Where to Go in February

Whichever you prefer, warm sun or fresh snow, these four destinations are getting lots of it right now.

Morocco at this time of year has temperatures in the twenties and all-day-long sunshine. Although it’s not quite bikini weather, a weeklong trip allows for enough time to browse the souks of Marrakech and venture up into the Atlas Mountains, where you can appreciate the scenic views on horseback or even by quad bike.

Barbados in February gets nine hours of daily sunshine and comfortable temperatures that average about 28 degrees. If you’re traveling without children, it’s a good idea to check the school holiday dates, as the island becomes a little over-crowded during the half term.

Bali, with eight hours of sunshine a day and temperatures reaching 31 degrees, offers world-class beaches, inspiring traditional culture, and lively night life. Stay put or island-hop and head across the ocean to neighboring Java or Komodo to encounter the famous Komodo dragon, from a distance.

The Austrian Alps are the place to be for superb snow conditions and a lively apres-ski scene. The birthplace of modern alpine skiing, the resorts of St. Anton and Lech are favored by Europe’s top skiers. The Arlberg region is a year-round destination, and can appreciated on foot in the warmer months, as the glacier white valleys transform with the help of a luscious carpet of wild flowers and vibrant grasses. —Georgina Read 

What better way to spend a winter vacation than plunging down a snow-covered mountain by day and cozying up to a log fire by night? But finding a suitable resort for skiers of different ages and abilities can be a challenge. These four fit the bill.

Klosters (shown above) is a recipient of the “Families Welcome” Quality Award from the Swiss Tourism Association, recognized for being a holiday resort that caters to the needs of a modern family. Although the lift lines can be lengthy, the six slopes (shared with the neighboring town of Davos) offer long intermediate runs (as well as plenty of off-piste terrain) where you can stop at quaint restaurants to refuel, rest little legs, and enjoy the view. A sizable village with a relaxed atmosphere, Klosters is also known for its abundance of luxury accommodations and gourmet cuisine.

The well-groomed pistes of Tirol, high in the Austrian Alps, are ideal for beginning and intermediate skiers. What’s more, because advanced skiers looking for a challenge tend to go elsewhere, the ski lifts are generally queue-free. Tirol offers lots of family-friendly activities, such as guided night skiing sessions. Tirol is a traditional parish and traffic-free, and from mid-November to early May, snow is pretty much guaranteed.

Montana’s ski resorts offer all the adventure of the Alps without the crowds, making them ideal for younger families. Two standouts: Whitefish Mountain, a 3,000-acre resort that accommodates skiers and snowboarders of all levels, and Big Sky, the state’s premier resort, where waiting in line for the chair lift is unheard of. As a bonus, Montana is also home to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, glorious in winter with a dusting of snow. —Georgina Read

By Andrew Loyd

There is nowhere more fun for New Year than Scotland, where the last day of December is known as Hogmanay. A lot of my fellow countrymen consider New Year as a more important time to celebrate than Christmas, and the consumption of “Scottish water” takes on a life of its own. The traditional form of celebrating (apart from the consumption of huge amounts of “refreshments”) is either slumped in front of the telly watching the annual New Year programs or for those more lively by nature, to go dancing. The ceilidh band (squeezebox, fiddle, and drums) is the traditional source of music for dancing highland reels, with names like the Dashing White Sergeant, the Duke of Perth, the Reel of the 51^st and the Gay Gordons. It’s a lot of fun to gather with friends and family of all ages (teenage to dotage) in a village hall or large house and dance until the wee hours these wonderful reels. Everyone stops to listen to the clock chime midnight, then there is much shouting and kissing and everyone joins hands in a circle and sings “For Auld Lang Syne,” the Robbie Burns ballad. Some people like to then go “first footing,” which is when you grab a bottle and walk around the village having a wee tot with all your neighbors. This can go on for some time! The Scots are a hospitable nation but never more so than on New Year’s Ave.

Andrew is the director of Loyd & Townsend-Rose Ltd., and UltraVilla’s specialist for Scotland.

