Your 2009 Travel Horoscope
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18)
Motto: I rebel.
Ideal Getaway: Contrarian and keen to shock, Aquarius must have a vacation somewhere off the beaten path. Controversy-courting is also a specialty, so, for example, Aquarius would not only enjoy a lavish cruise through politically unpredictable Myanmar, like The Road to Mandalay, but also relish discussing it with disapproving chums back home.
Other Options:
- Any destination likely to provoke the response “You went where?”
- Science hubs where geeky Aquarians will feel at home, like the Kennedy Space Center.
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PISCES (February 19–March 20)
Motto: I believe.
Ideal Getaway: Mystically inclined Pisces will appreciate any destination that inspires a spiritual awakening, and might enjoy such simple pleasures as chapel-hopping in Rome this year. For extra karma points, they could be down for the night in the Casa di Santa Brigida, a warm but frugal convent hotel run by nuns.
Other Options:
- A pilgrimage to Galicia’s Santiago de Compostela.
- Visits to the evocative Ancestral Puebloan sites across the Four Corners (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah).
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ARIES (March 21–April 19)
Motto: I risk.
Ideal Getaway: Aries rails against planning and preparation—which saps the spontaneous fun out of life, after all. The destination doesn’t matter, as long as it’s a spur-of-the-moment choice: bookmark Airfarewatchdog.com, and go with whatever’s cheapest next weekend.
Other Options:
- An ad hoc road trip, stopping wherever and whenever.
- An adrenaline-hyping weekend at Las Vegas blackjack tables or on roller coasters at Cedar Point, OH.
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TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
Motto: I own.
Ideal Getaway: Acquisitive Taurus can’t travel without the chance of picking up some souvenirs, so they should book a power-shopping getaway somewhere wallet-busting like Dubai’s Villa Moda with a stay in a suite nearby at the soon-to-open six-star Palazzo Versace, which has a refrigerated beach to offset the sweltering 122-degree weather.
Other Options:
- Anything five star (hotel, resort, restaurant), for maximum luxury.
- Food and wine tasting in California or Italy.
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GEMINI (May 21–June 20)
Motto: I learn.
Ideal Getaway: Like a chatty intellectual magpie, change-loving Gemini needs to return from any vacation with plenty of stories to tell. Places like the Hotel Puerta América in Madrid, where each floor has been masterminded by a different starchitect (from Norman Foster to Zaha Hadid), are ideal for a Gemini, who can change rooms nightly for a fresh experience.
Other Options:
- Trips by train, for the chance to chat with locals.
- Three-day mini breaks in big, exciting cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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CANCER (June 21–July 22)
Motto: I nurture.
Ideal Getaway: Home-loving Cancer isn’t a natural globe-trotter, but will readily pack a bag for a pampering hideout somewhere cozy, like the Czech town Karlovy Vary. Muscovite billionaires have revived the former spa Mecca (and playground for the imperial White Russians) to create a feel-good getaway with new, glamorous hot spots like the five-star Carlsbad Plaza Hotel.
Other Options:
- House swapping.
- Cozy, family-run B&Bs on Cape Cod.
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LEO (July 23–August 22)
Motto: I star.
Ideal Getaway: Every limelight-loving Leo has an inner Julia Roberts straining to break free, which is why destinations like up-and-coming African filmmaking hub Lagos, Nigeria, have Leo written all over it. Beyond possibly being discovered as the next Nollywood star, Leos could stay at the brand-new, sure-to-be-star-studded Le Meridien Ibom Hotel, opening January 2009.
Other Options:
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VIRGO (August 23–September 22)
Motto: I must.
Ideal Getaway: Dutiful, industrious Virgo never lets hands lie idle, so a “volunteer vacation” is perfect, like the New Orleans JW Marriott package, which supports the Big Easy Spirit to Serve program. Guests are given a boxed lunch and labor on Habitat for Humanity projects from 7 a.m. each day, and the hotel also donates $50 to the charity in your name. The only thing not included: sightings of N’awlins regular Brad Pitt.
Other Options:
- Hiking or camping in the Grand Tetons.
- A solo yoga getaway to improve body and mind.
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LIBRA (September 23–October 22)
Motto: I charm.
Ideal Getaway: You can never be too polite or too put-together in a Libra’s eyes, so a place to perfect politesse, like U.K. residential Finishing Academy for adults, would appeal—its classes on everything from deportment to dashing off thank-you notes would be a treat for Libra. Even better, the academy is run in a British country house, for an extra dose of Jane Austen.
Other Options: Any hot spot full of people to meet, from St.-Tropez to South Beach.
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SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)
Motto: I smooch.
Ideal Getaway: Romance is never far from Scorpio’s frisky mind. A sex-soaked location like the Queen Anne hotel in San Francisco, an antique-crammed onetime brothel turned luxury bolt-hole, strikes the right mood. Keep an eye out for specter sightings of a previous tenant, Miss Mary Lake, who’s often spotted in Room 410.
Other Options:
- A secluded honeymoon villa like St. Regis Bora Bora.
- Voodoo-soaked New Orleans appeals to Scorpio’s gothic side.
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SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)
Motto: I explore.
Ideal Getaway: Anywhere hard-to-reach and outdoorsy is a dream destination for Sagittarius, blessed with levels of energy and enthusiasm that would tire the Energizer Bunny. The Falkland Islands, off Argentina’s coast—a 24-hour, three-flight-minimum trip from the U.S.—and a room on all-organic Bleaker Island would fit the bill.
Other Options:
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CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19)
Motto: I achieve.
Ideal Getaway: To drag workaholic Capricorn away from the office is a challenge, and means any trip must be worth the break. They relish challenges, so opt for an active vacation like seven days of swimming between the islands off the Dalmatian coast in Croatia.
Other Options:
- Tacking a weekend of play onto a business trip, anywhere.
- Traditionalist destinations like the museums of Washington, D.C. or Colonial Williamsburg.
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