As summer’s sun well and truly sets in the UK, it’s just getting started in many places around the world. It can feel hard to believe that elsewhere tropical fruit is being eaten straight from the tree, sun loungers are beckoning and turtles are nesting on white-sand beaches lapped by limpid shallows.
Our list includes alternatives to Southern hemisphere hotspots where the mercury regularly rises to the high 20Cs, as well as a few short and mid-haul curveballs that offer compelling culture and active adventures aplenty. Although winter sun around Christmas does generally cost more, these destinations make your money go further — meaning you can, too.
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1. Adelaide, Australia
Average December temperature 20C
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Melbourne may get most of the attention when it comes to holidays Down Under, but Adelaide — South Australia’s koala-chill (and significantly cheaper) capital gives it a run for its money. Fine-dining establishments such as Restaurant Botanic sit alongside neighbourhood gems like Lucia’s, a stalwart of the Central Market since 1957.
Just outside the city, the Adelaide Hills is a tapestry of progressive wineries, while big hitters can be found in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Just 45 minutes away by ferry, wave-lashed Kangaroo Island offers spectacular wildlife spotting, as well as the chance to try artisan ingredients such as honey from the world’s purest strain of Ligurian bees.
Make it happen
Great value Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets offers a convenient CBD location, plus a bar on the roof that’s a favourite with locals and travellers alike.
• Best things to do in Australia
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2. Belize
Average December temperature 24C
Often overshadowed when it comes to nature-infused holidays in Central America, beautiful Belize has plenty to offer — and it works out around £200 cheaper per week for a family of four than Costa Rica. Being roughly the size of Wales, it’s easy to navigate: a morning spent swimming in the Caribbean can easily be complemented by an afternoon at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (keep your eyes peeled for the elusive jaguars).
Arguably the country’s trump card is the hundreds of cayes — tiny islands surrounded by coral reefs — that float just behind the Belize Barrier Reef. This is where world-famous dive spots including the Great Blue Hole, an inky eyeball so large it can be seen from space, meet barefoot boutique hotels and sleepy seaside towns like San Pedro.
Make it happen
Ramon’s Village Resort is a collection of thatched casitas on an opalescent stretch of sand on Ambergris Caye, within striking distance of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
• Destinations at their cheapest in January
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3. Marrakesh, Morocco
Average December temperature 13C
Hours of buttery sunshine per day and comfortable temperatures (with highs of 20C in December) make the winter months ideal for a culture-focused Moroccan city break. With a history that stretches back to the 11th century and a creative scene of dazzling complexity, Marrakesh never fails to seduce. Big ticket sites such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Jardin Majorelle (temporarily closed for renovations as of September 2024) and the Bahia Palace sit alongside cool neighbourhoods such as Mouassine, where contemporary designers reimagine their traditions with irresistible homewares. The Djemaa el-Fna marketplace is the spice-scented Morocco from your imagination where carpet weavers and leather workers haggle over mint tea, while a visit to a hammam is a cultural immersion that leaves skin whisper-soft and stress levels at an all-time low.
Make it happen
Riad Les Yeux Bleus combines contemporary jewel-box colours with Berber rugs and a rooftop hot tub where you can soak up views over the walled medina.
• Best affordable hotels in Marrakesh
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4. Merida, Mexico
Average December temperature 25C
The laid-back, limestone-clad capital of Mexico’s Yucatan provides an authentic gateway to the area’s treasures without the mass tourism that blights the Riviera Maya. For sun worshippers, Progreso has powdery sand and a boardwalk bustling with restaurants, while sleepy Sisal is mostly populated by fishermen. The Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve is a kaleidoscope of mangroves and pink lakes where flamingos wade, and the remains of the magnificent Maya citadel of Chichen Itza are less than two hours away by car. Merida itself is having a style moment, with numerous architects and designers relocating from Tulum and Mexico City to transform its art nouveau mansions into design-led boltholes such as Cigno and Rosas & Xocolate.
Make it happen
Rosas & Xocolate is a temple to the finer things in life: a courtyard pool, tequila cellar and rooftop lounge where a live jazz band serenades the tropical night.
