Snow, sleigh-bells, mistletoe—or the beach? Christmas doesn’t always have to mean a gaggle of relatives, too much eggnog, and bulky winter coats. This year, why not relax in a hammock, with a cocktail and the soothing sun? Richard Arghiris, of the rather vivid Central American travel blog interamericana.co.uk, suggests you escape to Panama, where it’s around 68° F in winter and often without a cloud in the sky. His favorite hotel in Panama is the Canopy Eco-lodge, a retreat where the only sounds to wake you in the morning are the calls of tropical birds. Price: from $150 per night. + canopytower.com.
Wanderlust magazine recommends some great places south of the equator for the ultimate holiday season. Why not try the stunning harbor city of Cape Town, which has temperatures of around 86° F in December? Tripadvisor.com and tipsfortravellers.com recommend the best hotel in Cape Town: the Derwent House Boutique. It has stunning mountain views, a luxurious pool, and is the winner of Traveler’s Choice Best Bargain, Best Hidden Gem, and Best World Service Awards. Price: from $255 per night. + www.derwenthouse.co.za. If you’d like to go farther afield, do something unique and go to Gisborne, New Zealand—it’s the first place in the world where the sun shines every day—and the first place that welcomes each New Year.
See What Inspired John, Paul, Ringo, and George in India
Did you ever look at the photos of the Beatles in India and wish you were there too? Well, film director Paul Saltzman was and this February he’s taking a lucky few on a trip to the Beatles’ favorite haunts. The Toronto Sun and industry rag etravelblackboard.com have reported an exciting 18-day tour by Bestway Tours and Safaris, taking place from February 11 to 28, 2010. Not only can you soak up the sights and sounds that inspired the Beatles to write 48 songs in just a few weeks, but there’s also a host of other activities including visits to the Red Fort, Gandhi’s house, and the Ravi Shankar Institute. On this once-in-a-lifetime tour you’ll visit ashrams, beaches, and palaces and enjoy live music, luxury five-star accommodation, and the best of India’s cuisine. It costs $7,890, including internal transport, all transfers, guides, tickets, breakfast, and dinner. It’s not cheap, but if you’re ready to treat yourself, it is a great way to have fun, live out some youthful fantasies, and see so much of this exotic country from Jaipur and Udaipur to Mumbai, New Delhi, and Agra.
Where to Find the Fairer and Friendlier Folk of England
Most visitors to the UK will visit London, its surrounds, and sometimes Stratford-on-Avon or the Cotswolds. All too rarely do they miss out on the joys of the Northern half. Next time you’re in London and feeling a little overwhelmed by England’s grandiose capital, head to King’s Cross station—carefully avoiding the Harry Potter fans in search of platform 9 ¾—and get on a train “up North.” A couple of hours later, you’ll notice the people around you are friendlier, fairer—there’s got to be a lot more Viking blood floating around up here—and more relaxed than their Southern cousins. In fact, they’ll even give you a smile. And once you work out how to understand what they’re actually saying in their warm, full accents, you’ll realize they’re also great for a chat.
Michael Smith of The Age newspaper, fell in love with Yorkshire when he lived at Harewood House, near Leeds, as a young man. Leeds is in Yorkshire, the heart-center of the North and England’s biggest county. This varied shire is home to the haunting, love-stained moors of Wuthering Heights, the wind-battered stately homes of Jane Eyre, the harrowing mills of the industrial revolution, and now a thriving young culture that is welcoming and tourist-friendly.
For the last couple of centuries, the Industrial Revolution helped to give much of Yorkshire a bad name. Dickens once called Leeds: “the beastliest place,” and the German poet Weerth described it as a place that made you splutter with filth. Well, what a different place it is now. Mass urban regeneration, the paving of the city-center shopping quarter, and a darn good scrub have helped Leeds to rightfully deserve Conde Nast calling it the best city to visit in England bar London.
It’s easy to walk around Leeds, so when you get there, just head up the hill to the splendidly housed City Art Gallery…and next door to Henry Moore Institute for a culture fix. + www.leedsartgallery.co.uk and www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk. If shopping in London is too much like a rugby scrum for you, then a couple of blocks east, Leeds’ charming shopping quarter will be the perfect, civilized anti-dote. Afterwards, bear south to the Edwardian Kirkgate market and the majestic corn exchange, which Smith describes as a mini Royal Albert Hall; or north to the recently restored Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House for award-winning shows. + www.leedsgrandtheatre.com.
Day trips from Leeds include a visit to Smith’s former home, Harewood House: an 18th century masterpiece with gardens by Capability Brown (www.harewood.org), and one of England’s finest literary pilgrimages—Haworth—the village where the Bronte sisters wrote their masterpieces in a small parsonage shadowed by Yorkshire’s bleak moors. Well, actually, they’re not that bleak…in summer they’re really quite green and charming and there are many popular walks you can take to visit places which supposedly inspired Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. You can also stay in the rather touristy but still charming village at the Apothecary Guesthouse from $50 a night. + www.theapothecaryguesthouse.co.uk.
Half an hour away is the city of York, once home to the Romans and Vikings. According to www.gotravelengland.com, York has a heritage to rival any city in Britain. The Roman Emperor Hadrian held court here and so did Charles I during the Civil War—in fact, it was very much Britain’s second city until the Industrial Revolution. Its historic city center is framed by ancient city walls and teeming with museums, galleries, and historic walks around its winding cobbled streets. Particularly fascinating is Jorvik, a fun and interactive underground museum that recreates the sounds, sights, and smells of 10th
century Viking York. + www.vikingjorvik.com. You could spend weeks here, wandering around and taking it all in with some tea and scones. It would be the perfect spring vacation, when you can delight in the wild flowers without the irksome summer crowds. + www.visityork.org.
The Year of the Gorilla: Rwanda Is Back
Rwanda is back on the tourist map. This breathtaking African nation, nestled between the Congo basin and the Great Rift Valley, is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” and is home to the silverback mountain Gorillas. Its stunning biodiversity ranges from misty mountain forests to expansive green savannahs and tropical rainforests. What most of the glossy brochures don’t seem to mention are the country’s recent atrocities. It’s been 15 years since the Rwandan Genocide and this tiny democracy is trying to get back on its feet. In the UN’s Year of the Gorilla, there’s no better time to visit and help re-start Rwanda’s blossoming tourist industry. The Daily Telegraph recommends taking a Hayes & Jarvis tour through the misty mountains and local villages to find Gorillas in one of the world’s last places “where it’s possible to see them in the wild.” A three-day all inclusive Gorillas Through the Mist trek is $1,700 for three action-packed days. + hayesandjarvis.co.uk.
