TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), highlights the best 10 festive countries to celebrate this Christmas and New Year. On offer are fireworks decorating the beautiful skyline across the amazing backdrops to vivacious street parties in the most sought-after cities.
TT Bureau
We have handpicked the best 10 destinations for everyone to soak into the festive spirit of Christmas and New Year celebrations says Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director, MENA and India, Wego. During the holiday period, we notice that most of the people book their holidays at least 27 days ahead of their travel date. Here we offer our insights to some of the best sought-out destinations to bid an amazing farewell to this year.
Proclaimed to be the official hometown of Santa Claus, visit Rovaniemi in Finland and rejoice one of a kind Christmas in this Finnish village, Christmas trees decked with shimmering gifts is a sight to behold. An ideal winter landscape surrounded by snow-capped mountains is a perfect way to cherish this joyous occasion.
The second trending festive destination is London. Enjoying the city’s colourful illumination at the Regent Street or spotting the giant Christmas tree at the Trafalgar Square, Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park and endless fireworks at Thames River are few of the Christmas specials of London.
After London, Paris is the third best romantic destination to welcome the New Year. The City of Lights brims with joy and merriment where the architectural landmarks like Champs-
Elysees Avenue and the Eiffel Tower are lit up in all their glory.
Dubai comes fourth with great splendour and Christmas is equally enchanting with its winter garden market at Habtoor’s Palace. New Year Eve celebration is incomplete without cascades of spectacular fireworks including the palm-shaped firework at the Palm Jumeirah. A fun galore for kids where the snow zone, holiday carols, and festive food treats will leave even the adults entertained.
Turkey ranks the fifth most festive city for MENA travellers for enjoying the winter vacation with a milder temperature and celebrate in a unique tradition where Baba Noel, the Turkish version of Santa Claus visits children and leaves gifts under the tree. The Norwegian city of Tromso is considered the sixth best place to enjoy the natural beauty of Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in your holidays.
Indonesia is one of the seventh trending destination to spend the holidays where people gather at the churches and offer prayers followed by a grand celebration. Travelling to more festive cities by the West, New York in the USA has a reputation for its sleepless nights and Rockefeller’s enormous Christmas tree decorated during Christmas and is the eighth in the list.
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is the ninth in the list and you can enjoy an iconic New Year’s Eve party at Copacabana beach with musical and dance performances. Finally, Tallinn in Estonia is one of the trending and sought-after festive cities for winter vacations with medieval churches that bring out the nostalgic memory of this celebration.
