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Challenge: Winter Survival Secrets

Surviving The Winter by Escaping the Winter

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Winter sucks. You'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard than go out in the freezing cold and scrape ice off your car. Then, you have to pry your frozen fingers off the scraper, or make up a superhero name when you can't — Ice Scraper Man-Man-Man!

Some animals hibernate — those lucky bears. Humans sulk at home wrapped in blanket burritos and barely drag themselves to work. Don't slip into a winter slump! Time to try better ways to cope.

Survive the winter by escaping the winter! Revolutionary, right? Take a look at these four sultry and sizzling destinations, and get ready to pack your bags and go.

1. Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Get cozy with your sweetheart by learning the tango in beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina. Appreciate this cultural dance that's been popular since the 1940s for its variety of forms and elegance, especially in the northern region during tango's Golden Age. The popular archetypal step of the northern style is called a Salida, where the leader moves two steps to the follower's four — stepping in line with regular weight changes on foot.

Wintertime elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere is when sultry summer days heat up Argentina. What a better way to sizzle away the cold than learning a romantic dance with your partner for life? Head to a milonga — a hall specifically for tango — and show off your new moves while meeting new people.

2. Explore Natural Treasures and Affordable Travel to Cambodia

Airfare to Cambodia can cost $600 round trip from major cities like New York and Los Angeles, as one of the most affordable international travel options for winter. Take in the Royal Palace at Phnom Penh, and enjoy a wondrous stroll through Preah Monivong National Park.

Admission to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda is 40,000R, or $10 per person. Many buildings face the sunrise, providing a beautiful morning tour for photographers. Construction began around 1866 when the nation's capital moved. Take in treasured Buddhist and historical objects like the “Emerald Buddha” statue. The Silver Pagoda, or Wat Preah Keo Moroka, inspires with its silver tile where royal ceremonies and meetings are sometimes held.

Located in southern Cambodia, the Preah Monivong National Park encompasses 982 square feet of evergreen rainforests, where you observe leopards, Asian elephants, pangolins, Asiatic black bears and likely the last of the Indochinese tigers. Good news for bird lovers, over 300 bird species make up the park's population, including different types of hornbills.

3. Camp Winter Away in Arizona Road Trip Style

Really miss summer? Invoke the spirit of the warmest season by camping in Arizona.

Fishers will delight in the Manzanita River's population of rainbow trout and enjoy a dip in the surrounding freshwater swimming holes after working up a sweat from casting all morning. No utility hookups support glamping here. So, those who prefer to rough it should head to the Manzanita area, where campsites are surrounded by blackberry bushes — offering a perfect complement to a fresh catch cooked over the fire.

Those attached to modern amenities will appreciate Fool Hollow Lake for its beautiful scenery and free hot showers. The Havasupai Campground, overseen by the Havasupai Tribe, offers stunning views of the Havasu Falls, which are part of the Grand Canyon.

Turn your camp away adventure into a road trip to Arizona, enjoying the abundant and relaxing gifts of each campsite. Don't forget the marshmallows!

4. Enjoy Beautiful Terrain and Cooking Lessons in Kerala, India

While Northern India will be deep in the cold, the southern part of the nation offers warmer weather to run away to — like Kerala, India on the gorgeous Malabar Coast. Portuguese Catholics and Syrian Christians settled the area, among others, and it makes Kerala one of the most diverse regions of India. Besides the coast, visitors venture to the Munnar Mountains to learn to recreate the local recipes as detailed by popular cookbook author Mimi Summarily in her home.

Trees line the terrain in vineyard-like patterns, and the area remains undiscovered by tourists — though popular with those living in India. Avoid tourists, learn new recipes and enjoy the beach and mountains in this beautiful area.

Who says you have to wait winter out? Stop sulking and unwrap yourself from your burrito blanket. Instead of hiding from winter, embrace the cold season as an opportunity to discover other states and the world. Adventures await you in Argentina, Cambodia, Arizona and India.

Learn the Golden Age Northern style of tango in Argentina. Visit the Royal Palace in Cambodia for an inspiring and affordable getaway that allows you to enjoy the myriad of rare wildlife in the Preah Monivong National Park. Eat blackberries and fish in Manzanita River as you camp across Arizona. Climb the Munnar Mountains in India, taking in the beautiful terrain and learning traditional recipes.

Get out there and adventure this winter. The world is waiting for you.

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