Where to travel in December – and whether to spend Christmas far from home

New Zealand: the start of summer

In December New Zealand has its longest days, and summer is just beginning. On the South Island, around Lake Tekapo and the other Mackenzie Basin lakes, lupins – an introduced plant – often colour the shores; the Great Walks season is under way in Fiordland and the high country; and the water along the Abel Tasman coast is starting to warm. The weather is changeable even in summer, especially on the West Coast and in Fiordland, where rain is part of the landscape.

It's also about as far as you can travel from Lithuania: the journey with connections takes more than a day, and the time difference is close to half a day. We wouldn't suggest less than two weeks, with gentle first days. Local summer holidays begin from mid-December, so places to stay in popular spots, especially over Christmas and New Year, book up early.

The Maldives: the dry season begins

From around December to April the Maldives usually enjoy the dry north-east monsoon season: more sun, calmer seas, better visibility underwater. December is the start of it, so the weather can still be mixed, but the first weeks of the month are often an excellent compromise between conditions and calm.

Christmas and New Year are the Maldives' most in-demand weeks. If that's when you want to go, plan very early and expect minimum-stay rules in many places. If your dates are flexible, we'd suggest early December or January.

Colombia: dry, festive and full of life

In Colombia's Andes and along the Caribbean coast, December usually begins a drier season that lasts until March. In the coffee region, in the Cocora valley with its tall wax palms, clear days are more common, and Cartagena lives outdoors – on terraces, in squares, by the sea. The whole country dresses in festive lights in December, and Medellín's illuminations are famous across Latin America.

The flip side is that Colombians travel too: from Christmas to mid-January Cartagena, Tayrona and the coast are full, and rooms are scarce. Early December is the sweet spot here as well.

Hong Kong: the best time for the trails

Most people picture Hong Kong as towers and neon, but nearly two-thirds of the territory is hills, coast and islands laced with waymarked trails. December is usually cool, dry and clearer than at any other time, which makes it the best month for walking: the Dragon's Back ridge, the bays of Sai Kung, the mountains of Lantau and the fishing village of Tai O.

In the evenings: dim sum, the Star Ferry across the harbour and the markets of Kowloon. Hong Kong suits a week on its own, or a few days' stop on the way further into Asia or the Pacific.

Fiji: warm and green, with a condition

Fiji in December is warm, green and lush, with a warm sea, but it's the start of the wet season, which from roughly November to April brings more downpours and the possibility of cyclones. Cyclones don't strike every year, and most days are often sunny with short showers, but it's a risk to be aware of and to build flexibility around, in both your plans and your insurance.

December is also when Australian and New Zealand summer holidays begin, so family resorts fill up. If Fiji appeals mainly for its calm, the dry season from about May to October usually suits better.

Christmas on the road: worth knowing

• Plan earlier than usual: the best places for the festive weeks are often booked more than six months ahead.
• Ask about minimum stays and compulsory festive dinners – many resorts and lodges apply them over Christmas and New Year.
• Think about how you want it to feel: in Hong Kong and Colombia Christmas is festive and lively; in the Maldives or New Zealand's mountains it's quiet, almost unnoticed.
• If being home for Christmas Eve matters most, choose early December – often the best time for these places anyway.

A festive journey, or a quiet early-December escape? Tell us what excites you, and we'll explore the possibilities from there.