By Sylvia Jones

If you are in New York this week, don’t miss the Christmas markets hosted by New York City landmarks—but hurry! Unlike Europe’s Christmas markets, which typically last into the New Year, New York’s holiday vendors tend to take down their stalls at closing time on Christmas Eve. Two of my favorites are the markets at Grand Central Terminal and Union Square. The Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal is held in Vanderbilt Hall with white tented stalls for small specialist vendors. Many of the items are environmentally friendly as well as chic: warm, yummy gloves for women in bright and beautiful colors—purples, hot pink, teal, mustard—plus handmade hats and scarves, cashmere shawls, beautiful jewelry, and faux-fur hats with satin trim. I love the delicate Venetian chandeliers, hand-blown vases, and beautiful Christmas-tree decorations. After shopping, cool your heels at the Oyster Bar and indulge in some raw oysters with a glass of prosecco; if it is really cold outside, order the clam chowder. The Union Square market at Fourteenth Street attracts a hip downtown crowd and is one of the most festive in the city. The bells of Salvation Army Santas mingle with chants of hare Krishna and the air is filled with the aromas of burning incense, pine and eucalyptus branches, and honey-roasted nuts. Gourmet foods come packaged and wrapped or ready to eat as you stroll around, sipping a cup of eggnog or hot chocolate garnished with a cinnamon stick.

The latest acquisition of Papagayo Luxury is Viste de Oro, a three-bedroom, 2,800-square-foot condo within the gated community of Peninsula Papagayo in northwestern Costa Rica. Vista de Oro has three and a half baths and 750 square feet of private terraces, and it comes with access to the private Prieta Beach Club and the Four Seasons Arnold Palmer Signature Gold Course. Jane Moore, of Papagayo Luxury, says the property is ideal for three couples (children must be at least 12 years old). A concierge service handles such arrangements as stockage, transport, restaurant reservations, and golf tee times. To inquire, contact Jane at Papagayo Luxury.

The villa is equipped throughout with WiFi and satellite TV, a more reliable option in this part of Costa Rica than cable. The great room (above) has a vaulted ceiling, and every room has been fully refurbished, with lots of reflective surfaces and a completely renovated kitchen (below). Peninsula Papagayo is on the Pacific coast near Santa Rosa National Park in Guanacaste, a province known for its beaches, coral reefs, rare tropical dry forest, and biodiversity, as well as such activities as snorkeling, surfing, and sport fishing. Vista de Oro is newly available, so now is the time to book it for a Costa Rican holiday.

One of the pleasures of December in Europe is the many Christmas markets that pop up early in the month and continue into January. For sheer glitz, nothing tops Christmas in Monaco, which begins with a ceremonial lighting in front of the Casino de Monte-Carlo in early December. This year’s Christmas market is on the theme of Russia and goes until Sunday, January 3.

“Monaco is dazzling at this time of year,” says Sylvia Jones of Villas and Apartments Abroad. “The palm trees are lit with thousands of white lights and the hotels look like jewel boxes. Artists, couturiers, and jewelers sell the most beautiful and original things, many of them hand-crafted—not to mention the gourmet shops selling all kinds of delicacies, from beautifully packaged chocolates to caviar. My favorite treat is the very thick hot chocolate—so delicious and perfect on a cold night. I feel like a child again. There’s a little red train, with bells and whistles, carrying happy children, laughter from little ones on the merry-go-round, the Ferris wheel turning to the sounds of Christmas carols, and many games to enjoy. Young and old take to the ice-skating rink. Traditionally, the locals leave the day after Christmas and go to their ski chalets in the mountains, but the market continues until New Year’s, when the high rollers roll into town.”

One of our favorite Monagasque traditions is le pan de natale, a round loaf decorated with an olive branch to symbolize peace. The bread is offered by local bakers at Christmastime in exchange for donations to Monaco charities.

An English taxi dispatcher, the right way to kiss, a chic restaurant near the Eiffel Tower . . . here’s some New Year’s know-how for your Paris vacation from villa specialist Annie Flogaus and her team at Just France.

