OnIn addition to lots of sunny locales and winter wonderlands to visit, the opportunity to travel to blissful Christmas markets makes December a great month to go. Traveling during the first half of December can also provide excellent opportunities to save. This is especially true for locations with severe winter conditions offering lower rates. If you hope to enjoy a family holiday on a snowy slope or just a personal vacation in warm weather, here are some of the best places to travel in December.
Best places to travel in December
GOA, INDIA
Goa is a place you are certainly going to love, especially in December. All the palm trees are strung with fairy and tinsel lights, and all beach bars are filled with travelers dancing joyfully throughout the day and night.
The parties are great, and the weather is equally ideal. In India, Christmas is a great reason to celebrate. It is much higher in Goa, which is decorated with Christmas trees and lit up with fireworks.
All of these continue until the celebration of New Year’s Eve. With raves and parties on the bars and beaches, it may get hectic, so it’s advisable to make your bookings ahead.
If you are not one who loves dancing till the sunrise, then avoid spending long periods in Anjuana. If you want something quieter, check out Mandrem or Arambol.
ST BARTH’S, CARIBBEAN
St Barth is a fantastic destination for holiday-goers and one of best places to visit in December. The presence of magnificent villas, hotels, restaurants, and beaches make this island quite attractive.
In addition to these, the island is the choice of most individuals who are super-rich and famous. This includes a lot of A-lister’s. If you hope to enjoy a visit to this sunny paradise in December, then you should ensure to book ahead.
CAMBODIA AND LAOS
There are lots of reason to love South-East Asia and the climate in December is one of these reasons. If you have spent a lot of time visiting other countries like Cambodia, then Laos can provide a perfect change of scenery.
Although you may need to book ahead for a visit, you can be sure to get lots of room for privacy. Some of the main attractions include the colonial towns like the Luang Prabang while there are also lots of drinks and places to stop by for a hot meal during the season.
Antarctica
This is one of the best places to visit in December and for a good reason too. There are limited locations that create images of wild frontiers and intrepid explorers like Antarctica’s icy plains.
The great news is that gathering a team of huskies and taking off for long periods is no longer a necessity. Now, it has to do with cruising in style to the end of the globe.
December kicks off the summer in Antarctica where temperatures get just higher than freezing. The well-known Drake Passage is a lot calmer, and the pack ice melts to allow ships to go through.
December is also an excellent period for getting a closer look at migrating blue whales, Gentoo penguins, and baby penguin chicks as well. It is a location that comes with all you will require for the experience of a lifetime.
Cambodia
One of the beauties of Cambodia is embedded in the fact that the dry season in the country falls in December. With so many sites like the Angor Wat to explore, this is the most convenient time to visit.
If you decide to visit, cycling around Phnom Penh is excellent under the temperature. Some of the highlights of Cambodia include ancient cities, bustling urban hubs, elephant-trodden trails in beautiful jungles, straw hat villages, and some pristine white coastline. Another significant fact is that this all comes at a very cheap price. Once in Cambodia, the great part is the warm welcome which the Khmer people offer the visitors.
Brazil
Brazilians are quite popular for throwing great parties. During the December festive period, Rio de Janeiro is a great party location. The concept of white Christmas is unique in Brazil. You can expect to find surfers wearing Santa costumes riding the waves, fairy lights on giant palm trees, as well as lots of gifts and trinkets packed in markets.
You can also wait behind till December 31 for the Reveillion celebrations. During this party, there are more than 2 million revelers who come together to experience the Copacabana. Champagne, live music, street food, and fireworks are always available in excess as people enjoy the party on the white sands.
South Africa
This is a paradise for travelers. It is also worth looking at if you are in search of cheap places to travel in December. With towering mountain ranges, beautiful coastal roads and national parks filled with a diverse and vibrant culture, this is undoubtedly a place to visit.
December is when the summer begins officially here, and although this period would be a cold one for the Northern hemisphere, South Africa prepares for the warm summer periods.
Those in search of a fantastic safari experience will find Kruger filled with new life. In Cape Town, the beaches are bubbling, and the Table Mountain views are at their prettiest and clearest.
Finland
Although summer is usually the best season to enjoy the holidays, specific locations become a real wonderland during the winter season. One of such locations is the Finnish Lapland. The landscape consists of a vast white wilderness along with waterfalls, snow-dusted fir trees, and reindeers which make it a real arctic wonderland.
