Best Things to Do:
Spending Christmas in the Sun
The holiday season has always been associated with gray skies, cold weather, hot chocolate, and heavy scarves. But since I was little, when I discovered that the Earth is divided in half and that half of the planet celebrates Christmas in summer, I have always dreamed of spending Christmas in the sun!
Christmas at the End of the World
Two years ago, we were at Easter Island for Christmas. Yes, Christmas in Easter, the idea made us laugh a few months before we took off for our sabbatical year in 2014, and once on site, seeing palm trees adorned with decorations and a moai wearing a Christmas hat: that's priceless!
A beautiful memory, filled with the flavor of novelty: the first Christmas away from home! And we decided to do it again this year. And not to change, we chose a distant island, below the Equator: heading to Africa and Tanzania to discover Zanzibar!
Celebrating Christmas in Zanzibar
After a day of flying, enjoying the pleasure of watching the sunrise and sunset from the airplane window, setting foot in Zanzibar the night before Christmas Eve feels like diving into another universe!
The first contrast: the heat! Bye-bye down jackets, hello bikinis! But what struck me the most from the very first day was the languid rhythm set by the island: both the locals and tourists seem to move more slowly, as if the film unfolding all around me was in slow motion! It's an opportunity to reflect on how fast-paced daily life is and how the end of the year is often a time of conclusion for many projects and therefore often brings pressure...
Breathe deeply, sink your feet into the warm sand with fresh coconut husk in your mouth, look at the sea with its shades of blue under the shade of a palm tree. Tell yourself that you're happy here and let yourself be enveloped by the aura of the place.
Is it the magic of Christmas or that of Zanzibar? Either way, my shoulders relax, my smile blooms, and worries disappear. It's Christmas, I'm under the sun, and for the first time in a long time, on vacation!
Christmas in the sun really has its perks!
Spending the Holidays Away from Home: A Survival Guide
So while spending Christmas in the sun undeniably has its benefits... it can also come with some sensitive points.
The most important thing is to inform your loved ones, those you'll miss on December 24th and 25th, and those who will miss you. Let them know that you are going to treat yourself to a wonderful Christmas experience in the tropics, that it's not about escaping them, and that you love them anyway!
Next, the second crucial point: mental preparation! This should be done on several levels:
- psychological: being far from those you love during these dates isn't always easy. A feeling of loneliness and emptiness may arise. Don't panic, it's just temporary!
- emotional: no, you probably won't receive or give gifts, and you might not have a Christmas tree or nativity scene... however, you can count on Christmas carols following you to the ends of the earth!
- social: be prepared not to be able to contact your loved ones to wish them a happy holiday and good tidings. During these dates, and at certain latitudes, the network and internet connection can be unreliable... It's better to be prepared for the worst and be surprised by a Christmas miracle than to strictly depend on that Skype/FaceTime/call/message... at midnight!
- culinary: for some, this is where the problem lies! Get ready to step out of your habits! You might not find the traditional dishes cooked each year in your family, nor the delicacies you've been looking forward to all year (like foie gras, Yule log...)
- climatic: watch out for the thermal shock!
Nothing insurmountable, though; but it can nonetheless affect some travelers, from novices to the most experienced: everything depends on context more than anything else (don't guilt-trip yourself if you feel homesick!).
Some of these inconveniences can be mitigated: in addition to a good dose of psychological preparation, you can also take the lead and prepare some surprises for your loved ones to keep the magic of Christmas alive! For example:
- leave a card on the mantel of your loved ones before departing, with instructions to open it only on the holiday evening
- prepare a bag of gifts and leave it with your loved ones for them to unwrap in your absence and think of you
- include a small gift tucked in your bag for your travel companion who will surely appreciate the thought
- ask your loved ones to write you a little card and keep it in your bag to only open on Christmas Eve
- exchange messages with your loved ones before/after the holiday when the network is less busy
- set a date to (re)celebrate Christmas all together! (negotiable especially if several people are missing on the big day... and you're not off on a long journey!)
And if you have other tips to make Christmas abroad feel lighter, feel free to share them in the comments!
Merry Christmas from Zanzibar!
I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. I hope that 2016 has been a rewarding year for you and that 2017 brings you even more beautiful things, with the most important of all:
And whether it's the good vibes of Christmas or the island, I'm overflowing with gratitude: I want to thank you very much! For your presence, the kind messages I receive (especially the dozens of messages following the announcement of my mononucleosis: thank you, I was very touched!), your advice, your trust through your travel stories, and the emotions you share with us... A thousand thanks!
And happy holidays to everyone, may they bring you beautiful travel projects for 2017!
To get to Zanzibar, under the sun for the holidays, we traveled with TUI Fly, which has very affordable offers to indulge yourself in Europe and beyond!
In partnership with TUI Fly.