Christmas Escape!!

[Parkmama]

Think we need to escape Christmas this year for a VARIETY of reasons. Where can we go? Open to all suggestions . . . ideally would prefer an all inclusive situation for DH and 2 x DD and I to relax into. But would consider a nice self catering place . . . anyone spent Christmas away and can recommend anything? Was it actually better than being at home?! dragging yourselves around all the in laws and resenting it all?!

Hi OP

We're just giving this one a bump for you - let us know if you'd like us to move it to somewhere with a bit more traffic.

Have to say that I think Christmas is all about family and so we would never actually go away for Christmas. The people that I know who have done so have said it wasn't the same and it spoilt Christmas for the children.

Having said that last year we went away just after Christmas and we generally try to do so. We actually went to the Algarve and had a week in the sun and it was absolutely beautiful although not warm enough to swim. Blue skies everyday and long walks in the sunshine on the beautiful beaches. And none of the post-christmas traffic jams and commercial madness of sales etc that you have in the UK.

Why does this need a bump!!! This is basically following up in your view that longhaul isn’t needed! It’s only been posted for 12 hours - overnight!

Back to the question!

I’m not sure you are up for something very different but we have been to Kenya and did a safari and have also been to India at Christmas. Both are very different to a standard holiday. Neither involve lolling about but both were hugely enjoyable!

Europe is not warm. The Caribbean is hugely expensive at Christmas. AI won’t give you many options unless you look at the Caribbean or Mexico. You could look at Thailand or Vietnam but check weather patterns.

Not sure of your DDs ages, but ours got bored with one place and little to do so we didn’t do resorts after they were about 7. You could look at Egypt but it is fairly Russian oriented in some hotels. Look at Jordan too or Morocco.

Have been to the Canary Islands for the past couple of Christmas', loved it. When people were rushing round getting presents and food we were packing for our holiday!

India in December is good... you can go to Rajasthan, Kerala or anywhere in South India. You will be spoilt for luxury hotels...

We went to Lapland at Christmas and that wasn't AI but you didn't need much extra food and included snowmobiles, husky rides, meal with santa, reindeer and fireworks and reindeer sleigh rides. Kids loved it and we did too and didn't miss travelling and family rows one bit.

Longhaul we tend to do December rather than Christmas as prices hike up then. Went to Martinique and Cuba, Martinique much nicer than Cuba but flew from Paris. Cuba was AI, Martinique wasn't, was half board but that was plenty of food. I would give it ago, would either go somewhere with guaranteed snow or somewhere fairly hot. The only thing I find hard is coming back to a British wet, dark and cold January can be hard. We go away every Christmas now but just to a cottage in the countryside in UK.

We go to the Middle East for Christmas. We do an early or late family meal I nDecemebr or January. Suits us totally!

We live overseas and always travel over the Xmas period. I don't like AI as prefer to try different restaurants and am not keen on large hotels.
India was great over Xmas - not too hot - we visited Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and then had a few days in Bangkok.
Vietnam is one of my favourite Xmas destinations. Hanoi can be a bit cool - around 20 degrees but the south is hot. HCMC can easily be combined with Phu Quoc or a few days on the Mekong Delta. I recommend the Island Lodge hotel.

We went to Costa Rica on Boxing day a few years ago . It was great to have that to look forward to after the crazy build up of Christmas. We booked independently and stayed in small hotels in 3 location. The south of the country was incredibly humid, so much so it was hard to do anything but the north was perfect. There is so much to do .