The best holiday destinations in December
Forget summertime: December just might be the best time of year to travel. There are the Christmas classics: the scent of mulled wine and freshly fallen snow wafting from NYC to Berlin, or salty-aired, sun-kissed treats such as St Barth’s. Off-season surprises include Fiji and Madagascar; for a limited time only, these are a (relative) bargain. And with the sunny season in full swing Down Under, it’s an ideal time to discover Australia’s most unlikely success story. Plus, our tips on how to do it all as sustainably as possible.
Getty ImagesScotland, UK
Temperature: 7°C high; 2°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from London: 1 hour 15 minutes
Time difference: GMT+0Sure, when the sun shines on Scotland, it’s sublime. But there’s also a lot to love about this raw and rugged land in the cold. Nothing is cosier than a few wee drams by a roaring fire after a busy day out in the elements – be that fat-biking East Lothian beaches, or tracking red deer across the Cairngorms’ snow-dusted slopes. Edinburgh in December is, of course, raucously festive, and winter’s a great time to appreciate the hearty fare of the city's best restaurants. Top of the list should be Tom Kitchin’s Michelin-starred Leith restaurant, The Kitchin, celebrating Scottish produce, followed by his elevated pub grub at Stockbridge’s The Scran and Scallie.
Sustainable travel tip: Road-tripping around Scotland’s vast wilderness is tempting, but consider a railway holiday instead. Chugging along the West Highland Line, you’ll be on one of the UK's most scenic train journeys.
Where to stay: Gleneagles Townhouse is the latest newcomer to the thriving Edinburgh hotel scene, and a modern relative to the beloved Gleneagles in Perthshire. For a private stay with a cracking location, this cosy city-centre loft overlooks the Royal Mile, and is one of our favourite Airbnbs in Edinburgh.
Getty ImagesMaldives
Temperature: 30ºC high; 25ºC low
Season: Dry season
Flight time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: GMT +5If tropical indolence is what you seek then the Maldives is, let’s face it, heaven at any time of year. But December, which marks the start of the dry season, sees the islands at their best: low rainfall, low humidity, a lovely dry heat, lots of sunshine… You can go swimming with whale sharks and manta rays (at South Ari and the western edges of the atolls). Plus in December (until March) there’s the bonus of a direct flight from the UK to Malé with British Airways, transporting you from cold, dark Britain to the heat and light of the Indian Ocean in as little as 10 hours, and giving you as much as an extra day of beach time.
Sustainable travel tip: While flying to the Maldives presents unavoidable carbon issues, you can minimise your footprint by choosing a resort that has real sustainability practices. Read up thoroughly to check it’s not just paying lip service. Choose dives and day trips with responsible outfits, which contribute to conservation – and be sure not to touch corals or living creatures.
Where to stay: Where indeed. There's plenty to love within our list of the best hotels in the Maldives. For somewhere shiny and new, Alila Kothaifaru Maldives is the latest addition to the archipelago, with 80 villas split between over water (sunrise or sunset) and beach (properly hidden from each other by leafy vegetation) as well as two restaurants. For a classic crowd pleaser, Gili Lankanfushi Maldives has a hard to beat location, with only over water villa accommodation ensuring the island stays wild and the beaches are on full dazzling display.
Getty ImagesNew York City, USA
Temperature: 8°C high; -3°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 8 hours
Time difference: GMT-5Christmas in New York City is a no-brainer. The scene is cinematically festive, from ice-skating under the Rockefeller Center tree to theatrical window displays in Fifth Avenue department stores. And if you thought your neighbours tried to outdo you every year with the Christmas lights, spare a thought for the residents of Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights. The houses here are so extravagantly bedecked, there’s an official bus tour of the most outrageous blocks. Better still, New York's best hotels serve warming nips by a crackling lobby fire: plump for The Ludlow’s Pigalle cocktail, with bourbon and ancho chile.
Sustainable travel tip: New York traffic is notorious, but thanks to the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway – a 31-mile bicycle route around the island – you can navigate the Big Apple by bike-share scheme (Citi Bike stations are found all over town).
