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Chill out this winter

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Ravi Teja Sharma New Delhi
Why waste the cold weather? Here are some options for snowy holidays.
 
Mornings are suddenly colder. It's time to embrace the winter weather, wrap up warmly and take an alternative break. You could choose to be chilling out in the cold or getting away from it to somewhere warmer. But it's winter. Why would you be thinking about a warm holiday, right?
 
Options are aplenty, from weekend adventures in Iceland, whale-watching in Norway and snowholing in Scotland, to Mt Everest and Kashmir for extreme skiing, or the Arctic Circle for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to live with the Saami people. Check out Responsibletravel.com, which is offering an eight-day yoga with skiing in the Swiss Alps package. You will stay at a UNESCO resort, for just £650 including accommodation, breakfast, daily yoga passes and a ski pass for three regions. Part of your payment goes towards the protection of this nature reserve.
 
Now you have direct flights from New Delhi and Mumbai to Helsinki, so experience Finland in all its glory. Don't miss the northern lights! You can also dogsled; and did you know Santa Claus is from Lapland in Finland?
 
You could also take the snowhole expedition in the Scottish Highlands "" from £313 for five days. This expedition takes you through Britain's highest range, the Cairngorms. Once you've undergone a day of skills training you embark on a two-day expedition into the wilderness. You will help construct a roomy, communal snowhole, in which you will spend a night. This is Britain's ultimate winter mountain experience.
 
Forget skiing in luxury in Switzerland and check out the 22-day skiing and snowboarding holiday in Everest, Nepal, from £1,212. Ski at the top of the world, with guaranteed snow! There are no resorts here, so we are talking about exploratory skiing which is best suited to thrill-seeking adventurers. The trip also includes treks in Sagarmatha National Park "" the highest wildlife reserve in the world "" and a trip to Everest Base Camp. Porters and staff are all oriented towards responsible travel. A zero-litter policy is in place to minimise waste.
 
Within India, Responsibletravel.com offers a 14-day snow leopard trek in Ladakh, Kashmir, from £2,395 including flights. Meet the amazingly hardy mountain people, visit some of their great Buddhist monasteries and villages and undertake a trek in search of the snow leopard with skilled local trackers.
 
If you are still stuck on taking a warmer holiday option, so be it. South Africa could be an option for you, as could Mauritius or the Seychelles. But trust us, there is nothing better than a winter holiday to truly chill out.

 
 

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First Published: Oct 14 2007 | 12:00 AM IST

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