For a country that loves to celebrate with food and wine, the French unsurprisingly adore extravagant New Year’s Eve dinners and fêtes. If you are not lucky enough to have an invite to some Parisian friends’ festivities for “la Saint-Sylvestre,” as it is commonly called here, join in the holiday spirit at a restaurant. The French take family time very seriously, and many restaurants close for the holiday, so be sure to secure yourself a reservation well ahead of time. Most of the restaurants that do stay open will be offering a special prix-fixe menu. Indulge in some of the traditional holiday favorites like foie gras, oysters, and smoked salmon while toasting with Champagne or sparkling white wine—be sure not to confuse the two!

In Paris, the metro will be running but expect to bump elbows with French and tourists who may or may not have celebrated a little too much. Taxis in the street will be a challenge after midnight, so you may want to arrange one from the warmth of your restaurant. G7 has a line with English-speaking dispatchers: +33 (0)1 41 27 66 99. The ideal scenario is to find a restaurant that will allow for a leisurely stroll home, preferably with a view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower. If that means an apartment in the area around the seventh arrondissement, preferred by many American travelers, chef David Toutain and his namesake restaurant will start off your year on the best possible foot with his clever cuisine in a chic yet relaxed ambiance.

On the stroke of midnight, the French celebrate with exclamations of “Bonne année” and the exchanging of les bises. While the number of these small kisses on the cheek depends on where in France you are visiting, if you are in Paris, you will be safe with just two. Keep in mind that New Year’s well wishes are commonly shared until the end of the month of January.

To go to Paris and not engage in some sort of cultural activity is practically a sin, and the holidays are no exception. Tickets to a multitude of events, including those on New Year’s Eve, are available online at www.classictic.com. If looking to get into the festive spirit, consider a classical music concert featuring holiday music by the likes of Mozart and Bach while surrounded by the towering stained-glass windows of La Chapelle. There are two concerts featuring holiday music by Mozart, Schubert, Bach, and Strauss. If you have had your fill of holiday music at this point, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is playing at St-Eustache, which has the largest pipe organ in France. On the dance end of the spectrum, La Bayadère by Nureyev will be playing at the Opéra Bastille and a contemporary dance performance is scheduled at the Palais Garnier, which was founded under the reign of Louis XIV.

If you are lucky enough to be in France through the feast of the Epiphany on January 6, you will have your pick of galettes des rois in just about every pastry shop. In most of France, the king cake is a round, glazed puff pastry filled with frangipane. In Provence, the galette is a bit different: a sweet brioche shaped into a crown with candied fruits on top to look like jewels. Wherever you may be, there will always be a hidden fève, or charm, which will designate its finder as the lucky king or queen for the day. Bonnes fetes!

Just France specializes in luxury villas throughout France. Its properties range from penthouse apartments to country estates. Madeleine Franconi, the Paris specialist for Just France, contributed much of the insider info for this post. 

Above: Skim boarding at St. Jean Beach, on St. Barthélemy in the French West Indies.

With end-of-year festivities on the horizon, we asked villa expert Peg Walsh of St. Barth Properties to recommend a beach with some sizzle, and she came back with this response:

“St. Jean is St. Barth’s sexiest and sceniest beach, great for swimming, playing, and people watching, and it boasts several toes-in-the-sand bars and bistros. It’s where all the action is, especially on Sundays at the beachfront restaurant La Plage or the Nikki Beach Club. St. Jean is divided into two beaches by Eden Rock hotel. The most action occurs on the runway side of the beach, where the little planes come in. Nikki Beach is on the quiet side but the beach club is wild, especially on Sundays. Costumed waiters sashay out to deliver Jeroboams of Champagne while the DJ spins a great rock-and-roll soundtrack, so good it inspires patrons to get up and boogie—sometimes on the tabletops. The quality of the food is not sacrificed for all the merriment. It’s terrific. The comprehensive menu includes lots of fresh fish, a variety of salads (try the Niçoise) and yummy barbecue.”

Peg and her team manage a portfolio of some 190 villas on St. Barth, which is her home from December to May. She has villas for every budget, and her guest services range from 24-hour butler service to advice on where to go for the best sunset view or freshly caught fish. To see some of her properties, click here.

There are 14 beaches on St. Barth, each with its own character. Some are festive, particularly on Sundays, and some are quiet and secluded.