unspoiled waters, with wetlands weaving through its interior.

Every year, more than 2000 visitors join the region’s population of 16,000 to gather in Gulkula, a 30-minute drive from Nhulunbuy (daily flights here depart Cairns and Darwin) for the Garma Festival, hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation. Tickets for this celebration of traditional Yolŋu manikay (song), buŋgul (dance), miny’tji (art) and yarning come with a tent, an air mattress or stretcher bed, a sleeping bag and all meals during your stay.

After four days of cultural immersion – you can join workshops, forums and healing activities – Arnhem Land is your oyster. Book into Groote Eylandt Lodge for private fishing safaris, spring-water swimming holes and empty beaches.

Head out on daytrips from Nhulunbuy to the pristine coastline, tour the tranquil Gayŋaru Wetlands with a local guide and spend time in the pristine Bawaka Homeland, a 45-minute drive from Nhulunbuy, where you can explore the rainforest, fish in the clear waters and picnic on the white sands.

You’ll need to obtain the required permits to gain access to much of East Arnhem Land. Check out the details and options at eastarnhemland.com.au.

When: 21 October

Along the ancient Silk Road trade route, the Pink City of Jaipur in India’s north-west is home to grand Mughal palaces, splendid pre-colonial architecture and bustling bazaars. During Diwali, the Indian religious festival that marks the banishing of darkness and welcoming of light, Jaipur’s twinkling finery is best viewed from one of the city’s rooftop drinking spots. The Pink Bar recently opened at the regal Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar and it’s the place for a spectrum of brightly hued cocktails.

On the subject of finery, donning brand-new outfits is considered auspicious during Diwali and it’s something visitors can embrace in Jaipur, where shopping is both a sport and a pastime. Pick up handcrafted jewellery, kaleidoscopic textiles and traditional mojari shoes at the famous Chandpole bazaar (J D A Market Tulsi Marg, Jaipur 302002) or visit the high-end emporia at the Hotel Narain Niwas Palace for sari shawls and hand-embroidered fabrics.

Just out of town but worth the 20-minute drive is Villa Palladio Jaipur, a classic haveli (mansion) transformed into a nine-room fairytale stay.

When: 31 October to 2 November

During Mexico’s exuberant, life-affirming festival of the dead, it’s believed the veil separating our world from the next lifts, allowing the return of the deceased to their loved ones. The pre-Hispanic heritage of Oaxaca, the eponymous capital of the southern region, endows Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) rituals with a particular authenticity. Here, tides of skeleton forms flow along cobbled streets, the air heady with the scent of marigolds and sweet pan de muerto (bread of the dead). As darkness falls, families gather at cemeteries to share memories and food.

Oaxaca is also Mexico’s gastronomic centre and at La Cocina de Humo, chef Thalía Barrios García creates dishes from ancestral ingredients and techniques. Beat a path to Selva, a stuccoed bar inside a 17th-century building in the Centro district, and try myriad mezcals. When it’s time to leave the festivities, Otro hotel’s 16 rooms beckon with their mix of the traditional – hand-made textiles and Zapotec motifs – and modern minimalism.

100 Australian Bucket-list Travel Experiences