Heading off somewhere warm when it’s freezing at home is one of the great joys of travel.
The only problem is that with strong demand, high airfares and a weak pound, it tends to be expensive.
But all is not lost. We’ve selected the best getaways from St Lucia to Thailand, all costing less than £2,000 a head for a week with return flights included.
RELAX ON A THAI BEACH
Take your pick: Here we’ve selected the best getaways for winter sun, all costing less than £2,000 a head for a week. For instance, head to the Pimalai Resort in Thailand (pictured) from £1,895
Glorious sands and limestone peaks that rise dramatically out of the water have made Krabi a tourist hotspot that particularly appeals to snorkellers, divers and rock-climbers.
Head for Koh Lanta Yai, an 18-mile-long island that packs in mountains, rainforest and beaches. The five-star Pimalai Resort has complimentary bikes and fitness classes with plenty to enjoy from boat trips and hikes to Thai cookery classes and spa treatments.
HOW HOT? 28c in December climbing to 30c in March. Flying time 14 hours 30 minutes.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Pimalai Resort, departing March 2, from £1,895pp B&B including Thai Airways flights from Heathrow to Krabi via Bangkok and transfers. Price includes a 20 per cent discount, book at least 60 days in advance (turquoiseholidays.co.uk).
GO FOR GAMBIA
Go on an excursion to the Kachikally Crocodile Pool (above) while staying at the all-inclusive resort Sunbeach Hotel in Gambia
Visit the monkey-rich Bijilo Forest Park in Gambia (file image)
There are good reasons to fly south to the smallest country in mainland Africa. There’s no jet lag, English is the official language and a local beer costs about £3. Expansive sands are a key draw at the aptly named Sunbeach Hotel, a four-star all-inclusive resort at Cape Point with 97 rooms and two pools.
There are excursions to the Kachikally Crocodile Pool and monkey-rich Bijilo Forest Park while football fans can catch a match at the stadium in nearby Bakau.
HOW HOT? 25c in December rising to 26c by March. Flying time 6 hours.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Sunbeach Hotel, departing December 12, from £899 pp all-inclusive including Titan Airways flights from Gatwick and transfers (gambia.co.uk).
SPEND CHRISTMAS AT SEA
Not keen on flying? Then sail away to warmer climes on a two-week round voyage from Southampton to the Canary Islands with P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Iona. Ports-of-call include Madeira, Cadiz and Lisbon and Christmas will be celebrated with decorations, carol concerts and a children’s grotto with Santa. Spectacular entertainment is a given on this 5,200-passenger vessel featuring aerial shows, comedians and a music programme overseen by Gary Barlow.
HOW HOT? 19c in December dropping to 18c in February.
BOOK IT: 14 nights sailing with Iona, departing from Southampton on December 16, from £1,119 pp including meals. Drinks and shore excursions extra (seascanner.co.uk).
PARTY IN ST LUCIA
Venture to Rodney Bay in St Lucia (pictured) for under £1,350pp for a week with return flights included
Rodney Bay is St Lucia’s easy-going tourist hub and the best base if you like to be close to shops, bars and nightlife. There are plenty of day trips to the south of the island to see the Pitons, snorkel in Anse Chastanet marine reserve and learn about rum at St Lucia Distillers. Just a five-minute walk from the beach, The Soco House is a bright, contemporary all-inclusive with 76 rooms, a pool, spa and restaurant with farm-to-table dishes.
HOW HOT? 27c in December dropping to 26c by February. Flying time nine hours.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at The Soco House, departing December 4, from £1,349pp all-inclusive including Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow and transfers (destination2.co.uk).
EXPLORE EGYPT
Visit the ancient sites of Luxor (above) on Jules Verne’s new ‘Leisurely Luxor’ tour, which is priced from £1,795 per person
Spin back 3,000 years on Jules Verne’s new ‘Leisurely Luxor’ tour that combines relaxing beside the Nile with guided sightseeing trips to the Valley of the Kings and temples of Luxor and Karnak. Accommodation is in the Pavillon Winter Luxor, a modern block that shares the grand restaurants, a huge pool and palm gardens of the Old Winter Palace, built in 1886, where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile.
