Top picks for a break

A list of places where you can head to relax before the start of the new year

Take a break in Hawaii

English holidays: Mallorca (Majorca)

The British adore this beautiful island nation off the Spanish coast. With its sunny skies and spicy food, Mallorca is an ideal place for the Indian foodie. Some delicious Catalan dishes to try: arròs brut, a local saffron rice cooked with chicken, pork and vegetables; and tumbet, a Catalan veggie casserole of slices of aubergine, potatoes and red pepper, laced with tomatoes and garlic. Visit the Mercat de L'Olivar, the farmer’s market in Palma for sobrassada, the traditional Mallorcan sausage, made of a soft paste of ground pork seasoned with smoky Spanish paprika. Love cookies? Visit the Repostería del Monasterio de Santa Clara, where the resident nuns sell their homemade cookies in delicious flavours like orange blossom. One of the quaint traditions is that visitors must ask for the cookies of their choice, place their money in a turnstile and wait for the turnstile to revolve back with the cookies, since contact with the nuns is forbidden.

American break: Hawaii

Hawaii is where the Americans go to unwind, and with good reason. This chain of islands, surrounded by the warm, crystal-clear blue waters of the ocean, is perfect for an underwater adventure. Hit the North Shore of O‘ahu island to go on a shark dive. Pre-book a tour for a cage diving experience, where you are lowered into the ocean in a safe plexi-glass cage for a chance to really get close to sharks as they swim around in their natural habitat. The San Souci beach is a quiet hideaway and a great spot for first-time snorkelers. The century-old Waikiki Aquarium houses creatures like seahorses, colourful tropical fish, and of course, the adorable monk seals. Hawaii is famous for its fruity, inventive cocktails – don't be surprised if your drink is decorated with an orchid, or arrives in a coconut shell!

French Leave: The Riviera

Get a taste of life in the French countryside with a visit to Grasse, a lovely town with an international reputation in perfume-making. Stop by the International Perfume Museum Garden (closed on Mondays). The two-hectare garden is a living showcase of centuries-old traditions of perfume-making, with fields of fragrant flowers such as tuberoses, jasmine, roses, lavender, mimosa and geraniums and Spanish broom. The greenhouses and other exhibits have been carefully planned to blend in with the landscape. Perfumeries like Fragonard, Moulinard and Galimard offer daily tours and demonstrations, and Fragonard even has its own private museum.

Bon Voyage!