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10 Great Places to Spend Christmas

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Photo: Jon Arnold Images Ltd / Alamy

BAY OF ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

Why Go: -Barbecues on subtropical beaches
-Summer in December
-A cooler of Steinlager beer instead of eggnog
-Deep-sea fishing at night

Where to Stay: At Omata Estate (Aucks Rd., Russell; 64-9/403-8007; from $400), a luxe vineyard homestead with huge guest rooms, you can sip local wines on a jetty in your own private bay.

Holiday Dinner: Start with a cocktail at the Duke of Marlborough (35 The Strand, Russell; 64-9/403-7829), which holds the oldest pub license in New Zealand, then pop next door to Kamakura (The Strand, Russell; 64-9/403-7771; dinner for two $55), a serene seaside restaurant serving the day's catch.

Stocking Stuffer: Make a beeline for the town of Kerikeri and buy the kids a kaleidoscope crafted from 40,000-year-old kauri wood at Scopes New Zealand (265 Waipapa Rd.; 64-9/407-4415).
—Amanda Jones

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Travel + Leisure

10 Great Places to Spend Christmas

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