Where to stay: It's now possible to find a slice of serenity in midtown thanks to the newly opened Aman New York. Not only is it a great location for a quick trip, but ideal in winter too – all suites come with working fireplaces. For a classic Christmas stay, book a sort-after room at The Plaza, which enjoys beautiful views over Central Park.
Getty ImagesVenice, Italy
Temperature: 7ºC high; 0ºC low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 15 minutes
Time difference: GMT +1The Floating City could be the most beautiful place in Italy, but it’s difficult to know for sure, given its gorgeous visage is always crawling with tourists. Apart from in December, that is, when no one thinks to go. You might imagine the lagoons are best when sparkling under a summer sun, but that, friend, just shows a lack of imagination: watching an icy fog curl spookily from the water’s surface is really quite something. You might even get super-lucky and see snow. Better than that, you can walk through St Mark’s without landing a selfie stick in the eye.
Sustainable travel tip: Visiting out of season is a good start. But one of the biggest problems with over-tourism in Venice is that a lot of people tend to come just for the day, hitting up only the major, over-stuffed sights, and thus bringing little benefit to locals. Instead, spend a few nights in the city, slowly exploring its hidden corners, eating at neighbourhood restaurants and shopping in small, independent stores. It’s not just better for the city, it makes for a much better holiday, too.
Where to stay: Ca'di Dio has knockout lagoon views and chic interiors. For a lively dining scene, Il Palazzo Experimental is the place to be at aperitivo hour. See our pick of the best hotels in Venice for more.
Getty ImagesSt Barth's, Caribbean
Temperature: 30°C high; 24°C low
Season: cool
Flight time from UK: 12 hours 10 minutes
Time difference: GMT-5Simply everyone is in St Barth's in December. Partly because the island is the original discreet-A-lister's sunny paradise of choice with the world's most perfect beaches, restaurants, hotels and villas, and partly because everyone else is. The super-rich, the super-famous, the beautiful and the blessed. Fail to book your December holiday here and you've only got yourself to blame for off-the-charts FOMO as you sit looking out at the rain and scrolling through shots of simply everyone else laughing through perfect teeth on the world's most perfect beaches.
Sustainable travel tip: Hotel Manapany is powered by solar panels. This chic beachside retreat also has an onsite vegetable garden and orchard, sources its seafood from local fishermen, and even offers electric-car rentals.
Where to stay: Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf offers a chic and easy French beach house stay. Another highlight is Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France, an elegant grande dame of St Barth’s sprawled along Flamands beach. See our guide to the best hotels in St Barth's for more.
Getty ImagesZermatt, Swiss Alps
Temperature: 2°C high; -6°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 1 hour 40 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1The sort of snowy-mountain scene that dream Christmases are made of. Horse-drawn sleighs, twinkling trees, glühwein stalls, a pretty village aglow in a lovely little valley beneath the Matterhorn. And, importantly, snow-sure slopes – 200 astoundingly pretty kilometres of them – from the start of December. All of which makes Zermatt one of Europe's best ski resort.
Sustainable travel tip: What better way to arrive at a car-free resort than by train? Plus, the last leg of the journey features a ride through the stunning valley of Mattertal on a narrow-gauge railway. Hop off the Eurostar from London in Paris (2.5 hours) and catch a high-speed TGV to Lausanne (3.5 hours). From here, at least two trains per hour whisk you to Visp in 90 minutes, and then it’s the narrow-gauge ride to Zermatt (just over an hour).
Where to stay: Zermatt's oldest hotel, the Monte Rosa, sits in a picture-perfect property with amazing views.
Above: Skiers and snowboarders on the Matterhorn.
Getty ImagesDubai, UAE
For a winter-sun tinselfest, nobody does it bigger and brighter and sparklier than Dubai. From November to January the weather cools to a more bearable 19-25ºC and the sun shines practically all the time; and in December there's the Rugby Sevens and a film festival, pre-Christmas designer sales and record-breaking Christmas trees groaning under the weight of lights and Swarovski crystals, for those who like that kind of thing. Everyone says they don't, then they go to Dubai and find that they kind of do.
