For every month of the year, there is an island somewhere on the globe where the weather is perfect, a festival is underway, flowers are in bloom and wildlife-watching is at its peak.
Conde Nast Traveler's July issue describes 60 islands around the world, five per month, where you can enjoy beaches, adventures, eco-tourism, and unique cultural experiences. Here are a dozen of the islands recommended by the magazine:
_Djenne, Mali, in January, when camel races are held as part of the Festival of the Desert, a huge music and cultural event.
_Trinidad in February, for the island's carnival, one of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the world, scheduled for Feb. 19-20 in 2007.
_Bermuda in March, when it's too cold to swim but great for golf, with low prices and 70-degree weather.
_Borneo in April, the driest month of the year to visit the orangutans and see what is reputed to be the world's largest flower, the rafflesia arnoldii, on Mount Kinabalu.
_Oahu, Hawaii, for the May 1 Lei Day, when everyone wears a necklace of flowers.
_Martha's Vineyard, Mass., in June, when you can see the migrating whales without the crowds that descend at the start of July.
_The Dominican Republic in July, when the breezes are gentle enough for beginning windsurfers.
_Norway's Svalbard Archipelago in August, when you can cruise into polar bear territory in near-round-the-clock daylight.
_Georgia's Cumberland Island in September, when there are more birds on the beach than people.
_The Society Islands in Polynesia in October, to see the Hawaiki Nu Va'a, a 72-mile canoe race, Oct. 10-14.
_India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands in November, when whales, fish and turtles abound.
_The Florida Keys in December, when hurricane season is just a bad memory and you can escape the cold weather elsewhere.
