10 Great Winter Desinations from Around the World

Whether you like cold or hot, there is no better time to travel than during the Winter months. There are places out there for everyone, whether it is a tourist area or off the beaten path.

If you are a person who lives in a warmer climate and wants to experience Winter or one who just likes Winter weather, here are a couple of places that you might like to try.

First idea: Sweden.
It is probably not a place that you would think of every day, but Sweden has long winters and great skiing. For a unique experience visit the Ice Hotel . It is a hotel that is built new out of snow and ice and has a different design each year and has been around for 20 Winter seasons. The entire hotel covers an area of 30,000-55,000 square feet and has 60 rooms and is open from December through March or until it melts. In the hotel is the original Absolut icebar which is a bar made completely out of ice. All the furniture within is also carved out of ice. Available is also a sauna, reception hall, and an ice chapel. The rates range from $300 - $500 a night, but make your reservations months in advance as it gains more popularity each year.

Second idea: Vancouver British Columbia for the Olympics in February 2010.
In February 2010 an event that happens only every 4 years, the Winter Olympics, is coming to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver is a beautiful city in the Pacific Northwest that is home to great cross country skiing and wildlife. You will also find Gastown and Chinatown in the heart of the city. Hotel rates for Olympics start at $120.00 a night (tripadvisor.com), but make your reservations soon as rooms will fill up. You can also get Olympic packages where you customize your trip, choose what events you want, and everything is covered.

Another idea for those who enjoy cold places is Alaska.
Alaska is a beautiful place all year, but Winter is serene. The ice and snow covered glaciers and vibrant Northern Lights make Alaska a place like no other. Winter in Alaska has one of the most well known events --The Ididerod Sled dog Race, which is a sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. You can get packages of various types and lengths. In the Winter you can also enjoy the fur rendezvous and snowmobiling as well as trying your hand at dogsledding with your own team of sled dogs.

Fourthly: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
It is worth it enough to see its namesake dells of the Wisconsin River, but it is also well known for its water parks. In the Winter, many of the attractions are closed because they are outdoors and Wisconsin in Winter can be brutal to the senses, but the indoor waterparks are amazing attractions in themselves and thrive in the Winter months with their tropical feel. There are four that are worth mentioning, the first of which is the Great Wolf Lodge
which is an outdoors themed resort. It also has a restaurant and buffet breakfast, an aveda salon, scoops kids salon, Northern Lights arcade, and NEW magiquest interactive game. Rates start at $129.99 on weeknights. Next isWilderness Lodge. It is similar to the Great Wolf in backwoods decor, but has an 18 hole championship golf course, Sundara spa, and zip line attraction. Their rates start at $150.00 a night.
The third one is the Kalahari Resort . It is an african themed waterpark resort. It has several themed restaurants and bars, a surfing pool, an indoor theme park as well as the indoor waterpark. Their rates start at $199.95. These three are all located along the main corridor of Interstate 90. The last resort is a little more off the beaten path along the Wisconsin River. It is the Chula Vista Resort. It is a Southwestern themed resort with an 18 hole championship golf course. There are also several themed suites available. Right now, seasonal rates are as low as $114.00 a night. *there are no restaurants that are open later hours at this location*. All these resorts do offer specials now and then as well as seasonal packages.

Another place to go for Winter fun is Colorado.
Colorado is known for its great skiing. Being in the Rocky Mountains provides plenty of skiing opportunities. There are 24 ski areas, including Aspen, Vail, Steamboat, just miles out of Denver alone. Check out Steamboat for an offer of free skiing with a resort stay, which start at $119.00 a night.

As a transition from snowy places to warm places I will add Yellowstone National Park, which can be fun to visit any time of year. When you visit Yellowstone National Park in the Winter you are able to enjoy the hot geyser basins surrounded by snow. It does get cold, so plan accordingly. I can imagine that the iridescent pools and Mammoth hot springs are beautiful surrounded by several inches of snow. The weather does change without notice, so in the Winter be prepared for changing conditions. The only lodging available in the Winter that is accessible by automobile is the Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge which does have several different types of accomodations starting at $85.00

For those who are fans of going somewhere warm in the Winter as a break from the cold weather in places such as the Midwest, Upper East Coast, and Pacific Northwest in the United States, there are many offerings for you as well.

The first of these and #7 on my list is the ever popular Hawaii.
Who would not want to go to Hawaii in the Winter. There are so many things to do in Hawaii. You could take surfing or hula lessons; or you could just bask on the warm sunny beaches. In Hawaii the accomodations are plentiful. A travel tip: if you go down one level in accomodations and not stay on the beach, you may be able to save some money and do some other things like add an island or another attraction or two. Room rates in Honolulu start at $ 60.00 a night, depending on when and where you stay. The best way to get around the island is to rent a car. Some attractions near Honolulu are the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Waikiki aquarium, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, and the Hawaii Foods Tour. For a great dinner enjoy a tratitional Luau. Many hotels offer these elaborate meals or you can enjoy the one at Germaine's Luau .

#8 Caribbean Cruise.
For this vacation there are many options. A couple of reputable companies are Carnival Cruise Lines and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Carnival offers several different destinations in the Caribbean for warm sun and sandy beaches. There is Bermuda, Bahamas, Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean and Jamaica. Cruises vary in style and you can choose your amenities by choosing the ship that you want to cruise on. Many cruises offer all you can eat food, pools, waterparks, on board games, and other great activities. Their prices start at $269.00 per person. Norwegian Cruise Lines offers the same destinations and again, amenities vary by ship. Their prices start at $319.00 a person.

Another great place to go in the Winter months is Orlando, Florida. Orlando has so many attractions to keep you busy for weeks at a time. There is Walt Disney World, Holy Land Experience, Universal Orlando, and Sea World, just to name a few. At Walt Disney World the base price is $79.00 with several add on options. If you plan on staying long term, you may want to consider staying at the Disney Resorts. That will give you reduced daily passes and free parking, to name just a few of the perks. A family can stay in a Disney resort for as low as $1,800.00 if purchased through the Disney website. You may be able to get a better deal by going through your local travel agent. Universal Orlando tickets start at $73.00 base price, but for a week, you would pay the price of base tickets for 2 days. It is made up of two parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The tickets cover both parks. For a cultural experience and if you have a desire to walk in the footsteps of Jesus without leaving the country, visit Holy Land Experience. Here you will see replicas of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Tabernacle of the Wilderness. Tickets are available for as low as $30.00 and $45.00 for 2 days. Finally, for an excursion under the sea, visit Sea World, Orlando, Home of Shamu the Killer Whale. Here you can see Dolphin shows, Whale shows, and the hilarious seal and walrus show. You can also touch sting rays, walk through a shark tank, and battle the Kraken, discover Atlantis, or fly on the Manta. There is so much to discover in Orlando.

Finally, vacation idea #10. Mexico.
South of the United States border lies the country of Mexico. There are many vacation opportunities in Mexico, including Cancun, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. All three of these are near the Equator and have a tropical climate, so going in Winter would be a wonderful way to get away from the colder climates up North. Puerta Vallarta was a charming fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico that has become a bustling city of over 350,000 people (Frommers.com) with hotels and shopping centers. Hotels range in price from as low as $73.00. On the other side of the country, on the Atlantic's Bay of Cortez, sits the city of Mazatlan. It has great seafood and nightlife. It is also the home of Mazatlan Aquarium, ecoadventura, and Mazagua Aquatic Park which are great for family activities. On top of all that, you can stay for as low as $43.00 a night. Finally, near the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, sits the town of Cancun. This is a very popular destination. For as low as $67.00, you can enjoy an all inclusive resort for families or one for adults only.