If you’re looking to swap the snow for sand, consider Ambergris Caye, the biggest island in Belize (and fun fact, home to the first season of Temptation Island over 20 years ago — how steamy and topical!!). It’s also home to Matachica Resort, a beachfront hotel with colorful bungalows and tiny guesthouses mere steps from the ocean.
The American South can be the perfect place to head…south for the winter! (This thing on? *tap tap*) Adventure seekers need look no further than the Blue Ridge Mountains; those who like a bit of luxury should focus their gaze on the Barnsley Resort, a 3,000-acre playground in Georgia’s Blue Ridge foothills.
The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is one such venue (which opened in December 2020 after nearly a yearlong delay). The place is swanky AF, with courtyards punctuated with enormous pieces of art, a sleek pool deck set across Thailand’s biggest river and a multitude of high-end dining options.
The great state of Wyoming is a wildlife-filled, snow-capped wonderland that lets you take full advantage of the season. (And that makes you wanna cosplay as a cowboy! No? Just me? Oh well…pass the shearling coat and chaps, please.) Hotel Jackson is a rustic, cozy spot with some 50 rooms and offers evening tours of Grand Teton National Park.
Here’s another beautiful location that celebrates all things wintry and wonderful: the Japanese mountain town of Niseko Village. Be you a skier or a boarder, there are almost 2,200 acres of powder for you to explore, with 70 runs accessed via 29 lifts and gondolas. Oh, and you’ll be staying at the Higashiyama Niseko Village, one of just 5 Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties on the planet; it has townhouses inspired by wealthy merchants’ homes from the Edo period, incredible views of Mount Yotei and a spa that will warm your body and soul after schussing down the slopes.
Former mining community turned ghost town, today it’s a luxury resort with a dozen charming log cabins. Be sure to cash in on the complimentary half-day guided tours of the area, which include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Other adventures include snowmobiling, ice climbing up a giant frozen waterfall and, of course, snuggling.
Head to the Indian Ocean off Africa’s eastern coast, straight to North Island in the Seychelles, the first private island escape to join Marriott Bonvoy’s Luxury Collection. If you feel like seeing other people there’s on-site scuba diving, a dreamy infinity pool and an environmental center where you can meet conservationists that are saving the island’s flora and fauna. (Which includes baby sea turtles!)
Unless you’re an ice sculptor or an abominable snowman (in which case you’re amazing, big fan, love your lore), the right approach to wintering is escaping either A) the cold, B) the wintertime blues or C) both! Real talk: It’s never too late to plan a getaway. That’s right…there’s still time to make a plan! Winter’s just begun. Last-minute deals abound. So whether it’s a spur-of-the-moment Christmas trip or something for a little later to break up the mid-February doldrums, I’ve gathered a handful of trip ideas for you — a mix of budgets, locales and climates. Do enjoy. And DON’T forget to write. (For reals: I’m nph@wondercade.com. Lemme know if you go someplace on this list!)