Few months inspire a longing for a place brighter and hotter than December. And now that Britain is in the middle of a winter period, it’s time once again to dream of swaying palm trees and crashing waves to ring in the new year.
Enter the Caribbean dressed in the best seasonal clothes and with great hotels, sugary beaches and cloudless skies. Elsewhere, the Maldives offer classic fly-and-flop escapism, while Los Angeles and Buenos Aires are ready for sunny city breaks.
Dust off those passports and prepare for warmer climates. Here’s our round-up of where to go for the January sunshine.
For temperatures between 19ºC and 24ºC
Los Angeles
While America’s largest city (New York) is battling winter at its worst, the second largest city is experiencing temperatures of around twenty degrees Celsius. In reality, it should come as no surprise that Los Angeles is so sunny in January; after all, this is a metropolis with a golden climate all year round. But this lack of mystery doesn’t detract from the opportunities for relaxation on LA’s coast – on Venice Beach, in Santa Monica or further afield in Malibu.
How to do that: A seven-night escape to the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (unsurprisingly a five-star retreat), flying direct from Heathrow on January 13, costs from £3,629 per person, with Virgin Holidays (0344 472 9646; virginholidays.co.uk) . Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Los Angeles.
Lanzarote
‘Lanza-grotty’ was the dismissive nickname given to the fourth largest of the Canary Islands in the 1980s. It was always an unfair blemish – because even though this sunny spot provides easy breaks in resort areas like Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise, it can also lay claim to a growing range of luxury properties, enticing Spanish culture in the capital Arrecife, and volcanic majesty in Timanfaya National Park.
How to do that: An all-inclusive seven-night getaway to the five-star Paradisus Salinas Lanzarote hotel, flying from Birmingham on January 20, costs from £1,395 per person, via Jet2Holidays (0800 408 0778; jet2holidays.com). Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Lanzarote.
Dubai
It can be easy to mock Dubai – to claim that its skyscrapers are ridiculously large, to suggest that its enormous shopping centers are a substitute for every element of culture, to say that its construction projects of artificial islands are exaggerated and foolish. But the glitziest United Arab Emirates don’t care – and neither do the thousands of British tourists who flock to the beaches knowing the sun will have its hat on.
How to do that: A seven-night half-board getaway to the five-star Anantara The Palm Dubai, flying from Cardiff on January 20, costs from £1,611 per person, via Destinology (01204 208 891; destinology.co.uk). Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Dubai.
Costa Rica
A country with warm weather and soft beaches will always be attractive. Costa Rica, one of the puzzle pieces that make up Central America, is lapped by both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. You can look at both bodies of water at the same time from the top of the Irazú Volcano, as well as enjoy cosmopolitan afternoons in the national capital of San José.
How to do that: Last Frontiers (01296 653 000; lastfrontiers.com) offers a 13-day “Classic Costa Rica” itinerary that maps the country in detail. From £4,770 per person, including flights. Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Costa Rica.
For temperatures between 25ºC and 29ºC
Grenada
With its mountainous center and lush interior, Grenada suits those who want a dose of adventure to compensate for lounging by the sea. It also lies at the southern limit of the Atlantic hurricane belt, making it less likely to experience tumultuous weather than some other Caribbean islands.
How to do that: Audley Travel (01993 460 174; audleytravel.com) offers a 15-day “Highlights of Grenada and St. Lucia” itinerary that, as the name suggests, divides its time between two Caribbean countries. He spends the first week in Grenada, venturing to the less visible north of the island, at Petite Anse, and then sailing to the even less visible neighboring island of Carriacou. From €6,100 per person, including (all) flights. Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Grenada.
Barbados
Barbados is so linked to Britain in terms of history and flight connections that a holiday there can sometimes feel like a trip to the British coast – albeit with temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius all year round – and is a loyal mainstay of Caribbean tourism. For many it’s all about the luxury resorts of the west coast, but head to the capital Bridgetown for heritage and excellent food.
How to do that: An all-inclusive seven-night getaway to The House, a five-star boutique hotel on the Bajan west coast near Durants, costs from £2,399 per person, including flights, via Tropical Sky (01342 395 315; tropicalsky.co.uk). Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Barbados.
Dominican Republic
The country that makes up two-thirds of the second largest island in the Caribbean (Hispaniola) is sometimes overlooked as a holiday destination. But it comes into focus thanks to the luxury resorts that dot the southeastern corner around the Punta Cana settlement. Temperatures generally exceed the high 20s degrees Celsius at all times. The European winter also largely avoids the hurricane season (June–November).
How to do that: An all-inclusive seven-night break to the four-star Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort, flying from Gatwick on January 20, costs from £1,777 per person, via First Choice (020 3451 2688; firstchoice.co.uk). Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in the Dominican Republic.
For temperatures of 30ºC+
Maldives
The most celebrated archipelago in the Indian Ocean has its nominal rainy season in May-November, meaning full sunshine in January. In reality, the time of year makes little difference to the experience on a vast archipelago that lies in the equatorial zone. Visitors can expect temperatures of 30ºC during their trip.
How to do that: Why choose one luxury resort when you can offer two? Scott Dunn (020 3733 9378; scottdunn.com) offers a 10-night Maldivian holiday, with time split between a pair of properties, Gili Lankanfushi and Six Senses Laamu. From £6,400 per person (from £9,400 per person in January), including flights. Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in the Maldives.
Tanzania
This slice of East Africa is an essential destination for safari enthusiasts, whether it’s the incredible spectacle of the Great Migration of Wildebeest to the Serengeti – or the lesser-known wildlife experiences of Ruaha National Park. Then there’s the scenery: the volcanic caldera of the Ngorongoro Crater, the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the soft beaches of Zanzibar.
How to do that: Expert Africa (020 3405 6666; expertafrica.com) offers a 12-night ‘Dik Dik Safari’, where you stare at big animals in Tangarire National Park and the Serengeti, peer into the Ngorongoro Crater and end on the beach of Zanzibar. From £9,620 per person in January, including international flights.
Buenos Aires
It’s rare to think of Argentina in terms of pure sunshine. After all, this is a country that stretches (almost) to the glacier-laden foot of South America (Chile owns the tip of the continent). But Buenos Aires basks in the glow of 20 degrees Celsius in January, casting the evocative streets of La Boca, the steakhouses of San Telmo, the bright resurrection of Puerto Madero harbor and the hip bars of Palermo in a beautiful light thrown.
How to do that: Journey Latin America (020 3131 2661; travellatinamerica.co.uk) offers a ‘Vintage Argentina’ holiday that, over the course of 12 days, visits Buenos Aires, Salta, Mendoza (and the vineyards surrounding it) and Iguacu Falls. From £3,484 per person (flights extra). Find more places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in Argentina.
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