13 best winter chill-out holidays

As they turn on their festive charm on full blast, end 2013 on a high note at some of the most amazing holiday destinations in the world. From the best in shopping to culture, nightlong parties and kiddie heaven, we have distilled the festive season holiday list from those in the know — Forbes top 100, Travel & Leisure and Tripadvisor.com — so that you can plan your perfect winter getaway.

Live it large in Las Vegas

Vegas does not know a dull night and on New Year’s Eve it certainly lives up to its decadent reputation. From over the top shopping arcades and endless casinos to the many Elvis impersonators, you’ll have plenty of stories to tell.

The biggest ticket this festive season, is Britney Spears’s residency at Planet Hollywood. Get up close and personal with the pop princess at her intimate, theatre-style show Piece of Me arching her repertoire of hits; keep on dancing till 2013 ends.

London is for the shopaholics

Famous for its lighting extravaganza, the Covent Garden Christmas market wows with a 60-foot Christmas tree and giant-sized baubles.

Once Upon A Christmas, a pantomime performed by the acclaimed theatre company Look Left Look Right, is set to warm winter hearts with its blend of reality and fantasy in a reunion of Prince Charming and Cinderella (until December 15) followed by Potted Panto, an Olivier Award nominated comedy which is a condensation of seven classic pantomimes including Aladdin, Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Jack And The Beanstalk and Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs into 80 minutes. Maxed your cards on odd curios? Rest your weary heads at the W Hotel, Leicester Square and wake up fresh to party, right in the heart of Soho.

You could even head to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew — for the first time they are opening their gates post sundown to a beautiful array of festive rides decked out in fairy lights.

Recharge in the lap of the Himalayas

Rid your body of the excesses of 2013 with a relaxing retreat for two at the world-renowned destination spa, Ananda in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

Switch off your smartphone, don a crisp white kurta like Prince Charles recently did, and indulge in bespoke massage therapies and an array of holistic treatments.

With reflection and well-being the focus, enjoy the company of the Himalayan winterscape as you partake in nature walks and bespoke safaris. Come back ready to take on 2014.

Boogie on ice in Geneva

If your idea of a winter wonderland includes petting polar bears, then the Winter Lodge of La Reserve in Geneva is the place to go.

Come Christmas, an uber-glam setting of the finest crystal and chandeliers sparkling in black and white creates a fairytale-like contrast against the snow-covered forests.

Put on your ice skates and dance away the winter blues as disco fever takes over the largest private ice rink in Geneva with music from the 1970s to the 1990s. A photo-op outside the many themed settings — such as a Hansel & Gretel-styled chalet — makes for lifelong Christmas memories.

Florence is for love

This season, Florence is the destination for a luxe, romantic break. Hand-in-hand, roam the cobbled streets of this ancient city known for its stunning architecture and soak in the delights of its unparalleled treasures from the Renaissance period.

Enjoy the antique markets and the joys of its traditional cuisine. Indulge your loved one with a New Year’s Eve gala dinner at Borgo San Jacopo — the award-winning restaurant at the legendary Hotel Lungarno; what could be more romantic than ringing in the New Year by the river Arno?

Celebrate with Mickey & Co in Paris

In addition to seven Disney themed hotels, the Disneyland Resort, Paris boasts two spectacular theme parks — Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park — indeed the best gift any child could ask for.

As always, there is lots to do at the park, but under a layer of snow the happiest place on earth has its Christmas lights shining brighter than the Eiffel Tower.

All of Disney’s princesses and princes put on a magical procession. The most loved spectacles — Belle’s snow-covered Christmas Village and Goofy’s Santa Claus sleigh — will make even grown-ups believe in the magic of Christmas.

Party all night in Rio

Do we even need to qualify this choice? In the two million people revelling in a heady mix of tradition and pulsating festivities, you are sure to find your niche at the Copacabana beach. This is not a place to go alone, though.

Get together with a bunch of friends who know how to move to beats and bring in 2014 as the midnight sky lights up in a spectacular fireworks show. Or do as the locals do: head to Copacabana beach in white, flowers in your hair (or a garland if you’re a guy) and offer gifts to the Lemanjá — the Sea Goddess. She might just grant your wishes in 2014.

It’s a street party in Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Hogmanay is the world’s biggest New Year event as both locals and visitors take to the streets for a four-day celebration.

As all of Edinburgh becomes one big block party, newcomers to ceilidh and old pros can learn the moves with a professional ceilidh caller and bring in 2014 with spectacular views of the midnight fireworks. Or simply enjoy the bonhomie created by the locals and dig into classic dishes of wintertime Scotland.

An incredible line-up of cultural and celebratory events is crowned by Pet Shop Boys headlining the Concert In The Gardens series.

Say hello to Santa in Lapland

What better way to celebrate Christmas than heading to the unofficial home of Santa Claus?

Across the Arctic regions of northern Norway, Finland and Sweden is where Mr Claus reigns with his trusted elves. Take a ride on a reindeer sleigh in Finland’s world-famous Santa Claus village Rovaniemi or get your postcards stamped at Santa’s very own post office.

And if you are really good, Mrs Claus might even teach you how to make ginger bread.

New York drops the ball

It’s a New Year’s Eve tradition that started in New York in 1907 and has grown bigger every year. People from across the globe converge at Times Square, enjoy a host of live performances and watch the iconic NYC ball start its descent symbolising the end of the year.

This year’s ball — a giant geodesic sphere, 12 feet in diameter, weighing 5 kilograms and featuring 2,688 LED powered Waterford Crystal triangles will project a myriad of patterns as 2013 comes to a close and the 2014 sign lights up the sky.

If you are already in New York City, check out the “Good Riddance Day” wall where people leave behind their worst memory of 2013 to start afresh in the new year.

Berlin does it better in Europe

The two-kilometre stretch between the German capital’s iconic Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column plays host to Europe’s biggest street party.

From live DJs, international musical acts, light shows and food stalls from across the world, this is a party that knows no definite beginning or end. If it’s too cold for you outside, make bookings at the fashionable “Alte Münze” located right next to the historic River Spree harbour at Alexanderplatz.

Twenty-three DJs across seven dance floors will keep you entertained till the early hours of the first day of the New Year. And of course, the Christmas cheer doesn’t die down until New Year’s Eve.

Keep it classy in Vienna

New Year’s Eve in Vienna is all about classical music and grand balls — the perfect excuse to don your designer duds and amp up your culture quotient. Off the many balls that dot the Viennese New Year’s Eve calendar, head to Le Grand Bal at the Hofburg.

Take in the lavish decorations as you dance away to toe tapping rhythms supplied by a range of waltz ensembles and jazz bands. If a trot is not your scene, head to the Imperial Hall where the Vienna Orchestra performs a series of interpretations of classical masterpieces.

Say “Sawatdee Kaa” in Thailand

If you go to Thailand, make sure you head to the Koh Pha Ngan beach on New Year’s Eve. On the last night of every year, this year-round party destination pulls out all the stops with its full-moon party.

The celebrations that start at dusk at the famous Sunrise Beach in Had Rin rev up to a frenzy come midnight and ebb only around noon the next day. We recommend noshing on freshly caught fish at the Sunset side of island and joining the party just before midnight. Finally, head back to the Sunset beach for a swim as the sun rises on the new year.

Pratyush Sarup is a Dubai-based freelance writer