Festive flights
John Proctor Travel on Christmas and New Year breaks in the sun…
Have you seen they’ve already put the Christmas lights up on North Street? I have heard this conversation at least three or four times so far in the past week. Then follows the inevitable lament that it can’t be that time of year already. Now, while I am no fan of the seemingly rapid transition from breezy summer style to reticent festive mode, when it comes to planning Christmas away from home it makes every sense to get in there early.
There are no two ways about it – if you are going to get away for the Christmas/New Year break you should book early and also expect to pay a premium. As a rule the sooner you book, the better your chances of getting a selection of options at a sensible price. You won’t find many ‘deals’ for the holiday period as it’s high season and likely that availability on flights is limited – pushing prices up. This is particularly true if you want to return to the UK in the first few days of January. For a better price look at travelling on Christmas Day itself and/or returning home before the New Year, as these are less popular times to travel – though you’ll still be looking at high season fares.
In terms of destinations, you’ll need to travel long haul to feel the sun’s warmth and the festive mood. Latin America puts the emphasis on fiestas around the Easter pageant such as Carnival, but Christmas is also celebrated here. Another popular option is the beach resorts of Southern India, such as those of Goa or Kerala, or how about The Philippines where they know how to celebrate with gusto – the ‘official’ holiday season extends from December 16 until epiphany, though apparently carols can be heard from September onwards!
If you aim to avoid the Christmas celebrations altogether you could stay closer to home – Morocco is just a few hours away with direct flights from Gatwick to Marrakesh, though consequently don’t expect to be basking in sunshine. For a better beach option consider Oman, especially the country’s southernmost Dhofar province which offers sub-tropical flavours on the fringes of the Arabian desert.
Clearly there isn’t a shortage of places to visit, whatever your intentions in getting away over the holidays. However, don’t count on a last minute shopping trip for your Christmas vacation as you may well find the shelves empty. Instead, if you want to be sending seasons greetings on a postcard this year, you need to act now and get Christmas booked – or failing that start thinking about next year!
John Proctor Travel, 4 Church Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1UJ,
01273 608351,
leisure@johnproctortravel.com,
www.johnproctortravel.com
