Beat the January blues

18.01.2008

by Ruth Jackson

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Even by British standards January has been grim, and with last summer’s wash-out you may well feel like you haven’t seen the sun for years. There’s only one solution: get packing and head for one of these three winter havens.

Madeira

Simple geography means a short-haul winter-sun holiday is impossible. But if you can compromise on heat in favour of flight times, head to Madeira. This is “the isle of eternal spring”, says The Sunday Times, with average temperatures of 68˚F (20˚C) at this time of year. Sun-worshippers may be put off by Madeira’s lack of sandy beaches, but there are plenty of other things to do – from a trip around this lush, mountainous island to a toboggan ride through the streets of the capital, Funchal.

For a touch of old-fashioned class, stay at Reid’s Palace. In the billiard room an attendant is on hand to chalk your cue, the hotel still insists on whites for tennis, and the bar’s “dry martini is the driest in the world”, says Chris Haslam in The Sunday Times. For more, visit Elegent Resorts, or call 01244-897000.

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Egypt

An hour longer on the plane and you can enjoy the warmth of Egypt, which averages 71˚F (22˚C) this month. Avoid the big cities and head to the Red Sea, where sandy beaches and turquoise waters await, along with some of the best snorkelling and scuba-diving in the world. But choose your resort wisely. The Red Sea Riviera is “the land God created and man walloped with the ugly stick, building resorts such as the utterly charmless Sharm el Sheikh”, says Haslam.

Try the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh resort outside Hurghada, which offers beautiful grounds and half a mile of deserted white, sandy beach. Rooms start at e200 a night. See Oberoi Hotels, or call +20 65 3440 777 for more.

Barbados

An eight-hour flight will take you to Barbados, where the temperature averages 80˚F (27˚C) at this time of year. This draws the crowds over Christmas, but come January the “prices fall off a cliff”, says Mark Hodson in The Sunday Times. Of the many upmarket hotels and resorts on offer, try the Relais & Châteaux Cobblers Cove, which is “intimate, peaceful and genteel”, says Jane Memmler in the Daily Express. Originally it was part of an old sugar mill and it boasts one of the best restaurants on the island. For more, visit Relais & Châteaux, or call +1 246 422 2291. Rooms start from e300 a night.

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