Sustainable travel tip: Visit the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, set among the wind-tower architecture of the Al Fahidi Historic District, by Dubai Creek. Here, share a traditional lunch with Emirati hosts and ask anything you’re curious to know about local culture, attitudes and Islam. The centre’s tagline: ‘Open doors. Open minds’.
Where to stay: For low-key luxe rooms and a private island setting, check in to the understated Bulgari Resort Dubai. If you're here to indulge in the beach and restaurant scene, Mandarin Oriental Dubai has both plus a high-achieving spa. For more options, see our pick of the best hotels in Dubai.
Getty ImagesMilan, Italy
Temperature: 7°C high; 1°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 2 hours
Time difference: GMT+1You might think Italy’s fashion capital too cool to care about Christmas, but Milan is actually one of Europe’s most festive cities this time of year. Early December marks a unique Milanese tradition, the feast of the patron saint, Sant’Ambrogio, wherein an irresistibly twinkly market sets up in the grounds of red-brick fortress Castello Sforzesco. Shop for local foodie treats and handmade trinkets, then reward yourself with mulled wine and castagnaccio (a chestnut and pine-kernel cake). After a sashay around the famous fashion quarter, head to newly cool Zona Tortona: best for Milan’s up-and-coming galleries and design studios (not to mention brunch-time tuna tacos at God Save The Food).
Sustainable travel tip: Getting to Milan by train is super-easy: take the Eurostar from London to Paris (2.5 hours), followed by a high-speed TGV train to Milan (7 hours).
Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental is one of the hottest stays in the city, with a Michelin-star restaurant and a buzzing hotel bar. If you're here to embrace the grandeur, Four Seasons Milano is housed in a beautifully preserved 15th-century convent. See our guide to the best hotels in Milan for more.
Getty ImagesCosta Rica
Temperature: 27ºC high; 18ºC low
Season: Summer
Flight time from UK: 11 hours and 15 minutes
Time difference: GMT+6It’s the most peaceful and easygoing country in Central America, but Costa Rica still has bags of excitement and exoticism. Its Pacific coast draws surfers and bohemians practising yoga on its wave-crashed beaches in groovy little beach towns such as Nosara, while its gentle Caribbean shores and islands bring in backpackers and those looking for castaway escapism on its islands. In its interior: jungles, wildlife and volcanoes, with adrenaline kicks in the form of ziplining through the cloud-forest canopy, white-water rafting, hiking up volcanoes and tracking big cats in Corcovado National Park. December is prime beach weather in Costa Rica, and it’s also when humpback whales start to arrive, heading south in search of warmer waters – this is one of the best places in the world to spot them.
Sustainable travel tip: Costa Rica has a strong line in eco-lodges, from the beach to the jungle, and staying in them helps give back to local communities and conservation projects.
Where to stay: The Harmony Hotel is a Nosara institution, with its own Healing Centre (for wellness perks ranging from beach yoga classes to post-surf massages) and a lovely palm-shrouded pool.
Getty ImagesStrasbourg, France
Temperature: 5ºC high; 0ºC low
Season: Winter
Journey time from UK: around five hours by train via Paris
Time difference: GMT +1We have Strasbourg to thank for the Christmas market. It was here that the first-ever Market of the Infant Christ took place in the 16th century. The capital of hearty-eating, wine-drinking, once-German Alsace also claims to be The Capital of Christmas. In its medieval Grande Ile – the whole historic city, with its preposterously pretty half-timbered houses, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site – rosy-cheeked Alsatians glide around an ice rink, besides market stalls selling toys and trinkets, mulled wine and hot sausage. The tradition endures, though the gifts have been updated – it seems unlikely that they sold scented candles then, though those pretty houses would have benefitted from them after so many helpings of choucroute (French sauerkraut and the Strasbourg speciality, of fermented cabbage and sausage).
If you’re not making the journey just for the Christmas market – and many do – December is a good time to come for the food, in the city and beyond. Alsatian food and wine – full-bodied reds, piles of potatoes, pork in many forms, all very Germanic – is fortifying against the cold, and December is the region’s snowiest month.
