5 Surprising Winter Destinations From JustFly
SHARP & JustFly
Each winter, thousands of North Americans escape to warmer locales, tracing well-trodden paths towards white sand beaches and lapping turquoise waters. Even the balmiest breeze, however, will grow sick of doing all the heavy lifting — vacation is about exploration, after all! To get in touch with our adventurous side, we’ve curated five sweet spots that offer a fresh take on the beloved winter holiday. Best of all, we found these adventures through none other than JustFly: a one-stop shop for the well-seasoned globetrotter. They aggregate flights, hotels, and car rentals from all over, letting visitors customize their travel plan without spending hours in the search bar. These five destinations loop from North American terrains through the Indian Ocean and the British Isles, tying our selected destinations together with the thread of convenience.
Manila, Philippines
JustFly to Manila, Philippines
JustFly to Manila, Philippines
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We’re starting off our list with a jaunt to the Philippines’ capital. Manila comprises sixteen administrative districts, so there’s plenty of areas to wander through. If you catch a flight during the holiday seasons, be sure to check out the dazzling festivities — last year, artificial snowfall transformed the tropical streets into a carol-worthy affair. For those looking to truly escape the winter, we’d suggest travelling during the dry season (January through April).
Manila offers outdoor activities in spades; local luxuries like bike tours and beach days highlight the region’s sunny climate. The city celebrates its history with restored architecture and — all over the Philippines — unique vehicles known as Jeepneys. Originally functioning as military jeeps, these American-built vehicles were left in the Philippines following World War Two. Since then, they’ve been reclaimed as public transit; their open-air design allows passengers to enjoy the sweet-scented breeze as they ride. If you prefer to drive on your own, though, JustFly has you covered with options to book a car.
Montego Bay, Jamaica
JustFly to Montego Bay, Jamaica
JustFly to Montego Bay, Jamaica
JustFly to Montego Bay, Jamaica
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Jetting to the north coast of Jamaica, we set our sights on Montego Bay — its sandy shores are straight out of a fantasy. There’s no need to wait for departure to start relaxing: JustFly scans multiple airlines to find the fastest routes, minimizing your stress and maximizing your comfort during the four-hour plane ride.
Montego Bay region is like a buffet of vacation activities, offering all kinds of outdoor excursions and historic sightseeing. If you’re craving a suntan, we suggest Doctor’s Cave Beach. As its name suggests, this spot just what the doctor ordered: a slice of paradise. Its famed waters are popular diving spots (it’s even more fun when you’ve got a Black Bay to bring along). When you’re ready to take off your flip-flops, there’s plenty more to see. Montego Bay is made up of two parishes — Trelawny and St. James — each offering a host of unique experiences. In Trelawny’s town of Falmouth, you’ll find an unbelievable mix of history and modern luxury.
New Delhi, India
JustFly to New Delhi, India
JustFly to New Delhi, India
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In recent years, Southeast Asia has emerged as a trendy travel region, with spots like Bali rivalling the tourist hotspots of Paris and Athens. Yet, when compared with its peers, New Delhi is overlooked by booking agents and travellers alike. Luckily, the depths of JustFly leave no stone unturned — and as a result, we’re here to explore the jam-packed colours of every street in New Delhi. With a nearly fourteen-hour direct flight, there’s no hiding the long-haul nature of this trip. Still, that’s all the more reason to stay a while: if you’re going to make the journey, it deserves to be a season-long affair.
On the streets of New Delhi, colour and culture scale up open-air market walls, oozing with the historic glitz that only this city can provide. Staple attractions like the Jama Masid mosque and Red Fort testify to the city’s prevalent role; textured by empire and religion, historic landmarks crystallize culture. Everywhere, sensory stimulation fills the air: you’ll find it in the smell of fresh food, the chatter of locals, the splashes of colour on every building. Youthful vibrance cements the city’s position at the crossroads of contemporary buzz and historic roots.
London, UK
JustFly to London, UK
JustFly to London, UK
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Tube aside, London is hardly an ‘underground’ destination — it regularly tops the Global Power City Index by the Mori Memorial Foundation, which dubs England’s largest city as the world’s “most magnetic.” Yet you’ll be hard-pressed to find a traveller planning a winter vacation on the British Isles; they’re known for the gloom of grey skies and forlorn (if literature-inspiring) seaside cliffs. So, how did London make it onto our list? Simple: it does winter wonderland like no other.
Ok, maybe that’s a tad sensational — but the winter festival in Hyde Park captures everything we like to see in a holiday vacation; each year, millions of visitors attend the Christmas celebration, spanning from mid-November through early January. Ice patches morph like Cinderella, turning from sidewalk hazards into dazzlings spots, reflecting cheery lights onto fluffy white snowscapes. Winter Wonderland embodies the holiday spirit, buzzing with positive energy that uplifts London’s icy landscape and infuses the snowy subtext with a layer of genuine warmth. And — if you must warm up inside — London has no shortage of indoor delights, including myriad art galleries and museums that show everything from history to science to wax figures (the figures have to be kept at a certain temperature, you know). If you’re itching to venture past the city walls, simply dart into a classic red phone box and browse JustFly’s list of hotels and car rentals to coordinate your trips (payphone not required: the phone booths are warm enough to use the touchscreen on your mobile).
Bangkok, Thailand
JustFly to Bangkok, Thailand
JustFly to Bangkok, Thailand
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From its tight-knit city centre to the farthest city limits, Bangkok radiates with the fun, frenetic pulse of an exploding metro area. Thailand is best known for its coastal resorts — the country’s name makes us think of skyscraper-size rocks jutting out of ocean waters — but the country’s urban side deserves its flowers too. For instance, Bangkok isn’t just the largest city in Thailand: it’s the country’s primate city. The moniker refers to any city that’s disproportionately more powerful and populated than other cities in its province, country, or region. Bangkok’s prominence shines across the country, centralizing urban life into a dense, shining disco ball of late-night clubbing, top-notch cuisine, and enough art and architecture to inspire your next remodel.
Condensing this much culture, Bangkok’s vibrance-per-square-foot leaves plenty to explore. Each weekend, two hundred thousand visitors line the streets for Chatuchak, a traditional market. It’s known for its diversity of offerings, including plenty of unique finds to bring home. In the old town, you’ll find the centre of Thai Buddhism. Accordingly, the city’s historic district hosts the Wat Phra Kaew — known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha — which functions as a sacred space for Buddhists, and holds donations from Thai kings of the past and present. Although you can’t book a stay in the royal palace, it’s worth checking out Justfly’s hotel list — you can get pretty close.
