GET LIFTED IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND:
Skiing may not be a national sport back home but that doesn’t mean you can’t become a pro, especially if you’ve got a good deal to get you going. A number of hotels and apartments in Davos in the Swiss Alps are offering free lift passes up until Christmas for every night you stay with them. That can cut some serious costs. The winter holiday resort of Davos Klosters has trails for skiers of every ability and you can also snowboard.
To keep the cold at bay there are also dozens of apres-ski bars and restaurants so the fun never stops. For a list of hotels and rental agencies participating in the ‘Geschenkt’ sale go to www.davos.ch/en/holiday-shop/skipass-geschenkt.html. The offer is good up until Christmas Eve.
FAST AND FURIOUS IN FINLAND:
If you’re an adrenaline junkie then this is just the ticket – extreme driving on Finland’s winter tracks. Drivers will be able to test themselves on tracks where Formula 1 racers and Rally World Champions honed their skills. You will be taught how to control a carat high speed on an ice-covered circuit by four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen and his expert team. You’ll also have the chance to drive in a rally car with Kankkunen and experience the winter track at 220kmph – how’s that for getting the blood pumping?
The driving park, Saariselka, is in Finnish Lapland, 250 miles from the Arctic Circle. For more information on holiday packages go tojuhakankkunen.com. A day on the tracks costs £1174. Go on. We dare you.
MASTER CAMEL BACKRIDING IN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO:
They spit a lot and they’re known for their bad moods (sound familiar?) but riding atop a camel is the best way to see the desert. For a taste of the exotic this Christmas – and some winter sun – head to Morocco, which is only a few hours away, but feels like another world. Most tour companies offer camel-back tours of the Atlas Mountains where you’ll be blown away by the desert night sky, which is extra clear at this time of year.
You can camp out in the desert with Berber nomads or relax in guest houses in lush oases. Back in Marrakech, market stalls line ancient alleyways,crammed full of lanterns, exotic spices and dusty silver jewellery. To tailor-make a camel trip go to wildmorocco.com. If you want a Christmas treat, stay at Dar-Aynin, a boutique hotel in the palm groves of Marrakech (dar-ayniwen.com). Flights from London to Marrakech start at £49 (BA).
