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Winter breaks with guaranteed sunshine
  • Looking for an affordable week in the sun? The Cape Verde islands are located 500km off the coast of West Africa and share African and Portuguese influences. They're not as touristy as the Canary Islands and have gorgeous beaches in Sal and Boa Vista. Cape Verde is also a paradise for surfers, hikers and divers. Sunshine.co.uk offers holidays to Cape Verde in Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and Sao Vicente.
  • Spend your festive break exploring the wonderful colonial architecture of Havana and Trinidad, wandering the famed tobacco fields in Vinales, climbing the beautiful Cuban mountain ranges and lounging on Baracoa’s laid-back Caribbean beaches. Prices for a December Cuba holiday with Intrepid start at £689 (excluding flights) for accommodation, city tours and excursions and the services of a tour leader.
  • Think Canaries, think bring on the Full English? Think again. Lanzarote, an island of brooding volcanoes, has  managed to contain its tourist development, allowing its natural beauty to break through. Black volcanic fields, deep green cacti, whitewashed cottages: it’s a landscape to gladden the cool designer’s eye. December may be the beginning of the rainy season but don't let that put you off! The island experiences less than 20 days of rain in an entire year. Stick to the south for warm sunny days on the beach. TravelSupermarket compares cheap holidays to Lanzarote with prices starting from £166 per person in December.

  • This Indian Ocean island has a formidable reputation for great service wherever you go. Its white-sand beaches, sparkling in the heat in December, are hard to leave, yet there’s so much more to see. This island was an important trading post for merchants - and pirates - over the centuries and the influence of a league of nations lives on, from the bustling streets of Chinatown, in the capital Port Louis, to the serene shores of the sacred Hindu lake Grand Bassin. Turquoise Holidays is offering seven nights at Anahita Golf & Spa Resort, Mauritius from £1,650 per person.

  • The weather in the Cayman Islands from mid-December is hot and dry with cooling winds making it perfect for long days at the beach. An 80-minute flight from Miami, the Caymans encompass three beautiful islands in the western Caribbean. On Grand Cayman, stroll along coral-sand Seven Mile Beach and swim with yearling green sea turtles in the saltwater lagoon at Cayman Turtle Farm. For an all-in-one Cayman getaway, make family-owned Brac Reef Beach Resort your home base for beachfront lodging, diving, snorkelling, kayaking and birding.
  • For a Christmas family getaway in the sun, look no further than Portugal's sunny Algarve, where you can enjoy cultural festivals, sandy beaches and winter sunshine! Surrounded by the natural Costa Vicentina Park and a beach on its doorstep, the five-star Martinhal Hotel is perfect for families wanting all the Christmas trimmings as well as some sunshine. The resort will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland with fairy lights, Santa Claus, yuletide food and festive cheer. Take advantage of 27.5 per cent off seven-night half-board stays with Christmas dinner and Christmas day brunch included at just €113.50 (£90) per adult per night in a Hotel Room for a family of two adults, one child under 12 and one baby.
  • It's an old winter sun favourite and Barbados is the classic Caribbean island for a beach holiday. It's only eight hours away and temperatures reach up to 29 degrees in January with 10 hours of sunshine a day. The island is the culinary capital of the Caribbean and there are spectacular diving sites, as well as idyllic beaches. Virgin Holidays offers Barbados winter deals from £779 for seven nights.
  • Bali has been revealed as the top long-haul winter sun destination for a bargain by Post Office Travel, with 10 holiday items including an evening meal, suncream, a bottle of water and glass of wine, costing just £40. The spectacular Indonesian island of Bali boasts kilometres of powder soft sand, swathes of lush rice paddies and an engaging native culture. Travelbag offers holidays to Bali from £569 per person.
  • Cruise holidays are ideal for winter sun seekers who want to experience a variety of sandy beaches, characterful cities and historic harbours, and with its diverse islands, the Caribbean is perfect for a winter break. P&O Cruises offers 15-night Caribbean fly cruises starting from only £1,399 per person, including return flights, resort transfers and 14 nights in an inside cabin with full-board meals and entertainment on board. Departing from and returning to Barbados, the cruise itinerary includes visits to Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Tortola, Curacao and Bonaire.
  • With temperatures nearing an unbearable 50 degrees in summer, the winter months are ideal for exploring Dubai, when you can escape the cold UK weather and enjoy sunnier climes. If you're a shopaholic, the annual Dubai Shopping Festival takes place from 5 January until 5 February. Around the city, there are great golf clubs, stunning beaches and a buzzing nightlife scene. British Airways offers seven nights in the Melia Dubai from £615 including flights.
  • The magnificent temples of Angkor have attracted visitors from all over the world for thousands of years. Built from the 9th to 14th centuries - when the Khmer regime was at its most creative - these sites are architectural wonders. Angkor Wat is the largest and most well-preserved monument, and the colonial-style Siem Reap is the nearest town... Stay in the capital, Phnom Penh, which has vibrant nightlife, beautiful pagodas, and the humbling Cheong Ek. Elsewhere, there's beautiful jungle, stunning beaches (try Sihanoukville) and national parks to soak up. Check out the range of holidays on offer from Kuoni, where you can choose from an array of package holidays or organise your own tailor-made trip.
  • February sees Cape Town in its quieter months, but still in the height of summer - so it's hot (average 27C) and crowd-free! Head to the beautiful V&A waterfront for mooching and shopping, and to get the boat over to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. Take a cable car up to the top of Table Mountain, then, after dark, check out Long Street for great clubs and bars. For something a bit swish, check out the popular beach suburb of Camp's Bay - full of shi shi cocktail bars with a view. And don't leave without visiting one of the beautiful vineyards, like Stellenbosch, for a spot of wine-tasting. TripAdvisor features reviews of hotels, attractions and restaurants in Cape Town.

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