Christmas/winter hols

[OnlyLovers]

DP and I want to go away over Christmas or New Year. Ideally to a place where these holidays are not celebrated, or at least are not the be-all-and-end-all they are in the UK.

Don't have the budget or patience to go really long-haul (e.g. Antipodes) but would do South America, Asia etc.

Weather – either somewhere really really properly cold or somewhere warm, but doesn't have to be beach warm.

Would like a mix of urban (some combination of galleries/churches and temples/cafes/general culture) and landscape.

One idea is Paraty in Brazil for the culture/pretty town/nearby beaches.

Or the Canaries –not far, cheaper flights –although I don't know how much there is in the way of interesting and lively towns/cities.

Any ideas?

India. A good time to visit and non Christmassy! Agree with Brazil and you could look at China or Viet Nam.

quite a lot to see in the Canaries - it's not all lager louts and concrete. But you need to get a shift on if you want to get a decent price for Christmas.

China! Hadn't thought of China. Won't it be cold though? [ignorant]

Vietnam. Hmmm. I have a big blank space in my head when it comes to Southeast Asia. I've no idea what a holiday in that region would be like. What do you do? What's there?

I visited Brazil two years ago and really enjoyed it. Would could fly into Rio and then get a transfer to Paraty? Have you seen the Twilight films? Paraty is where the couple honeymooned.
Another option is South Africa. A long flight but no jet lag. Or the Caribbean.

I have spent a couple of christmases in Goa, weather is lovely then and it is inexpensive after you have got your flight. We usually fly through Mumbai which is a fairly untouristy stop-over with lots of interesting places to visit.

Vietnam has Asian culture, food, war sights, beaches, bustling streets, markets. China is so vast you can see where is good weather for the time of year. I would also say South Africa, but they do Christmas, and it is peak season.

Vietnam sounds amazing! S Africa – flights are pretty expensive and I don't think it's cheap once you get there. Would love to visit though.

(Chicken*, haven't seen Twilight, no, but thanks for the tip – I'll YouTube the honeymoon scenes!

Thanks all. Lots of ideas to think about.

Cape Town is very good value for money when you are there. I went four years ago when the exchange rate was worse for Uk and lunch for 4 was around £20 and dinners for 4 were usually about £50. We had lots of fish platters with lobster and prawns etc. The most expensive day out thing we did was the cable car up table mountain which was under £50 for 4. The entrance to cape of Good Hope was under a tenner. It was lovely being able to have multiple coffee and icecream for the DC stops without having to think about the cost.

Oh, that sounds better than I'd thought. I've clearly been given misleading info!

Would you go for cold say as cold as Russia?

I think so. I like cosy jumpers and hot chocolate and woodstoves. Not sure how much I fancy Russia specifically, though. I always imagine it being hard to get any proper sense of it, unless you're lucky enough to go with someone who knows the place.

China will be cold, but not crowded. You could go to,the ice festival in north china. Hong Kong will be warmer. I have been there in December and it was about 18. South of China, Hainan Island, will be warmer, but would only spend a couple of days there as it mainly caters to Chinese tourists.
Cambodia is great weather wise in December and angkor wat is amazing. Good value too with great food. Visa on arrival so easy to arrange.
Vietnam is wonderful. Amazing sights and food. Hanoi - water puppet theatre, museums and great to wander around back streets. Ho Chi Minh is busier and the traffic is horrendos. Tunnels are worth a visit.
Laos? Amazing place and weather is ideal in December.
Thailand? Bangkok combined with a beach break?