Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn have the right idea in the movie Four Christmases; ditch the family for a romantic vacation this holiday. Venice is a reliable spot for a you and your mistletoe partner to get away for some alone time. And it's not too late to buy tickets. Kayak is offering round-trip airfare to the starting at $1,099 during the holidays. That's expensive for the rest of the year, but not during this season—it's a bargain.

Of course, the obligatory romantic thing to go is take a gondola ride in the canals, but that's the number one offense on our list of what not to do in Venice. While riding a gondola with only two people can get pretty expensive, don't let that deter you from enjoying the canals, even if it's by vaporetto, or water bus. The canals are a big part of the city's mystique and being on the water in the winter will give you a reason to snuggle with your honey.

Or do more than snuggle...]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-12-11T10:33:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/3/35118/3344

Spend your holiday in a hammock.

When December hits, people get excited for snow, treats and spending time with family. But for many of us that translates into non-stop shoveling, nasty fruit cake and yet another family screaming match. Forget Christmas this year—and the stress that comes along with it—and head to the Dominican Republic.

And how about this for a relaxing non-holiday: an all-inclusive vacay at Excellence Puta Cana that costs $123 a night for stays through December 23. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-12-03T09:04:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/16/45937/153

Think a white, sandy Christmas might be better than a white snowy one? All you northern hemisphere people can be guaranteed a very different experience if you decide to celebrate Christmas in Australia, where temperatures can easily reach over the century mark and a swim at the beach is way more likely than a snowball fight.

The nice thing is that it's not even too late, if you decide skipping the drag of family festivities is what you want. There are still plenty of packages available to get you Down Under for a few days around Christmas time, including heaps of lastminute.com travel packages from LAX to Sydney, including airfare and accommodation for a week for around $2,000 for a five-night stay. ]]> amandak 2009-11-20T14:25:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/17/14738/521

Gift giving, twinkling lights, and plenty of booze often make for a festive holiday season, but going overboard with the latter wouldn't garner a stamp of approval from Kris Kringle. Leave it to Napa's wine producers and humble Bed and Breakfast proprietors to class up those awkward, alcohol-tinged family gatherings and raise some money for charity in the process.

Plenty of Napa Valley wineries are having holiday Open House events on weekends, but to experience a smorgasbord of varietals, vintner offerings, and enjoy the quaint charm of Downtown Napa, buy a ticket to the annual B&B Tour & Taste Event. The four-hour affair will take place on December 5th from 2:00-6:00 PM, when ticket-holders will go from one B&B to the next to "ooh" and "aah" over wreaths, ornaments, and tinsel decor. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-11-17T14:24:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/7/104223/695

Who needs another awkward family Christmas watching Aunt Betty get drunk and grandpa fall asleep? Instead, why not spend the holidays spreading some much needed holiday cheer in Costa Rica and participate in fun activities like zip lining and river rafting?

Tropical Adventures has created a special tour, dubbed The Holiday Project 2009, which mixes fun adventures with much-needed visits to diverse communities to spread the joy of the holidays. The trip is open to families and children of all ages are welcome to join in on the fun. As part of the package, families will spend a total 9 days/8 nights in Costa Rica, 2 nights will be spent in a hotel in San Jose, 4 nights in Puerto Viejo with a host family and the final 2 nights are spent on an Indigenous Reservation. The trip also includes all on-the-ground transportation, most meals, 3 holiday parties with local children and retirees, and 3 adventure tours. ]]> cmb 2009-10-07T16:02:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/5/24932/1865

We're not ashamed to be fans of all things Richard Branson, and with the Christmas season approaching scary fast, we're thinking Richard's ideas on how and where to spend Christmas sound pretty good. If you want to avoid the shopping mall headaches and escape the northern hemisphere cold, Virgin's Kasbah Tamadot Resort in Morocco has some very tempting Christmas deals.

There are five or seven-day packages over the Christmas and New Year period, and they'll certainly be a little bit different from your average gift-swapping, carol-singing festive season. Packages include festive Berber feasts, guided walks in the Atlas Mountains, market excursions and a ride on the resident mules. Booking soon would be a great idea, because these are special, limited-capacity vacations.]]> amandak 2009-10-05T12:53:04-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/21/23551/745

Since we mentioned the cool idea of a Christmas vacation in beautifully-decorated Goa, India, the local authorities have been making important decisions.

We're still keen on the idea but wanted to let you know that they have now banned beach parties from December 23 through to January 5, based on security fears. However, the authorities say that all the hotel-based functions will still go ahead, as will the local traditional celebrations we were swooning over.

So while you mightn't get your midnight swim in, the beach party ban probably makes it a bit safer for everyone. And we're really glad they haven't done anything really crazy like banning the cashew cakes and baklava-esque pastries. That'd make us revise our travel advice for sure.

Related Stories:
· Beach Parties Banned in Goa Over Terrorist Fears [The Age]
· Xmas in Goa: BYO Grinch [Jaunted]
· India Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Poo-tee-weet?] ]]> amandak 2008-12-22T09:00:35-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/