Best Christmas Destinations When You Don’t Want to Visit Family

Christmas might be touted as the time when you’re supposed to get together with family, but for some people the thought of spending the day surrounded by relatives makes them run in fear. Here are a few alternate destinations for your Christmas getaway.

Hawai’i

If you’re looking to keep it local, there’s no better destination than our most tropical state. The flights are a tad expensive during the holidays but you’ll have less competition for prime beach spots with everyone busy opening up presents indoors.

Koh Samui, Thailand

Southeast Asia is one of the most affordable destinations in the world and December is smack dab in the middle of their warm season. It’s the perfect place to hit the beaches, get away from the cold and not break the bank. Instead of a cabin in the woods, how about a bungalow on the beach for a fourth of the price?

Aspen, Colo.

If you want to keep in the spirit of Christmas being a winter wonderland, stay close to home and head to Aspen. Instead of opening presents with the in-laws you can ski the slopes with friends. They also put on a pretty spectacular Christmas display, so you don’t have to avoid the holidays if you don’t want to.

Rome, Italy

This might seem like an odd addition to the list, but Rome is situated right next to one of the holiest places on Earth, Vatican City. If you truly want to embrace the holiday spirit then this is certainly a great place to get in touch with the Holy Ghost. Plus, with such a large religious population you can bet they put on quite a show.