If you find yourself doing the same old same old every winter, why not travel the world and see what’s happening elsewhere. How about retrieving that bikini from the ‘summer clothing’ closet and try a BBQ on the beach? Or, why not pull out all the stops this Christmas with some guaranteed snow, mulled wine and traditional Christmas markets?

Lucky for you all of these destinations are covered in the HostelBookers new property sale! Jet somewhere new this Christmas for a fraction of the price.

Edinburgh

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The elegant Georgian housed boutiques along the cobbled George Street make for magical Christmas shopping sprees. By November, the traditional German Christmas market has settled in for the season along the Princes Street Gardens and it’s the perfect place to enjoy a steaming cup of Glühwein in the shadow of the dramatic Edinburgh Castle.

The city is a great place to stock up on winter knits including luxurious cashmere and lambswool hats, gloves, scarves and jumpers – all season essentials for keeping out the cold. If you can brave the breeze, clamber up Arthur’s Seat for picturesque views across the snowy rooftops, out across the Firth of Forth and toward the Ochie Hills.

Vienna

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With its stunning Baroque beauty and dazzling palaces, you will soon forget the nippy winter chill in the air on your trip to Vienna. In fact the snow gives the place a positively fairytale aura. Spend idle mornings in the charming coffee houses perusing the papers – many are well equipped with international newspapers – and savouring slices of Guglhupf cake. Cafe Central might be touristy but it is stunning inside and also Cafe Hawelka and Cafe Braunerhof are ones to consider for your cup of cocoa. Lunch is an equally hearty affair with warming bowls of goulash.

The city is very walkable, most of the action takes place in the Innere Stadt (inner city) and everything is within a 20 minute radius, unless you prefer to hop on a rickety tram.

Vienna boasts some marvelous museums worth diving in to for an afternoon. The Museumsquartier around the old Imperial stables is particularly handy during the winter months and you won’t have far to walk around this modern art complex. If you can’t afford to fork out for one of the spectacular balls (usually about 100 Euros) why not opt for a private dance lesson instead.

Koh Samui

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Backpackers and luxury travellers alike are keen to savour Thailand’s hippy island paradise. Spend lazy days on the beaches munching on mangoes or marvel at the Samui Butterfly Garden. There are also opportunities to ride elephants and trek to jungle waterfalls and the best snorkelling can be found in Ko Tao.

But when night falls, Koh Samui is also a steamy place to party – you have probably heard of the infamous Ko Pha-Ngan full moon parties. Once you have sampled a few mouth-watering meals, you might want to pick up a few tips for preparing Thai dishes back home. The Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts offers daily courses in creative fruit and veg carving to traditional cooking lessons.

Punta Cana

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One of those blissfully mild all year-round destinations, temperatures peak at about 29°C and rarely drop below 20°C during the night between November and April in the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana boasts some of the best beaches in the Caribbean – think soft white sand, aquamarine and bathwater-temperature sea bordered by shady coconut palms.

Head to Playa Limón for a spectacular drive through the mountains to find your own spot on an all but isolated beach. The Punta Cana Ecological Park is home to over 80 bird and 500 plant species and you can take a 90-minute guided tour through the idyllic freshwater lagoons, an area known as the Paque Ojos Indigenas. Other popular activities include golf, snorkelling and catamaran cruises.

Disclaimer: This is a guest post by HosteBookers. They contacted me a few weeks back about publishing something on my site and I agreed, because I’ve always enjoyed their site and what they bring to the travel community.