Five places to find the winter sun

published 14 October 2016

Zanzibar

"Whisper Zanzibar' and you can almost feel the heat, hear the languid slap of the surf and smell the fruits of the spice island," says Chris Haslam in The Sunday Times. Here, the average temperature stays in the high 20s. Make your way to The Residence Zanzibarand don't be put off by the hotel's nondescript exterior. Inside, the "rooms which all have private pools are fabulous", while the glass-walled main pool is "the best on the island". Out back, "there's a spa", while in front of the hotel is "a mile of dazzling white beach lapped by a lukewarm sea".

Northern Territory, Australia

This "vast expanse of land" bakes in highs of 33C during the Australian summer (our winter). The Northern Territory is a "true place for wanderers", with its terrain dominating some of the upper and central portions of Australia, says Nick Trend in The Daily Telegraph.

Here you will find the "Outback wonder of Uluru", formerly known as Ayers Rock, and the crossroads town of Alice Springs, while an iconic passenger train called The Ghan runs from Adelaide to the territory's north coast capital city Darwin. But "this place of dust and drama" also offers "cityscape cool". The Oaks Elan Darwin, one of Darwin's newest hotels, is sleek and modern, says Jennifer Pinkerton in the same paper.

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Gozo, Malta

Temperatures on Malta's "relaxed little sister", Gozo, remain in the 20s well into October, says Andy Hill in The Guardian perfect weather for climbing the citadel of Victoria, the island's "dinky" capital, and surveying the "arresting greenery", as opposed to Malta's "dustier palette". Once inside the ancient walls, dine on cheese and Gozitan sausage at Ta' Rikardu, and quaff wine made from grapes grown by the proprietor. The Church of Saint John the Baptist is the most striking of the island's 46 mostly baroque chapels and sits in the shadows of the Quaint Hotel, "a contemporary 12-room haven with a restaurant".

Gran Canaria, Spain

The "lovely" island of Gran Canaria, located off the northwest coast of Africa, offers warm winters think 21C to those who travel the four-and-a-half hours from Britain, says Lisa Minot in The Sun on Sunday. For somewhere to stay, head to the Seaside Sandy Beach Hotel, with its "stylish" Moorish design just steps from the Playa del Ingls beach. The hotel is well-known for its spa treatments and wellbeing and healthy living programmes. It also has a heated main pool, as well as a restaurant and bars.

St Lucia, Caribbean

After basking in 29-degree heat during the day, you can watch the sun set in any manner of ways. Head to Pigeon Point, where drinks will be waiting, and watch the "spectacular" sunset there, says Haslam. At Cap Maison, a former sugar plantation turned five-star hotel at Smugglers Cove, you can take a sunset cruise on the hotel's motor yacht and "watch the sun go down from a private deck on the reef (drinks delivered by zipline)". Then there's the option of enjoying a couple's spa treatment, "while you guessed it the sun sets". Or you could simply enjoy the spectacle "from the privacy of the balcony in your hacienda-style room".

A cruise around the Caribbean

Soak up the winter rays while exploringa "less familiar" Caribbean. The HollandAmerica's Zuiderdam leaves FortLauderdale, Florida, in January andheads south, via the private island ofHalf Moon Cay in The Bahamas, for theDutch Caribbean islands of Arubaand Curaao, "where temperatureshover around a balmy 28c", saysDavid Wickers in the Daily Mail.

Then it's on to Colombia's historicalport city of Cartagena and the halfwaypoint, the Panama Canal. Whileon board, "check out the Zuiderdam'scollection of original art and antiquities,including works by Andy Warhol andarchitect Frank Lloyd Wright".

Thirteen nights from £1,969 per person,including flights and pre-cruise hotelstay. Departs 24 January, 2017. SeeHollandAmerica.com (0843-374 2300).

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.