HOW HOT? A constant 25c from December to March. Flying time 6 hours 50 minutes.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Pavillon Winter Luxor departing February 5, from £1,795 pp B&B including Egypt Air flights from Heathrow, two dinners, excursions and transfers (vjv.com).
HIKE IN CANARIES
You’ll hike through Garajonay National Park (pictured) on a self-guided walking tour through Tenerife and La Gomera with Walks Worldwide
Stretch the legs on a self-guided walking tour through the scenic highs of Tenerife and La Gomera. The centrepiece is a hike through the latter’s World Heritage-listed Garajonay National Park which has misty laurel forests straight out of a fairy tale. Distances covered range from five to eight miles with maps, trail notes and the one-hour ferry crossing between the islands included.
HOW HOT? 19c in December and 18c in February. Flying time 4 hours 20 minutes.
BOOK IT: Seven nights, departing February 3, from £1,499 pp B&B including Ryanair flights from Stansted to Tenerife, three dinners and transfers (walksworldwide.com).
VERDE JOY
Explore the island of Sal (above), a flat and arid island that some find shockingly sparse and others upliftingly elemental, while staying at the Hilton Cabo Verde Resort in Cabo Verde
Windsurfers and fly-and-flop sunseekers make up most of the guests in the resorts decorating Sal, a flat and arid island that some find shockingly sparse and others upliftingly elemental. At its southern end, the five-star Hilton Cabo Verde Resort is set beside Santa Maria Beach with 241 serene rooms, two restaurants, a pool and a large spa. It’s a 15-minute walk into town and if you get stir-crazy there’s a casino next door.
HOW HOT? 25c in December dropping to 23c by March. Flying time 6 hours.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Hilton Cabo Verde Resort, departing November 30, from £1,514 pp B&B including TUI Airways flights from Gatwick, UK airport lounge pass and transfers (capeverde.co.uk).
SPORTY IN DOM REP
Book a stay at Casa de Campo Resort in the Dominican Republic and you can pick from six restaurants. Above, a dish from the resort
A 50-minute drive west from Punta Cana airport, Casa de Campo is a one-stop holiday playground with five-star comforts and masses to do. All guests get a golf buggy to explore its 7,000-acre estate, which includes three golf courses, an equestrian centre, 13 tennis courts and a 5,000-seat amphitheatre. There’s also an archaeological museum, cigar factory, six restaurants, a nightclub and — when you need a lie-down – a private beach.
HOW HOT? 26c in December slipping to 25c in February. Flying time 9 hours 15 minutes.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Casa de Campo Resort, departing December 8, from £1,589pp including Air Europa flights from Gatwick to Punta Cana via Madrid (destination2.co.uk).
ROMANCE IN MAURITIUS
Stay at the four-star, adults-only Ambre Mauritius resort in Mauritius. The capital Port Louis (above) is an hour’s drive away
Slip away to a warm sea and perfect white sand beach. On the island’s east coast, the four-star, adults-only Ambre Mauritius resort has 297 rooms that have just been upgraded and there are two pools, a spa and nightclub. Golfing on Ile aux Cerfs is included along with tennis, watersports and an à la carte seafood restaurant. When it’s time to explore, the capital Port Louis is an hour’s drive away.
HOW HOT? 25c in December rising to 26c in March. Flying time 12 hours.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Ambre Mauritius, departing November 30, from £1,899 pp all-inclusive including Air Mauritius flights from Gatwick and transfers (tropicalsky.co.uk).
BASK ON BEQUIA
Chose Bequia if you want a flavour of the old school Caribbean. Pictured is the isle’s Friendship Bay beach
Slice of island life: Above is Bequia’s own Pizza Hut
Tucked away in the Grenadines, Bequia is a tiny, topsy-turvy isle that still has a flavour of the old school Caribbean. It’s perfect if you like to nose around marinas, dine in small restaurants and take day trips to snorkel with the turtles in Tobago Cays or catch the ferry over to mountainous St Vincent.
Right by the sands in Lower Bay, Keegan’s Beachside is a small hotel with simply furnished white rooms, some with kitchen facilities, and a bar with a three-hour happy hour on Fridays.
HOW HOT? 28c in December falling to 27c in February. Flying time 11 hours.
BOOK IT: Seven nights at Keegan’s Beachside, departing January 4, from £1,979pp including Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Barbados and inter-island flights (justbequia.co.uk).
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