Have a memorable Christmas on safari

AFRICA
A winter safari in Africa makes for a Christmas you will never forget. Spend Christmas Day watching lions and tigers running in the wild, then share your Boxing Day with a herd of elephants and a troop of monkeys. Some companies provide special Christmas surprises like a roast dinner in the middle of the plain or a champagne breakfast in a four wheel drive. On Sir Richard Branson’s game reserve in Ulusaba, you can spend Christmas Eve singing carols with The Justicia Best Boys Choir around the tree, before retiring to your luxury cabin and preparing for Christmas Day on safari.

Fly to Johannesburg from £719pp (opodo.com); flight to Ulusaba’s private air strip approx £340 (full information on ulusaba.com). Master suite at The Rock Lodge, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve costs from £6,000 per couple for five nights and includes all meals, drinks and discount vouchers.

LAPLAND
For the ultimate Christmassy experience, nowhere beats Lapland, Finland. The capital city Rovaniemi is a great choice for fantastic shopping, clubs and bars and there’s even a SantaPark built into a series of underground caves. Nearby Levi offers endless wintry adventures across Christmas card scenery – the kids will love dashing through frozen woodlands on a husky trailblazer or reindeer sleigh. Cross-country skiing trails are plentiful and afterwards you can warm up by one of the endless log fires with a hot berry juice or in a traditional smoke sauna. If you’re lucky you’ll be treated to the spectacular natural phenomenon, the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) which appear in the evening when the sky is clear.

Fly into Rovaniemi, adults from £898, children from £825, for a four night full board stay at the Levistar Apartments in Levi Fell. Price includes flights and various rides and trips; for a full list visit holidays.monarch.co.uk. Flights depart from London, Manchester and Birmingham.

THAILAND
If a taste of the exotic is more appealing, then head for the beautiful beaches and bustling cities of Thailand. Whether that’s snorkelling in the clear waters off the coast of Phuket, indulging in a famous Thai massage, or taking in a katoey (ladyboy) show in Bangkok. The Christmas Day full moon party on the island of Koh Phangan is unmissable, with beautiful views of the moon and a dancing frenzy with 7,000 other party goers on the white sands. Thailand is a buddhist country and Christmas isn’t a public holiday, but the day is still celebrated at school or work with presents, Santa Claus and carols. There is always plenty on offer for the tourist to experience a western Christmas, with themed bars, Christmas lights in Bangkok and a seemingly endless celebration of eating and drinking.

Fly into Bangkok, adults from £1000 with Thai airways. Departs from London, Manchester and Birmingham visit http://www.thaiairways.co.uk/holidays for more information.

*All prices are for flights departing 23 December 2008.

A POSTCARD FROM...

Hala Odat from Amman in Jordan
What separates a Jordanian and English Christmas most is that in England all the streets are decorated and you feel the Christmas spirit. In Jordan there is no build up and no decoration.
A traditional Jordanian Christmas means decorating the house about two weeks beforehand. Most of the celebration is on Christmas Eve, when we have a huge dinner and party with the family. We dance, drink, eat and exchange our gifts. Then on Christmas Day we eat a special lunch - every year we have a different menu, mansaf (lamb cooked in a yoghurt sauce and served with rice), wara dawli, or lasagne are typical dishes. It’s usually raining but it’s never cold. How religious the day is really depends on the individual, some people spend the day praying, but for my family it is more about being together. Christmas is a very social occasion in Jordan – we spend a lot of time visiting our family and friends. 

Rebecca Muller from Korbach in Germany
In Germany the most important day is Christmas Eve. On this day, the family decorates the tree and prepares Christmas dinner and in the evening, many Germans attend Christmas mass. Then after the service everyone returns home and exchanges presents, then has dinner. Traditionally this would be goose, sometimes served with ‘knoedel’ (dumplings) and ‘rotkohl’ (red cabbage). Boxing Day (we call it ‘first Christmas Day’) is not as important. On the 25th and 26th you would normally go to visit family.
‘Dresdner Christstollen’ is a special cake for Christmas and we drink ‘Gluehwein’ which is hot port or wine with spices in (see recipe on page xx). Another German tradition is Santa’s Day (6 December) when children get either stockings with sweets and small presents, or they put their boots in front of the door. As a kid I had a red plastic boot my parents would fill overnight. Santa Claus (who is not believed to bring the presents on Christmas Eve, that is the job for the Christ Child) fills the boots with treats if you were good, or some kind of birch if you were naughty.

Julieanne Saxty from Brisbane in Australia
Christmas comes in summertime in Australia so it’s always a beautiful day. We usually end up going swimming or down to the beach after our Christmas lunch. I sometimes go out for a seafood meal on Christmas Day, but there are always barbecues on the beaches where we pull crackers and drink beer. We eat prawns which is cooler and more refreshing in the heat than a roast. There aren’t many celebrations on Christmas Eve, though I usually go to midnight mass. My friend Megan is from the Outback, and they tend to spend the whole day in the pool, drinking fruity cocktails and only getting out for their Christmas lunch of cold chicken and salad. The shopping centres are always decorated and you can visit Santa, do some late night shopping and see the lights and nativity displays.