Dan Sullivan, President and CEO of Collette brings you his ‘top 10 picks’ to make the holiday season extra special. With flights and tours filling up like Santa’s gift list, it isn’t too soon to start planning your Christmas holiday. Whether it’s soaking up sunshine or shuffling through snow you’re after, these top 10 picks have a tour for every merry-maker!
‘We’re a family owned business, so we understand that the end of the year holidays are an important time for people to celebrate together. Travel is a fabulous and exciting way of bringing people from all across the globe together, to learn about other cultures and traditions and experience the festive season in new and inspiring ways’– Dan Sullivan, President and CEO, Collette.
Experience Hawaii with a difference with Collette’s Hawaii by Land and Sea tour. This tour will see travellers cruising the crystal coastline of Hawaii’s famous islands aboard the luxurious Pride of America vessel. Starting in balmy Honolulu, travellers will be greeted in traditional Hawaiian style with a lei and an ‘Aloha’ and will then island-hop from Oahu to Maui then onto the more remote Kona and Hilo. Brimming with beachfront beauty, post-card-perfect palm tree views and tranquil ukulele tunes, this tour is a sun-chaser’s perfect retreat.
From glistening oceans to sparkling waterways, travellers will frolic in festivity on board either Luftner’s MS Amadeus Brilliant or Elegant with Collette’s Christmas on the Danube river cruise. Passengers on this cruise will drink up the Danube’s panoramic scenery, stopping at the traditional Christmas markets in Vienna, Passau and Rothenburg. After gathering hand-crafted gifts and knick-knacks for family and friends, travellers will join in celebrations at the Gluewienparty; a German Holiday party. Spend the holidays floating down the tinselled banks of the Danube, lit up like pine trees and discover the true magic of Christmas.
If markets and magic are on your wish list this year, why not embark on Collette’s Magical Christmas Markets tour? This holiday is a single-hotel stay that provides travellers with an in-depth look at Austria and Germany and a chance to explore the region’s attractive Christmas markets or ‘Christkindlesmarkts’. The stunning Hotel Innsbruck, nestled in the heart of the breathtaking snow-capped mountains will become your home on this holiday. A train ride will take travellers through the frosted Alpine peaks to the enchanting village of Seefeld, where a glass of schnapps will warm up wintery wanderers.
For adventurers wanting to take a walk on the wild side, Collette’s Winter in Yellowstone tour is ideal. This snow-covered wonderland transports travellers as if through the magical Narnian wardrobe to a place where native elk, badgers, wolves, foxes and bears roam free. Take a sleigh-ride through the wintery snow-scape and spot some of these majestic beasts, or hit the slopes for some cross-country skiing.
From winter wonderland to the ‘White Continent’, discover Antarctica in all its vastness and splendour. Starting your tour in exotic Buenos Aires, turn up the heat as you tango your way through the cobblestoned streets of San Telmo or cross the Argentine Pampas to enjoy a barbecue fiesta. From flamenco to flippers, set off from Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southernmost city and be amazed by the plethora of curious wildlife that call this ice desert ‘home’. On board the Hurtigruten MS Fram Expedition vessel, travellers can marvel at penguin rookeries, elephant and leopard seals, giant petrels, humpback, killer and minke whales and albatross.
If chilling out with chinstrap penguins is not your style, embark on a journey through the warmer climate of Spectacular South Africa. With magnificent wildlife, expansive deserts, cosmopolitan cities, luxurious resorts and fertile wine country, South Africa offers a beautiful tapestry of adventure and wonder. Highlights include a visit to Soweto, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, a chance to meet the famous ‘Big Five’ during an open-air safari in Kruger National Park and an authentic African dining experience in lively Cape Town.
From desert plains in Africa to rainforest canopies in San Jose, Sullivan’s South America pick is the Tropical Costa Rica tour. A natural utopia awaits in Guanacaste, with lush green foliage, cascading waterfalls and weird and wonderful wildlife like river otters, turtles, crocodiles and the endangered quetzal; famed for its vibrant plumage. Laze and lounge like a lizard in the sun on the beach or simply relax reptilian-style by the pool at your resort.
If hot and spicy are your flavours, don’t miss Collette’s Mysteries of India tour, with magnificent views of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, a cooking demonstration to dazzle the senses and a visit to the holy River Ganges. For a cultural adventure, discover the Three Kingdoms of Indochina; Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Exploring ancient towns, temples and jungles, this tour is a rich mosaic of history and culture.
If you are keen to start planning a vacation for next years’ festive season, why not embark on Canada’s Winter Wonderland adventure? With departure dates from November 2016 and featuring the Ice Magic Festival, a snowshoe trek or ice walk, a horse-drawn sleigh ride and a visit to the ‘Castle in the Rockies’ at Lake Louise, Canada’s Winter Wonderland is a snow-bunny’s powdery paradise.
Whatever your fancy, Collette has you covered this Christmas season with these 10 solar and polar picks!
For details of the full tours or to book a trip:
Contact your local travel agent
Call Collette on 1300 792 195 or visit www.gocollette.com
SOURCE Collette