From gazing at the Northern Lights to a Maldives yacht charter, here are 8 travel escapes to consider

While winter in Southeast Asia doesn’t exactly mean snowballs and sleigh bells, it does represent the perfect time of year to get away from it all. Both at Christmas and around Chinese New Year, public holidays allow for long-haul trips to visit far-flung places you’ve always dreamed of, for experiences which are all too rare. 

From seeing the majesty of the Northern Lights to cruising in the Amazon, these eight remarkable travel escapes can be booked from December through February. 

ICELAND'S NORTHERN LIGHTS

Mysterious and magically beautiful, Iceland has become an increasingly popular spot for adventurous travellers in recent years, but not many visitors get to reach the country’s remote interior. 

The Dark Skies adventure specialises in true wilderness, such as the deep backcountry spot of Highland Base Kerlingarfjoll – and no, we can’t pronounce it either. Come winter, regular car rentals have no chance of getting there, meaning you’ll spend between two and four hours in a jeep to get to the stunning property. 

The ultra-exclusive experience allows for true connection to nature, thanks to complete isolation. The result is the darkest skies imaginable as well as perfect conditions for stargazing and to catch the Northern Lights. 

Guides are on hand to help budding Astro-photographers, while high-powered telescopes reach parts of the night skies you can normally only dream of. When not looking up, the hotel has three interconnected outdoor hot pools, thanks to the Hveradalir hot springs, as well as other adventures by ski, snowmobile or even snowshoe. 

From S$5,300 per person based on two people travelling together, including five nights accommodation, transfers and experiences. Book through Magnetic North Travel. 

PANAMA'S ISLAS SECAS

A definite change in temperature awaits in Central America, namely the hugely underrated destination of Panama. On the country’s rugged Pacific coast, winter temperatures hover around 32 degrees Celsius, meaning that the secluded archipelago of 14 islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui draws in discerning upscale global travellers seeking adventure and guaranteed winter warmth. 

The privately-owned far-flung archipelago of Islas Secas houses just four casitas and three tented casitas, meaning a total of no more than 24 guests. On your doorstep sits a pristine and untouched marine playground in the waters of the Gulf which feature Panama’s largest Pacific coral reefs, breathtaking beaches and two huge protected marine parks with incredible biodiversity. 

Casita Grande is the largest and most exclusive of the hideaways, somewhere that bohemian barefoot luxury in tropical gardens meets sunrise yoga sessions. Stunning ocean views, private pools and cabanas for sundowners will ensure you never want to leave, but it’s difficult to turn down the chance of a front row seat to watch the humpback whale migration as they return from feeding off Antarctica and Chile. 

Rates at Islas Secas start from S$3,300 per night on an all-inclusive basis, including all food and beverages, one spa treatment per guest per stay, and both on and off-island activities.   

BOTSWANA DISCOVERY 

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is seen by many safari aficionados as one of the world’s great game viewing destinations thanks to the vast spread of untouched – and unfenced – wilderness. 

Named as UNESCO’s 1000th World Heritage Site, this evergreen jewel is the world’s largest inland delta as the Okavango River sinks into the dry sands of the Kalahari Desert – itself some 1,250 times the size of Singapore. The result is a watery oasis of channels, lagoons and floodplains, a remarkably fertile environment that can be explored by dugout canoe, motor cruisers, on foot or in traditional game drives. 

Lodges and camps don’t get much more luxurious – or genuinely sustainable – than those from &BEYOND, each of which blend into their ultra-special locations. Handily for travellers making the long trip, Singapore Airlines flies direct to Johannesburg, from where it’s a short hop up to Botswana. 

A special seven-night package allows guests to stay at a combination of award-winning lodges and camps including &BEYOND Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp and &BEYOND Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge. 

Rates start from S$8,467 per person and include three daily meals, drinks, refreshments on game drives, safari activities, transfers and laundry. 

FIJI ISLAND ESCAPE

There are escapes from reality – and then there’s a private island in Fiji, reachable only by private jet. COMO Laucala Island is a jaw-dropping, far flung South Pacific idyll with just 25 villas, somewhere that former guests have included Harrison Ford, Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. 

With those sorts of alumni, you know that you’re in for a spectacular escape, especially so in their Plateau Villa. Atop Nawi Hill and overlooking the endless azure of the South Pacific Ocean, it also enjoys spectacular cliff-top views of neighbouring islands below. 

