Four Winter Spots
Here are four spots around the world worth a winter trip.
Christmas Island, Australia
On Christmas Day of 1643, Captain William Mynors sailed past this tropical (热带的) island 224 miles south of Java and named it, of course, "Christmas". Consisting of rainforest, sand beaches, coral reefs and one oceanic mountain, two thirds of this 52-square-mile island is a national park, home to pipistrelles, flying foxes, endangered seabirds and sea turtles. Many of the 2,000 local people celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year every year.
Quito, Ecuador
In Quito, the sun always sets at six. As the second biggest city in Ecuador and the second highest capital in the world, Quito makes a convenient access point to the Amazon rainforest, the thrill-seekers' paradise. In only three hours, travelers can travel from the best-preserved historical city center in Latin America to the land of giant tortoises, lava lizards and blue-footed boobies.
Sun Peaks, Canada
Snowshoeing, dogsledding and storm-watching all make British Columbia a favorite winter destination. But if you're planning on skiing, ski-biking or snow-limo-riding, please head for Sun Peaks, Canada's second largest ski area.
Lijiang, China
A winter trip to the southwest Chinese province of Yunnan promises mild, dry and sunny weather—excellent conditions for skiing the trails of China's highest ski resort, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Home to plenty of wildlife and 400 types of trees, the mountain is located about 10 miles from the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of Lijiang, an important center for the fascinating Naxi people whose 1,000-year-old Dongba characters are the only living pictographic (象形文字的) writing system worldwide today.
