Detours Gay Travel Blog
Five Reasons Why Christmas is the Perfect Time to Travel
- Detours
- Jun 16, 2025
Ah, Christmas - the most wonderful time of the year! Well, that is, unless you don’t enjoy going broke after giving gifts that nobody needs, engaging with family members you don’t like, putting on unwelcome weight due to mandatory turkey overstuffing, going to church even though you don’t usually go, or returning to your hometown where you’re sure to see your high school bully stumbling around the local bar.
Come to think of it, as we grow older, maybe the holiday season isn’t so wonderful for some of us… in fact, wouldn't it be nicer to jet off the minute we start to see Christmas decorations for sale at Costco? 👋
Okay, okay, so maybe I’m being a bit of a Scrooge. But avoiding the unpleasantries isn't the only reason I like to travel over the holiday season. From fewer tourists to better weather, there’s actually a whole host of reasons why Christmas is the absolute perfect time to travel.
Hello, Sunshine ☀️
If you call the United States or Canada home, then wintertime is not exactly famous for its warm weather or beachy vibes. No, rather, it’s the time of year where the sun starts setting around 4 p.m. and all you want to do is cozy up in a pair of fluffy PJs and hide under your duvet until those dark months pass.
And that’s all very well for a while, but I often prefer a more proactive approach: what better way to deal with your winter blues - and vitamin D deficiency - than by booking a trip to a warm destination!? 🏖️
After weeks or months of cumulonimbus clouds seemingly grazing the top of your head, there is no greater healing power than that of the sun. Feel your lizard armor wear off as the sun warms you from within. Suddenly, your troubles feel far away (maybe ‘cause they are!), and your only concern is whether you should have a margarita or a crisp cerveza with dinner.
Goodbye, Tourists
Another great advantage of traveling over the holiday season - especially to somewhere warm and not traditionally Christmassy - is that you can avoid the influx of tourists that might often overwhelm wherever it is you’ve traveled to.
Hot destinations, such as Costa Rica, Thailand, and South Africa, that remain warm year-round, are likely to be less populated by tourists over Christmas, simply because most people are spending time with family rather than traveling the world. (To each their own, I guess.) 🤨
Authentic Experience > Material Goods
There’s no greater gift than quality time and unique experiences. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a more lasting gift than a week by the beach, or visiting the site of an ancient civilization, or eating an authentic local dish.
Socks get holes, lotions are used up, we grow out of pajamas, dish towels get stained, and chocolates get eaten…
But the memories (and photos!) acquired from a vacation abroad can last a lifetime, in addition to the great friends we make along the way. 😎
I would take an unforgettable experience on safari through Kruger Park or a once-and-a-lifetime visit to Victoria Falls over even the nicest of material gifts.
Natural Makeover Galore! 💅
Okay, so I may have just painted myself as more “evolved” than those who appreciate the gifts of giving (and receiving), but the truth is, taking a trip over the holiday season has superficial benefits, too.
A trip somewhere warm can provide a myriad of benefits - you might get an all-natural tan from your days in the sun, or maybe you’re sleeping better away from the stress of work. If you’re somewhere tropical, you’re probably taking in a lot more fruit than you usually do, getting in those vitamins and minerals that might usually be missing from your diet.
Overall, a 10-day(ish) laid-back interlude somewhere hot can de-stress, revive, and give you that post-vacation glow that will have your friends and family back home positively green with envy. It doesn’t get much better than that! 😉
Goodbye Family Drama
Let’s be honest: many of us have someone, or multiple someones, in our close or extended family that we’d rather keep our distance from.
Traveling over Christmas at least provides an infallible excuse as to why you can’t spend the holidays with them.
And, unlike Christmas with the family, taking a trip over the holiday season - whether on a guided tour with a Detours trip leader or by yourself - gives you more control over who you spend time with. Ever heard of “chosen family”?! 💘
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I don’t deny that Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year - for some. For others, maybe it’s even more wonderful when you’re away from the hubbub of overconsumption, commercialization, and family drama, and instead lounging on the beach, sipping on fine wines at a vineyard, doing yoga in the jungle, or relaxing in natural hot springs. I think it’s pretty clear which one this trip leader is choosing, anyways.
If I’ve sold you on the benefits of traveling over Christmas, then why not join Detours on one of our epic, unforgettable experiences? Although our tour through Thailand and Cambodia is already sold out, we still have spots on our 11 Days in South Africa and 11 Days in Costa Rica gay tours over this year’s Christmas holidays.
Our gay group travel tours have guaranteed departures to diverse destinations, so if those tours don’t tickle your fancy, check some of our other tours taking place over the cold, winter months - still in the off-season in some areas, for those of you looking for fewer tourists and more social opportunities.
Thanks to the small groups we keep on our tours (unlike Christmas dinner with your extended family!), we can remain flexible - allowing for that structured spontaneity you’re looking for in a trip. 😜
So maybe I’ve been a bit of a Christmastime-hater, but I'm probably not alone. I’d take a trip to somewhere sunny over a political conversation with my conservative uncle over too-dry turkey any day of the year. And over Christmas? It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year! So treat yourself this year with a gift you’ll never forget - a once in a lifetime experience with Detours.