Christmas Family Holidays in Asia: Where to Go and When to Book

Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the most practical family destinations at Christmas, and one of the most varied. Weather across most of the country is good in December: the south is warm and dry, the central coast settles after the October rains, and Hanoi is cooler but manageable. Unlike some of its neighbours, Vietnam does not impose the same level of Christmas surcharging, and hotel availability tends to be better, which means more choice and more flexibility in how a trip is designed.

What makes Vietnam work particularly well for families is the range of ways to move through it. The Reunification Express railway is a genuinely good travel experience, especially for children who have never been on an overnight train: Hanoi to Hue is a journey worth taking slowly. The Mekong Delta opens up a different version of the country entirely, with sampan boat trips through quieter tributaries that ETG has developed specifically to get away from the busier tourist channels. Hoi An has beaches within easy reach and a pace of town life that suits families who want something to do without being driven from one site to the next.

For teenagers, the backstreets of Ho Chi Minh City by Vespa with a guide who knows where the food is worth eating is a different proposition from a standard city tour. Vietnam tends to reward families who want variety rather than a single fixed base.

Best time to book: As far in advance as possible. Hotel availability for Christmas is not as pressured as some destinations, but earlier is always better.

Flight time from the UK: Approximately 12 hours direct.

Cambodia

Cambodia is a destination that families tend to underestimate before they go and find themselves wanting to stay longer once they arrive. December falls squarely in the dry season: warm, sunny, and well-suited to time outdoors.

Siem Reap is the natural base for families, and Angkor gives children something few other places can match, but the best trips are designed around more than the main temple complex. Phare, Cambodia’s circus, is one of the better family evenings in Southeast Asia: performances by young Cambodian artists, ticket prices that go directly to the school behind it, and something genuinely different to watch. A dawn boat trip to Kampong Phluk on Tonle Sap Lake, where fishing villages sit on stilts above the water and the school run happens by boat, is the kind of morning that stays with children. The lesser-known temples at Koh Ker, two hours from Siem Reap, are often entirely empty.

For families who want a more challenging programme, Mondulkiri offers elephant encounters at the Elephant Valley Project, which operates without riding or performance: just time walking with the herd in forest.

Cambodia is also better value at Christmas than many people expect, which makes it a destination where ETG can do more design work per pound spent.

Best time to book: At least six months ahead. Certain smaller properties, particularly Song Saa and Shinta Mani Wild, require nine months or more for a Christmas booking.
Flight time from the UK: Approximately 15 hours including a connection via Bangkok, Singapore, or Dubai.

India: Kerala and Rajasthan

India at Christmas requires knowing where you are going. The country is large enough that December weather varies dramatically: Rajasthan is crisp, clear, and sunny below Jaipur; Kerala is warm throughout and genuinely well-suited to a festive break.

Kerala has a particular draw at Christmas because of its Christian heritage. Carols, midnight Mass, and decorated churches are a version of Christmas that feels entirely different from the UK, and the food is worth the journey on its own. ETG designs Kerala trips around the northern part of the state, where the backwaters are less visited and the family-run hotels along the coast have a sense of place that the larger resorts do not. The conversion rice barge cruise on the inland waterways is a slow, unhurried way to spend a day with children of most ages.

Rajasthan at Christmas is a different proposition: fort palaces, village colour, and the kind of landscape that gives children a reference point for history lessons for years afterwards. The Udaipur miniature painting workshops are one of the better family activities in India, and rural Rajasthan, done properly with two nights in a single place rather than a route march between cities, gives families the space to actually absorb the country.

ETG’s consistent view on India: pace is everything. Two nights minimum in each location, at least one stop at three or more. The trips that families remember are the ones that went slower than they expected.

Best time to book: Around eight months ahead for Kerala; Rajasthan is slightly less pressured but earlier is always better.
Flight time from the UK: Approximately 10-11 hours direct to Kochi; around 13 hours connecting to Rajasthan.

Sri Lanka and the Maldives

December weather in Sri Lanka requires one honest note: the south coast can be affected by the tail end of the north-east monsoon in early December, and this varies year to year. The cultural triangle and the hill country are generally unaffected. For families who want both inland exploration and beach time, the answer ETG has used for years is to combine Sri Lanka with the Maldives on a single trip. The flight between Colombo and Male is around an hour, and the two countries complement each other in a way that works particularly well for families who want wildlife and culture in one country and clear water in the other.

In the Maldives, December brings whale shark sightings alongside the reefs. In Sri Lanka in December, the Cultural Triangle is in good condition: Sigiriya, Pidurangala, and Anuradhapura without the summer crowds. The train through the hill country from Kandy to Ella is one of the most talked-about journeys ETG puts into family itineraries.

Availability is the significant caveat. The best hotels in Sri Lanka book up quickly for Christmas, and the Maldives operates at near capacity across December. ETG’s strong advice: if this combination is what a family wants, the conversation needs to happen now.

Best time to book: As soon as possible. This is not a destination where waiting to see what else comes up is a workable strategy at Christmas.
Flight time from the UK: Around 10-11 hours direct to Colombo.

Laos: the option for families who have seen the obvious

Laos is not the first destination most families consider for Christmas, and that is precisely what makes it worth considering for the right family. If you have done Thailand and Vietnam and Cambodia and want somewhere that has not yet been smoothed out for mass tourism, Laos in December is dry, warm, and genuinely unlike anywhere else in the region.

Luang Prabang remains one of the most distinctive small cities in Southeast Asia: monks on the streets at dawn, the Mekong running alongside, and a pace of life that families either find immediately restoring or slightly disorienting (in which case it is probably not the right match). The Kuang Si waterfall, reached before the day-trip coaches arrive, with a private breakfast beside the turquoise pools, is exactly the kind of morning Laos does well. The Mandalao elephant sanctuary outside Luang Prabang takes a similar approach to Mondulkiri in Cambodia: observation and walking, no riding.

Laos rewards families who are already experienced travellers and want something that will hold the attention of teenagers who have seen temples before.

Best time to book: Six months ahead is usually sufficient, but specific smaller properties move quickly.
Flight time from the UK: Around 14-16 hours including a connection, typically via Bangkok.