Planning an escape from Northern Europe to the Southern Hemisphere for the Holidays and New Year’s sometimes requires a bit of planning. You have to definitely dream ahead and plan your escape from the brutal cold. Just because it is finally warming up in London doesn’t mean we can always leave it until the last minute to book either! With that said, here are some options for an escape to the heat, come December.
First option for an adventure like no other is Rio De Janeiro – I fell in love with Brazil and this city in particular two years ago when went for a solo adventure. I’ve been back three times since, so I guess that proves my point. So what is it about Rio that I find so magical? The scenery alone – experiencing the sun, the diverse beaches and iconic architecture and cultural elements definitely plays into it.
I would recommend staying in Ipanema or Copacabana – or somewhere in between the two called – Arpoador. It’s an idea and a safe location (despite what you might read). You can experience the beaches that way and also local customs and if you have the chance the travel up the coast and experience the beaches then all the better! There’s fresh juice on every corner and the night life is super fun there too. It’s also not far from the city – where there are tonnes of incredible museums and my personal favourite which is the Museum of Tomorrow.
My second option is Cape Town – I spent four Christmases in South Africa and my personal trip highlight was exploring the Garden Route. I hired a car – a little white Citi Golf and drove up the coast to Port Elizabeth. On the way, I went on two small safaris – one was just to see an elephant sanctuary and also did the world’s highest bungee. If you go at the right time – in October normally – you can see the whales at Hermanus and the point where the Pacific and Atlantic meet – which is a third density cinematic wonder in itself!
Back to Cape Town in particular, I loved the beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay – which are some of the best known in the world with the incredible Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head overlooking, but it is also worth heading over to the other side of the city to explore the more shark infested but surf friendly waters of Muizenberg, so make sure to get your swimwear shopping done in advance.
Last but never least is Mexico – Tulum or Cancun. My personal highlight from my trip to Cancun was swimming with the dolphins. As you know I literally love animals so much, so being with these sentient creatures was a wholly incredible experience. I know the circumstances in which they are kept is somewhat questionable so I do have mixed feelings about the experience but I also understand the human need to communicate with them and love them unconditionally. My other highlight was visiting Chichen Itza, as someone who is very spiritual and studies ancient civilisations, being in this space, the pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people was absolutely immense and I was in awe every single second and every single climb of a step. Grateful to our ancestors for these moments.
All in all – these are my top three recommendations from personal experience. Hope they help shape your travel ideas!