Spectacular Holiday Light Displays

Holiday season is the most joyous time of the year. It’s time to celebrate with friends, family and relatives. Some prefer it spending hosting parties at home, while others, the outdoorsy types love to spend holidays away from it all! But, whether its Christmas at home or outside, light displays are one of the most exciting part of holiday celebrations; they’re free, they’re enchanting, and they require nothing of us, other than that we take a few minutes to enjoy them. Here are some of the world’s most dazzling light displays for you to enjoy:

Walt Disney World: Orlando

The annual celebrations at Hollywood Studios—known as “The Osborne Dancing Christmas Lights”- is truly enchanting.

Town Hall Building: Brussels

The 15th-century building on Brussels’ Grand Place turns out to be even more spectacular when illuminated every night during the month of December. The lightings here are accompanied by soft music. The ambiance is intoxicating!

Silver Dollar City: Branson, Missouri

The theme park of Silver Dollar City is already decked out for holidays. But the most enchanting of all is the nightly light-and-music show of its five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree. The tree is lit with thousands of glittering lights making it appear as if a dazzling star in the night sky.

Tivoli Gardens: Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe. The entire park is turned into a Christmas village during the holidays.  The rides, concert hall, market stalls and willow trees are all decorated with blinking lights.

Palacio de Comunicaciones: Madrid

Palacio de Comunicaciones is Madrid’s City Hall that hosts a light-show spectacle that rivals the July Fourth celebrations in the New York City.

Harbour City: Kowloon, Hong Kong

Kowloon’s Harbour City is truly one of Asia’s best places to indulge in Christmas celebrations.  A shopper’s paradise with over 700-plus stores, Harbour City gets even more alluring during the Christmas when everything sparkles with thousands of twinkling lights.

Micronesia Mall: Dededo, Guam

The “Holiday Lights Experience” at Micronesia Mall is something that you shouldn’t miss. The show is centered around a 35-foot artificial tree, incorporating thousands of music-synched blinking lights.

Taking Flights this Holiday Season: It’s Good to be Prepared!

The Air Transport Association expects comparatively less number of holiday travelers to take flights this holiday season. But, if you are one of those intrepid holiday travelers, planning to get away from it all, it’s better to be prepared for every worse situation. Holiday travel itself means more rush at the airport and those usual flight delays. And if the weather goes bad, it’ll all get worse in a hurry.

According to FlightStats.com, the airlines’ on-time performance, which had topped 90 percent on Thursday and Friday, plunged to less than 50 percent on Sunday. Even the shrinking air-traffic remains affected by bad weather and those who are still flying this holiday season should be prepared for the worst and take the usual precautions – online check-in, reserving parking in advance, getting to the airport early alongside keeping yourself aware of the latest twists in air travel.  Read On

10 Great Places to Celebrate Christmas

Christmas is a busy time of year as many of us hitting the roads and taking to the skies. The holidays can be a time to visit family, but a few people will choose to get AWAY from it all! If you aren’t the sort who wants to spend Christmas Day hosting relatives or hanging out at a friend’s house, here is just a sampler of some of the top Christmas destinations for you to target:

Las Vegas: Vegas is undoubtedly one of the top places to celebrate till the heart’s desire. Will festivities full swing and entertainment attractions galore; you’ll have a blast celebrating here. To top it all, the hotels too offer visually stunning decorations.

Disneyland, Orlando: For families there is no better place than Disney to celebrate Christmas. With fantastic decorations all across the park and the hotels too decorate tastefully, Disney’s charm is truly magical!!!

New York: The Times Square, the spectacular Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and the amazing Christmas window displays at Macy’s make New York one of the most desirable Christmas travel destinations.

Honolulu, Oahu: The island of Oahu is one of the best visited winter destinations, full of warm and welcoming traditional culture and scenic natural beauty. While festivities at Oahu include Concert, Parades and live performances, Honolulu dazzles with spectacular light displays and Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies.

Bay of Islands, New Zealand: The Bay of Islands comprises some of the world’s most breathtaking natural scenery with more than 150 different small islands and secluded beaches, and you can plan your stay at small and cozy villas overlooking the azure blue waters of the ocean.

Meran, Southern Tirol Italy: Meran ranks amongst the world’s most popular ski destinations. Meran’s old town center was built during the 13th century and is offers excellent and shopping and dining experiences over the Christmas break.

Mexico City: Mexico City celebrates Christmas in its own way. Christmas customs here are an eclectic mixture of the old and the new, including elements from Europe, others developed in Mexico, and in recent years elements borrowed from the U.S.A.

Goa, India: Goans celebrate the arrival of the Magi with nine days of fireworks and partying. Crowds congregate to watch three boys in glittering costumes chosen as kings make their way to church on white horses. The fun culminates in The Feast of the Three Kings (Jan. 6), which is celebrated enthusiastically by both Christians and Hindus.

Boston USA: Boston’s old world feel with historic architecture and cobblestoned streets make it a real treat celebrating Christmas here!

Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh is one of the best places to watch Christmas festivities in its full swing. Indulge in Christmas shopping and dining and watch spectacular firework displays at night.