Sustainable travel tip: Take the train from London instead of flying – and pack your reusable mug for takeaway gluhweins and chocolat chauds at the market, to limit throwaway cup usage.
Where to stay: In a set of half-timbered buildings, galleried around a cobbled courtyard, the Cour du Corbeau is as old and charming as the Christmas market. Top-floor suites look out across the medieval rooftops.
Getty ImagesSao Paulo, Brazil
Temperature: 27ºC high; 18ºC low
Season: Spring
Flight time from UK: 11 hours 45 minutes
Time difference: GMT -4While showgirl Rio steals the limelight and the tourists, style capital Sao Paulo has a more savvy, insider feel. Its dynamic inhabitants are making waves in art and architecture, food and fashion – this is the place to shop for swimwear and homeware, then eat at Brazil’s most innovative restaurants. December brings warm, dry spring days, with temperatures on the rise, and there’s a real buzz about the city with lots going on (including São Paulo Art Biennial every other year) before residents decamp en masse to Trancoso or Buzios for the holiday beach parties.
Sustainable travel tip: Cool Pinheiros harbours the small and homegrown. Insecta is one of them – a sustainably-driven shoe shop selling vegan footwear locally made out of old clothes and soled with recycled rubber, and bags made from plastic bottles.
Where to stay: Sitting in 26 green acres of forested parkland in the elegant Morumbi neighbourhood, Pálacio Tangará is the city’s grandest dame. It opened in 2017, joining Hotel du Cap, Eden Rock and Le Bristol Paris as part of the Oetker Collection.
Getty ImagesMiami, USA
Temperature: 24ºC high; 19ºC low
Season: Winter
Journey time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: GMT -5It may be winter, but December is Miami’s driest month, with daytime temperatures a beach-ready 24ºC. December is also party time – and this is a city that knows how to party. And it’s not just festive fiestas, but also Art Basel Miami Beach, which means parties, launches, shows and happenings all over the place – art has never been sexier – swiftly followed by Art Gaysel, the world’s Queerest Art Fair. Even those who don’t give a fig for art can get involved in the buzz of Miami Design District. Don’t miss murals and music at Basel House.
Sustainable travel tip: Asian restaurant Kyu, which serves up zingy, elegantly plated dishes in Wynwood, supports local partnerships as well as donating trees to African countries to offset the wood they burn to grill their cauliflower, octopus and wagyu beef.
Where to stay: In the last few years a bunch of all-star design hotels have opened in Miami Beach, but Faena endures as one of the funkiest and best.
Getty ImagesCanouan, The Grenadines
Temperature: 28ºC high; 21ºC low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 12 hours 50 minutes
Time difference: GMT -4It’s the month to see and be seen in the Caribbean. But if you’d rather run away and hide, Canouan makes a fine place to fly under the radar. While everyone else swans around St Barth’s, you can feel smug about Canouan’s tag: ‘The place where billionaires go to get away from millionaires’. Though, thankfully, you don’t need to make ten figures to stay at this tiny island’s Mandarin Oriental, the first in the region, where an Oceanview Suite will set you back a cool four figures instead.
Sustainable travel tip: Canouan is one of only a small number of islands from which you can access Tobago Cays. The Cays are a protected archipelago of small, uninhabited islands and pristine coral reefs. They’re the major government-owned attraction in St Vincent and the Grenadines, so many local vendors and guides depend on them.
Getty ImagesBogota, Colombia
Temperature: 20ºC high; 5ºC low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 11h 10min
Time difference: GMT -5Cartagena hogs all the column inches with its Caribbean-side colonial charms, but for a contemporary sense of Colombia and its creative energies, capital Bogota is the country’s vital – and seriously overlooked – heart. The city’s reputation for rain abates in December, the beginning of the dry season, when the usually chilly climate clings pleasantly to the 20ºCs. Understandably, most make a beeline for La Candelaria, an irresistible mash-up of colonial buildings, cobbles, on-point restaurants and street art, but quietly cool Chapinero Alto is also making a name for itself: think cocktails and vinyl nights at Rin Rin, or a mansion turned multi-level boutique shopping mall, Trama Casa de Creadores. The best views? At the top of 10,000ft Cerro de Monserrate, easily reached by cable car. In December, the peak is decorated with Christmas lights, a fabulous follow-up to sunset.
