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1 Feel truly festive Ethiopia
£50 OFF
What? Swap Santa Claus for something quite different next January. Genna is Ethiopian Christmas, when white-robed pilgrims flock to churches and spiritual music fills the air. Witnessing these celebrations can be combined with Timkat (Epiphany), 12 days later: head to ancient Axum, where the original Ark of the Covenant is believed to be kept, to watch costumed high priests parade with a replica, while the city erupts in dancing, chanting and song.
The trip: A 16-day Festivals of Ethiopia small-group trip with Travel The Unknown costs from £3,795pp, excluding flights
Suggested by… Rahul Aggarwal, Travel The Unknown
Go to: 020 7183 6371, www.traveltheunknown.com
2 Do it all in a day South Africa
What? There might be better-known national parks in South Africa, but few can rival iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa’s first World Heritage site) for sheer diversity. In this lush, coastal reserve you can safari-drive to spot rhino, elephant, buffalo, antelope and more before picnicking on the sweeping golden sands of Cape Vidal beach, swimming in the surf and (during the June-December season) scanning for humpbacks migrating by offshore.
The trip: A 14-day South Africa: Off the Beaten Track tailormade trip with TravelLocal costs from £1,780pp, excluding flights
Suggested by… Tom Stapleton, TravelLocal
Go to: 0117 325 7898, www.travellocal.com
3 Hop another archipelago Dodecanese, Greece
£50 OFF
What? Many Greece-lovers centre on the Cyclades, heads turned by Santorini. But head a little further east and you can find the same island-hopping fun in the lesser-visited Dodecanese. Use the main (and admittedly busy) islands of Kos and Rhodes as jumping-off points for exploring this cluster’s quieter outposts such as Symi, with its pretty port town, the quiet coves and crumbling Crusader castles of Leros and the pristine beaches of undeveloped Lipsi.
The trip: A seven-night Island hopping in the Dodecanese tailormade trip with Sunvil costs from £750pp, including flights
Suggested by… Rachel Jelley, Sunvil
Go to: 020 8568 4499, www.sunvil.co.uk
4 W-walk the walk Chile
Patagonia is the very definition of rugged wilderness, and exploring here is always an adventure. But it doesn’t have to be beardy-explorertough: the W Trek, an exhilarating zig-zag that showcases the most iconic landscapes of Torres del Paine NP, remains at low altitude and is doable by anyone with a reasonable level
