Scene: It's the first week of school. You are halfway under a bed, feeling around in the dark for long-abandoned backpacks, uniform pieces, and - what's this crumpled piece of paper? You just pinch it with your pointer and middle fingers and drag it out into the light: A boarding pass from your spring break trip. Panic strikes like a lighting bolt. Wait a minute - where are we going to go for the holidays?!

The back-to-school wake up call that the year is in fast-forward stage is never new but always shocking, but thankfully, at Local Foreigner, it's our job to be one step ahead on holiday travel. So whether you're reaching for a getaway for this December, or you're a fastidious planner who's already thinking about 2025's bucket-list festive trip, we're here. Read on for our favorite ideas for escaping the ordinary and embarking on a holiday adventure - no panic required.

Spending the holidays at a beach resort isn't a novel idea, but the charm of a surfing Santa is a classic for a reason. Instead of kitchen chaos and muddy boot tracks through the hall, let's visualize lounging under swaying palms on pristine beaches. In Mexico, vibrant celebrations feature lively mariachi music and colorful fireworks, and Anguilla’s perfectly white sand is a great sub for snow. In St. Barths, the week between Christmas and New Years is peak party time, in Hawaii, there are carols played on ukelele, and in Turks and Caicos, you can hear the rhythmic beats of the Maskanoo parade. Minimum night stay requirements vary from property to property, but if all you want for Christmas is a tan, here are some of our fair-weather festive favorites - and don't be afraid to reach out to see where we can find the right stretch of beach for you.

Rosewood Little Dix Bay

Practically woven into the fabric of Virgin Gorda’s history, you cannot recount the story of the British Virgin Islands without including a chapter on Little Dix Bay. A pioneer of barefoot luxury, Little Dix quickly earned a reputation for unmatched Caribbean hospitality following its 1964 opening. Acquired by Rosewood in 1993, their Sense of Place mantra has renewed its hilltop cottages and undisturbed crescent beach. Sip Pusser’s Navy Rum at the bar, eat Anegada lobsters straight from the boat, lounge in a hammock swinging beneath a tamarind tree, and on Christmas Eve, head into Spanish Town for the Annual Holiday Boat Procession for crafts of all shapes and sizes decked out in their twinkling holiday best. | See the hotel

COMO Parrot Cay

A private island resort with a health and wellness focus, the sprawling 1,000-acre property of COMO Parrot Cay is a 30-minute boat ride from Providenciales. The standout feature is the COMO Shambhala spa, a world renowned wellness facility with a yoga pavilion, pilates studio, numerous treatment rooms, and an in-house Ayurvedic doctor - perfect for starting the new year off on the right foot. Rooms have a simple Balinese style and high-end amenities, while the resort’s private villas have luxe features like outdoor showers and private pools, but you'll want to tear yourself away from the serenity on December 26, when the island of Providenciales comes alive for the vibrant Maskanoo parade. And on New Year's Eve, listen for the peal of church bells, rung to bring good luck in the new year. | See the hotel

Four Seasons Resort Lanai

More like a private island experience than the typical Hawaiian beach resort, the Four Seasons Lanai feels worlds always from civilization. The resort offers chic, South Pacific-inspired guest rooms and bevy of fantastic amenities, including two lagoon-style pools, a protected marine reserve, buzzy dining venues like Nobu and Malibu Farm, and a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, which hosts festive tournaments for guests during the holiday season. If you’re not in the mood to while your days away building sandmen at the beach (which is highly suggested), try your hand at archery, scuba diving, horseback riding, or 4X4 off-roading. | See the hotel

Eden Rock

There's no party like a St Barth's party, and Eden Rock is the social center of the festive season. In 1951, Rémy de Haenen, the first person to land a plane on the island, decided to put down roots and buy a hilly outcropping above Baie de St. Jean. His home later became St Barths' first hotel, hosting guests such as Baron de Rothschild, David Rockefeller, Brigitte Bardot, and Howard Hughes. It's been one of the chicest addresses on the island since then, and the hotel hosts a glitteringly epic New Year's Party that's one of the hottest invites in the Caribbean. If you want the advantages and amenities of the iconic address but prefer to be a bit removed from the party scene, their portfolio of villas includes all of the best private homes. | See the hotel

Chileno Bay Resort & Residences

Located on a protected enclave of a cove with access to one of Cabo’s best snorkeling reefs, this gem of a getaway is a Baja playground for folks of all ages. There are tranquil, otherworldly-colored waters and scores of tropical fish and sea turtles to befriend, and a traditional Mexican aesthetic blends with an airy, open layout that invites the best of the outdoors inside (further punctuated by private terraces in each guest room). On New Year's Eve, head to the beach for a barefoot disco (and leave the little ones at the kids' club, which is open into the early morning hours for the occasion). | See the hotel

With holidays, school vacations, and that hazy week in December when no one knows what day it is, the end of the year is the perfect time to slot in that long-dreamed-of long-haul. In the bustling streets of Tokyo, lines snake out the doors of every KFC as locals pick up buckets of fried chicken in a quirky tradition dating back to the 1970s. In Bali, decorations called penjor, woven from coconut leaves and hung from bamboo, stand sentry along streets like so many giant swans. And if you're in a hurry to greet 2025, there's no better place to do it than Sydney, where the countdown starts while Californians are still asleep. Each destination offers its own unique blend of customs and experiences, inviting travelers to embrace the holiday spirit in a truly global context.

