Only 48 weeks to go until Christmas… hurry, it’s time to plan your December getaway!
It may feel like completely the wrong time of year to be talking about looking forward to Christmas… you’d be forgiven for thinking “haven’t we just got over all that?”
Well, everyone may be back into the daily grind but, as all seasoned Christmas travellers know, it’s time to think ahead to next year. The truth of the matter is, if you like the idea of spending Christmas abroad you need to book it now. It’s a popular time of year to travel, and availability is limited for both hotels and flights. If you leave it till later in the year all the cheaper flights will have sold out and you’ll end up paying through the roof, as well as having fewer options.
Where’s good to go at Christmas time?
Our favourite destinations for Christmas getaways involve lots of sunshine, and warm weather. It’s really nice to get away from the short winter days and cold temperatures with two weeks of beautiful sunshine. Plus, you get to make everyone in the office envious when you waltz back in all tanned and relaxed! Here are two of our favourite places to visit at Christmas time:
Christmas in Barbados
As a Christian country, the locals go all out for Christmas. Despite the lack of snow, you’ll find plenty of Santa hats and everyone puts out lights and decorations, so it still feels very Christmas-y. The radio stations play all the classic Christmas tunes (even ones about snowy winter wonderlands), and everyone is even jollier than usual, if that’s possible! Turkey dinners are served (with a Caribbean twist), and the party continues with plenty of dancing on Old Years Night (for some unknown reason, it’s not called New Years Eve over there). It’s a really fun time to visit the Caribbean; everyone’s in high spirits and full of festive cheer.
Recommended hotels: Sugar Bay Barbados, Colony Club, Turtle Beach
Christmas in Dubai
In the winter months in Dubai, the blistering heat of the summer abates. Temperatures in December hover around a very pleasant 26°C. Although not a traditional Arabian holiday, Christmas is still a big date in the Dubai calendar. At Atlantis, the main lobby is turned into a winter wonderland. It’s a magical place at any time of year, but even more so at Christmas. You can even arrange for your little one to be ‘tucked in’ and read a bedtime story by one of Santa’s elves (too cute!). It wouldn’t be Christmas without a turkey dinner, and Atlantis doesn’t disappoint on this front with a spectacular spread laid on. If you can, stay until New Years Eve as the fireworks in Dubai are unbeatable. Also, the festivities continue on 7th January when Russian Christmas is celebrated – so you can combine three different parties into one holiday!
Recommended hotels: Atlantis, the Palm, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Jumeirah Beach Hotel (visit our main website to view up-to-date pricing and book online)
Other great choices for winter breaks include the Maldives, Abu Dhabi, the Far East – you can find out more about these places on our main website.
Have you even spent a festive holiday abroad? Tell us about it in the comments below, we’d love to hear what it felt like…
