Where to go in December

Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Humid, green, entirely waterborne

31°C in December · sea at 31° · 5h 50m from Los Angeles · 2–3 nights

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Aquaventure, Dubai, UAE

Loud, engineered, relentlessly wet

27°C in December, and dry · 16h 30m from Los Angeles · one or two days within a dubai trip

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Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii

Busy, warm, welcoming, unashamed

26°C in December · sea at 26° · 5h 30m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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The Masai Mara, Kenya

Golden, wide open, big sky

27°C in December · 19h 05m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Langkawi, Malaysia

Jungly, low-key, good value

28°C in December · sea at 29° · 17h 15m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Volcano Bay, Orlando, USA

Sun-baked, splashy, cleverly queue-free

22°C in December · 4h 50m from Los Angeles · a day within a longer orlando trip

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Yala, Sri Lanka

Dusty, thorny, adrenal at dawn

28°C in December · sea at 29° · 18h 30m from Los Angeles · 2–3 nights

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Rotorua, New Zealand

Steaming, sulphurous, culturally rich

22°C in December · 13h from Los Angeles · 3 nights

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WaterWorld, Ayia Napa, Cyprus

Sunny, silly, thoroughly organised

19°C in December · 14h 40m from Los Angeles · a day from an ayia napa or protaras base

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PortAventura, Spain

Loud, sunny, unapologetically thrilling

15°C in December · 12h 05m from Los Angeles · 2–3 nights

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Sepilok and the Kinabatangan, Borneo, Malaysia

Humid, green, quietly astonishing

29°C in December · 15h 35m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Lush, wildlife-rich, easy-going

27°C in December · sea at 29° · 5h 50m from Los Angeles · 2-3 days, as part of a wider costa rica trip

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Bernina Express, Switzerland to Italy

Slow, engineered, absurdly scenic

9°C in December · 11h 55m from Los Angeles · a full day, or 2–3 nights split along the route

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Gardaland, Italy

Loud, green, cheerfully Italian

9°C in December · 12h 15m from Los Angeles · a day or two within a lake garda week

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Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy

Pastel, unhurried, properly Italian

13°C in December · 12h 15m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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The Cotswolds, England

Honey-stoned, hedged, gently prosperous

9°C in December · 11h 05m from Los Angeles · a long weekend

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Terme Čatež, Slovenia

Steamy, splashy, unpretentious

7°C in December · 12h 30m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Puy du Fou, France

Theatrical, ambitious, ride-free

9°C in December · 11h 20m from Los Angeles · 2 nights

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Zlatni Rat, Brač, Croatia

Pine-shaded, breezy, endlessly photographed

12h 50m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Pastel, breezy, cheerfully traditional

10°C in December · 10h 50m from Los Angeles · 2–4 nights

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Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Wild, unspoilt, quietly perfect

10°C in December · 10h 50m from Los Angeles · a day out from a 3–4 night pembrokeshire base

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Disneyland Paris, France

Nostalgic, polished, unmistakably Disney

8°C in December · 11h 25m from Los Angeles · 3-4 nights

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Lake Bled, Slovenia

Postcard-pretty, compact, easy

5°C in December · 12h 25m from Los Angeles · 2–3 nights

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St Brelade's Bay, Jersey

Gentle, sheltered, bucket-and-spade

11°C in December · 11h 05m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Prague, Czechia

Gothic, golden, cheerfully beery

5°C in December · 12h from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Vienna, Austria

Formal, comfortable, deeply civilised

5°C in December · 12h 20m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Efteling, Netherlands

Fairytale, detailed, quietly magical

7°C in December · 11h 20m from Los Angeles · 1-2 nights

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Tropical Islands Resort, Germany

Surreal, warm, unashamedly artificial

5°C in December · 11h 45m from Los Angeles · one or two nights

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Oblivion and The Smiler rollercoasters among trees at Alton Towers

Alton Towers, England

Gothic grounds, serious coasters

7°C in December · 10h 50m from Los Angeles · two days

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

Flat, brick, bicycle powered

7°C in December · 11h 15m from Los Angeles · 3-4 nights

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Copenhagen, Denmark

Low-rise, cycled, candlelit, considered

5°C in December · 11h 20m from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Europa-Park, Germany

Ambitious, polished, pan-European

7°C in December · 11h 45m from Los Angeles · 2-3 nights

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Rulantica, Germany

Warm, Norse-themed, cheerfully loud

7°C in December · 11h 45m from Los Angeles · a day, or two with europa-park

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Legoland Billund, Denmark

Cheerful, orderly, built for children

5°C in December · 11h 10m from Los Angeles · 2 nights

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Munich, Germany

Orderly, green, beer-scented

5°C in December · 12h from Los Angeles · 3–4 nights

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Alpine, painted, briskly outdoorsy

5°C in December · 12h 05m from Los Angeles · 3–5 nights

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