Holiday Inspiration for a Brilliant Christmas Break

*This is a collaborative guest post

Christmas is a stressful time of year. There are parties to attend, decorations to put up, family events to attend, and it can often feel like Christmas day is spent in the kitchen. All this on top of your usual 9 to 5 job can lead to nights with little sleep and leave you feeling exhausted. One great way to escape the madness is to get away for a Christmas break and leave the stress of the holiday behind you. Here is some holiday inspiration for a brilliant Christmas break.

Dog-sledding in Norway

Take a trip to Norway and you can try dog-sledding with your own team of dogs. Many areas in northern Norway offer these exciting adventures and you will have the opportunity to travel above the Arctic Circle. You will be trained on how to control the dogs and ride the sled and you will be responsible with lavishing the dogs with attention at the end of the day. Make sure you bundle up in lots of layers as the sleds go up to 20 km/hr. Once it gets dark out keep an eye on the sky and you may be able to see the spectacular sight of the Northern Lights and all of their brilliant colours.

Sunbathe in Dubai

In the wonderful city of Duba, there are many great ways to celebrate Christmas. As Christmas isn’t officially celebrated there, everything will be open, which means plenty of opportunities to go out and have fun with the family. You can head out on a boat cruise and lie on the deck of the boat while exploring the sites along the coast. Take a romantic hot air balloon ride out over the desert and you can catch some rays while viewing the stunning scenery below you. Many of the golf courses have clubhouses with pools so that anyone in the family that doesn’t want to hit the links can just lounge by the pool all day. If you’re worried about taking the kids on a long-haul flight, then here are some tips for flying with kids.

Stay in an Ice hotel in Sweden

The Jukkasjärvi Ice Hotel is in Sweden and each winter it is rebuilt in a new design. There are more than 100 rooms to choose from and you can stay in a suite with a warm bed or a cold bed. The suites are designed by a team of artists and it is like staying in a room made of very cold glass. There are also chapels where couples can renew their vows or get married, restaurants, and bars.

Eat Panettone in Italy

A truly special way to embrace the Christmas spirit is to rent a villa in Italy and enjoy celebrating Christmas the traditional Italian way. Make sure you get some Panettone; a decadent Italian Christmas cake. The traditional ingredients are candied orange, dry raisins lemon zest, and citron. Some of the regions in Italy also serve this dome shaped desert with tasty crème di mascarpone. If you can, it will be worth staying in Italy until the New Year so you can join in with the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Rent a villa in Cancun

Cancun is situated on the Yucatan Peninsula and is a great place to visit in winter. You can rent a villa with staff so that you don’t have to share your pool with other people. It may be hard to leave the villa but make sure you take the time to explore this exciting area. You can rent a boat and explore the coastline, go scuba diving, or try some deep sea fishing. The beaches are beautiful so make sure you spend some time lying on the soft white sand and go for a dip in the Caribbean Sea. There are also plenty of interesting cultural attractions so make sure you take the time to visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itzá.