Sustainable travel tip: An hour or two’s drive outside of Bogota, Chingaza National Natural Park protects residents including the rare spectacled bear, jaguars, toucans and Andean condors. The best way to see it is to book a day hike with a local guide.
Where to stay: The hushed Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota feels like a stately home. A sympathetic renovation has enshrined the historical vibe while kicking in smart contemporary elements.
Getty ImagesUganda, Africa
Temperature: 28°C high; 16°C low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: 10 hours 20 minutes
Time difference: GMT+2It’s a busy month for tourism to Uganda for good reason: landscapes are lush, but the weather is dry, making the conditions ideal for gorilla tracking. December is also a fine time for boat safaris in search of the Big Five, as animals are drawn from dry land to water sources. Still, as it is a more under-the-radar East African destination, ‘busy’ here is a relative term. Our top tip? Pair wildlife adventures with a trek into the urban jungle. The capital city Kampala is surprisingly charming, between boozy nights at the Sheraton’s well-loved Equator Bar, two-hour-roasted crocodile tail at barbecue restaurant The Lawns, and contemporary shows at Afriart Gallery.
Sustainable travel tip: Check out the Batwa Experience, which offers rainforest hikes with guides from the Batwa tribe, during which you can learn about their history and culture. The Batwa people were evicted from their homeland, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, to create the national park that protects the area’s endangered gorillas; these tours are the only chance they have to revisit their home territory.
Where to stay: At Gorilla Forest Camp, the most established lodge in the region and the only place to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. And thanks to an ongoing process of habituation and protection, it is possible to track one of four gorilla families living in the area from here.
Getty ImagesYellowstone, USA
Temperature: -4°C high; -15°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 11 hours
Time difference: GMT-7The world’s first national park is packed pretty much every season outside of winter – but the crowds on those geyser-skimming boardwalks are missing a trick. December is an excellent time for wildlife-spotting, as everything from brown bears to bison pad through thick powder to hot springs for warmth. Snowcoach tours take you to all the main draws – Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – and you can even ski or snowshoe to sights that you’ll likely have to yourself. Even better, the contrast between the serene snow scene and Yellowstone’s violent volcanic landscape (bubbling mud-pots, steaming rivers) is something you’ll never forget.
Sustainable travel tip: Consider staying in one of the national park’s winter lodges. They’ve done a lot of work on sustainability, including comprehensive recycling, composting, and energy and water conservation; farm-to-fork food; and fuel-efficient tour vehicles.
Getty ImagesFiji, South Pacific
Temperature: 31°C high; 22°C low
Season: wet
Flight time from UK: 24 hours
Time difference: GMT+11There’s nowhere like Fiji to make UK-in-December gloom seem like a distant memory. Tuck your toes into its dazzling-white sands and you’re officially on Fiji time. When friendly, frangipani-decorated locals say ‘no hurries, no worries’, it’s less a catchphrase, more a way of life. December falls early in the rainy season, meaning occasional, short bursts of afternoon showers relieve the midday heat. Following 2016’s devastating Cyclone Winston, more eco-friendly, culturally aware hotels are popping up to challenge the decadent, mega-honeymoon properties: a Six Senses – set where Tom Hanks filmed Cast Away – runs on Tesla batteries and cooks using organic, locally foraged finds.
Sustainable travel tip: Getting off the beach and out of the hotel is the best way to interact with and contribute to local communities. It’s possible to take multi-day hiking trips into Fiji’s jungles and mountains, which include sleeping in homestays, visiting tribal villages and learning about authentic island life from a local guide. Check out Responsible Travel for more.
Where to stay: Nowhere is the welcoming song as heartfelt as at Likuliku Lagoon Resort. The 10 overwater bungalows here are the only ones in Fiji.
