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GO SOLO FOR FESTIVE FUN

On your own and dreading Christmas? Don’t despair — here’s a sackful of ideas for holidays to remember

Christmas can be a difficult period for those on their own. But it doesn’t have to be. Now might be the time to find a new kind of festive togetherness through travel. there are dozens of adventures for solo travellers available this yuletide. Whether you want to spend the 25th under a swaying palm, exploring a far-flung metropolis or learning a new skill, here are ten trips guaranteed to bring some cheer…

TYROLEAN TIDINGS

HOW does swooshing down pistes, followed by devouring hearty tyrolean dishes in front of a crackling fire sound? singles holiday specialist Friendship travel has a week-long ski jaunt to soll in austria, departing on Christmas Eve. staying in the cosy three-star Eggerwirt chalet hotel, it promises equal measures of snow, apres-ski and seasonal jollity.

BOOK IT: a seven-night, half-board ski trip to soll costs £1,295pp including flights from UK airports and transfers. Call Friendship travel on 0289 446 2211 or visit friendshiptravel.com.

DECEMBER DIVE

AFTER Cop27, sharm el sheikh is back to doing what it does best. With an abundance of reefs at the ras mohammed National Park, golden beaches and cerulean skies, this Egyptian beach idyll remains a perfect pick if you want to learn how to scuba dive. PaDi operates courses from the five-star reef oasis

Blue Bay Resort and Dive Club, and promises they’re super sociable, with each diver exploring the deep with a ‘buddy’. BOOK IT: A seven-night all-inclusive stay including PADI Open Water Diver course certification costs £1,589pp (travel.padi. com). Flights to Sharm el Sheikh cost from £896 (easyjet.co.uk).

SAYONARA SANTA

AS A Shinto/Buddhist country, Japan really is a destination in which to swerve old St Nick. That said, the Land of the Rising Sun is rather partial to a seasonal light show, with many of its biggest cities bedecked in twinkling garlands during December.

Inside Japan Tours has a self-guided trip for solo travellers that takes in Tokyo, Kyoto and a traditional ryokan (inn) on the island of Miyajima. A private guide is on hand to help throughout and there are cooking and sword skills classes. BOOK IT: An 11-night Christmas tour costs £2,750pp, including breakfast, some dinners and lunches, and cultural classes. Call 0117 244 3380 or visit insidejapantours.com. Flights to Tokyo cost from £1,674 with BA (ba.com).

WINTER WARMER

FOR a combination of warmth and convenience, winter breaks don’t get much better than Morocco. So how about a sightseeing holiday in its most atmospheric city? Marrakech won’t be particularly Christmassy but the pink walls of the ancient city, the medieval ramparts, swaying palm trees, vibrant souks and views of the Atlas Mountains have a charm all of their own. BOOK IT: Four nights’ B&B at the Nassim Hotel from December 23 costs £730. Call Friendship Travel on 0289 446 2211 or visit friendshiptravel.com.

PASS THE GLUHWEIN

BAVARIA is positively aglow with seasonal charm by now, and Newmarket Holidays has a Christmas week short break that taps into the best of it.

The group trip, based in the pretty mountain resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, includes visits to Munich’s atmospheric 140stall Weihnachtsmarkt and Oberammergau — home to the Passion Play — plus an excursion to King Ludwig II’s Disney-esque Neuschwanstein Castle. BOOK IT: A five-night half-board break departing December 22 costs £1,120pp, including return flights to Munich. Call 0333 060 6487 or visit newmarketholidays.co.uk.

AMALFI TOAST

THE meandering Italian coastline is a magical place to spend Christmas, with its elegant towns dressed up in their seasonal finery. Singles operator Just You has a fiveday trip that puts Pompeii, Sorrento, Ravello and Salerno — and a Christmas Day lunch — in your sights. If you’re feeling brave, pack your bathers. A Boxing Day swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea wins instant bragging rights. BOOK IT: Four nights half-board at the fourstar Hotel villa Romana, departing Heathrow on December 23, costs £1,799pp including flights, excursions and Christmas lunch. Call Just You on 01858 415043, or visit justyou.co.uk.

PATAGONIA PARTY

KEEN on a South American adventure that could challenge Santa’s travel plans? explore’s 14-day Patagonia tour takes travellers to some of the continent’s most spectacular landscapes.

Highlights on this wildlife-focused group trip include the Perito Moreno Glacier and Torres del Paine National Park. There’s also a chance to see Argentina’s hypnotic capital, Buenos Aires, covered in Christmas lights. Ideal for first-timers to South America, 60 per cent of explore’s groups are made up of solo travellers. BOOK IT: A 14-day B&B trip with flights, transfers and a guide costs £6,835pp based on December 19 departures. Call explore on 01252 240 505 or visit explore.co.uk.

BALINESE BREATHER

THIS is your chance to re-imagine the concept of Christmas peace. Women-only luxe spa, Bliss Sanctuary, sits among the verdant rice paddies of Canggu, on Bali’s south coast, and promises to rejuvenate mind and body. A bespoke trip includes all meals, a personal driver and unlimited spa treatments. Guests can also set the dial on adventure, with everything from trekking up nearby Mount Batur to sunrise surf lessons on offer. BOOK IT: A seven-night all-inclusive stay over Christmas costs from £3,611pp including flights with emirates. To book, visit blisssanctuaryforwomen.com.

SAIL INTO 2023

AS LIFE-AFFIRMING ways to usher out 2022 go, a learn-to-sail trip around the Caribbean is a real Christmas cracker. Spend 12 days getting to grips with a 60ft clipper yacht, learning everything from navigating to helming and anchoring under the expert guidance of a pro skipper. Ports of call include St Lucia, Mustique and Barbados. BOOK IT: A 12-day trip costs £2,299pp based on December 23 departures and includes

food and sailing tuition. call Rubicon 3 Adventure on 020 3086 7245, or visit rubicon 3adventure.com. Flights to St lucia, returning from Grenada, cost £2,082 (ba.com).

CHRISTMAS CRACKER

BUDAPEST comes alive during the festive season. there’s a vast christmas market selling local food, artisanal wares and plenty of gifts to take home. And this four-night escorted tour takes in all the hungarian capital has to offer. Visit the imposing heroes’ Square, the opera house, St Stephen’s cathedral and the castle District while learning about the city’s history and culture. Enjoy some downtime, too, on christmas Day itself, before heading out to Szentendre, a riverside town in Pest county which is known for its galleries and artists.

BOOK IT: Four nights’ B&B, including flights and some dinners, costs £1,499pp, departing on December 23. call 020 8951 2900 or visit solosholidays.co.uk.

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2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

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