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Karen Jackman

Victoria Burrows

Queensland
To the Christmas holiday maker, the sun-kissed Queensland experience represents Australia at its best. From its stunning beaches on the Gold Coast, to the magnificent national parks and, of course, the world-famous Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland offers a great alternative to the traditional wintry Yule experience.
Queensland's Tourism Minister Jan Jarratt has noted that growth in the  mainland market continues to buoy the state's tourism industry, with Chinese visitors up 25 per cent to 198,000 people who stayed 3.5 million nights, spending A$381 million (HK$3.1 billion) on their trips.  
This Christmas, the glitzy Gold Coast has plenty to see and do. The world-famous Surfers Paradise beach and breathtaking skyline continue to remain major draw cards for millions of visitors each year. With the emergence of a fresh cultural scene, Surfers Paradise is thriving as a diverse cafe, restaurant, fashion and nightlife hub. It's just 30 minutes from the Gold Coast Airport, and less than an hour's drive to the state capital Brisbane. Surfers Paradise is the only location in Queensland with late night shopping seven days a week, allowing you to enjoy the beach by day and shop by night. There are 14 shopping centres and arcades, so make sure you put on your walking shoes,  to discover the hidden gems.  
The Surfers Paradise New Year's Eve Fireworks display is expected to be a breathtaking spectacle, one of the largest displays in Queensland. There will be two shows,  a family display at  9pm and the full display at midnight.
Staying on the Gold Coast, the 'big three' theme parks of Sea World, Dream World and Movie World, are heaven for adrenalin junkies, while the gentler Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has been a staple tourist destination for more than half a century. The parks and will be open throughout the Christmas period, except for Christmas day itself. 
There are a significant number of high-class and five-star places to stay with the more famous alternatives  being Jupiters Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, Crowne Plaza Gold Tower, Gold Coast International Hotel and RACV Royal Pines Resort. If you want to enjoy a Christmas feast in style, Jupiters will be holding its annual Combined Christmas Ball on December 16 and 17.  
For a top-class Christmas day lunch, take a drive to the swish part of Brisbane in Ascot and Baguette, an award-winning city restaurant that specialises in French cuisine. The Baguette has  proven over the years that it consistently provides one of the best dining experiences in Brisbane.
Christmas lunch starts at 11am and some of the mouthwatering delights on the day's menu include seared kingfish fillet with samphire, surf clams, asparagus and Champagne sauce and roast turkey wrapped in prosciutto and sage. 
Queensland has more than 200 national parks and many world-class walking tracks so, for a cooler experience off the beaches, head inland to Tamborine Mountain or get the sense of rural lifestyle at places such as Beaudesert. Walk among ancient Antarctic Beech trees, wonder at spectacular Springbrook  waterfalls and view delicate glow worms or see fascinating marsupial pademelons.  
North out of Brisbane is the incredible Sunshine Coast, which has all the elements of the perfect family holiday. There are unspoilt natural attractions, great food, well priced family accommodation and attractions, all at a relaxed pace.
For children, the thrill of catching a fish is often a holiday highlight. Small boats can be hired from one of the many operators with the Noosa and Maroochy rivers offering safe, calm water fishing for families. Serious anglers can join a group on an ocean charter to enjoy the sport of deep sea fishing on the reefs and shoals that lie off the coast. No visit to the region would be complete without seeing the Big Pineapple. Youngsters can experience farm and native animals and taste one of the best ice cream parfaits in the world.
On the northern end of the coast, Noosa rivals any of the best promenading, dining and shopping streets in the world. Running parallel to beautiful Laguna Bay, this area is a special holiday experience which brings people back year after year. Classy boutiques vie for space along with a culinary smorgasbord of dining experiences. Sidewalk cafes, many BYO, take advantage of the fine weather and the passing parade of locals and holiday-makers. After dinner, a stroll along the soft sands of Noosa Beach is a fitting end to a beautiful day.
Also on the Sunshine Coast, is Australia Zoo, established by the late Aussie icon and  conservationist, Steve Irwin.   
'Australia's tourism future lies firmly in Asia,' Tourism Australia chairman Geoff Dixon said, adding the 'collective voice of more than 10.5 million visitors each year is an  indication of the region's ability to offer  new and innovative things to see and do  all year long.'
Malacca
December is the perfect time to visit Malacca on the west coast of Malaysia as it is relatively rain-free. This gives visitors the chance to explore Malacca City, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2008, and its attractive blend of traditional Malay, Chinese and colonial cultures. 