Getty ImagesKyoto, Japan
Temperature: 11°C high; 2°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 14 hours
Time difference: GMT+8Japan’s favourite holiday is New Year (or Oshogatsu). And where better to join in the festivities than its former imperial capital and keeper of ancient traditions? The whole month of December sees Kyoto filled with markets and festivals: Kobo-san and Tenjin-san fleas are big favourites, held around the temples of the same name, and packed with Japanese antiques, kimonos and food carts. Held in early December, Arashiyama Hanatouro is a magical lantern festival that illuminates the famous Arashiyama bamboo forest. Don’t miss the nightly temple illuminations, either: if you get lucky, it might even snow.
Sustainable travel tip: Kyoto is one of the best bicycling cities in Asia, and many of the major temples and museums offer bicycle parking. Note, though, that it’s illegal to park a bike anywhere other than a designated area.
Where to stay: Aman Kyoto is a secret woodland treasure, with hilly woodland, sculptural paving stones, a tranquil onsen and giant wooden bathtubs.
Getty ImagesMadagascar, Indian Ocean
Temperature: 30°C high; 24°C low
Season: wet
Flight time from UK: 12 hours
Time difference: GMT+2Desperate to feel a world away from dark, damp December streets? Madagascar will do the trick. The primordial island is, of course, best known for lemurs, wildly coloured chameleons and implausible creatures such as the giraffe weevil (go on, Google it). But there’s more to Madagascar’s otherworldliness than rich rainforests. Don’t miss the southern deserts’ spiny woodlands, or the near-impenetrable limestone karst warren of Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. Early December is a good, off-season time to visit, before heavier rains move in later in the month. Private island Miavana, on the east coast’s Nosy Ankao, has an audacious collection of mid-century-modern, stone-cut villas, and might just be the smartest castaway escape in the world.
Sustainable travel tip: More than 70 per cent of people in Madagascar live below the poverty line, so supporting initiatives that benefit local communities here is vital. Check out initiatives such as Anja Community Reserve, a protected forest home to ring-tailed lemurs, which is managed by the people of Anja village.
Where to stay: At sensationally beautiful private-island hotel Miavana.
Getty ImagesKrakow, Poland
Temperature: 3°C high; -4°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 2 hours 30 minutes
Time difference: GMT+1Krakow in December looks like a Christmas card. The Old Town’s medieval main square, Rynek Główny, is all cobblestones, horse-and-carriage rides, and Christmas markets dishing up dumplings and pork knuckles. Load up on artisan baubles from the stalls, then duck into one of the district’s snug cellar bars for a restorative nip of flavoured vodka (the ubiquitous cherry is fantastic). Unlike many stag-do-spoiled parts of Eastern Europe, Poland’s second city also packs a sophisticated nightlife buzz. Tytano, an old tobacco factory, is now a complex of cool bars and restaurants (go for craft cocktails at Lastriko), while the Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, has seen its decrepit tenement buildings given new life by numerous shabby-chic bars.
Sustainable travel tip: Add an extra day to your itinerary and travel to Krakow via a scenic train journey. First, take the Eurostar from London to Brussels (about two hours), followed by a high-speed ICE3 to Cologne (2 hours) then a high-speed ICE2 to Berlin (about four hours). Next morning, catch a EuroCity train to Warsaw (about six hours), then an InterCity to Krakow (2.5 hours).
Where to stay: Bedding down in the sleek and stylish Puro Hotel places you in the heart of the Old Town.
Getty ImagesTasmania, Australia
Temperature: 23°C high; 11°C low
Season: summer
Flight time from UK: 30 hours
Time difference: GMT+9‘Tassie’ has officially made the leap from bogan to buzzing. And it’s all because of eccentric, multi-millionaire David Walsh, whose irreverent Museum of Old and New Art made headlines when it opened in 2011, due to its risqué pieces, including a plaster wall of vulvas. Now, it’s widely regarded as Australia’s best museum. With that, an edgy crowd are taking over the island and the capital, Hobart, has been transformed. Designer digs such as the sandstone Henry Jones Art Hotel are de rigueur. Revered restaurants including Franklin serve Tasmanian produce: wood-roasted octopus, raw wallaby. The island’s sparkling wine has been raking in global acclaim over the past few years, too. Drink it all at the annual Taste of Tasmania festival, which kicks off in late December, taking rich pickings from the abundant Australian summer.
