Looking to get away from it all this festive season? Celebrate Christmas in style with a sailing trip through one of these remote destinations. Peaceful and unbelievably beautiful, these locations are just the ticket if you want to recharge before ringing in the new year.
Antarctica
Yes, you read that right: Antarctica! Swap the dark Northern Hemisphere for twenty hours of daily sunlight and magnificent glaciers that will bob and creak in your memory long after you return home.
Wrap up warm and spend days on deck spotting nesting penguins and clapping seals sheltering beneath the towering ice cliffs. Highlights include the vast caldera at Deception Island and staggering Skontorp Cove. It’s best to look at yachts available for charter for this trip so you’re safe in the company of a crew with expertise navigating these ethereal waters.
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The Maldives
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Maldives which averages around 28°C (82°F) each day in December. You’ll find no ice here: instead, a seemingly endless array of paradisical tropical islands awaits, each as flat as a pancake providing nothing but panoramic ocean vistas.
Spend time on shore at the luxury resorts boasting infinity pools, spas and water sports centres offering everything from surfing to scuba diving. Sunsets are an astonishing daily occurrence where the sky seems aflame with orange pink and gold, the perfect backdrop for a proposal.
The Grenadines
Enjoy the rare chance to explore the Caribbean away from the crowds with a sailing trip around The Grenadines, a line of islands leading south from St Vincent towards Grenada.
This 32-strong chain is relatively unspoiled, with small harbours dotted throughout where yachts can shore up safely so you can explore. Hike along volcanic peaks and through lush rainforests, and relax on pure white beaches ringed by striking black coral reefs. Look out for private island Mustique, crowned by luxury villas offering an out-of-this-world experience.
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Papua New Guinea
A vessel is a must to make your way around Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific Islands nation. Over 600 main islands make up this enigmatic country, and anywhere you go there’s only water as far as the eye can see.
Surfing is rewarding here in December, especially in the north, or you can enjoy the crystal-clear waters at a more leisurely pace on kayaking trips or by snorkelling the mesmerising coral reefs. Kimbe Bay is a biodiversity hotspot with hundreds of species of fish and dolphins just offshore. If you’re feeling adventurous, visit various tribes to learn about age-old traditions and walk the rainforests at Tari in search of tropical birds.
Hawaii
Journey northeast from Papua New Guinea and you’ll hit Hawaii. This individual US state has similarly spectacular volcanic interiors and also offers fantastic surfing in the winter, from beginner-friendly waves at Hanalei in Kauai to towering 30-foot rides at Oahu’s Sunset Beach. See the volcanos up close on a trek through the dedicated national park or Waimea Canyon State Park if you’re feeling active or take a trip over to the understated island of Molokai. Afterwards, lie back and soak up the alluring atmosphere of this coastal jewel at one of the top resorts which offer everything you could want or need.
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