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Malacca was the capital of the Malacca Sultanate and the centre of the Malay world. It fell to the Portuguese in 1511, and centuries of colonisation by the Portuguese, Dutch and  British, as well as the development of Peranakan  (Chinese blended with Malay, also known as Straits Chinese) culture have influenced the architecture of the town. 
A Famosa  is a Portuguese fortress, one of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. The small gate house of Porta de Santiago  is  the only remaining part of the fortress still standing, but it is still worth a visit. 
The Dutch Stadthuys, also known as Red Square as it is painted salmon pink, was built in 1650, and is believed to be the oldest remaining Dutch building in Southeast Asia. Today, the Stadthuys is Malacca's main museum, called the Museum of Ethnography. Next to the Stadthuys is Christ Church, an 18th-century Protestant church that is still in use. 
The  Baba and Nonya Heritage Museum, a townhouse that aims to show how a 19th-century Peranakan home would look, and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malaysia's oldest traditional Chinese temple, offer glimpses of Malacca's Asian culture. 
Jonker Street was once renowned for its collection of antique stores, but is now better known for its Friday and Saturday Jonker Walk Night Market. Stalls sell a range of different cuisines, clothing and crafts. Don't miss out on the bizarre speciality of fried egg ice cream, a sweet pastry stuffed with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream and fried in hot oil, or a Nonya (Peranakan) laksa, which is blended with coconut milk. 
Other Malaccan dishes worth trying are asam pedas, a hot and sour fish curry, and chicken rice balls. Often called Hainanese chicken rice, the dish differs from standard Hainan chicken rice as the rice is served in ping-pong-sized balls.  
Restoran Peranakan on Heeren Street, housed in the courtyard of an old mansion, makes a relaxing spot for a meal, or try the Jalan Kee Ann open-air eating stalls, open from 6pm.  
With a culinary history as rich as its culture and architecture, Malacca makes a fascinating, warm break from Hong Kong's Christmas chill. Victoria Burrows
Highest December temperature around 30 degrees Celsius
Getting there 
There are daily flights to Kuala Lumpur with various airlines, then take a taxi to Malacca city, about two hour's drive away.
Phnom Penh
As a tourist destination, Phnom Penh has long been overshadowed by the wonders of Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, but the Cambodian capital is increasingly developing its own character. There is a decidedly hip and arty feel to the streets, with quirky coffee shops, funky Khmer restaurants, and open-air bars dotted around the city. It is also a place where art lovers can learn about and buy the latest work by Cambodia's top artists, and pieces of traditional handicrafts, sculpture and painting. 
First stop on any art tour should be the National Museum of Cambodia, housed in a spectacular burgundy Khmer-style building with an elegant multi-layered and multispired roof. Designed by Frenchman George Groslier (1887-1945), the historian and curator who was the motivating force behind much of the modern revival of interest in traditional Cambodian arts and crafts, the building has cool, high-ceilinged halls and serene lily pond gardens within the central courtyard. A small but jaw-dropping collection exudes a powerful sense of Cambodia's 'golden age' of Angkor, from the centrepiece statue of King Jayavarman VII (1181-1219) in meditation pose to the graceful stone carvings of Hindu gods, Buddhist paintings and delicate ceramics. (www.cambodiamuseum.info).  
Street 178  just near the museum and the Royal University of Fine Arts has long been known as 'Art Street' due to the art galleries and sculpture shops that abound. Further along the road, stone sculptors work streetside next to Wat Sarawan.   
For a taste of contemporary Cambodian art, award-winning non-profit, non-governmental organisation Reyum  (www.reyum.org) exhibits photographic works, paintings and displays on  social and cultural projects it supports, such as the cataloguing of temple paintings and recording traditional food.   
At the river end of 178 are a number of restaurants and bars, including the Foreign Correspondents' Club (www.fcccambodia.com), housed in a French colonial villa. It offers panoramic views of the Mekong river and a relaxed, breezy atmosphere. Alternatively, Romdeng on 74 Street, housed in an old mansion, serves authentic Khmer food and has an art gallery on the top floor.
When it comes to evening, there isn't much to do in Phnom Penh other than drink in bars, which is why a pair of expats opened The Flicks movie house (www.theflicks-cambodia.com)  a couple of years ago.  Art-house movies  sometimes make it on to the five-metre-wide screen. Audiences recline on pink mattresses and silk cushions on the wooden floor of this theatre housed in a converted double-storey colonial home. Cold drinks, ice cream, finger food, hot snacks, and hot buttered popcorn are available at the bar. Victoria Burrows
Highest December temperature about 30 degrees Celsius
Getting there 
Dragonair flies direct to Phnom Penh daily



Head south to the sun