Some of the main attractions of this area include the adrenaline rush that comes with a dog sled being pulled by huskies, the Sami meal, hiking on a path that goes through the taigas, watch the Aurora Borealis in the skies, or enjoy the view of the sun going down over the pristine peaks. With lots of rumors about Santa’s workshop in the region, you may get a glimpse of your favorite old man in a red suit on Christmas Eve.
Israel
What better way to celebrate Christmas than a visit to the place where Jesus was born? The Christmas spirit in the Holy Land is unique. One of the the . Best places to Travel in December for many religious people is Jerusalem. Only a handful of Santas and the popular reindeers are available, and it may be impossible to find anyone putting up decorations or shopping for gifts in excess. This majorly Jewish Country offers the Jews, Muslims, and Christians access to many sacred sites from the ancient times. To put the country in a festive mood this season, the Jewish festival of lights, Hannukah, is usually celebrated during Christmas.
As a country, Israel is a significant treasure trove for individuals who have a great interest in ancient history. This is why it remains attractive even beyond the festivities. The Massada outcrop, the Dead Sea, the cosmopolitan Tel Aviv, and the Old City of Jerusalem are some of the religious and cultural heritages which are present. For the food lovers, there is no shortage in this regard. With the fresh olives, hummus, Shakshuka in Tel Aviv, falafels, and fresh fish from the seafood market in Akko’s old town, you can enjoy a perfect mix of Levantine, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cooking.
The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
This place seems to offer excellent living conditions and attracts various land and sea animals. If you still have doubts, Charles Darwin was on the island when he postulated natural selection. This biodiverse island is not only spectacular, but it is also quite isolated.
Visiting this island in December offers a lot of benefits including the change in weather from the dry, cool season to the wet, warm season. The water temperature is usually around 24 ͦC during this period making it excellent for diving while the average temperature falls at 27 ͦC. for those who are real lovers of wildlife, then this is the best opportunity to observe the sea lions during the lion mating season and also enjoy viewing Giant Tortoise eggs hatching.
The Galapagos Islands remain the best location to visit for wildlife lovers, travelers, and nature enthusiasts looking to celebrate the Christmas period while still doing what they love. Boat cruises are also available for exploring sea life.
New Zealand
Just like its neighbors across the Tasman, New Zealand comes into its own during the summer months December. For those from the northern hemisphere, the novelty of a warm Christmas also extends to NZ, where you’ll find families enjoying beach barbeques or playing cricket in the sun too. The ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ is a true triumph of nature, full of secluded beaches, volcanic craters, glacial mountain ranges, and stunning fjords – and it’s not hard to see why The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed here! It’s also home to a world-class wine and gourmet scene. What more could you want?!
Australia
If you hope to experience a cosmopolitan vibe as well as great cultural dynamism, then Sydney is a great place to pick. During December, Australia also offers excellent summertime weather for those looking to take a break from the wintry conditions at home.
The Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and Bondi Beach are some of the places which offer great sightseeing experiences. There are also lots of renowned restaurants and iconic monuments to visit in December.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Snowboarding and skiing are some of the most popular outdoor activities which make this wintry destination quite popular. Visitors can even take part in dog sledding if they wish. Since it offers excellent winter conditions, the rates are much lower to visitors who book to travel during the earlier days of the month. There are also various resorts and hotels which are quite popular in Jackson Hole. This is a great choice to enjoy a wonderful Christmas holiday.
Iceland
Ice land is recognized as one of the top locations in the globe to see the northern lights. The peak period where you have the most possibility of catching this colorful and mystical occurrence in the sky in a clear, cold night is during the winter.
Observing from one of the numerous geothermal pools is an experience you would never forget. There is an additional reason why you should head there in December as well.
Christmas time offers all form of fun traditions alongside appealing holiday lights with apartment blocks lit up with lighting schemes working in sync. Asides this, neighbors compete with one another for who has the home with the most beautiful decorations.
You can observe the Christmas tree lighting and have an experience of the Yule Lads. As stated by legend, they come down from the mountains in December. They do so to offer treats to well-behaved kids and rotten potatoes to those who were not at their best behavior.
This is our list of the Best places to travel in December.
