If you have lockdown savings to blow on a unique, hot vacation, then the Maldives are the perfect choice.
Patina Maldives is located on North Male Atoll’s man-made Fari Islands archipelago. It is home to 110 villas and suites that are designed for maximum privacy.
It was created with the intention of connecting to the natural landscape. Wood-clad villas, forests and tranquility ensure that the resort is peaceful.
The luxury Patina Maldives resort, pictured, is home to 110 suites and villas, each designed to offer maximum privacy
Take a refreshing cocktail to your pool, the Indian Ocean or private beach and enjoy the beautiful weather and slow pace.
Seven nights from £6,170pp, including flights and transfers, based on two guests sharing (carrier.co.uk).
United Arab Emirates has a lot to offer, including many flights and numerous hotel options. This country is the best choice for anyone looking for hot weather.
Caesars Palace Dubai is part of Bluewaters Island and it’s the ideal place for anyone who wants to unwind without leaving their resort.
Its 12 dining options include Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, and guests will find pools galore and direct beach access, so once you arrive there’s no need to move on. The new pedestrian bridge connects the city to Jumeirah Beach Resort via the Arabian Sea.
The 12 dining options at Caesars Palace Dubai include Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, pictured above
Rooms from £309 per night based on two adults sharing (caesars.com/dubai).
Along the coast in Abu Dhabi, Mandarin Oriental’s opulent Emirates Palace is the ultimate spot for some seafront downtime. Tucked away in a natural bay with its own private marina, this waterside haven is decked out in classic Arabian style but with all the modern luxury touches you’d expect from a top-end hotel.
You can enjoy stunning ocean views from your private infinity pool.
For those after a trip out, there’s the option of kayaking around nearby mangroves or taking in history and culture at the Grand Mosque or Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Rooms from £370 per night (mandarinoriental.com).
Mandarin Oriental’s opulent Emirates Palace, pictured above, is tucked away in a natural bay with its own private marina
Pictured is the Majlis Suite at the Emirates Palace. The rooms have been decorated in classic Arabian styles with contemporary touches.
The promise of desert sun can also be found on Qatar’s northern tip. Zulal Wellness Resort, which offers a great place for recharging and relaxation, has plenty of indoor space to cool off or chill out.
Average temperatures in summer are a blistering 37C (98F), but they are a far more manageable 21C (70F) in January, meaning the resort’s lagoon and beaches are ripe for winter-sun-seekers. Two separate areas – the adults-only Zulal Serenity and family-friendly Zulal Discovery – both feature traditional Qatari spas and sleek rooms.
A trip to this remote corner of Middle East guarantees a magical vacation, no matter the season. From £768 per room, per night based on two sharing (zulal.com)
Relax, cool off: Zulal Wellness Resort, Qatar offers a room for guests to recharge and reset.
A three hour flight will take you closer to Tunisia’s postcard-perfect beaches. In recent years major tour companies and airlines returned to Tunisia. Hammamet is located at the southern end of Cap Bon Peninsula and remains a must-see spot for those who love soft sands, warm water, and other beautiful places.
Today, both the vast Great Mosque in North Africa and the medina with labyrinthine streets still draw tourists to the resort, a century after it was first opened.
Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the Steigenberger Marhaba Thalasso spa hotel costs £361pp (tui.co.uk).
Enjoy Tunisia’s postcard-perfect beaches while you stay at Steigenberger Marhaba Thalasso hotel spa, as pictured
If that’s not adventurous enough, then sun-lovers with the urge for a truly spectacular getaway should take a look at Lengishu, a private home in the Borana Conservancy, a rhino sanctuary in Laikipia, northern Kenya.
With space for 12 guests spread across the main house and four gorgeous cottages, it has sweeping views over some of eastern Africa’s finest wilderness.
The itinerary is yours to create and the horse ride through the bush. There’s even the chance to track rhinos on foot.
A seven-night stay at Lengishu costs from £8,837pp based on 12 sharing. Prices include flights, transfers, full-board accommodation and safari (abercrombiekent.co.uk, 01242 386500).
Pictured is the Fish Eagle room at Lengishu, a private home in the Borana Conservancy in northern Kenya
Sri Lanka also features prominently on the world travel maps. The country’s beautiful, lush surroundings offer an idyllic escape. Kumbura, an elegant villa recently renovated, can sleep eight people in four rooms. Set within verdant forest and paddy fields, it’s just a few miles inland from the city of Galle and a world away from the rush of everyday life back home.
The infinity pool overlooks beautiful scenery while peacocks and monkeys wander the grounds.
You can check out local restaurants or relax and allow the housekeeper to tempt your taste buds with traditional Sri Lankan cuisines. Nightly rates start at £270 (edenvillas.com).
For anyone looking for heat, the Caribbean is a great option.
Kumbura Villa is located in Sri Lanka’s verdant paddy fields and forest.
A bedroom with an outdoor tub at Palm Heights, the latest opening on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach
Away from the busier islands, Palm Heights, the latest opening on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, is a dream destination. Palm Heights Athletics is a great place to exercise, as it offers sunset Pilates, yoga, and meditation from the rooftop, which overlooks beautiful views.
Venture inland for a hike along Mastic Trail, a path through the island’s last subtropical forest, and take a boat out over clear waters for some of the Caribbean’s finest snorkelling. From £469pp per night (palmheights.com).
With red rock buttes, pine forests, the Grand Canyon and a laidback vibe, Arizona’s popularity has soared in recent years, with the desert town of Sedona at its heart.
And just outside town, and billed as North America’s first landscape hotel, is the Ambiente, a blow-the-budget option (ambientesedona.com). Its 40 ‘atriums’ – standalone suites – have been built on steel piers using rusted metal and bronze-tinted glass to blend in with the environment and reflect the sensational light of this wild region.
A seven-night room-only stay, including BA flights from Heathrow to Phoenix and car hire, costs from £5,995pp (bon-voyage.co.uk, 0800 316 3012).
Those after a less lavish option should head two hours south to Scottsdale and check in to The Saguaro, an ideal base for exploring the desert and the town’s mid-century architecture. Five nights’ room-only plus flights to Phoenix costs from £1,183pp (ba.com).
Encinitas is a chill-out beach destination located north of San Diego. Alila Marea Beach Resort recently opened features 130 rooms and a garden. There is also a rooftop patio and a swimming pool with views of the Pacific. This resort is minimalist and modern, but it offers luxury at a pared back level.
Summer stretches late into the year here, which means it’s great for a dose of winter sun with the added benefit of time to explore the town’s arts scene and enjoy dining in the plentiful cafes.
Prices start from £335 per night (alilahotels.com).
Pacific Ocean View: Alila Marea Beach Resort in San Diego, California (pictured) has 130 gardens and rooms with coastal views
For the ultimate long-haul adventure, Australia’s allure as a once-in-a-lifetime destination remains undimmed, especially with its scorching summers heating up just as the UK heads into winter.
Although the Covid clampdown continues to restrict travel to the country, there is hope that restrictions will be lifted and holiday plans could return soon.
Flinders Ranges, South Australia is a great place to plan for the long-term. It offers an Outback getaway with the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture and history. Keep an eye out for wallabies, galahs (pink cockatoos) and kangaroos, and take in some of the southern hemisphere’s clearest night skies. Rawnsley Park offers a variety of options that will suit all budgets. Its fabulous eco-villas, with retractable roofs for stargazing and daytime views across the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound, are the pick of the bunch, with prices starting from about £260 per night (rawnsleypark.com.au).