While to some December means festive cheers and holiday meals, others can’t get past the days getting increasingly shorter and the freezing cold sweeping over the UK.
Christmas and the holiday period also bring chaos to the streets of many major cities in Britain, with frenzied shoppers looking for presents.
One stunning holiday destination proving to be the solution to both overcrowding and the cold weather is Saba.
This outstanding Caribbean island is the smallest special municipality of The Netherlands and is widely acknowledged as a diver’s paradise.
Saba, located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, enjoys year-round tropical temperatures which allow tourists keen to explore the sea to dive near reefs of fish and coral.
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The weather on this five-square-mile island is normally very warm but tempered by winds.
The average temperature on this Dutch Caribbean island is 27C, and it doesn’t fluctuate more than two or three degrees throughout the year.
In December, Saba’s highs don’t normally drop below 26C, while winter nights can reach a still pleasant 16C.
As a result, people venturing to Saba should pack lightweight and cotton clothes and be prepared for light showers.
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Home to the dormant volcano Mount Scenery, Saba doesn’t offer activities only to those who love the sea.
Tourists who prefer hiking and walking find that Mount Scenery isn’t just a stunning landmark but also provides spectacular views to those who brave the 2910-foot-tall volcano.
One of the ways to get to the top of the volcano is through the Elfin Forest Trail, a magical-looking path filled with vegetation including stunning orchids that should be tackled only by expert hikers who don’t mind a slippery and muddy terrain.
Counting four main villages – its capital The Bottom, Windwardside, St John’s and Zion’s Hill – Saba also offers a chance to get a taste of how locals live their daily lives.
Shopping in these settlements is made easier by the fact that much of the population, approximately 96 percent according to a survey carried out by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) between 2017 and 2018, speaks English among other languages.
Despite its natural beauty and all it can offer, Saba isn’t overrun by tourists. Rather, in 2022 it saw only 4,900 arrivals by plane according to CBS, a slight increment when compared to the number of tourists that got to Saba the year prior – 4,000.
This year, Saba counted three illustrious visitors – Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Princess Catharina-Amalia and Queen Maxima.
The royals travelled to Saba as part of a wider tour of Dutch Caribbean islands they carried out in February, and got to meet locals and pose for photographs at the foot of Scenery.
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