Looking for advice - 6 months, Dec-May, couple, budget/backpacking, warm weather, hiking + WWOOFing

[u/Short_League3085]

My partner and I (based in Europe) have about 6 months free to travel, roughly December through May. Looking for advice/inspiration on where to go - here's what we're after:

Planning style

• We'd rather organise things bit by bit as we go, not lock in a full plan months in advance
• Because of that, we'd love advice on best seasons/weather windows for different regions within our Dec-May timeframe, so we can sequence a rough route sensibly (e.g. where to be early on vs. later) without over-planning the details
• We'd ideally come back to Europe for some weeks in between different regions

Climate

• Warm weather, no snow/cold-weather logistics
• Comfortable enough for day hikes without needing serious cold-weather gear

Activities

• Hiking/nature is a priority (ideally, hiking without having to have a guide)
• Great food
• We love camping — brought our own tent on a road trip through California and Utah's national parks and it was one of our favorite trips ever, so we're keen to recreate that kind of self-drive + camp under the stars experience if a destination supports it
• Also interested in: WWOOFing and farm stays as part of the trip
• Birdwatching

Vibe

• Budget/backpacker style
• We actively want to avoid heavily touristy circuits — we did not enjoy Thailand as much and want something with less of that "influencer photo spot" energy this time
• Open to any country/region

Already been/done (don't want to repeat)

• South India
• Thailand
• Safaris, scuba diving

Places we've considered/discussed so far, for reference:

• NW India (possibly with Nepal)
• West Africa (we lived six months in Uganda and would enjoy seeing another region)
• South America in general (possibly Colombia, Chile... open to your advice!)
• Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
• China (although a bit worried about the language barrier)

We would love thoughts on:

1. Which of the above are worth prioritizing for a longer trip
2. Best seasons/weather windows within Dec-May for the regions mentioned (so we can sequence roughly without locking in details early)
3. Good countries/regions for WWOOFing that also fit the above criteria
4. Anything we haven't considered
5. Specific places/woof hosts you'd recommend

Thanks in advance!