• Best places to visit in Mexico
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5. Northern Vietnam
Average December temperature 18C
A powerhouse of Unesco World Heritage sites, emerald-and-cyan landscapes and zingy flavours, Vietnam was named 2024’s best value destination worldwide for British holidaymakers in a report by the Post Office. Its northern third is defined by vast skies and rippling rice fields. A two-night boat trip around Lan Ha (Ha Long’s less touristy neighbour) reveals spearmint waters pierced by jagged karsts and the smooth backs of dolphins. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a marvellous medley of French, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture, while in highland nature reserves such as Ba Be National Park, communities farm forest gardens on the banks of enormous lakes.
Make it happen
De Syloia Hotel combines handsome details — dark floorboards, contemporary four posters — with a prime location near Hoan Kiem Lake and the Hanoi Opera House.
6. Arizona, US
Average December temperature 12C-19C
Raw, radiant Arizona is infinitely more affordable than its glitzy neighbour California; at the time of going to press the average nightly rate for a double hotel room in Phoenix was £168, compared to £232 in San Diego. Although it may not have oceanfront beaches, this wonderfully wild state is certainly not short on sand. As well as rushing rivers and the Grand Canyon, Arizona is the only US state containing four separate desert regions. With its red rocks and saguaro-studded hillsides, the Sonoran Desert is ideal for hikers; the Chihuahuan is home to towering rock formations known as hoodoos; Joshua trees form gnarly silhouettes against the rasping Mojave, and the Great Basin is still home to ancient Native American nations.
Make it happen
The Wilde Resort and Spa is nestled beneath the towering Thunder Mountain, providing easy access to hiking and biking in Red Rock State Park. The spa features treatments inspired by the area’s traditions.
7. Jamaica
Average December temperature 27C
The third largest island in the Caribbean is also one of the more affordable thanks to the sheer quantity of hotel rooms, while locally grown ingredients — fiery Scotch bonnet, plump papayas, callaloo — are both tastier and cheaper than the imported equivalents smaller islands rely on. While it may be hard to resist the siren call of beaches such as Seven Mile and Ocho Rios, Jamaica’s interiors are characterised by mist-wreathed mountains where hiking trails lead to small-scale coffee farms and waterfalls that offer lovely swimming. A day in rocking Kingston — the birthplace of musical genres including reggae, ska and dub — culminates with a visit to the former home of its most famous son, Bob Marley.
Make it happen
Kanopi House is a collection of treehouses nestling in the rainforest with direct access to the Blue Lagoon, a swimming spot where freshwater springs bubble up beneath the Caribbean Sea.
• Best Caribbean islands to visit
8. Accra, Ghana
Average December temperature 27C
Sharing that one-hour time difference with Cape Town but roughly half the flight time (and cost), Ghana’s vivacious capital is in the midst of a city-wide arts boom. World-renowned spaces such as Gallery 1957 coexist with grass-roots Artemartis and foundations such as Nubuke to create a compelling creative ecosystem that’s complemented by craft markets such as Makola and the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in memory of the civil-rights leader.
The city’s famous nightlife swings until sunrise at rooftop bars and around bonfires on the sands of Labadi beach. For something a little more low-key, Atewa offers the opportunity to glimpse hundreds of species of blazing birds and butterflies flitting through a deep, dark forest.
Make it happen
Intrepid Travel’s new 15-day Benin, Togo and Ghana Adventure includes a few days in Accra with visits to an art gallery and the workshops of fantasy coffin makers, who craft caskets in shapes ranging from crocodiles to ice-cream cones.
9. Cape Verde
Average December temperature 25C
It may have the white sand and volcanic spires of the Caribbean, but this archipelago floating around 400 miles west of Senegal is infinitely better value; indeed you’d be hard pushed to find a Cape Verde hotel that costs more than £200 a night. The most developed island, Sal, is defined by silken beaches such as Santa Maria, where windsurfers sip local beer Strela in colourful beach bars. Arid Sao Vicente is home to the country’s cultural capital, Mindelo, where 19th-century streets echo with the sound of morna, batuque and funana music. Just 50 minutes away by ferry, Santo Antao’s Paul Valley is a landscape of savage beauty where a small selection of eco-conscious lodges cater to hikers.
Make it happen
Mamiwata Eco Village on Santo Antao combines sleek stand-alone suites combine ocean views with impressive sustainability credentials including solar power and an organic farm.
mamiwata-ecovillage.com
• Best things to do in Cape Verde
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