THE US WINTER HOLIDAYS DESTINATIONS 7
ORLANDO A trip to see Mickey has to be the best early Christmas present
for many a child, and average temperatures in Orlando sit at around 17C in December – more comfortable for some than the hotter days of summer. And there are plenty of special events to make the visit sparkle, including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, a ticketed event beginning at 7pm with cookies, cocoa and snow-flurries on Main Street, followed by a festive parade, dance party, stage show and fireworks. Disney characters in Christmas costumes will be available throughout the park for meet-and-greets, and iconic Jungle Cruise turns into a Jingle Cruise for the holidays. At Epcot’s Candlelight Processional, celebrity narrators tell the Christmas story, and kids can meet Santa and Mrs Claus. All the resort’s hotels are decked fittingly, with a 16-foot-high Victorian gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Over at Universal Studios there’s the all-singing, all-dancing Macy’s
Holiday Parade, and at Islands of Adventure the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, a live retelling of Dr Seuss’s classic tale, plus character breakfasts with The Grinch and friends. FIND OUT MORE:
visitorlando.com
8
HAWAII There’s never a bad time to head to a paradise island, and average
winter temperatures in Hawaii stick at around 25C, so it’s a tempting prospect. It’s a little rainier than in summer, but showers are short, and there’s the added bonus that you’ll find far fewer other tourists, and that winter is whale-watching season. Between December and May, two-thirds of the North Pacific’s humpback whale population return to Hawaii to breed, calve and nurse their young – so this is the time to come and spot baby whales on a whale-watching tour, or they can frequently be seen from land. The island’s clear waters are perfect for snorkelling – suggest Honaunau Bay in Hawaii Island, Haumana Bay on Oahu, and Molokini on Maui to see sea turtles and colourful
ABOVE: Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, Universal BELOW: Maui, Hawaii
fish. Or suggest a scenic flight: Maverick Helicopters, best known for its Grand Canyon flights out of Vegas, offers options out of Maui. How to choose your island? Well, Kauai offers dramatic natural beauty; Oahu has big surf waves and plenty of modern amenities; Hawaii Island is larger than all the others combined and has a vast variety of terrain; Maui has some of the best beaches in the world; Molokai is culturally rich; and Lanai, without even
a single traffic light, is a truly secluded getaway. FIND OUT MORE:
gohawaii.com/uk
9
PALM SPRINGS While the northern states shiver, southern California basks, particularly if you
head for the desert. Palm Springs’ winter daytime temperatures sit between 21C and 27C, and though just three hours from LA, its swaying palms and
3 September 2015
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