Sarah Marriott explores some options for an exotic Christmas abroad.
CHRISTMAS PACKAGES
At this stage, Asia and Africa are your best bets for Christmas vacancies. A package holiday can be the easiest way to travel, but the selection is limited this close to the holidays.
You could, though, spend Christmas Day on the Great Wall of China on an eight-day trip to Beijing. Three days of guided sightseeing includes Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Leaves Dublin on December 24th. Flights, tours and B&B in a four-star hotel: €875. Sino-Irish Travel: 01-6671371.
If you have a couple of grand to spare, it’s still possible to get a holiday in sunny South Africa. Slatterys has a one-week trip to Cape Town including tours of Oudtshoorn (caves and ostrich farms) and the wine region. All travel, tours and B&B in a four-star hotel costs €2,143 (066-7186220). Twohigs has one-week packages to the Tunisian resorts of Hammamet and Port El Kantaoui,half-board in a three-star hotel. It’s easy enough to escape the tourist ghettos and make trips to the souks of the walled city of Sousse, the restored village of Sidi Bou Said and even the Sahara. Leaves Dublin: December 23rd and costs €575 (01-6772666). For people who want to spend the big day with the family before heading off, United Travel has a direct flight to Dubai on St Stephen’s Day. Only six hours away, the Gulf state has sun, coral reefs and great shopping. Flights and eight nights in the four-star Ramada International costs €1,644 (01-2159300).
A spa holiday (four thalassotherapy treatments a day) near the capital of Tunisia and the ancient site of Carthage makes a great escape from real life. The Residence Tunis is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and set in lovely gardens with a private beach. Half-board, with flights from Dublin via Paris: €1,976 from Body and Soul. December 22nd-29th (00-44-207-5940290).
COMFORT OF STRANGERS
To make the most of a short break, organise your own flights and join a small group tour for a cultural or adventure holiday. By the 13th century, Cambodia's Angkor Wat was one of the largest cities in the world. Gecko Adventures has a six-day tour starting from Phnom Penh with two days exploring Angkor, a day a Siem Reap and a visit to the Killing Fields. Departs: December 22nd. Cost €385, www.geckosadventures.com.
Relax on the beautiful tropical island of Lombok in Indonesia. An eight-day holiday from Intrepid Travel includes walking through rice paddies, waterfalls, Mt Rinjani, Senggigi, snorkelling, handicraft villages, eating seafood and iscovering the Sasak culture. Trips leave Bali every week. Cost: €370, www.intrepidtravel.com.
Explore the Thai jungle with eight other intrepid trekkers. Go Differently has an 18-day trip which includes elephant hunting in national parks, snorkelling on coral reefs, river rafting and hiking in the rainforest. Departs: December 19th. Cost: €1,460, www.godifferently.com.
Most of the tours organised by Journey Latin America last two weeks. The only shorter one is a 10-day kayaking holiday in Mexico's Baja California. Snorkel with sealions, kayak around the uninhabited Espiritu Santo island and relax on white-sand beaches. Departs: December 25th. Cost: €940, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk.
Cookery class, henna tattooing, surfing, talks on natural history, visits to the Atlas mountains, an oasis and the coast – all in a seven-night holiday in Taroudant, Morocco. Naturally Morocco's introduction to the country includes accommodation in a typical Moroccan house, three outings and three cultural experiences. Departs: December 19th. Cost: €755, www.naturallymorocco.co.uk/opt-real-moroc.htm.
Experience life in Nepal on a customised tour from the fair-trade company which supports Nepalese charities, Muirs Tours. A 10-day itinerary includes easy/moderate trekking, three nights full-board with a village family and a visit to a rural school. Minimum two people: €320 each, www.muirstours.org.uk.
CHRISTMAS UNWRAPPED
First, stick a pin in the map. Second, get a flight. Third, let your imagination run wild. Goa is a heady mix of India and Portugal; think huge white churches, Hindu temples, golden beaches, red wine and spicy seafood. If the sybaritic lifestyle palls, there's always yoga classes at the Purple Valley Centre in northern Goa. You can take a one-week course, or simply drop in for a class. www.yogagoa.com.
The Achuar people of the Ecuadorian rainforest were unvisited 30 years ago. Now you can stay in their Kapawi Eco Lodge and, led by an Achuar guide, visit communities, go canoeing, hiking and bird-watching. The area is home to about 500 species of birds, pink dolphins, giant otters, caiman and tapirs. Four days all-inclusive: €370, www.responsibletravel.com.
After exploring Jordan's Roman ruins at Jerash, the desert of Wadi Rum and the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, treat yourself at the luxurious Marriott Resort & Spa. On the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, 1,300 feet below sea level, the spa offers sea-salt and mud treatments. B&B for two: €60 a night, www.marriott.com. For romance and adventure, go back in time to a 1920s safari camp near theSerengeti. Cottars Safari Service has been providing butlers, white canvas tents furnished with antiques and trips to see the Big Five since 1919; the only difference is that it now offers an ecologically-correct experience.From €221 a day, www.cottars.com.
Go underground and rent an apartment in a Spanish cave. Join the largest community of troglodytes in Europe (3,000) and stay in Cuevas Pedro Antonio, near the ancient town of Guadix in Granada province. A cave for two costs R120 a night (€200 with a Jacuzzi and open fire) over Christmas. B&B for two in the nearby Laveranda Cave Hotel is €80, www.rusticblue.com, 00-34-958-763381. Consult the Spanish Tourist Board for a wealth of ideas (22 Manchester Square, London WIU 3PX, 00-44-207-4868077).
All prices include tax. All holidays were available at time of going to press, but were selling quickly.
FLIGHT SPECIALISTS
Trailfinders: 01-6777888; A1: 01-6727011; Flightline: 1890-435444; www.travelocity.com; www.gohop.ie; www.ebookers.ie, www.cheapflights.co.uk.