Hot Destinations for a winter break, take a look!
The hunt for a red hot start to the year - five guaranteed winter sunspots.
With the bone-chilling weather we've all been enduring of late, you may be dreaming of a winter break to warmer climes. But if you want to get away this month or next to thaw out by the pool or bask on the beach, you should choose very carefully.
Some destinations touted by holiday companies as being ideal for winter sun are not in fact reliably warm enough in January or February for sunbathing during the day or, for that matter, for dining al fresco in the evening.
Take the Canaries. I'm looking at www.weather2travel.com, a really useful website that gives average monthly figures for daytime and night-time temperatures, along with hours of sunshine, number of rainy days and even how warm the sea is, across hundreds of destinations around the world.
For southern Tenerife, Weather 2Travel.com says that in January and February you should expect 18C or 19C (64-66F) maximum during the day. That's quite a lot cooler than averages in London in July and August - in other words, far from dead-certain bikini-and-trunks weather.
The stats are similarly on the disappointing side when it comes to North African destinations promoted for winter-sun holidays. For seaside resorts in Tunisia and Morocco, the mercury is unlikely to rise higher than 18-20C (65-68F) this month or next, and for popular Egyptian Red Sea resorts such as Sharm-el-Sheikh, you're still looking at typical maximum daytime temperatures of only around 21C (70F).
Furthermore, in all these North African resorts, it can be nippy after dark, with temperatures typically falling to about 10 or 11C (50-52F).
So, where should you go at this time of year? Below, I've highlighted five holiday spots where the weather is normally fantastic in January or February. For each, I've also picked out an affordable package. Prices are per person for a week's stay in late January, based on two sharing the hotel's cheapest type of rooms, and, unless otherwise stated, including direct flights.
If you want to travel independently, note that for bookings made during January, both British Airways and Virgin are discounting fares on a host of flights - including to the destinations below. Get in touch for our latest prices enquiries@tryme4travel.com
Dubai
When planning a break to this Middle Eastern emirate, the question you should be asking yourself is not whether it's hot enough, but whether it's too hot. In the summer months, temperatures soar into the 40sC (more than 104F), making it unpleasant to be outside for any length of time.
But in January and February, the weather is perfect - typically the mid-20sC (mid-70s to mid-80sF), with loads of sunshine and virtually no rain. If you want to do anything outside the city's several dozen air-conditioned shopping malls - perhaps making a trip into the nearby desert, or having a round or two of golf - now is the best time to go.
Dubai has lots of very glitzy and expensive hotels. If you’re watching the pennies after Christmas why not cut costs by staying somewhere within budget and visiting the fancy hotels for drinks and meals. Get in touch today for offers such as a week in a studio at the excellent-value Golden Sands Apartments for £661 B&B.
Why not get in touch today and leave the winter blues behind? enquiries@tryme4travel.com
Miami
For a winter-sun break, southern Florida is the best bet of any part of mainland America - southern California just isn't quite warm enough, while it was even snowing in Las Vegas earlier this week.
While you can reckon on 21-22C (70-72F) during the day in Orlando in January and February, it's several degrees warmer in Miami (about 230 miles further south), and usually mild enough after dark to drink cocktails in the many trendy bars on South Beach.
If you're quick off the mark, you could plan a visit to coincide with the annual Art Deco Weekend Festival, which runs from January 15 to 17. Be sure to stay on South Beach in one of the many glorious Art Deco hotels, in walking distance of the good restaurants and buzzing nightclubs.
Here at Try Me 4Travel.com we have some great deals still available such as packages with stays at several appealing and affordable Art Deco hotels - a week at the ocean-front Park Central costs £791, room-only, get in touch today, enquiries@tryme4travel.com
Grenada
December to April is the prime time to visit the Caribbean, as the weather is at its best then: not too hot or humid, with low rainfall, and virtually no chance of the major storms that can ruin trips in the June-November hurricane season. One of my favourite islands is Grenada. It's far less developed than others such as Barbados and has great beaches, a gorgeous, jungly interior, and St George's, its capital, is one of the Caribbean's prettiest towns.
Here at Try Me 4Travel.com we have some great deals still available, get in touch today, enquiries@tryme4travel.com for a wide selection of hotels and self-catering on the island to suit all budgets. La Sagesse, a simple, escapists' hideaway on its own blissful, palm-fringed sandy beach, is one of my top Caribbean recommendations for those on a tight budget - £995 room-only.
The Maldives
If you want to head to the Indian Ocean at this time of year, bear in mind that January and February are the wettest months in the Seychelles and on Mauritius - in January, the Seychelles usually gets nearly seven times as much rain as London. By contrast, January to March is the driest time in the Maldives - the temperature across the archipelago of tiny islands is a pretty constant 30-32C (86-90F) throughout the year.
Going to the Maldives when the weather is likely to be at its best is crucial: the islands' white-sand beaches and encircling milkyblue lagoons look infinitely more magical when the sun is shining.
However, now is high season and the Maldives are expensive at any time - few-frills, three-star hotels are a dying breed. Here at Try Me 4Travel.com we have some great deals still available, get in touch today, enquiries@tryme4travel.com
Thailand
Lack of heat is not an issue in Thai resorts - you can bank on daytime temperatures reaching the low 30sC (high 80sF) year-round. But some months are much better than others in terms of rain and sun.
West coast resorts such as Phuket are at their driest and sunniest from January to March (east coast ones like Koh Samui are usually much drier in February and March than in January). Wherever you go, the sea should be a cosseting 26-28C (about 80F).
Due to outbreaks of violent political unrest, Thai tourism had a rough ride in 2010 - in May, the Foreign Office was advising holidaymakers to avoid Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The situation is much calmer now and tourists are returning, but there are still plenty of good deals around to entice bookings, even though it's currently peak season.
Try Me 4 Travel can offer a week at the four-star Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Kamala Beach for £885 room-only (flights with Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur).
Get in touch today to secure your winter sunshine with us, enquiries@tryme4travel.com
(All offers subject to availability).