Winter is settling in, but that doesn’t mean travel has to go on hold – in fact, this is one of the best times of the year to hit the road. And if you’re looking for some winter destination inspiration, look no further.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

‘The Salar de Uyuni – the world’s biggest salt flat – is an otherworldly landscape. Roughly the size of Jamaica, this ancient lake bed sits on a high Andean plateau in south-west Bolivia, more than 11,000 feet above sea level. It is a pancake-flat, dazzlingly white expanse dotted with islands of giant cacti, flanked by soaring mountains and volcanoes, and home to and rabbit-like vizcachas and vast reserves of valuable lithium.

Estonia

Winter is a great time to make the most of the country’s alternative winter sports among the clean air of its abundant forests, from snowshoeing and ice-skating to kick-sledding, bog swimming and canoeing.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

For visitors, Pittsfield and its environs offer friendly, inexpensive and nearly queue-free alpine skiing (indeed, several Olympians first learned on its slopes). The Berkshires also have dozens of ponds and lakes for skating and informal hockey matches, and endless fields and forest trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

Capri and Sardinia, Italy

Winter is the best season to visit the island of Capri, in the Bay of Naples. The flow of tourists who flock to it during the rest of the year decreases and you can discover a place with an incredible history. The nature is beautiful, the views are gorgeous, the taxis are old American open cars from the ’50s. And in winter, if you are lucky (or unlucky), the rough sea will block the navigation of the ferries for a few days – so you will stay in Capri longer than expected.

Dahab, Egypt

Spent a happy winter bathing in the turquoise waters of this deliciously mellow fishing-village-turned-diving-mecca. It is the best time to enjoy the sizzling grouper and red snapper fish bronzed to perfection on beachside barbecues; the sparkling carafes of ‘Moon Blush’ scuppering your early-morning scuba dive; the distant peaks of the Arabian Peninsula gilded amber by the rising sun.