Escapism

Dedon Travel (dedontravel.com) is a new luxury travel agent for independent adventurers, from the makers of Dedon fancy outdoor furniture. It is offering trips to drop-dead-gorgeous accommodation: choose from the Mystique (pictured) in Santorini, Greece; Winterdream, an ice-fishing lodge in Lapland; Siargao, its own island retreat in the Philippines, or go all out and book a 17-day private jet tour of South America.

Neighbourhood watch

Williamsburg is one of New York's hippest hoods, and now it has a hot new place to stay, the Hotel Williamsburg (hwbrooklyn.com, rooms from $224). Featuring a rooftop bar, swimming pool with cabanas, rooms with vintage-style record players and vinyl, and a very cool website, the world's hipsters will flock there soon.

Cheap date

Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3870, virginholidays.co.uk) has a ski trip to New Hampshire for £555pp (£205 off) for seven nights' B&B at an inn in North Conway, near three different resorts, including car hire and flights to Boston from London. Available 9 January-1 February.

Where's hot now?

Mozambique (29C)
The country's summer runs from now until April. See the sights and bars of the capital, Maputo, then head out to the white-sand islands of the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos (see our online feature about the Quirimbas at guardian.co.uk/mozambique). Flights in early January from Heathrow to Maputo cost around £750 with Kenya Airways (kenya-airways.com).

What's new?

The short break
Janet Reeder and Shirley Mann, journalists "of a certain age" (they say so themselves) have come up with a weekend break specifically for women over 45. Their new "Reboot Your Life" three-day breaks at a cottage in the Peak District include informal workshops and lessons on spicing up your cooking, getting more creative with a camera, restyling your look, speaking in public and boosting your confidence.
• Upcoming breaks are on 3 February and 24 March, price £495pp, including all meals and transport once there (07803 160776, rebootyourlifeholidays.co.uk)

The adventure
Adventure operator On The Go has just added Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to its portfolio, with group or tailor-made trips of eight-22 days, from February.
• An eight-day Legends of Laos tour from March costs from £699pp, flights extra (020-7371 1113, onthegotours.com)

The festival
Book now for the Jaipur Literature Festival, of which travel writer William Dalrymple is a director. It takes place on 20-24 January at the Diggi Palace, and will feature 200 speakers, including Michael Ondaatje, Fatima Bhutto, Tom Stoppard and Jason Burke, the Guardian's south asia correspondent.
• Attendance is free but register in advance at jaipurliteraturefestival.org/registration

Travel trash

A new "Guns & Roses experience" in the Cotswolds costs £105pp. But those hoping to rock out with Axl and Slash will be disappointed: this new activity (for stags and hens, we presume) involves "a double-barrelled day of shooting and floristry" run by professional field shooting sportsman turned florist Shelley Spencer.
• 01386 853000, gunsandroses experience.co.uk

Tweet ur trip

Worst hotels
The one where, when I complained about mice in my room, I was offered a live snake.
@CareerBreakSite

Beach hut on Koh Phi Phi. Ants in the bed and two opium syringes hidden above a door crevice.
@benholtby
• Next week: kind strangers

Last-minute Christmas getaways

Tempted to just give up? The cooking, the wrapping, the being nice to people ... If it's all too much hassle, it's not too late to escape. Really. Look!

• Inghams (020-8780 4447, inghams.co.uk) is offering discounts on ski trips including a week in La Plagne, France, in a three-star apartment, departing 23 December, for £299pp (was £639) based on three sharing, including flights from Gatwick and welcome pack.

• Walk to Everest Base Camp over Christmas on an eight-day trip with Imaginative Traveller (0845 867 5551, imaginative-traveller.com/trips/GIEE) for just £1,354pp including flights, departing on Christmas Eve.

• Ross Cottages (01668 213336, rosscottages.co.uk) has a selection of cute properties in unspoilt Northumberland sleeping up to six people for three-, four- or seven-night stays over Christmas, from £380 per cottage.

• A Christmas break at posh Flackley Ash Hotel (01797 230651, flackleyashhotel.co.uk) near Rye in East Sussex costs £534pp for three nights full-board from Christmas Eve. The hotel is also offering a special deal for emergency services personnel who have to work over Christmas: its "999 deal" offers them a one-night stay for £99.90 (usually £175) for two people, for stays from 2 January to 25 March 2012.

• If you really need to treat yourself, how about seven nights at the four star Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa on the Caribbean island of St Lucia from £1,569pp, with Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick on 20 or 23 December? Available through Tropical Sky on 0844 322 9360, tropicalsky.co.uk.

Send us your tips

Strange and funny things you've spotted abroad, your holiday nightmares and other ideas for this page by emailing travel@guardian.co.uk or on Twitter to @guardiantravel, using the hashtag #TravelCorkboard