Book: Siem Reap, Cambodia If you want to start your New Year with a wow, watch the sunrise over the UNESCO Heritage Site of Angkor Wat. An early start means that you have the full day to play with so you can go for a bike ride through the ancient city, kick off your shoes and enjoy one of the famed foot massages or learn how to make Cambodian food. Then at the end of the day you can be wowed once more with the high-flying acrobats of Phare Circus.
Stay: Belmond La Residence D’Angkor. Amansara or Phum Baitang.
Book: Chiang Rai, Thailand If you go into the jungle today you’re sure to be in for a big surprise as at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Chiang Rai you can join their protected pachyderms as they take a stroll through the wild. If that’s not close enough you can also stay in the hotel’s new bubble suite and watch the elephants from a giant dome in the forest until the sun goes down.
Book: Hoi An, Vietnam. Keep your smartphone handy when you tour the streets of Hoi An. With its ochre-coloured houses, Japanese bridge and winding alleyways set by the river make it an Instagrammer’s dream. If you are looking for culture you can learn how to make lanterns; if you want to burn calories you can go for a bike ride or you can go for a spin along the paddy fields in a Russian sidecar.
Stay: Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Azerai La Residence or Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort.
Book: Fiji. With two public vacations falling close to one another, you can do an 11-day trip with only four days off work. This means that you have more time to explore some of the 300 islands in the Fijian archipelago. You can visit hideaways such as Malolo Island, Monuriki (where they filmed the movie Castaway) and Navadra (part of the Sacred Islands). You can discover quiet coves, enjoy barbecues on the beach, pull on your snorkel and fins and explore tropical reefs or trek through the lush jungle.
Stay: Kokomo Private Island, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort or Laucala Island Resort.
Book: The Maldives If you really want to get away from it all, take a flight to the Maldives. Within this archipelago of glamorous islets you are sure to fine your own patch of powdery soft sand and a swinging hammock. Take a traditional dhoni out at sunset, go diving in the tropical reefs or just relax in your overwater villa and watch the marine life swim underneath your feet.
Stay: Gili Lankanfushi. Cheval Blanc Randheli or Huvafen Fushi.
Book: Ladakh, India. Two public vacations fall close to one another, so make the most of it! Pull on your hiking boots and head to the wilds of India. Visit the high mountain passes, see the fluttering prayer flags that decorate the Buddhist temples and if you’re lucky you might even spot an elusive snow leopard.
Stay: Chamba Camp.
Book: Langkawi If you are looking for a Christmas Day with a difference, go the island of Langkawi. Go mountain biking through the countryside, enjoy an eagle safari through the mangroves, learn more about batik and if you are running out of time and want to see more take a helicopter tour over the archipelago.
Stay: The Datai Langkawi , Four Seasons Langkawi.
San Jose & the Central Valley Costa Rica
Muscat & the East Coast Nizwa & the Empty Quarter Musandam & Northern Oman
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