Follow the Sun

Last month, we talked about vacations that embrace the winter snow. This month, we’ll focus on the opposite strategy—escaping the cold and heading to where the days are long and the weather is balmy.

For our big holiday break, my family usually heads for the Southern Hemisphere, so we can enjoy summer in wintertime—we’ve spent Christmas in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania and Fiji. In Argentina, we took advantage of polo season in Buenos Aires, which runs Nov-Dec; it was also the ideal time to visit the lakes and glaciers of Patagonia. On our Australian holiday, we saw the world’s most impressive New Year’s fireworks in Sydney, snorkeled at Lord Howe Island (which has wonderful weather year-round), and saw remarkable landscapes and abundant wildlife on Kangaroo Island and the Flinders Ranges, which are warm and dry Dec-Mar. New Zealand is at its warmest during this time, and there are few better places for an active vacation—we went sailing in the subtropical Bay Islands and bungee jumping at Lake Taupo. Cape Town, in South Africa, had perfect summer weather in December; Dec-Mar is the green season in Botswana, and Tanzania, which meant lots of baby animals and migratory birds.

If you want a relaxing beach holiday, the choices are practically endless during the winter season. The tropical islands of Phuket (off the coast of Thailand) and Sanya (off the coast of China) are dry, warm and uncrowded Jan-Feb. The South Sea islands of Fiji, Tahiti and Bora Bora are not only gorgeous, they’re perfect for families—many of the resorts offer nannies and kid’s clubs. The Caribbean is another great winter destination—we spent one of our most memorable Christmas holidays cruising around the British Virgin Islands. And there’s perhaps my favorite island destination of all, the Seychelles. Surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, these lush islands are incredibly private and pristine, especially North Island, which is both a wildlife sanctuary and an exclusive resort.

Mexico and Central America are good options if you don’t have a lot of travel time. Dec-Apr is the dry season in Costa Rica, so you can explore the rainforests and beaches under sunny skies. For a seaside getaway even closer to home, head to Cabo San Lucas, with its spectacular scenery, luxurious resorts and excellent restaurants.

Winter and early spring are also ideal months to visit destinations that can get unpleasantly hot in summer, like Morocco, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. The weather in northern India is at its best Nov-mid Feb—I’m making the most of this on the MLS Ladies’ Trip next February, which will show us the wonders of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, and Hyderabad.

Glaciers or beaches, adventure or culture, an epic journey or a long weekend—there’s no shortage of memorable experiences to choose from. But keep in mind, this is high season at many destinations, so start planning your summer-in-winter escape today.

Photo Contest

Congratulations to Michele Zousmer, the winner of our photo contest drawing. She will be awarded her choice of prizes: an Apple iPad or a G12 camera. You can see her photos as well as the other monthly selections on the Photo Contest page on My Little Swans. Our next photo contest will begin January 1, 2012, and we hope you’ll take part. Start looking through your travel photos and get ready to send us your favorite images.

Warm Regards,
Katrina Garnett

Portrait of Katrina Garnett

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