After a quiet autumn for tourism, the planes headed to Asia are all full again starting in mid December. Most tourists want to go to the beaches and islands, and there are plenty of those on the list below, but many of Asia's best cultural destinations also have fantastic weather starting in December.

Below you'll find a mix of the destinations that have great weather in December and are also very worthwhile stops. If you are looking for a sandy beach to relax on you'll have many good choices, but first-time visitors to this area should really include at least one or two of the main cities as well. Click to read more

A lively and fun island situated at the bottom of the Caribbean, Aruba attracts visitors from the world over, and for many different reasons. From its stunning beaches to its vibrant nightlife, there is a little bit of everything for everyone. But because there is so much to do, unless you are staying for an extended vacation lasting a week or more, you'll run out of time trying to see and do everything.

That's why we've gone through and researched the best of the best concerning island excursions, attractions, beaches and nightlife. Because we've listed the most appealing options currently available, you can skip the rest and just enjoy the best.

Click to read more

Spending the Christmas and New Year's holiday weeks with family and friends is the longstanding tradition in most of the Western world, but those based in the colder northern climates are looking for alternatives. After a couple decades of being bundled up, many start to wonder if there is another way to spend the holidays.

Those with the resources have been heading to Hawaii for Christmas for a long time, but there are actually dozens of countries and islands with similar tropical climates around the world, and most of them are far cheaper, at least once you get there. Below is a list of nearly every major tourist destination that combines warm weather and low prices during the weeks around Christmas and New Year's.

Updated for 2017: This year's list has been updated and expanded, with current price information for 2017 holidays as of August, 2017. Click to read more

One of the more popular Caribbean islands to visit, Barbados is home to a cruise shop port, beautiful colonial buildings, exciting natural formations, beaches of all kinds and a nightlife that rivals that of the other Caribbean islands. Because Barbados is a cruise destination, most of the visitors here are only on the island for a few hours to a day or so. If you find yourself in this group, then you'll want to focus on attractions that are quick to get through as well as beaches that offer a lot to see and do all in one place.

If you're visiting for a few days or more, then you'll find that you have a lot more options and can explore more of the island. Because time is on your side, you'll want to focus on at least one half day excursion, as well as a few attractions. It'll also be easy for you to visit more than one beach, which is great as all of the beaches differ from each other. If you're not one to fall asleep early, then you might want to dive into the island's nightlife as well.

Click to read more

While December may not be the ideal month to visit Europe, it can actually be a lot of fun and you won't have much competition at the famous sights. Unless you have a special reason to do so, it's best to avoid northern Europe and even most of central Europe in winter. But that still leaves most of the most famous cities, which will be filled with shopping and working locals until just before Christmas.

Below you'll find our list of the best cities to consider for a Europe trip in December. With a bit of advance planning you should be able to get cheap flights between most of these as well, so you can visit several of them as long as you allow about 3 days in each. There is even one reasonable beach destination, although it may not be warm enough this month unless you are from one of the Nordic countries.

If this is your first trip to Europe you may also be interested in our recommendations for best first-time Europe itineraries of your own. Click to read more

Though the island itself is very small, New Providence offers visitors quite a large selection of different activities to partake in. These activities, along with the gorgeous beaches that call the Bahamian island home, are the reasons why this particular island in the chain has come to be known as one of the more popular islands to stay on. The city of Nassau, also noted as the capital of the Bahamas, is known for being different things, one of them being a very popular cruise ship stop.

With that said, you may find that a long stay on the island to be a bit on the boring side. Unless you're perfectly content with lounging on the beach day after day, you'll find that a stay longer than a week to be long and unnecessary. Most visitors visit the island for a few days, such as a long weekend. Rarely do vacationers stay past 5 to 7 days. No matter how many days you intend to visit for, below you'll find a list of the best excursions, attractions, beaches and shopping that the island offers.

Click to read more

A famed tropical destination situated on the Dominican Republic's Atlantic north coast, Puerto Plata is a vacation hot spot that's adored by many from around the world. Though the area is best known for its beaches, there are plenty of other things about Puerto Plata that should get you excited about planning a trip here. Alongside numerous fun and exciting attractions, there are some great day excursions to choose from, a few good museums and cultural experiences, and a nightlife worth partaking in.

When planning your visit to Puerto Plata, you'll want to take into account how long you'll be staying. That's because most of the excursions available take up the entire day, eating into your beach time. If you're visiting for a short trip that's only a few days long, you may want to stick to only one excursion and maybe one attraction. If you're visiting for a week or more, then you'll find plenty of time to visit a few of each, in addition to your beach time.

Click to read more

Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, Punta Cana is a tropical paradise that attracts visitors from the globe over. Here you'll find 32kms of beach, all-inclusive resorts, attractions, excursions, world renown golf courses and much more. Because of all that is offered, alongside some stunning sites, Punta Cana is arguably the most popular town in the Dominican Republic, meaning that hoards of visitors are welcomed every year.

When visiting, you'll find a wide mixture of things to do and see, making it so that everyone should be able to easily find at least a few days of adventure or relaxation that fit their vacation style. If you're traveling for a long weekend, you'll want to stick to some of the half day excursions and attractions so that you'll have some beach time available before you leave. If you're visiting for a week or more, you'll have plenty of time to visit all of the main attractions as well as relax at a few of the more popular beaches.

Click to read more

The final month of the year marks the time when people in northern climates start looking around for an escape to the sun. Fortunately, there are big parts of the world that have their best weather of the year at this time, and are very cheap as well, once you get there.

Most of the destinations below are in Latin America and Southeast Asia, so depending on where you are starting from it might be a rather long flight to get there. Many of us can take two weeks or even more around this time of year, but that fact means that all of these places do get crowded and raise hotel prices for the weeks around Christmas and New Year's. Speaking of that, we have a separate list of cheap and warm places to go over Christmas and New Year's, only listing beach areas around the world with affordable hotels during that period.

It's best to book as far in advance as possible for both your flights and hotels, since so many people have the same idea and prices generally just keep going up as it gets closer. Click to read more

Jamaica is easily one of the most visited islands in the Caribbean, and for good reason. With lots of natural attractions as well as shopping, good eats and culture, Jamaica attracts visitors from the world over, each one eyeing their dream tropical vacation. If you're traveling to the island via a cruise to Ocho Rios, then you'll find lots of great attractions right in town or just outside of town, making Ocho Rios a one stop shop.

But because there is so much to do and see, we've gone ahead and created a list of the best of the best when it comes to local excursions, attractions, beaches and shopping. Because not all of the attractions and excursions in the area are worth your money, you'll want to stick to the highly rated ones. Keep reading below for more information.

Click to read more