'Tis the season to travel...

By Vanessa Burka

burk0146@algonquincollege.com

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since we've got no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
For some, this is their ritual hymn over the holidays and for others they do find a place to go.
Though they may love the presents, festive holiday spirit and the family bonding, some people aren’t dreaming of a white Christmas. They’re envisioning white sand, the crystal blue ocean and a cold fruity drink at hand.
Ryan Bonacci, a travel and tourism instructor at the college, as well as a full time employer with American Express in their corporate travel department, said the possibilities for travel are endless during the holiday season.
“Typical relatively affordable hot spots to travel to during the holiday season are countries like the Dominican Republic or Cuba ... they tend to be the top two,” said Bonacci. “Central America is up and coming for winter and holiday travel as well, such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua.”
Holidays can often trigger the blues and some chose to pack up their bags and say “Feliz Navidad” under the hot steaming sun.
Lauren Peirce, a legal assistant and graduate from the University of Ottawa, made a habit of travelling to warmer climates over the holidays to help her relax during such a busy time of the year.
“The winter in Canada is a long and involved affair and it can get very depressing,” said Peirce. “The loss of light and shorter days can be especially hard and even one week in the sun and light and warm weather can really boost one’s mood over the long, cold winter.”
Samantha Kuhn, a second-year psychology student from Carleton University travels with her family during the holidays.
“We travel to escape the cold and wet winter and chose this particular time of year because my family and I believe that it is great for bonding and a time when everyone has vacation from work, school or whatever to spend together,” said Kuhn.

Peirce doesn’t mind the living in a country where she can experience a change of seasons, but she doesn’t prefer the extreme cold and wet conditions.
“Our winter is also ridiculously long and harsh and we feel it from October right into April so it’s really almost a full half of the year as opposed to other places where there’s snow without extreme cold,” she said.
Bonacci advised people interested in travel to book well in advance if you plan to leave for the holidays, as space on flights fill up fast and most cheap fares require you to book two to three weeks in advance minimum.
“Keep your eyes peeled for flight seat sales and if you don't care where you go as long as its warm, consider a last minute deal,” he said. “There are many good deals to be had.