Sustainable travel tip: One of the best things about Tassie is its untamed wilderness, conserved by both the Parks and Wildlife Service and its Aboriginal peoples. Don’t underestimate the Aussie bush, though: it’s best explored with local operators. The likes of Tasmanian Expeditions take care to use locally owned accommodation, local food producers and local activity suppliers, as well as protecting places of natural, historic and Aboriginal value.
Where to stay: Pumphouse Point, a decommissioned hydro-electric power station on Lake St Clair, has 180-degree views of the lake.
Getty ImagesBerlin, Germany
Temperature: 4°C high; 0°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 2 hours
Time difference: GMT+1There is no bad time to visit Berlin. We love the city in summer, mooching around its kooky-krazy hangouts of creative weirdness – but what a place to party in December! More kookiness in its clubs and bars and the underground haunts of its cool-as-you-like neighbourhoods; and Berlin is one of the best places to spend New Year's Eve in the world, when they throw a city-wide street party with gigs and celebrations all along the Party Mile.
Sustainable travel tip: Trust cutting-edge Berlin to have a thriving sustainable food scene. At vegan FREA, dishes are made using produce from local organic farmers, and the restaurant’s food waste is then composted and returned to those suppliers for use on their crops. For a smart ethical supper, try a 10-course tasting menu of Berlin-grown fare at Nobelhart & Schmutzig in Kreuzberg.
Where to stay: Restored Art Nouveau gem Hotel Am Steinplatz has Moorish arched windows, ornate stucco work and marble flooring.
Above: Holzmarkt in Berlin.
Getty ImagesGoa, India
Temperature: 33°C high; 22°C low
Season: cool
Flight time from UK: 12 hours
Time difference: GMT+4:30Goa is love-it crazy in December. Every palm tree strung with tinsel and fairy lights, every beach bar rocking with the most beautiful happy-go-lucky just-found-themselves travellers dancing like loons, night and day. The weather is just perfect, and the parties reach fever pitch. Christmas is cause for great celebration throughout India – no more so than in Goa, garlanded and lit up with fireworks, Christmas trees and Santa hats incongruous in the heat and dust. This all rolls into New Year's Eve celebrations, with parties and raves on the beaches and bars (Goa is India's most liberal state). It gets busy, so book ahead. Avoid staying too long in Anjuna, unless you're a hardcore raver – dance til the sun comes up, then head to a quieter spot (we love Arambol, Mandrem, Palolem, all utterly dreamy) for a different kind of sunrise.
Sustainable travel tip: There’s a decent crop of hippie hangouts here serving all-organic vegetarian meals and extolling the virtues of harmony with nature. Yogamagic Eco Retreat, just inland from Anjuna, has both glamping tents and main-house rooms built from reclaimed materials (old haveli doors, furniture made from recycled teak wood or railway sleepers), the showers are solar-heated, and vegetarian and vegan meals are homegrown and locally sourced.
Where to stay: Ahilya by the Sea overlooks a bay of fishing boats in Nerul, and has an airy, beach-house vibe.
Getty ImagesCambodia and Laos
Temperature: Around 30°C high; 20°C low
Season: dry
Flight time from UK: Around 15 hours
Time difference: GMT+6South-East Asia is wonderful in December, the climate just right - which does mean that yes, everyone else wants to visit then, too. But why come when it is wet and unbearably hot? Come in December, and embrace the holiday season, when places to eat and drink are buzzing, when Laos's beautiful colonial towns (we adore Luang Prabang) have a happy bustle to them, when Siem Reap is at its liveliest. Cambodia and Laos are big and largely empty countries, where it is always possible to find some space to yourself, even at Angkor Wat (go for sunrise, wherever possible). Yes, it might take a bit more planning and booking ahead, but there if you want to be spontaneous there is always a room in a charming teak house to be found, where birds sing in the banana trees beside the verandah.