At COMO Laucala Island, the daily rate includes a wealth of benefits including a bottle of champagne, 60-minute COMO Shambhala Massage and full board in your choice of the property’s five restaurants or in your residence, along with all house wines and champagnes. 

If you can pull yourself away from your personal pool, sundeck and lush tropical gardens, then an 18-hole championship golf course, diving, snorkelling, sailing and water sports – not to mention the Instagram gold of horseback riding along the beach – are some of the options just a quick buggy ride away. 

The two-bedroom plateau hill with ocean view at COMO Laucala Island runs S$14,000 per night, subject to 15 per cent taxes.  

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE HOLIDAY

The ultra-refined private estate of Coworth Park just outside London is part of the Dorchester Collection, meaning that the service, cuisine, accommodation and experiences are all of the highest quality. 

Many guests head straight for the luxurious spa for an aromatherapy massage, pedicure or dip in the inviting indoor pool, but the picturesque 240 acres of grounds are another draw for crisp wintry walks in some of the most picturesque English countryside imaginable, from gardens to woodlands. 

The perfect way to warm up, and defrost? A roaring log fire and a pre-dinner cocktail in The Bar before dinner at Woven by Adam Smith. The one Michelin-starred spot continues to make waves in the culinary world thanks to Smith’s devotion to remixing the finest British produce in clever, unexpected ways. On the menu, that translates into dishes such as grouse pie, Cornish crab with verbena or salt-aged Yorkshire duck. 

A four-night stay in the three-bedroom North Lodge at Coworth Park, sleeping up to six, runs S$36,000. 

MALDIVES YACHT CHARTER

The Maldives are already a rightly popular escape for those seeking guaranteed relaxation amid some of the world’s most stunning waters, but instead of staying in one resort, a superyacht called Searex lets you choose your own adventure in a round-trip to and from the capital of Male. 

This 124-ft long beauty can sleep 12 people in six cabins and offers absolutely every luxury and comfort you would expect, from a large spa bath to barbeque for alfresco dining, 400-sq-ft Master Suites along with every aquatic toy imaginable to let you explore the pristine waters. Just as impressive is their environmental record, cutting emissions by a remarkable 98 per cent while even boasting their own marine sewage treatment system. 

Options for stops include Vabbinfaru, a Banyan Tree resort, where guests can pop ashore for spa treatments and dining, or Rasdhoo where gentle lagoons and reefs are perfect for young families or learner divers. What’s more, the charter fee includes unlimited dives for certified divers. From S$115,000 per week with TJB Super Yachts. 

PERUVIAN AMAZON CRUISE

Another far-flung adventure on water lets you channel your inner explorer as you cruise the Peruvian Amazon aboard a luxury riverboat, The Zafiro. Pacaya Samiria National Reserve is Peru’s second largest natural protected area and home to some of the planet’s most stunning biodiverse flora and fauna. 

From pink river dolphins to spider monkeys, tarantulas to piranhas, sighting of the local wildlife are guaranteed to wow, while nocturnal outings bring a whole new world of excitement. The most elusive sighting could be the Hoatzin bird, a "prehistoric" local with claws on its wings and an odour so strong it’s known locally as a "stinky turkey". 

Elsewhere, guests can visit local shamans to learn about traditional healing techniques or visit a manatee rescue centre where the beloved mammals are sheltered before they are returned to their natural environment. 

The Zafiro 5-Day Amazon cruise starts from S$5,200 per person. 

WINTER PARIS CHIC

Untold Story Travel promises "life-enhancing journeys" and their fashion-forward Paris package certainly looks to be a very special way to see the French capital in style. Called Winter Paris Chic, it offers six nights in a suite at Hotel Lutetia, complete with balcony and picture-perfect views of the Eiffel Tower, naturellement. 

The five-star beauty in the heart of the elegant Saint Germain des Pres neighbourhood epitomises contemporary Parisian style and is an apt setting as you’ll also enjoy a private tour of Coco Chanel’s life. You’ll be taken to her favourite cafes, stroll the streets where she lived and get VIP treatment from a personalised stylist before a tailor measures you up for a bespoke Chanel outfit to be shipped to your house. 

Romantics will love the private cruise on the Seine complete with a gourmet picnic, a six-course tasting lunch with paired wines in an invitation-only Chateau vineyard before you wrap in serious style with a helicopter tour over Paris, culminating in a private dinner atop the Eiffel Tower. 

Untold Story Travel offers the six-night experience from S$108,000 per person, based on two guests sharing.