When your toes turn purple and your eyelashes sprout icicles, you know it’s time to head south for the wintertime. The birds do it, so why shouldn’t you? Stop, now, prior to you break your back from shoveling 1 a great deal more pile of snow, and take into account some exotic locales for winter getaways where the only mounds of white you’ll being seeing are of the hot, dry, and sandy range.
Speaking of white, sandy beaches, a vacation to Antigua, or its neighboring island Barbuda may be just what you need so that you are able to restore feeling to your toes. Each water sport lover’s dream, the Caribbean country boasts of a nominal amount of 365 beaches circled by clear blue waters with a typical temperature of 80 degrees. Trade your snow boots for fins, and snorkel through spectacular coral reefs, possibly even catching a glimpse of the wreck of the merchant ship Andes, which has rested on the base of Deep Bay since 1905. If you’d rather not get your feet wet, you can have the benefit of all that the charming capital St. John’s in the northern part of the island of Antigua has to offer. Purchase colorful local artwork despite the fact that strolling down Market Street or strengthen yourself with sweet black pineapple (which isn’t truly black) and some local rum. Watch a spectacular sunset over English Harbour on the summit of Shirley Heights although tapping your feet to the rhythms of a steel band. Should you would prefer to watch birds as opposed to folks, then head north to the tiny island of Barbuda, which has only a single village of 1100 people but is famed for its frigate birds and massive rookery.
If Antigua’s cricket-playing and English-speaking ways talk about unpleasant memories of Britain’s colonial imperialism, perhaps its time to go to Rio de Janeiro for a little taste of the party-loving legacy of Portuguese imperialism in Brazil, the largest country in South the US. Lying on the Bay of Guanabra, the city, which is most familiar for its pre-Lenten festival of wantonness, “Carnaval,” also prides itself on 75 miles of coastline. Do words like Ipanema or Copacabana ring a bell? Yep, they’re both in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilians within the city party hard and pray awkward. After dancing all night at a samba club, check out the sky and take pleasure in the slightly surreal sight a 128 foot, 1,000 ton statue of Christ the Redeemer hovering over the city proudly at the top of Corcovado Peak.
If Rio’s religious version of the Statue of Liberty has you feeling faintly guilty for deserting your home country within the midst of winter, perhaps Perth, Australia will supply the English-speaking taste of property (with an exotic flair) that you will need. Kick back and ride the waves within the Western Australia’s isolated capital, nestled between a blue, blue ocean along with a dry, sandy desert. Acquiring there is half the adventure, consisting of a 4000 km car ride from Sydney or a long and winding train ride on the Indian Pacific. Explore the Swan River and the 400-hectare King’s Park within the south, magnificent nineteenth-century buildings constructed making use of convict labor inside the city center, or maybe travel north to swim with the dolphins at Monkey Mia.
If Perth leaves you feeling a little isolated, perhaps a vacation to the modern island city of Singapore, with a population of around 4.5 million, will help alleviate your winter doldrums. With not 1 but four official languages-Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English-the country offers a delightful blend of ethnic influences. Appreciate a bowl of hot noodles pursued by your favorite curry. Purchase a sari in Little India on a Sunday night-time or sip on herbal tea in Chinatown. Or maybe take pleasure in the sights on a cable-car ride to Sentosa Island, the sight of a stimulating amusement park.
If Sentosa Island puts you in mind of childhood yearnings for the Magic Kingdom, perhaps a trip to the sub-tropical Sunshine State could be just the cold remedy you are searching for. The Magic Kingdom isn’t the only amusement park in central Florida. Choose from the likes of Universal Studies, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios, Sea World, Busch Gardens, or Cypress Gardens, all within a short drive of each other. Florida is about the tourist industry, and travelers can locate some special winter travel deals if they shop around. Wherever you decide to go this winter, don’t forget to pack sunscreen, a bathing suit, and your favorite book. Warmth and relaxation wait just several 1000 miles away.