Whether you’re after sun and sea, glistening ski slopes or a cultural city break, with our pick of the hottest (and coolest) winter destinations there’s something to suit every traveller...
Almereía
From beautiful sun-drenched beaches to its uncanny resemblance to America’s Wild West, Almería has been used as a Hollywood destination for years and has plenty for visitors as well – making it the perfect family winter destination.
Do: Kids will love the live cowboy shows and water park at Oasys Theme Park – part of which is still a film studio for Hollywood spaghetti westerns. You can also make like a Hollywood extra by hiring a cool Vespa scooter from the trendy tour operator, Away From The Crowds (www.awayfromthecrowds.com, 00 34 61 821 9449) who specialise in tailored adventure-filled motorcycle routes in Cabo de Gata.
See: Playa De Monsul – a dramatic beach with broken volcanic cliffs framing a deep blue bay in the 180-square mile Natural Park of
Cabo de Gata-Nijar.
Eat: Head to Casa Puga, 7 Calle Jovellanos (00 34 950 231 530), for tapas, shellfish and sherry.
Stay: Los Patios (lospatioshotel.es, 0034 950 52 52 52) is a boutique white-washed dainty B&B located in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage site in the middle of the spectacular Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, directly opposite the cathedral and within easy reach
of the beaches too.
Getting there: Ryanair (www.ryanair.com, 0871 246 0000), EasyJet (easyjet.com), and Monarch (monarch.co.uk 0871 940 5040) all offer flights from the UK to Almería.
Oman
The capital, Muscat, has a seaside location, ancient forts and palm trees – perfect for short breaks.
Do: Take a tour through the old walled town before dusk for visits to the Muttrah Fort, and Sultan Qaboos’ Al Alam palace. Muttrah Souk lies at the heart of the city next to the harbour (where the Sultan’s giga-yacht dominates). Haggle your way through the labyrinthine streets where stalls sell everything from frankincense to traditional Omani silver and shisha pipes.
See: Arabica Orient Tours (www.arabicaorient.com, 00 968 24490500) organise excursions to the desert in Wahiba Sands.
Eat: The hummus, tagines and delicious chicken shawarma (chicken kebab flatbread wraps) at Lebanese chain restaurant Automatic are very flavoursome.
Stay: The luxurious Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa in Muscat www.shangri-la.com, 00 968 2477 6666) is made up of three hotels, all situated on mountains. Al Waha Hotel (The Oasis) is geared towards families, Al Bandar (The Town) geared towards business travellers and Al Husn (The Castle) is a palatial adults-only, 179 suite property with a private beach, infinity pool and butler services.
Getting there: Oman Air has daily direct flights to Muscat from Heathrow (www.omanair.com, 0844 482 2309).
St Moritz
Considered the Rolls Royce of Swiss ski resorts, St Moritz is split into two parts in the Engadine Valley: St Moritz Dorf and St Moritz Bad.
Do: Have drinks at Altitude Bar set to live piano music (0 081 836 80 00) at the Kulm Hotel. Or indulge at the designer boutiques.
See: Once you’ve had your fill of Corviglia’s slopes (the main place to ski), take a guided tour off-piste down from the glaciers to Morteratsch station.
Eat: Mountain restaurant Chamanna (0041 79 682 50 80) serves classic Swiss fare like rostis and raclette at not so eye-watering prices and for quality sashimi and black cod you can’t beat Nobu at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel.
Stay: Since opening in 1899, not much has changed in terms of elegance at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel (www.badruttspalace.com, 00 41 81 837 1000). It remains the hotel of choice for the rich, royal and famous.
Getting there: British Airways (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com), Ryan Air and Easy Jet all fly from the UK to Zurich. For more information, visit the tourist board (www.stmoritz.ch, 00 41 8183 73333).
Malaysia
At the idyllic Malaysian island of Pangkor Laut, there’s little else to do here except relax and marvel at the beauty of the surrounding forest.
Do: Guests who book in for a signature Malay-Thai massage at The Spa Village are offered a traditional Chinese foot pounding, followed by a Japanese cleansing bath and a Shanghai scrub. Other activities include a sunset cocktail cruise aboard a Chinese Junk boat, or batik painting, cooking and tai chi classes.
See: No visit would be complete without a hallmark trek through the 2 million-year-old jungle with the resort’s resident naturalist, Uncle Yip (Malaysia’s answer to David Bellamy). You’ll feel at one with nature as he guides you through a forest full of medicinal plants, dragonflies and huge monitor lizards.
Eat: The resort has great restaurants to choose from: Samudra restaurant is built on stilts over the sea and offers tasty Malay dishes and Dinner on the Rocks is a four-course eaterie built on top of a rocky outcropping with romantic views of the sunset over the horizon.
Stay: Eco-friendly Pangkor Laut (www.pangkorlautresort.com) comprises of 148 sea, hill and spa villas and eight estates and only takes up a portion of the island – the rest is left to the dense jungle.
Getting there: Qatar Airlines (www.qatarairways.com, 0870 7704215) flies from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur.
Paris
The Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur, and Notre Dame, but the French capital is also full of surprises.
Do: Binge on art and culture with trips to the Musee d’Orsay (muse-orsay.fr) and the Librairie Gourmande (www.librairie-gourmande.fr) – a culinary bookshop.
See: At 324 metres, The Eiffel Tower (www.tour-eiffel.fr) is a landmark Paris sight, and no trip would be complete without a morning at the Louvre Museum (www.louvre.fr).
Eat: Book a table at The 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant for an exquisite six course meal.
Stay: Located near Montmartre and only minutes from the metro for the Gare du Nord – the 41 rooms at the Kube Hotel (designhotels.com, 00 33 (0)1 42 05 2000) are entered via fingerprint touch technology. Chic Parisians flock to the restaurant for ambient music and cocktails and bedrooms feature DVD players, cream and white coloured deco, low level lighting and gorgeously fluffy duvets and pillows.
Getting there: Eurostar (www.eurostar.com or 08705 186 186) operates up to 20 daily services from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare de Nord.
Barbados
Known for friendly island living, Barbados has a charm that will find fans in golf and cricket lovers.
Do: When you want a change of scenery head over for drinks on the Platinum Coast at The Sandy Lane Hotel (www.sandylane.com) or at Daphne’s (daphnesbarbados.com).
See: Learn how the Island’s sugar plantation legacy gave rise to other commodities including the Barbados’ oldest spirit, ‘Mount Gay Rum’ during a tour to the distillery (mountgayrun.com) in St Lucy, north of Bridgetown.
Eat: Operating as a five-star Caribbean fusion restaurant, Wispers on the Bay Restaurant (www.wispersonthebay.com, 001 246 826 5222,) has standout mains including pan fried tenderloin of pork in jerk seasoning and delicate vanilla scented salmon. Soak up the chilled-out Bajan and calypso atmosphere together with local residents over at Oistin’s FishFry (www.barbados.org/oistins) in Bridgetown where stalls cook freshly grilled spicy Mahi Mahi.
Stay: Established in 1887, The Crane Hotel (www.thecrane.com, 001 246 423 6220) is built upon a dramatic clifftop in the quiet East Coast over looking Crane Beach – voted one of the world’s 10 best beaches because of the baby pink powdery sands and gentle breeze.
Getting there: Fly to Barbados from London or Manchester with Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com, 0870 380 2007). For more information please see www.visitbarbados.co.uk.
Words: Wersha Bharadwa
Lorraine says... ‘My favourite winter destination is Southern Africa. I love Namibia, Zambia and especially Botswana. The weather is wonderful and it’s only just a few hours’ time difference from the UK so there is no jet lag!’
