It’s already October! 2K18 is in its last quarter and the winter holidays are just around the corner. Although the winters in the Sultanate are amazing with it becoming the perfect time to travel, parts of the world turn into a winter wonderland like the one we grew up reading about in kids novels.
If you’re planning for a true winter experience, here’s the top 6 places that we think would make for the perfect winter retreat.
Tallinn, Estonia
A medieval old town, Tallinn is enchanting all through the year with the summers getting packed with tourists and the city buzzing in the warmer temperatures. As fall turns to winter, the tourists disappear and this quaint little town acquires a whole new wintery dimension! Try to stray off the main streets wind up in little curved off-roads that are so quiet that you can almost hear the snowflakes as they hit the ground. This is a great time to enjoy the city. Go to the Song Festival Grounds for sledging or just enjoy a walk with snow up to ankles.
Hallstatt, Austria
Postcard picturesque, this isn’t one of those painting you see on a puzzle but a place that really exists! A small lakeside village in the district of Gmunden in Austria, Hallstatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, a culture often linked to Celtic and Proto-Celtic people of the Early Iron Age Europe. A fairytale-like village, in the winter the mountains are blanketed in layers of snow matching the snow-draped old-fashioned houses, walk around and discover a fairytale themed white Christmas!
Richmond Park, United Kingdom
Although London’s winters are famously known for its Christmas festivities all over the cities including the famous Winter Wonderland, a perfect destination to head on over to on the few snow days is the 2500 acres big Richmond Park. With wild deer galloping around and their bright colour standing start against the white frozen background, Richmond Park is the place to be for a tranquil experience away from the hustle and bustle of the cities festivities.
Schloss Neuschwanstein, Germany
Disneyland is every fan’s dream destination, but this castle on a hill is the real inspiration behind the Disney castle we know and love today! Located on a hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria, Schloss Neuschwanstein is even more beautiful in the winter months when the surrounding forest is dusted in snow.
Harbin, China
In the month of January, Harbin located in the northeastern region of China has been known to hit temperatures below -20°C in the winter. If you’re planning a trip, be sure to go in the month of January when the city hosts what is the largest ice and snow sculpture festival in the world! Participants from all over the plant make their way into this “frozen” themed city to exhibit their enormous yet spectacular ice designs.
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Who would associate the cold with a desert but if you’re one for adventure, travel into the deepest part of Mongolia to check out woolly camels with their double humps in the middle of the frosted desert! During the Thousand Camel Festival, local camel herders take part in polo competitions and races. If you fancy getting involved, everyone is welcome to mount a camel and join in with the opening parade.
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