By Chris Leadbeater
Cranberry sauce and crackers. Twinkling lights and tinsel. If the thought of another Christmas at home seems like so much old hat, maybe this is the year to consider a festive holiday in the sun. Perhaps in one of these places...
Best for sun-kissed explorers
Marooned in the Indian Ocean 600 miles east of Madagascar, Mauritius is a long way to fly just to lie on a beach. But that's fine, because this outpost of just 787 square miles rewards exploration. Sail to offshore bolthole the Ile Aux Cerfs. Enjoy the views from Souillac, a fishing village on the south coast. Visit the lively east-coast Flacq Market. Or hike rainforest trails in the Black River Gorges National Park. That said, if sun worship is your plan, there are many lovely strips of sand. Try Péreybère Beach at the north tip.
Stay: Silver Beach resort, on the east coast, is an ideal base for trips to Ile Aux Cerfs.
Or else try:Next-door neighbour the Seychelles (just 1,000 miles north) is an island-hopper’s delight. Mahé is the main isle, but smaller La Digue and Praslin are must-sees.
Best for beach bunnies
If the idea of doing anything but top up your tan has you shaking your head, there is much to recommend the Maldives. Here is a place where the star rating of your hotel makes little difference to the quality of your stay – because the main attraction of this Indian Ocean archipelago is its desert-island aesthetic – shallow sandbars, whispering palm trees, clear water where endless marine wildlife swims in the shallows. Great for scuba diving. Even better if you do nothing.
Stay: Paradise Island Resort has its own dive centre. So if you do feel energetic...
Or else try: Nearby Sri Lanka (500 miles from the Maldives) is not an obvious choice for sunshine breaks – but has glorious beaches, such as Berawula on the east coast.
Best for peace and relaxation
The little brother of noisy, bustling Trinidad, Tobago is one of the Caribbean’s most tranquil enclaves, a place where life moves at a gentle ebb. Most visitors tend to opt for a hotel at the western tip, where Store Bay and Pigeon Point offer sun-and-surf heaven – but there are fine beaches galore on the less-seen north shore (Englishman’s Bay is a wonder of the world), as well as chances to explore the island’s rainforest or go diving on the east coast at Speyside. Nothing, though, happens in much of a rush.
Stay: Coco Reef Resort sits on Store Bay, but has a private beach for extra hush.
Or else try: Smaller than Tobago, Antigua is a breathtaking place for relaxing, especially if you spurn the (slightly) busier north for the south, and the likes of Half Moon Bay.
Best for party animals
A purpose-built holiday city carved out of the forest-covered east corner of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun is the ideal place for shaking off the chill of a British winter. An unpretentious party zone, it comes complete with a dance-till-dawn atmosphere – not least in the bars and restaurants on the seafront Boulevard Kukulcan or in the clubs further inland along Calle Yaxchilan. Of course, if you fancy a change of pace, the stunning Mayan ruins of Tulum and Coba are within easy day-trip reach.
Stay: Barcelo Tucancun Beach resort occupies a prime spot on Boulevard Kukulcan
Or else try: Long a British favourite, Barbados has some excellent nightlife options. Christ Church, on the south coast, has plenty of bars to keep night owls entertained.
Best for dare-to-be-differents
If you really want to get away from Christmas at home – and fancy trying an off-beat location that you can brag about when you get back – Africa’s underrated coastline is certainly worth a look. Kenya is better known for its safaris, but Mombasa, its second city, has some fabulous sandy stretches on the Indian Ocean – not least Diani Beach, south of the city, where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt famously kindled their romance on holiday in 2005. The nearby Tiwi and Shelly beaches are equally picture-perfect.
Stay: Papillon Lagoon Reef resort lies on Diani Beach. Great for Hollywood wannabes
Or else try: Rarely viewed as a seafront destination, Cape Town has surprisingly good beaches – such as the lengthy line of sand at Muizenberg, out on the peninsula.
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Chris Leadbeater is a freelance travel journalist. He writes regularly for the Daily Mail. His favourite destinations are Cuba, the USA and Paris.