- The best places to visit in August are already on savvy travelers' lists.
- Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to find the best places to visit in August 2018.
- They include tropical paradises in the Caribbean and Malaysia, a fudge festival in Michigan, and a Buddhist celebration in Sri Lanka featuring elephants and fire-dancing.
August is one of the most popular months to travel for Americans, with millions of people squeezing in one final summer vacation before the weather cools down.
Choosing the perfect destination for an August vacation isn't easy. You may find yourself favoring northerly locations that are simply too cold any other time of year — think Oslo, Norway, where the sun doesn't set until close to 10 p.m., or Mackinac Island, Michigan, which draws thousands of travelers to its famous Fudge Festival each August.
You can also check out some of the greatest scenes in nature in August — it's when the breathtaking rice terraces in Ifugao, Philippines, are at their greenest, and it's also the dramatic culmination of one of nature's grandest events, the Great Migration in Kenya.
We looked at airfare trends, climate data, and cultural calendars to select 13 vacation spots that are some of the best places to visit this August. Take a look at the places we recommend for an August trip, and plan away.
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Mackinac Island, Michigan
August is the perfect time to visit Mackinac Island, the scenic island between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas.
On Mackinac Island — pronounced "mackinaw"— visitors can enjoy the sunny weather while boating, fishing, and parasailing. On land, you can hop between historic sites like Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes, both key sites in the War of 1812.
And sweet tooths will have something to celebrate too: the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival, which takes place every August and allows the many fudge shops on the island to show off their best work.
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard is heralded as one of the most classic summer getaways in the United States.
The charming island south of Cape Cod is dotted with quaint New England homes, relaxing sandy beaches, and iconic lighthouses. The sunny summer weather in August sets the perfect stage for a boat outing or a shopping trip to the town's eclectic upscale boutiques.
And although Martha's Vineyard has a reputation for being expensive, it's possible to enjoy what the island has to offer on a budget — you just have to do a lot of planning.
Seattle, Washington
The perfect time to visit the Emerald City is in August, when the sun is shining and you'll be able to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
Seattle's iconic Pike's Place Market is an excellent way to spend an afternoon — especially if you can find the secret shops that most tourists don't know about. You can also wile away the day island-hopping across Puget Sound, or for the more culinarily inclined, sampling the best of Seattle's food, coffee, and beer scenes.
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