Japan

Begin in Tokyo at the Aman or the Bulgari Tokyo, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the city lights that feel festive no matter the time of year. December 24 is Japanese Valentine's Day, so we'll make sure you have the romantic reservation taken care of. On the 25th, locals celebrate Christmas with party buckets of fried chicken (ordered weeks in advance), and towering strawberry shortcakes heaped with cream and topped with chocolate santas. Next, hop the Shinkansen to the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto for kaiseki cuisine and serene river views. Participate in traditional tea ceremonies and explore historic temples adorned with twinkling winter decorations. Ring in the New Year at a lively countdown in Osaka, followed by a visit to a shrine for Hatsumode, the first prayer of the year. Or, if you're a skier, bag it all and head straight for Hokkaido, where powder is reliable from mid-December.

South Africa

Despite late-December high temps hovering around 80 degrees, Capetonians get into the holiday spirit with festive afternoon tea at the Belmond Mount Nelson (including champagne and Christmas crackers), a Santa's Village on the V&A Waterfront, a lights festival on Adderley Street, and a Boxing Day tradition of heading to the beach (where the penguins are unwinding as well.) Then, head into the bush, where the incredible hospitality of the best safari lodges extends to candlelit dinners and a sense of community celebration. At each of Londolozi's five camps, a towering wooden giraffe gets wrapped in lights and swapped in for a Christmas tree, and their New Years' party is the stuff of legend (last year, the theme was "Come on Barbie, Let's Safari!") If you're looking for the most joyful way to end the year, it's hard to beat the holidays in sub-Saharan Africa.

Australia

Prawns, lamb, and steak on the barbie are on the holiday menu Down Under, where summer is really getting going by late December. On Kangaroo Island, the rebuilt Southern Ocean Lodge celebrates its first re-birthday this December. Down south, Bondi Beach is the place to be on Christmas Day, where tourists and locals flock to sing carols and catch some sun. And if you're still in the Aussie capital on December 31, you'll be treated to one of the biggest fireworks shows on earth over the harbor (and if you want to do it right, stay at the Park Hyatt - you'll want to book now for 2025.)

Indonesia
The island of Sumba is twice the size of Bali, but has only a sixth of the population, so you'd be forgiven for thinking it might be too much of a trek for Santa and company. But during December at Nihi Sumba, you may spot him on horseback, riding across the beach, or hanging ten on the legendary wave Occy's Left - after all, he's seen the whole world and knows this corner of it is pretty special. Pair Nihi with Balinese buzz, ringing in the New Year at Capella Ubud's caviar-studded, 12-course jungle gala dinner, followed by a magic show and champagne around the campfire. The 22 Bill Bensley-designed tents promise you'll start 2025 with a healthy dose of whimsy.

In recent years, we're seeing more travelers crossing the pond for the holidays, forgoing bikini weather in favor of charm and tradition. Picture strolling through the snow-dusted streets of Prague, where the smell of mulled wine fills the air at bustling Christmas markets. In Paris, the City of Light dazzles with twinkling displays along the Champs-Élysées and intimate ice-skating rinks. Edinburgh offers a magical Hogmanay celebration, complete with fireworks and lively street parties. Strasbourg, known as the "Capital of Christmas," enchants with its medieval architecture and fairy-tale markets. Meanwhile, London's historic squares come alive with festive lights, carolers, and traditional pantomimes.

Venice

Venice is always a city with a surprise tucked around every corner, and never more so than during festive season, when tiny alleyways are festooned with lights, and beautiful Cannaregio, the historic Jewish quarter, is dotted with illuminated menorahs. Music spills from hidden churches, and one of the best ways to get into the spirit is with a concert at La Fenice Opera House. Even the gondoliers get gussied up - the week before Christmas, hundreds of red-suited rowers make their way down the grand canal in the Santa Regatta. Crowds are down, and there's no better time for cozy bowls of pasta and big glasses of Valpolicella. The damask splendor of the iconic Gritti Palace gets even more gorgeous during the holidays, laden with hand-blown Murano glass ornaments and lights that glitter in reflection on the inky black canals. (And if your travel plans bring you to La Serenissima earlier in the season, don’t miss the Biennale, which this year runs through November 24.)

Paris

Few places do atmosphere like the French capital, where misty winter nights blur holiday decorations into an Impressionist scene. Many of the best end-of-year traditions in Paris are, unsurprisingly, of a culinary bent - gingerbread cottages pop up in Montmartre and the Tuileries selling vin chaud spices with cinnamon and cloves, and patisseries and boulangeries are stocked with bûche de Noël that range from humble to haut to "how did they make that out of chocolate?" (We're thinking of the train made last year by Maxime Frédéric, Cheval Blanc Paris’ pastry chef.) But the tastiest treat in the case may actually be the frangipane-filled galette des rois, eaten on Epiphany (January 6), but available starting in mid-December - just look for the cake wearing a crown.

Vienna

Austria's picturesque capital unfolds like a popup storybook year-round, but during the holidays, the addition of some of Europe's best Christmas markets make it extra magical. Illuminated gothic buttresses soar into the air, which somehow smells like candied almonds (the snow globe is actually an Austrian invention, and it's not hard to see where the inspiration came from), and Rosewood Vienna puts you in the middle of the more than 20 markets in the city. Once you've had your fill of germknödel (a steamed bun filled with plum jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar and poppy seeds), hop on a day train to Lech - as one of Austria's highest ski resorts, this charming Alpine village opens its slopes in early December - or check out the impossibly picturesque new Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, just outside Salzburg.

London

Holiday decorations are a competitive sport at the top London hotels, with the classic Claridge's usually taking the prize for their over-the-top collaborations with designers (last year, a two-story mirrored art deco tree appeared out of similarly giant Louis Vuitton trunk.) Oxford, Regent, and Carnaby Streets are spangled with hundreds of thousands of lights, and Kew Gardens' annual light show is worth a pilgrimage. But our favorite tree of all may be the one in Leadenhall Market, where the towering pine, weighed down with gold and red baubles, reaches for the heights of the Victorian arcades.

Last-Minute Holiday Ideas