Paint the town red this christmas

Here are a few ways to get a true feel of London's festive spirit.

Christmas lights

The Christmas lights that decorate the West End are famous throughout the world. The five best areas are Oxford, Regent, Carnaby, Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.

Each year, a Christmas tree, which is usually over 20 metres tall and 50-60 years old, is put up in Trafalgar Square (nearest Tube: Charing Cross, Leicester Square).

The lights adorning it are switched on in the evening of the first Thursday of December.

Ice skating

Christmas time in London is full of open-air ice rinks. Favourites are Somerset House (The Strand; www.somersethouse.org.uk; nearest Tube: Embankment, Charing Cross, Covent Garden), the ice rink at Natural History Museum (Cromwell Road; www.nhmskating.com; nearest Tube: South Kensington) and Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London's largest outdoor ice rink and a toboggan slide (Serpentine Road, Hyde Park; Hydeparkwinterwonderland.com; nearest Tube: Hyde Park Corner).

Shopping

Oxford Street brims with shoppers.

If you want to avoid the crowd, head to Carnaby Street (nearest Tube: Oxford Circus) to Elizabeth Street (nearest Tube: Victoria) or to Marlyebone High Street (nearest Tube: Bond Street, Baker Street).

You'll find eateries there too.

Westfield shopping centre boasts top brands and a 14-screen cinema, 50 restaurants, a gym and a spa.

Covent Garden

With lights that create patterns of falling snow, live entertainment on the streets and a wide selection of eateries and shopping boutiques, this cobblestoned piazza is not to be missed.

This year officials have teamed up with Crisis to provide shelter to the homeless (www.coventgardenlondonuk.com). Since the area is also the heart of Theatreland, book a musical or a play for the evening.

Bright evenings

Lit up beautifully, evening is the best time to enjoy the London Eye (nearest Tube: Waterloo). If you get there at 4pm, you can visit that, have dinner and enjoy a performance at the Southbank Centre.

You can even hire your own capsule, where you can enjoy refreshments, mince pies and chocolate truffle.

You can also have dinner at one of the cosy restaurants there. Choose from Ping Pong, Strada, Giraffe, Pizza Express and Las Iguanas.

You can head to Southbank Centre or National Theatre to watch a performance. And once the curtains come down, take a walk along the river.

Along Queens' Walk, from Southbank Centre to London Eye, you'll find the Cologne Christmas Market, a German Christmas market with decorated wooden chalets filled with trinkets (www.xmasmarkets.com).

Santa Claus in town

Kids can spot Santa at the Santa's Wish Kingdom in the new Westfield shopping centre. You can also find him at the grotto in Harrods (nearest Tube: Knightsbridge).

Selfridges (nearest Tube: Bond Street) is one of the top grottoes in town, with a ride in the Santa Express before you get to meet him. Kids can also join him for breakfast at Hamleys (nearest Tube: Oxford Circus).

You can enjoy storytelling at a 30-minute Santa's Secret Village Christmas Experience as part of the Cologne Christmas Market in Southbank (nearest Tube: Waterloo).

Where to stay

For something stylish and grand, book yourself in at the chic Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge(www.mandarinoriental.com/london).

Not only is Harrods a stone's throw away, it has also got one of the best spas in town.

And if you prefer to be located in the heart of Marylebone, next to Regent's Park, with Madame Tussauds on the doorstep and Oxford Street a walk away, choose the Landmark (www.landmarklondon.co.uk). It's luxurious and has a fantastic spa.

Where to escape

If you want a quiet time away from the bustle, head to Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa, (London Road in Bagshot, Surrey; Pennyhillpark.co.uk).

It's a country house set in 123 acres of parkland. The rooms have antique furnishings and modern amenities.

Housing one of England's best spas, with natural and organic treatments and eight indoor and outdoor pools, it is a haven of relaxation.

A quick spa fix

Head to Spa at Chancery Court for the Ashtaang, the eight-hand massage (www.spachancerycourt.com), or a fusion massage at Brown's Hotel (Albemarle Street, Mayfair; www.roccofortecollection.com).

A cleansing facial is great at Spa Intercontinental (Hamilton Place, Mayfair; www.spaintercontinental.com). If you are in Bond Street, go for a hot stone body facial at the Elemis Day Spa.

– Meera Manek is a UK-based freelance writer

Go there . . . London and Munich . . . From the UAE

From Dubai . . . London

Package includes:

Return economy class tickets on Emirates; 3 nights stay with breakfast on a double sharing basis in a guest room at Hyatt Regency-The Churchill.

Fare per person from Dh7,720

Package includes:

Return economy class tickets on Virgin Atlantic; 3 nights stay with breakfast on a double sharing basis in a guest room at Hyatt Regency-The Churchill.

Fare per person from Dh6,430

Package includes:

Return economy class tickets on Virgin Atlantic; 3 nights stay with breakfast on a double sharing basis in a classic room at Intercontinental Park Lane.

Fare per person from Dh5,800

Munich

Package includes:

Return economy class tickets on Qatar Airways; 3 nights stay with breakfast on a double sharing basis in a superior room at Koenigshof Hotel.

Fare per person from Dh5,165

Package includes:

Return economy class tickets on Qatar Airways; 3 nights stay with breakfast on a double sharing basis in a superior room at Bayerischerhof Hotel.

Fare per person from Dh6,000

All packages include return airport transfer.

— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata.
Ph: 04 4298576

All for festive fun and games

Le Meridien Al Aqah kicked off Christmas celebrations on December 18 with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which was accompanied by Christmas carols and delicacies served in the Tea and Dates Lounge.

On December 19, there was a kids' carnival on the Penguin Club lawn, with games, snacks and a visit from Santa.

