A White Christmas

LONDON, UK - 19TH DECEMBER 2014: A beautiful view of Tower Bridge during Christmas time in London on 19th December 2014.

LONDON, UK - 19TH DECEMBER 2014: A beautiful view of Tower Bridge during Christmas time in London on 19th December 2014.

A white Christmas is something of a rarity of New Zealanders – unless we are looking out at the waves breaking on the shore! While we antipodeans love our beach Christmases, there is something so romantic and traditional about the thought of Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere.

From the sheer scale of history in the UK and Europe, to the fantastic traditions (Christmas markets anyone?), maybe you should give some thought to your plans for this year.

Do you have relatives and friends in the UK who you owe a visit? It is so easy to let the years slip by, and let long distance relationships slip by the wayside – perhaps it’s time to take the plunge and invest some time with your far away loved ones, and enjoy a different kind of festive season yourself.

Imagine being in the heart of the action in your favourite Northern city, where the cold weather means you can embrace all the traditions – roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, egg nog and Christmas pudding…

The lovely thing about being a guest as opposed to a host is that you get to go ‘off duty’ a little – you can focus on enjoying buying gifts to take and helping out, rather than having to do all the planning, shopping, cooking and endless small details which make Christmas special. With the New Zealand winter coming up, take advantage of the opportunity to buy season-appropriate gifts long ahead of time, so you can take them with you, with the minimum of fuss.

Have a look now at flight availability – booking early means better prices and the chance to create an itinerary that will really work for you, as opposed to working around what is left at the last minute. Last minute travel can be very exciting, but you lose the sense of anticipation that comes with being well prepared, and good planning gives all your nearest and dearest in the UK time to organise themselves too.

Cathay Pacific currently fly into London Heathrow and Manchester and from 02 September will also fly into London Gatwick, which is a good choice if you are watching your pennies since it costs less in taxes.   Whichever destination you choose to fly to, Cathay Pacific has a wealth of experience in delivering travellers happy and ready for adventure.  Click here for more information on deals to the United Kingdom this Christmas.