December on a Desert Island: The Trip to End the Year On
It’s about now the year starts running away from you, and December begins to look like a lot of screens with tinsel on. So, a question I get asked a lot at this time of year: will I be home before Christmas? Yes, you will.
Both of our December 2026 departures finish well before the 25th. Panama’s Pearl Islands runs from 1 to 11 December and the southern Maldives from 8 to 18 December, both eleven days and both capped at twelve guests. Choosing a month more generally is a different question, covered in when’s the best time of year for a survival expedition.
I’ll admit I’m biased. December is one of my favourite months to be on an island.
What Is a December Adventure Holiday, and Why End the Year with One?
A December adventure holiday is a trip in the last weeks of the year that asks something of you, rather than one you lie very still on. With us that means eleven days on a private island, learning to build shelter, make fire and find food, then living on those skills for three days before a proper celebration.
It isn’t a beach holiday with a machete thrown in. The first five days are training with a world-class bushcraft guide, the next three are the survival challenge, and the end involves a hot shower, the best cold drink of your year, and the quiet knowledge that you found water, made fire and got through the night yourself. And if you’re a New Year’s resolution person who wants some clarity on the year ahead, I honestly can’t think of a better way to get it than stepping off the hamster wheel of life on a desert island and working out what you actually want to do next.
Will I Be Home Before Christmas If I Book a December Expedition?
Yes. The Panama expedition finishes on 11 December 2026 and the Maldives expedition finishes on 18 December 2026. Even allowing for the flights home, you’re back with days to spare, which is plenty of time to buy the presents you’ll later claim you bought in November.
In Panama we meet at the hotel in Panama City by 5pm on day one, and we ask you to book a return flight leaving after 3pm on the last day. The Maldives trip ends in the far south, so you’ll take the 45 minute flight from Kaadedhdhoo back up to Malé before heading home. Either way, the 25th is safe.
What’s the Weather Like in Panama’s Pearl Islands in December?
December in the Pearl Islands is the moment the rains stop. The long wet season has only just eased off, so the island is lush, fresh and properly alive. The palms are a sort of neon green, the coconuts are plump, and the days are warm. You’ll get a few more insects than later in the season.
We won’t have been on our island since May, so every resource out there has had months to replenish itself, and it genuinely feels like nobody has ever set foot on it before you. It’s a 560 acre private island in the Pearl Islands, about 60 miles from Panama City, and in December it’s at its most generous. The insects are the price of admission. I think it’s a very fair price.
There’s more on that in why Panama isn’t a holiday but a reset.
What’s the Weather Like in the Southern Maldives Atolls in December?
December in the southern Maldives is dry season in the southern atolls, with days around 30°C, which is exactly why I like it. The islands are very lush, the days are warm and bright, and you can still get the odd rain storm rolling in off the ocean. They’re thrilling, and they rarely hang about for long.
You’re on two private, uninhabited islands in the far south, reached by a short hop from Malé to Kaadedhdhoo. The reef is right there, and swimming with reef sharks is part of the trip. Watching a storm build over the lagoon from a shelter you built yourself is one of those moments that stays with you. The practical side is all in our Maldives travel guide, and there’s more on what the island does to people in how survival in the Maldives changes you.
Which December 2026 Departures Are Still Open?
Two are open. Panama runs from 1 to 11 December 2026, from £3,600, with 4 places left. The Maldives runs from 8 to 18 December 2026, from £3,990, with 8 places left. A £490 deposit holds a place on either, and you don’t need any survival experience to join.
| Departure | Dates | Days | Price from | Places left | Home by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama, Pearl Islands | 1 to 11 December 2026 | 11 | £3,600 | 4 of 12 | Around 12 December |
| Maldives, southern atolls | 8 to 18 December 2026 | 11 | £3,990 | 8 of 12 | Around 19 December |
These numbers move, so treat them as a snapshot. Each trip takes twelve guests and no more, a decision I’ll happily defend at length in why we cap expeditions. You can see the full Panama December departure here, and the Maldives one is at the end of this post.
Is December Too Late in the Year to Book an Adventure Holiday?
No, but it’s getting close. December departures can fill early. Right now there’s still room on both trips.
What you need to sort yourself is fairly short: flights, visas if you need them, travel insurance and your own personal kit. We look after the island end, including food, equipment, transfers and the hotel nights. The first five days are survival light, building skills and confidence, so if you’re reasonably fit and up for it, we’ll teach you the rest.
Can You Give a Survival Expedition as a Gift?
Yes. We can create a gift voucher or a Christmas card voucher at any time, and it’s no trouble at all. People already give a place on a scheduled trip as a birthday present, so a voucher in a card on Christmas morning feels like a natural next step.
If you want it to be a specific trip, you can pay the £490 deposit to secure their place. Otherwise, email me at tomw@desertislandsurvival.com, tell me who it’s for and roughly what you had in mind, and we’ll sort it. It’s a slightly braver present than socks.
What If December 2026 Is Gone by the Time I Read This?
Then the same window comes round again next year. Panama returns from 26 November 2027 and the Philippines from 5 December 2027, so you can still end 2027 on an island and be home well before Christmas. Some of our guests plan a year ahead, and I think that’s no bad thing.
If a longer pause is what you’re really after, the idea of a micro retirement might be worth a look.
As for me, I’ll be spending December a little sunburnt and probably covered in coconut. The Maldives has the most room left right now.
If you could choose the last big memory of 2026 today, where would you want it to be?
Frequently Asked Questions
In short, there are two December 2026 departures, Panama from 1 to 11 December and the Maldives from 8 to 18 December. Both get you home before Christmas, both take a maximum of twelve guests, and neither needs any survival experience. A £490 deposit holds a place, and gift vouchers are available too.
Yes. Panama ends on 11 December 2026 and the Maldives on 18 December 2026, so Panama gets you home about two weeks before the 25th, and the Maldives about a week before.
Panama is from £3,600 and the Maldives from £3,990. A £490 deposit holds your place.
No. The first five days are training with a bushcraft guide before the three day survival challenge.
Twelve guests at most on both the Panama and Maldives departures.
Yes. To give a place on a specific trip, pay the £490 deposit to secure it. For a gift voucher or a Christmas card voucher, email tomw@desertislandsurvival.com.
International flights, visas, travel insurance, personal kit and personal expenses.
About the author. Tom Williams, founder of Desert Island Survival and winner of Channel 4’s Alone UK. I spent 35 days alone in the Canadian wilderness to win Alone, walked to the North Pole in 2010, and I’ve been teaching wilderness survival for ten years.
