Winter Wonderland

  As winter once again descends on the land it can be tempting to draw the curtains, light the fire and wait it out. But don’t let Christmas and the months that follow pass you by in a state of hibernation; winter offers us jet-setters some of the best travel experiences there are, from a reindeer ride through a snow-capped forest in Finnish Lapland to a shopping-packed materialistic weekend in New York. After all, they don’t call it a winter wonderland for nothing. Come hail or snow, wrap up warm and follow our guide to all that the world has to offer you this December and beyond.



CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

  Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t wrap yourself up warm and worship at the shrine of retail. In fact, many winter breaks are geared towards just that; so get your walking boots on, pound the pavements and let loose the material girl/boy within.

New York, USA

  If you’ve ever seen Home Alone 2: Lost In New York then you’ll know why New York at Christmas is so appealing – and not just to blonde-haired Macaulay Culkin wannabes. The place to come and do your Christmas shopping, winter in New York is commercial to the core but great nevertheless. Finally ready by the end of this year after a $400-million, two-year renovation, The Plaza is the ultimate place stay when in the Big Apple. Grand but intimate all at the same time, opt for one of its luxury suites overlooking Central Park and order as much room service as you can stomach while watching the snow fall outside. Feeling delightfully plump, hit the streets – not forgetting 34th Street! - and splash your hard earned cash on gifts at famous stores such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. New York’s toy stores, such as FAO Schwartz on Fifth Avenue, really come into their own during Christmas. Afterwards, take a trip to the Rockefeller Center to see the iconic Christmas tree that has stood in its plaza since 1933, as well as its trumpet-blowing angels that line the path. With your skates firmly on, finish your whirlwind winter tour of New York by taking to The Rink at the Rockefeller Center and showing Torvill and Dean just how it’s done. If you’ve got any time left at all, then an evening trip to a glitzy Broadway production in Times Square wouldn’t go amiss, either.

Munich, Germany

  Running until Christmas Eve, the annual Christmas Market at the Marienplatz in Munich has enough Christmas cheer to make even Scrooge turn festive and want to stuff a turkey. Marked at the entrance by a 30-foot Christmas tree, the Munich Christmas Market features hundreds of beautifully decorated stalls selling everything you need to create the perfect Christmas at home, all set against the backdrop of carol singers and the waft of freshly cooked gingerbread and mince pies. You’re sure to pick up a bauble or two here! Meander through the stalls as you sip mulled wine and soak up the electric atmosphere. Arts and crafts lessons are also available for children who want to make their own nativity scenes – though quite how Jesus would feel about having his face made in papier-mache by a seven-year-old is anybody’s guess.

Paris, France

  They call it the City Of Lights all year round, so you can only imagine what Paris looks during the dark months of winter. With each storefront bedecked like the stage of a grand theatre, and the chestnut trees on each boulevard twinkling with fairy lights, Paris takes the spirit of Christmas and enhances it tenfold. When you’re not among the throng of Chanel-clad shoppers at the swish Galeries Lafayette or among the culture vultures at the Louvre Museum, you can pay a trip to Disneyland Paris for the Enchanted Fairytale Ceremony parade to see Tinker Bell light an enormous Christmas tree and Rudolph lead Santa Claus out on his sleigh. Spend Christmas morning attending mass at Notre Dame Cathedral before having a traditional Christmas lunch in either Altitude 95 or Le Jules Verne up the Eiffel Tower. According to Hollywood movies, the monument is visible from every hotel room in Paris – and yours at the five-star Ritz Paris will be no exception.



EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME

  If you want to make this winter truly memorable, then why not try something a little different? These destinations will not only give you a great time, but irreplaceable memories, too.

Finnish Lapland, Finland

  Even Oxford Street on Christmas Eve can’t compete with the magic of Finnish Lapland during the festive season – and that’s including Hamleys. Faces flushed from the cold, gloved hands cupped around mugs of warm berry juice, bodies tucked into sleighs with faux fur blankets and a private audience with the merry man himself make Lapland as much of a treat for the big kids as it is for the little ones. Fly in to Rovaniemi airport, wrap up in your winter woollies (long johns optional) and get a speedy transfer into the luxury resort of Suomu. Next, check in to your very own lakeside log cabin and unwind in the built-in sauna before enjoying a hearty meal at the nearby Artic Circle Hotel. With only a couple of hours of daylight each day you’ll have to be super-organised to fit everything in, but a two-day trip should enable you to enjoy a husky-drawn sleigh ride across a frozen lake, reindeer and skidoo rides, a spot of ice sculpting, a day at Santa Park (an underground theme park created from a former nuclear fallout shelter), snowball fights with mischievous elves and a visit to Santa’s grotto. For the best snow conditions – crisp, white and fresh – go between December and April.

Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

  While hankering down in a hotel made completely from ice may not be everybody’s cup of tea, it certainly makes for cool accommodation. But don’t worry, you won’t check-out with hypothermia and a runny nose – as well as providing you with faux fur blankets on the beds, ICEHOTEL recommends one night in cold accommodation followed by a couple of nights in its warm cabins. Located in Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, ICEHOTEL is as innovative as hotels get (unless, of course, they start making them with fire). Rebuilt every winter, ICEHOTEL is made with ice taken from the nearby River Torne; everything from the reception to the suites is solid water. In fact, the only thing that isn’t made from ice is the restaurant – and even then the plates on which the food is served is. Whether you’re wandering around the hotel’s public spaces and admiring the ice sculptures on display, warming the cockles of your heart with shots of vodka in the Absolut Icebar or exchanging vows in the Ice Church, ICEHOTEL is the best place in the world to completely “chill out”!

Reykjavik, Iceland

  It would be difficult to find a sight more stunning than the Northern Lights. The Northern Lights – or the Aurora Borealis, as they are otherwise called – appear as a glowing curtain of green and yellow light across the cloudless night sky. Best seen between November and February – the darkest months of the year – take a trip north to Iceland for a shot at experiencing them. Stay in the super-trendy capital town of Reykjavik – now a favourite haunt for stag and hen parties – and check in to the hip n’ happening 101 Hotel. From here, arrange a Northern Lights tour with Discover The World and be whisked to a special vantage point for the occasion. While you’re in Reykjavik you may also want to have a dip with the locals in the Laugardalslaug Thermal Pool – a unique experience in itself.

About the author:

  Nick studied at Sussex University and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Media Studies. When he’s not writing – which isn’t often – he enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, downloading music, eating out and travelling as much as he possibly can; Marbella, Miami, London and Phuket are his favourite places in the world.

  Nick has worked on a number of newspapers, magazines and websites – including Caché, Colures and AskMen.com - and specialises in popular culture, luxury and travel. He particularly enjoys writing about all that is beautiful in the world, including luxury hotels, trendy restaurants andthe latest gadgetry for the home. If it’s hip and gorgeous, Nick will have something to say about it.

  He is currently working on his first children’s book, which hasgenerated interest from a number of London-based publishers, and runs his own online magazine at www.gunpowder-magazine.com.