Getting away on short notice. By Joyce Hor-Chung Lau.

Wise travelers planned their Christmas trips months ago and secured themselves nice, stress-free holidays. In doing so, they also made life hell for the rest of us by booking out all the good flights and hotel rooms—especially if they made quadruple reservations "just to keep their options open."

If you think that you can just hop on a plane and get out of town, think again: It's high season, and hotspots are almost entirely booked full, especially because many travelers are avoiding problematic destinations. Still, here are some expert tips on how and where to find last-minute Asian getaways without spending a fortune. But if none of these work for you, then we recommend that you start booking for Chinese New Year now.

Mainland China
For an easy-to-organize holiday, Doris Lam at China Travel Services (41 locations throughout Hong Kong, online booking at www.chinatravelone.com, customer service hotline: 2542-1118, last minute package booking hotline: 2998-7888) recommends three cities in China. CTS has three-, four- and five-night packages to Beijing ($3,810-$7,550). They include round-trip tickets on Dragonair and accommodation plus breakfast at either the five-star Palace Hotel or the four-star Wangfujian Grand Hotel. There are also three- and four-night packages to Shanghai ($2,870-$7,250), with round-trip tickets on Dragonair and accommodation plus daily breakfast at either the five-star JC Mandarin, the five-star Grand Hyatt or the four-star Central Hotel.

One destination that doesn't always come to mind is Kunming, the capital of Yunnan. Set 1,800 meters above sea level, Kunming is commonly known as the "Spring City" for its temperate weather. While the city itself is becoming increasingly modern, the outlying areas still allow for a glimpse of old China. The western province is home to about a third of China's ethnic minorities and some of the country's most stunning landscapes. CTS is offering two-, three- and four-night packages to Kunming, including round-trip tickets on Dragonair, transfers to and from the airport, and accommodation and daily breakfast at the four-star Dianchi Garden Hotel and Spa plus spa treatments and admission to Haigeng Park.

Jady Djeu at Four Seasons Travel Service (Rm. 506 Commercial Hse., 35 Queen's Rd. C, 2523-9147, fourseasons@qala.com.hk) also suggests mainland China as an option for last-minute travelers. The best deal is probably a four-day, three-night package to Shanghai, which can be taken from Dec 21-26. If you're a bargain hunter, note that flying with domestic Chinese airlines is usually much cheaper than Hong Kong-based airlines. The flights for this package are on China Eastern airlines. Prices, which including a round-trip plane ticket and hotel, range from $2,280 (double occupancy at the Courtyard by Marriott Pudong) to $3,898 (single occupancy at the Hilton).

Southeast Asia
If you're looking for something warmer, Graham Elsom, managing director of Concorde Travel (1/F, 8-10 On Lan St., Central, 2526-3391, www.concorde-travel.com), recommends southern Vietnam for last-minute Christmas trips. "There are just more seats available going to Ho Chi Minh City, partially because Vietnam Airlines has several large aircraft servicing the route from HCMC to Hong Kong, and partially because it's not a vacation spot that many people know about yet," he explains. "Flights to Hanoi are already chock-a-block, and Danang is all booked out because there is only one charter service that flies there from Hong Kong."

Most people know HCMC, formerly and still commonly known as Saigon, for its cafes, boutiques and art galleries. What many don't know is that there are also beach resorts close by. Concorde has four-day/three night Vietnam Seaside Holidays for both Phan Thiet and Nha Trang. The Phan Thiet package ($4,250-$6,590 and $5,050-$7,390 from Dec 21-27) includes a round-trip ticket to HCMC on Vietnam Airlines, round-trip private car rides for the three-hour journey to Phan Thiet, and daily breakfast and accommodation at one of three villas: the Victoria Phan Thiet, Coco Beach or Saigon Muine. If you're more into golfing than hanging out on the beach, Concorde can also create a package that includes accommodation at the Novotel, which has a good golf course. Add-ons include excursions and tours on foot, sampan, motorboat or cyclo ($190-$430 per person). If you're willing to go a bit further out, the Nha Trang package ($4,220-$6,990 and $5,020-$7,790 from Dec 21-27) includes round-trip Vietnam Airlines flights from Hong Kong to HCMC and then from HCMC to Nha Trang, plus breakfast and accommodation at one of three hotels, the Ana Mandara, the Nha Trang Lodge or the Saigon Nha Trang.

Concorde also have "Champagne Weekends," which are short luxury holidays that always include one weekend. At various times there are packages available for Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Micronesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. Though Elsom can't guarantee any particular last-minute Christmas openings, he adds that "there are quite often flights that clear out at the last minute as the result of group cancellations or because people double-book."

If China is not for you, then Djeu of Four Seasons also has three Southeast Asian packages that should still have vacancies during the two weeks before Christmas. One is the Singapore and Johor Bahru X'Mas Leisure Package ($1,998-$3,698), which is available Dec 25-28. It includes airfare on United, two nights’ accommodation at the Novotel Apollo Singapore and two additional nights at the Sofitel Palm Resort in Johor Bahru, where there is golfing, spa treatments, horseback riding, tennis, squash and even flying lessons. If you want to stay in one place, you can choose a four- or five-day package with accommodation at the Novotel Apollo Singapore ($1,798-$3,398).

For a beachside holiday, consider Four Seasons' Thailand Christmas Festival Package ($2,360-$3,820), which must be taken from Dec 26-Dec 29. It includes round-trip airfare to Bangkok on Orient Thai Airlines, two nights in Pattaya (at either the Hard Rock or the Siam Bayview) and one night in Bangkok (at a choice of 12 hotels).

Another option is Four Seasons' X-Mas Kota Kinabalu package ($4,890-$6,590), which is convenient because Malaysia Airlines/Dragonair have a direct flight from Hong Kong to this Malaysian getaway. Four Seasons is offering a package with airfare, transfers and four nights’ accommodation plus breakfast at a choice of five hotels, the nicest of which are the two resorts opened by the Shangri-La.

As with all travel packages, restrictions apply, costs are subject to change and prices do not include visas, airport departure taxes, air insurance levies or securities charges. For last-minute bookings during high season, most agents will ask you to pay upfron, or put down a sizable deposit.