On December 24 and 25, visitors can enjoy buffet dinner and lunch in the Views restaurant.

They can celebrate New Year's Eve with dinner at the Hajar Ballroom and the Views and Taste restaurants.

At midnight, there will be a toast and fireworks, followed by a disco. The resort will serve a New Year's Day brunch on January 1.

For those craving some pampering, Spa Al Aqah also has a selection of festive treatments, including affordable facials and massages.

Stroll your way to shopping and entertainment

The five-star Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill boasts good location, food and service.

With Portman Square on one side and West End on the other, the hotel is just a hop away from the main shopping areas, tourist attractions and theatres.

It is now offering two accommodation packages.

Festive nights

For this accommodation package, rooms start at £165 (Dh927) per night for two, excluding VAT, are subject to availability and inclusive of full English breakfast. The offer is available until January 11, 2009.

Selfridges shopping sensation

The hotel is offering a package for January sale shopping. Guests choosing of this package will receive a £50 (Dh281) Selfridges (right) gift card and a full English breakfast at The Montagu.

Rooms start at £235 (Dh1.321) per night for two and are inclusive of all of the above, excluding VAT, and are subject to availability.

New Year's Delight

For £125 (Dh703) per person (£62.50, or Dh351, per child under 12), guests can celebrate New Year's Eve with a mouthwatering five-course dinner, to the accompaniment of live music.

Dishes will feature an assiette of Montagu starters, including foie gras, oysters and lobster bisque, followed by wild seabass, a sorbet and lamb cannon and an assiette of Montagu desserts to finish.

In addition to that, The Churchill Bar will play live music throughout the evening and will be open until 3am.

Guests staying overnight can enjoy brunch the next day and continue their celebrations while relaxing and listening to live jazz and enjoying the tranquil views over the Portman Square gardens.

A treat for your senses

Hyatt Retreats offers holiday packages surrounding key senses, which include ‘amour', ‘balance', ‘awaken' and ‘explore' — each highlighting the special offers and distinct location of participating Hyatt hotels in over 45 countries.

Hyatt Retreat's Amour packages focus on romance and provide great settings and amenities to reconnect.

The Balance packages are designed for wellness and relaxation.

The Awaken packages offer moments of leisure to guests. These feature breakfast for two delivered to the guests' suites.

The Explore packages offer adventures of discovery.
Designed around each hotel's cultural setting, these allow guests to experience authentic local life.

Enjoy food, luxury and pampering in a grand setting

Christmas at the Dolder Grand, Zurich

Price

From $585, or Dh2,149 (1 person in a Single Room Superior)

From $1,029, or Dh3,780 (2 persons in a Double Room Superior)

Saving: 25 per cent

New Year's Eve at the Dolder Grand

Price

Saving: 20 per cent

Restart

Price

Saving: 30 per cent

Day-spa specials

Ladies' treatment package

Gentlemen's treatments package

Price

Winter Paradise (Monday to Friday)

Reservation at spa@thedoldergrand.com

Price

$400 (Dh1,469)

Making merry . . . Mirth in the madding crowd

Street fairs hail the coming of the festive season. In Munich, as merriment ripples through the crowd, the ambience takes on the feel of one big happy family out for an extended party

Jingle all the way to the Manchester Christmas market in the UK

By Maey El Shoush, Staff Reporter

After living in Dubai for a few years, you start getting used to the fact that there is hardly anyone walking on the streets.

So while on holiday, avoiding bumping into people during Christmas shopping becomes an essential skill and should be hailed as an Olympic sport.

I had this thought while standing in the middle of hundreds of people at the Manchester Christmas market at the end of November.

My sister and I happened to stumble upon this market during a routine shopping spree and it reminded me of the famous Christmas markets in Germany.

Major cities such as Munich and Frankfurt spend a good amount of money on lighting up the markets, which attract millions of visitors and give the economy a major boost.

Buzzing with activity

A variety of wooden chalets in the Manchester market sell everything you need to turn your house into a Christmas haven.

It's a city buzzing with activity and hence it wasn't a surprise that it was packed that Sunday evening.

The Christmas market is said to be among the best in England and Europe, with its huge festive displays and decorative lights.

The first thing I started to look for was some hot kinderpunch (hot German Christmas punch), which I told my sister she had to try. So the hunt started.

The first German stall we went to made us lose all hope. But the second said they did sell the drink.

I gave the lady a £2 (Dh11) deposit for the mug and seconds later, I was happily sipping on my kinderpunch.

Socialising spree

The weather was surprisingly pleasant for a November night in the UK and people gathered in groups were enjoying the festive ambience.

Even if you are not buying anything and just want to browse the stalls as we did, it's a great place in which to socialise.

If you're not much of a shopper, there's plenty of food to indulge your taste buds.

The annual market, which runs from November 18 to December 21, has become so popular that it was extended to five locations in Manchester's city centre.

Each year, more attractions are added, with 2008 seeing a decorated Alpine house with a giant multilingual reindeer — or so I heard.

Unfortunately, I missed a glimpse of Santa's favourite animal.
As we left the vibrant market, we walked past the Wheel of Manchester just a few minutes away in Exchange Square — another big tourist draw but not as popular as the London Eye.

The ride, which takes visitors to a height of 60 metres, lasts for almost 15 minutes and features a commentary that points out local landmarks.

One such landmark is the iconic Hilton Manchester Deansgate.

The state-of-the-art hotel is 47 storeys high and the tallest skyscraper in the city.

Wintry wonder

A few days after I left, it started snowing and I could not help but think how perfect it would have been had it snowed when we were there.

With the street decorations, lights and the Christmas market, a little snow would have completed the festive setting.