Not everyone is a party animal and when there are just a few days off work, many prefer to use the opportunity to recharge. With the coming New Year and Spring Festival holidays just round the corner, the China Daily Sunday team gives you a few suggestions.

1. Hebei hotsprings

Take a short drive from Beijing and indulge in the hotsprings at Gu'an in neighboring Hebei province. It is a town known for its thermal waters and Huayu Hotsprings at the Niutuozhen Hotspring Development Zone is one of them. It is very popular among winter travelers.

Among its 50 indoor and outdoor pools, the "liquid gold" pool is touted for its special skin rejuvenating effect.

Some guests claim the water leaves skin smooth and white, while others say it helps weight loss. The hotsprings are only half the draw. Meals at farm restaurants also attract self-drive visitors, who linger over the signature roast chickens and river crabs. - Li Jing

Drive north along the Jingkai highway and turn into the 106 National Road, and you are soon there. You can rent a car from www.zuche.com and enjoy the journey.

Call: 0316-7863-498 (Huayu Hotsprings)

2. White Christmas

Head north for ice and snow to get the right mood. The annual snow sculpture show at Harbin in Heilongjiang is here again, from Dec 20.

The 24th Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Exposition will be on for two months.

Tourists can admire giant snow sculptures such as the 10-meter-tall work based on Barge Haulers on the Volga, an oil on canvas by Russian artist Ilya Repin.

At night, tourists can go to the Harbin Ice and Snow World which will have a soft opening on Dec 27, and get lost among Chinese pavilions and palaces as well as Western castles, all carved out of ice.

It is two hours by air from Beijing to Harbin, and many daily flights are available. - Xu Lin

Costs: Sun Island Snow Expo 240 yuan ($38), 8:30 am to 5:30 pm

Harbin Ice and Snow World 100 yuan day ticket from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, 300 yuan night ticket from 1:30 pm to 9 pm.

3. Xitang water town

This was one of the locations for Mission Impossible III, and the ancient water town of Xitang in Zhejiang province is beloved for its pretty waterways, stone bridges and riverside residences.

Tourists will appreciate waking up in an ancient dwelling to the chirping of birds, and enjoy lazy afternoons sipping tea and resting in riverside inns.

Food is rustic with most dishes coming to just under 20 yuan, and a special Xitang feast can be had for 100 yuan. - Wu Yiyao

Shuttle bus between Shanghai and Xitang takes 75 minutes and 20 yuan.

Call: 0573-8456-7890

Browse: www.xitang.com.cn.

4. Naked retreats

If you are looking for a getaway that takes you back to nature, Naked Retreats is offering a special holiday discount at its resort at Moganshan, two hours away by car from Shanghai or Hangzhou.

The retreat is known for its well-equipped cottages in restive natural settings where you can bond with family and friends over good food, and holiday activities. - Xu Junqian

Call: 021-6431 8901

Email: booknS@nakedretreats.cn.

5. Heavenly pool

Jiang'an Tianchi leisure village located in Anji, Zhejiang province has a ski park, a four-star resort and a hotspring, and it is only three and a half hours away from downtown Shanghai.

The ski park, equipped with an 800-meter ski yard, can accommodate about 3,000 people at the same time, and has slopes for both experienced skiers and beginners.

The hotspring is a wonderful place to relax after the slopes and has a swimming pool, leisure area and a spa using traditional Chinese medicine. - Li Xinzhu

Call: 0572-5041-858

Browse: www.jntianchi.com.

6. Tropical haunts

One of Macao's best-kept secrets is Pousada de Coloane, hidden within the hills of Cheoc Van on southern Coloane. Every one of its 30 rooms includes traditional Portuguese dark wood furnishings with secluded balconies facing the sea.

It has a shady outdoor swimming pool and is reputed to be haunted - in a romantic Twilight kind of way.

While there, hop over to nearby Coloane to munch on some egg tarts at Lord Stow's popular bakery and pick up some antiques at As an Artefacts. - Rebecca Lo

Browse: www.hotelpcoloane.com.mo

7. Indochine idyll

The historic Metropole hotel in Hanoi has all the colonial trappings of Indochine circa 1901. With a thorough makeover transforming it into a Sofitel Legend, it is more glamorous than ever.

Its signature French restaurant Le Beaulieu was author Graham Greene's former hangout, and the hotel is just a hop away from picturesque West Lake, where Bobby Chinn's restaurant entertains guests with a unique twist on Asian-American flavors.

Also along the lake are traditional water puppet shows, art galleries and dressmakers that can whip up customized outfits virtually overnight. - Rebecca Lo

Browse: www.sofitel.com (Metropole) www.bobbychinn.com (Bobby Chinn's)

8. Water works

The Beitou district of Taipei offers excellent hotsprings due to its abundance of natural sulfuric pools, with Villa 32, one of the area's most stylish spots to splash about.

A Relais & Chateau member since 2010, its massages and facials are best followed by a soak in its springs.

Along with a delicious Italian restaurant matched with museum quality wine, those who are too relaxed to move can stay in its five-room boutique hotel. Just down the hill is a quirky hotspring museum that was formerly a bath house, and features a Roman style pool with its hotspring history lesson. - Rebecca Lo

Browse: www.villa32.com (Villa 32)

Call: 886-2-2893-9981 (Museum)

9. Hotel hide-aways

The Langham is well-known for their Chuan Spa packages which include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments. To start the Year of the Dragon, Chuan Spa is offering a 90-minute New Year package called Ginger Goodness which includes a body scrub, massage, detoxifying tea, and a lucky red packet, all for just HK$1,288 ($166). Guests are also invited to use the spa facilities including the sauna, steam and hot tub.

With the cool, dry weather, the Peninsula Hotel's spa by ESPA is offering to renew and revitalize guests with a warming full-body exfoliation, aromatherapy massage, a facial, and scalp massage. After your treatments, guests are invited to indulge in a poolside breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea.

Use of the spa facilities including the harbor-view sauna, steam room, and pool are also included for HK$1,800 (plus 10 percent service charge). - Donna Mah

Browse: www.chuanspa.com

Call: 852-3552-3388 (Chuan Spa)

Call: 852-2315-3322 (Peninsula Spa)

10. Rural retreat

If you've never slept in a teepee but always wanted to try, check out the teepees by the beach at Palm Beach on Lantau Island. You can rent water sports equipment from them including kayaks, surf boards, and paddle boards, or just hang out on the beach.

The teepees are 3.5-8 meters and sleep four to 26 people. Fresh air, cooking your own food over an open fire, and sleeping under the stars may just be the thing to re-charge your worn out batteries. An overnight stay in a four person teepee with sleeping mats and bags is HK$550 Mondays to Thursdays and HK$750 Fridays to Sundays. - Donna Mah

Browse: www.palmbeach.com.hk

Call: 852-2980-4822

You may contact the writers at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 12/25/2011 page16)