Sustainable travel tip: Cambodia’s social-enterprise restaurants are a great way to support local communities in a long-term way, as they offer free hospitality training to young, underprivileged people, helping them forge sustainable careers. In Siem Reap, Sala Baï is a riverside restaurant created by French NGO APLC; capital Phnom Penh has Romdeng, set in a gorgeous colonial building and run by local NGO Mith Samlanh.
Where to stay: Set on a private island, Six Senses Krabey Island has 40 villas and a vast spa.
Getty ImagesPrague
Temperature: 4°C high; 0°C low
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 2 hours
Time difference: GMT+1Surely nowhere is prettier in the snow than Prague. Those perfectly preserved ancient streets, like a fairytale (with a real castle!); those cinnamon-scented Christmas markets where mulled wine makes us buy weird presents and too many Christmas decorations. Pretty, yes, but Prague is also cold as hell in December, which only serves to make its richly-patterned restaurants all the cosier and justify its just-as-rich and fortifying cuisine. Sit in its Art Nouveau gilded interiors, or its underground bars, and warm yourself with roast game and booze.
Sustainable travel tip: Arriving in Prague by train entails a few quick transfers and a bonus night in Brussels. Take the Eurostar from London to the Belgian capital (two hours), stay the night, then catch a morning ICE train to Frankfurt (about three hours). Here, change onto a regional train to Cheb in the Czech Republic (4.5 hours), and then it’s a Czech express train to Prague (about three hours). You’ll arrive in time for a hearty supper and a beer.
Where to stay: The Augustine Hotel is set in a medieval astrological tower, with 360-degree views, and a suite that is at eye-level with Prague Castle.
Getty ImagesUruguay
Temperature: 28°C high; 16°C low
Season: summer
Flight time from UK: 16 hours 20 minutes
Time difference: GMT-4The South American beach break with a difference. Most of Uruguay's neverending white-sand beaches are practically empty even in high season. That high season lasts just a few weeks, in December, and if you like things lively (Ibiza, Mykonos, Trancoso style), that's when you want to come. You can still find a beach pretty much to yourself, around hippy little José Ignacio, La Barra and Punta del Este. But December is when the wooden-shack restaurants and beach bars and artsy little hotels open their shutters for the Buenos Aires party crowd who hop across the River Plate for Christmas and New Year fun.
Sustainable travel tip: Local studio MAPA Architects designed eco-boutique Sacromonte, a complex of cabins made from regionally sourced wood and stone, tucked into 250 acres of mountain landscape less than an hour from coastal town José Ignacio. It has a vineyard, two organic gardens and onsite wastewater bio-digesters, and offers guided hiking and horseback rides through the surrounding sierras.
Where to stay: Casa Anna, from Argentine chef Francis Mallman, transformed the tiny hamlet of Garzon.
Øivind HaugThe Arctic Circle
Temperature: -3°C high; -9°Clow
Season: winter
Flight time from UK: 6 hours
Time difference: GMT+2What better time to visit the North Pole than December, for Christmas? When a sleigh ride through Lapland, pulled by reindeer or huskies, is surely most unforgettable, when the glittering frozen Narnia landscapes of the Arctic Circle are most magical. And when the lightshow in the skies, the Northern Lights, playing all the colours of the spectrum over Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden, is at its brightest and best.
Sustainable travel tip: Experiences with the indigenous Sami people of Lapland are becoming ever-more popular, but be sure that the operator is providing a genuine connection with their culture (rather than a ‘show’). Done right, this kind of tourism helps boost a local economy that can only rely on a lucrative revenue stream – tourism – a few months of the year. Magnetic North Travel, for example, organises time with genuine reindeer herders and their families, so you get a real sense of their way of life.
Where to stay: In Swedish Lapland, check out Treehotel, where rooms are not on the ground but above it, in the trees.
Above: Icebergs floating in the Illulisat Icefjord, one of the northernmost UNESCO World Heritage sites.