Pick from our list of great places to visit for your next short break. If you have not select your next short break destination yet, then checkout these places. We have destinations in Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East.
FINLAND
What do you get when gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere collide with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere? You give up? You get the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights as it is otherwise called. This is where the night sky is filled with swirls, streaks and arcs of bright colours, which glow and throb for anything from a minute or two to an hour.
One of the best spots to see the Lights is in northern Finland. There are a number of places to pick from but I can recommend Nellim, a tiny village not far from the Russian border. Its Wilderness Lodge is a great base, with local guides who are often able to predict when and where the displays are most likely. But, it's not all standing around looking at the sky - there are snow-mobile safaris, ice fishing (like eskimos), cross-country skiing, or you can ride a sledge driven by teams of huskies through the snow-covered forest.
If all that sounds too full-on, you can simply sit back in your cosy cabin at Luosto, another sleepy village in Finnish Lapland, and wait for the lights to come to you. Luosto is a few miles away from the Sodanklyä Geophysical Observatory, and on arrival at your spa hotel you'll be given a gadget that the SGO use to tell you when the lights emerge, so all you have to do is grab your coat and step outside. The Aurora season, when the lights appear almost every night, is from September to April.
NORTH EAST THAILAND
Most people know Thailand for its islands and beaches but have you thought of doing something else in Thailand, aspect that many overlook; such as: its abundant, and richly varied, wildlife and natural beauty. Thailand offers hundred of trekking trails to the north and north east, as well as great rafting and mountain biking opportunities.
One of the finest and least travelled areas to do this is in the Emerald Triangle. Toward the border of Laos and Cambodia, and the Mekong river, it is an area of rich vegetation, and ruins from the Khmer empire.
A great starting point to explore this area is Thailand's first national park, the Khao Yai, just three hours from Bangkok. Within its 2,000sq km, you can search for evidence of the last remaining Asian tigers, as well as leopards, civets, black bears, elephants and hundreds of bird species.
The north eastern is known for its sticky rice. A good way to eat this like someone who is culturally aware is to roll the rice between the fingers of your right hand, dip it in some sauce, and eat it without using cutlery or chopsticks.
The best time to see Thailand is November to February, as it is relatively dry and not too hot.
SLOVENIA
Bordering Croatia to the east, with Austrian influences to the north, and Italian to the south west, Slovenia isn't huge, but it has a lot going for it as a European destination. A great place to visit is the city of Maribor; voted the European Captital of Culture 2012. This is a big deal for a country that has just celebrated independence for the former Yugoslavia.
The Maribor's Lent festival celebrated in June is a huge attraction, accommodating some 600,000 people who come to enjoy its music, theatre and dance, all fuelled by Slovenia's surprisingly good wine. Because of high mineral content of Maribor's water it is also seeing as a spa destination.
It is recommended that you have your passport with you at all time while in Slovenia, you can get fined if you don't have it. Also, you'll need to register with the police within three days of arriving.
OMAN
Oman has become a go to spot for sophistication in the sun in the Middle East. It's less brash than Dubai and its capital, Muscat, has a touch more charm with fewer high rises than the UAE's Abu Dhabi. Muscat, known for its souq (great for cashmere scarves), forts and museums, has some extraordinary hotels that are perfect for the style conscious.
The spectacular Muscat's opera house and numerous festivals, such as the month-long Muscat Festival, starts at the end of January and the Salsa & Dance Festival in March, many travellers to Oman don't get much further than its capital. But you should: if you're travelling during the UK's summer, head to the province of Dhofar, which is popular with Omanis because the Khareef (monsoon rains) create humidity, meaning the area becomes lush as green and, importantly, cool(er), with temperatures around 30c. The area is famous for frankincense, as it's one of the few places in the world were its trees grow.
In-between, there are the Wahiba Sands, made famous by the explorer Wilfred Thesiger in the Forties, where you can stay in Bedouin-style tents, eating lamb on the campfire while you get neckache from gazing at stars, before taking in the rare Arabian Oryx antelope and camping on the beach on the Ras Madrakah peninsula.
Oman is coolest November to mid-March (19-30c). The Khareef cools the south from mid June to late August (29-38c).
VIENNA
Rome is romantic, New York's New York and you'll always have Paris, but the city break that is different from all other is Vienna. The Austrian capital is one of the most cultured cities in Europe and the home of world famous artist Gustav Klimt. As a pioneer of the modernist movement and founder of the Vienna Secession, he is a local hero best known for his sensuous painting The Kiss. Visit some of the city's best museums to see some of his best paintings.
Vienna has way more than just museums however. The 7th district, in the heart of the city, is young and vibrant and is home to some of the most interesting and fashionable boutiques.
AISÉN, CHILE
Patagonia is one of the most magnificent parts of the world. Its stark wilderness and bleak beauty is as breathtaking as any desert island, which is why southern Argentina is such as draw for tourists. But a quarter of Patagonia is in Chile, yet hardly anyone, comparatively, goes there. And of the people who do venture to Chilean Patagonia, hardly anyone goes to Aisén.
Aisén is the country's least populated region, which means its glacial landscapes are largely untroubled by human settlements. Driving along the Carretera Austral, or Southern Highway, is the ultimate wilderness road trip - just you, the valleys and a few soaring condors to keep you company. Don't worry, you're not on your own for long: each night you'll stay in small, cosy lodges, where you can relax in a hot tub with a glass of excellent Chilean wine.
Sadly, though, Aisén has a shadow hanging over it. The Chilean government has approved a plan to dam two rivers there, and while the project would provide vital electricity to Santiago and the north of the country, the effect on the region will be devastating. Long before the rivers flood, and lines of electricity pylons snake across the previously untouched tundra, a vast workforce will be needed, which means thousands of labourers will descend on the little villages of Aisén, and schools houses, hospitals, and roads will all need to be established. So it you want to witness this magnificent part of the world before it changes.