From catching the Northern Lights to biking the Himalayas: New book reveals 365 travel adventures and the perfect day to do them

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Do you know the best time to hike the Andes in Patagonia? That would be January 11. Or doze on the beach next to sea lions in the Galapagos? (March 27, in case you were wondering.) Motorbike through the Himalaya during the short snow-free season? Best to do it in July.

Have you booked your perfect holiday to Maldives, only to turn up in the wet season? Or arrived for a peaceful getaway in Valencia in late August, to be met with a mass food fight in the streets for the Tomatina festival?

Knowing where in the world to go at what time is made easy in a new book by Lonely Planet. The Best Place To Be Today is packed with 365 days worth of travel inspiration.

Annual spectacle: Did you know that the prime time to see the Northern Lights in Scandinavia is March 18?

Travel inspiration: The Place to be Today, by Lonely Planet, showcases a new place to visit for every day of the year

Once in a lifetime: The book reveals the best time to witness spectacles such as 'La arribada', when up to 200,000 turtles arrive to lay their eggs on the Pacific Coast beaches of Mexico and Central America

Showcasing a new adventure everyday, the book, compiled by Sarah Baxter, reveals the best time to visit - be it a specific date to catch a unique cultural festival, or a small window in which to witness a rare wildlife event. 

Did you know that the most spectacular time to visit Iguazú Falls in December during the wet season, when the waterfalls are at their fullest? 

Or that September to October is the time to witness 'La arribada', when up to 200,000 olive ridley turtles arrive to lay their eggs on the Pacific Coast beaches of Mexico and Central America? 

Seasonal: The Place to be Today advises on optimum weather conditions, such as when to cycle the world's most dangerous road in Bolivia, or when to motorbike through the Himalayas (pictured)

Into the deep: The best time to dive the cenotes in Mexico is November to March

Know when to go: Author Sarah Baxter says 'Organising the planet this way helps you pick a destination for that June honeymoon or your October annual leave'

On sale: The Best Place to be Today is on sale September 15

If you are planning your next holiday, flip through to the month of your choice to be inspired what is happening around the world during that time. You could be seeing the best Northern Lights spectacular of the year in March or listening to the lovesong of mating pandas in China in April. 

Some highlights of the book include spotting penguins in Antarctica (February 8) and Platypuses in Australia a week later.

Many travellers include seeing the cherry blossoms in bloom in Japan on the bucket lists - so Baxter suggests enjoying a Hanami (picnic under the trees) on March 26. 

Witness the 'fifth' season in the boglands of Soomaa, Estonia in early April, when the melted snow water rushes down from the uplands and transforms the landscape.

The endangered giant pandas in China are notoriously hard to track, but your best chance of spotting one is during April, when females are furtile for a few days.

There are only a few weeks of the year to see certain wonders, like the otherworldly interior of Iceland, only accessible in July and August. 

Or the 'Silent lightning' in Venuzuela in November - in Catatumbo National Park at Lago de Maracaibo, there are frequent flashes of spectacular lightning, with no accompanying thunder.

Witness up to 120,000 elephants line up to drink from the Chobe River in Botswana during dry season in September, or watch salmon-fishing bears in Alaska in July.

Author Sarah Baxter says: 'When you drill down into the calendar year, you can find the world’s seasonal secrets, like Vanuatu’s land-divers marking the start of the yam season or the brief window of opportunity to trek while listening to the sound of mating pandas. 

'Organising the planet this way helps you pick a destination for that June honeymoon or your October annual leave. You can even use it to inspire your whereabouts on your next birthday.'

The Place to be Today is available in stores and through e-retailers from 15th September for £14.99.