June: Time to go long-haul

June is a wonderful month for far-flung travel. As the peak summer season in Europe approaches, holidays to long-haul destinations from the Caribbean to the Far East are at their lowest prices. A holiday of a lifetime in an exciting location can cost the same as a European mid-summer break (equivalent to £500-£600 a week).

For those interested in culture, for example, a week in northern Thailand with Asiaworld, spent among Thai hill-tribes and wood carvers, will set you back only £650 - the same as a hotel-based fly-drive to Tuscany with Thomson Holidays in July or August.

There are similar deals for beach-based tourism, too. For the price of a peak-season week in Kefalonia, in a good self-catering property offered by, say, Sunvil (£550-£600 per person, including flights), you could fly to Barbados with British Airways Holidays, the Dominican Republic with Thomson or Sri Lanka with Kuoni. As a bonus, day-to-day extras in most of these destinations work out far less expensive than in Europe.

Why the low prices? There are various reasons: crucially most people simply don't think of going long-haul when Europe is coming into its best.

As a result, bookings are well down on the yearly average, forcing hoteliers and airlines to do their best to fill the capacity that they've got. There are other reasons in specific areas why numbers are down at this time of year: for example, flights to the Far East will have lots of space because there are fewer people travelling to Australia during the antipodean winter.

Some special deals come about as a result of a hotel owner taking advantage of the low season to do infrastructural work. Some destinations may have rainy seasons, but these will usually involve short, sharp showers followed by masses of sunshine, as is the case in Sri Lanka and Langkawi, Malaysia.

The Caribbean is a destination that people naturally think of during the European winter, but the only real weather problems occur in autumn - the hurricane season - otherwise it's superb all year round.

Barbados is fondly known as Bimshire for being so very English - even down to its own Trafalgar Square with statue of Nelson. Outside the autumn hurricane season, the weather in the Caribbean is consistent, and June is particularly good for local festivals. It's also a good time for a Caribbean holiday at nearly half price. British Airways Holidays (0870 4423820) has a June deal at the hacienda-style Casuarina Beach Club for £599 a week - £453 less than the August price.

The Dominican Republic, a mini continent in the Caribbean, has shaken off its reputation for bad hygiene, and represents particularly good value as it tries to rebuild customer confidence. Most resorts are on the north coast, where the beach is backed by hills and fields of sugar cane. The best June deal is from Thomson Holidays (0870 550 2399), with allocation on arrival at the airport to an all-inclusive four-T resort (Thomson's equivalent of four-star): either the Jack Tar Village, Gran Ventana or Victoria Resort. In June it starts from £749 a week, £186 less than in July/August.

Bali has year-round sunshine and a unique Bali Hindu culture that has resisted the onslaught of tourism. The June climate is just as good as any time of year, there's a festival almost daily, and when the lure of the beach palls you should head inland to Ubud, the focus of Balinese arts and culture, set amid undulating rice terraces. Asiaworld (08700 799 788 or see the late deals on the Asiaworld page of Lastminute.com) has 14 nights in the mid-range resort of Sanur, staying in the Griya Santrian, for £839 with flights, a saving of £226 on the price in July/August, when holidaymaking Australians arrive.

Langkawi is a pristine and peaceful island, while Malaysia's tiger economy has overwhelmed more traditional holiday resorts, such as Penang. Apart from tourism the only other industry here is fishing. June's weather will feature occasional tropical showers, but is basically hot with sun. Magic of the Orient (01293 537700) offers eight nights in the Pelangi Beach, plus two in Kuala Lumpur, for £850, including flights, £295 cheaper than in July/August.

Northern Thailand has temples, rainforested mountains and hill-tribe villages among the big attractions. Temperatures average 28C in June, when the dry season is over but heavy rains have yet to arrive. Chiang Mai is the main city, with a huge and celebrated night market, but Chiang Rai, further north, is closer to the Golden Triangle - where Laos, Burma and Thailand meet - and to trekking and rafting country. Asiaworld (08700 799 788) has 11 nights in Chiang Rai's super-luxurious Dusit Island Resort, on its own island in the Mae Kok River, plus three in the Landmark hotel in Bangkok, from £859 with flights, a saving of £270 on the July/August deal.

Sri Lanka, which is now largely conflict-free and safe, manages to be both exotic and family-friendly - India without the hassle. In June the south-west monsoon brings heavy evening showers to the west and south coasts, where most of the resorts are, but there's still plenty of sun and tropical heat through most of the day. If the heat gets too oppressive, escape to the hilly, tea-planted interior. Kuoni (01306 740500) has flights and 11 nights in the Triton Hotel, on the beach four hours south of Colombo, for £646, which is £1,211 less than in July and August.

Mexico combines ancient Mayan temples with modern resorts along the Yucatan peninsula. There are few traditional Mexican towns here, but underground rivers have created clear freshwater creeks which have become major attractions in their own right. A rearrangement of charter flights has brought prices down at a time when the weather on the peninsula is at its best. Kuoni (01306 740500) is offering flights and 14 nights in the all-inclusive Caribbean Village in Playa del Carmen (a far more pleasant resort than its commercialised neighbour Cancun) for £845 - £661 less than in July.