Don’t miss…January travel experiences
The Maldives is always a good idea…but its an especially brilliant plan in January
For WINTER sun...THE MALDIVES
If someone offers you a ticket to the Maldives at any time of the year...take it! But if I was going to be choosy, January is the real winner as you can leave behind the cold and damp weather of home and land right in the middle of their dry season. This means max sunbathing under clear skies...and the clearest of water for diving and snorkelling as the rain stays well away.
Nothing will get you through the most boring month of the year better than hanging out on a tropical island.
Sure you can max the relax and spend your entire trip soaking up the sun on this island paradise, but if you’re looking to kick start 2022 with some action, there is plenty do. If you’re happy to get wet there’s diving, kayaking, snorkelling, stand up paddle boarding, surfing, parasailing and tubing . If you’re a yoga bunny you’ll find an increasing number of retreat style boutiques popping up. Or if you’re trying to kick your butt into gear after the festivities, there’s tennis, volleyball and world-class gym facilities.
And… if that sounds like too much hard work, you can just chill out. I will join you, not judge you!
What I would say is that you should definitely put the post-Christmas diet off until February. There is no point in flying all the way to this Indian Ocean paradise and not getting stuck into the gastronomic delights that you’ll find all over. You can eat simple, no frills seafood straight out of the ocean...and you can dine on local dishes with a twist created by Michelin star guest chefs, and everything in between.
The Maldives is more than just a honeymoon destination. Sure it's romantic but it's also fun. There aren’t many places where you can wake up and ride a water slide straight from your bedroom into the turquoise waters below your water villa!
Ideal for:
Families
Romantic escapes
Celebrations
Groups
Time out
Wat Preah Prom Rath in Siem Reap - just one of the amazing temples you can visit in Cambodia
for an amazing cultural experience...cambodia
South East Asia has largely been off limits since the pandemic hit. But it looks like that’s about to change - borders are reopening and hotels are dusting off the cobwebs to welcome you back - hooray! So think very seriously about making your first trip of 2022 to Cambodia.
January is smack bang in the middle of Cambodia’s dry season, so as you step off the plane you’ll be welcomed by blue skies and warm, but not sweltering weather. Which is important as Cambodia is about more than lying about on the beach drinking cocktails - there is tons to do, see and experience.
Other people will have the same idea, so if you’re heading for Cambodia at this time, here are a few tips for side stepping the crowds and making some clever swaps.
Angkor Wat is world famous and attracts the crowds so skip sunset there and enjoy it at Ta Prohm or the 10th century Koh Ker. It has over 200 temples, of which only 96 have actually been found, and there’s a decent chance you’ll have the place to yourself as very few visitors have it on their radar.
Phnom Penh is a gorgeous place to visit with its boutique shops, galleries and world famous restaurant scene. But you may find the riverside quite bustling with tourists, so dip in there, but plan to spend more of your time in the laid back riverside town of Kampot. Behind the peach and faded yellow French-colonial shop fronts along the Teuk Chhou River you’ll find tiny cafés and gorgeous family owned restaurants serving everything from Kampot-pepper-infused local signatures to French-inspired dishes and freshly caught river shrimp from the night market. If you’re feeling brave you can also try the locally grown fruit Durian...but if I were you, I wouldn’t!
Any itinerary needs some chill time, so my last top swap for Cambodia is to switch Sihanoukville’s beach for Kep’s, which is handily located just a 30 minute tuk-tuk ride from Kampot. Cambodia’s first ever beach destination took a hammering in the Civil War but since the 1990s this raffishly charming seaside output has emerged from stronger and more appealing than ever. If you like adventure, seafood and gorgeous architecture on sleepy shores away from the crowds, this could well be the highlight of your trip!
Perfect for:
History lovers
Foodies
Adventure seekers
Sunny escape
Barbados allows parents to actually have a break
for Festivity-fried FAMILIES...barbados
You’ve survived Christmas. Well done. You even made it to midnight on New Year’s Eve. Congratulations! Now what? It’s time to escape!
Barbados is a fabulous place to escape the winter. If you’re not tied to school holidays then don’t hang around and head off in January. If you’ve got school aged children then you may have to wait a little longer until half term (UK) or President’s Weekend (US) in mid-Feb but my advice is the same - book a trip to Barbados.
Barbados is that rarest of places - it affords parents a genuine break, not just parenting with a different view. You’ll find sun, sea and sand in abundance, delicious Bajan cuisine that caters to even the trickiest of tastebuds, pretty little towns to explore and hotels that sweep families up with open arms.
First up, the beaches. Barbados has an Atlantic and Caribbean coastline, so head for the west coast for the shallowest waters to splash about in. There are 60 beaches in total so heaps to choose from - if you’ve got a budding surfer in your midst, Crane Beach is fab for boogie boarding and for littles, Batts Rock and Paynes Bay Beach are perfect for paddling.
I know that keeping kids entertained is a top priority on any trip. Boredom does not make for a relaxing time for any parent. While tots might stay occupied for hours digging their toes in the sand and splashing in the pool, older kids, tweens and teens need more. Which is another reason why Barbados is so awesome - the watersports. Kids and adults hunting for thrills and spills are spoilt for choice with surfing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, boogieboarding and great snorkelling spots aplenty. Even better, you can rent kit, so you won’t need that separate cargo plane for your luggage after all!
The most beautiful things come in small(ish) packages and in the Caribbean this applies to hotels where many of the best places to stay are boutique with limited rooms. 2022 may feel ages away but it isn’t. To avoid staying in the UK this winter, hop on it now and get planning.
Perfect for:
Active families
Beach lovers
Kids of all ages
FOR A PROPER ADVENTURE...NICARAGUA
There’s nothing quite like fiery politics and government instability to keep visitors at arm’s length.
Which is why Nicaragua has flown under the radar of most travellers (with the exception of determined gap year students for some time). But that’s all changing now that the country is once again peaceful and relatively prosperous, so I’d highly advise that you add it to your list.
Right now, Nicaragua is still low down the list of most people’s travel ambitions. And this is a very good thing. Because it means that you can explore the central American country that really has it all, in peace and quiet.
Nicaragua has a tropical climate which means that whenever you go you can expect to shelter from the rain at some point during your trip, even for just a couple of minutes.. But January is the driest month with barely any rain, particularly on the Pacific coast.
Wherever you find yourself in Nicaragua- whether that’s chatting with a local barista as you sample the city of Grenada’s cafe culture, or heading off with an experienced guide to volcano board down the charred slopes of Cerro Negro - you’ll be welcomed with the most amazing warmth, friendliness and enthusiasm.
The Nicaraguan people are desperate for you to experience their awesome country for yourself.
They want you to experience the magic of taking a boat down the Rio San Juan in search of Macaws and they want you to be stopped in your tracks as you stare at the remote beaches of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Ocean. They want to share their incredible eco lodges that show their commitment to ensuring that tourism growth in Nicaragua is positive and sustainable.
After nearly 2 years of experiencing the world via Netflix, 2022 is the time to get out there and experience it again in real life. And there’s no better place than Nicaragua to start!
Perfect for:
Adventure seekers
Couples
Families with older kids
A sense of discovery
Amsterdam is lit up ind pure magic in January
for an exciting city break...amsterdam
If you partied in Amsterdam in your twenties, now is the time to give it another crack. You might remember (or even not remember!) it as the capital of the European party scene, but it shed that image quite some time ago. Head there now and you’ll still find the unique buzz that makes Amsterdam so special, but you’ll also find Michelin starred restaurants all over the city, gorgeous cafes and cool boutiques on every corner and world class museums and boutique art galleries galore. All of which are reasons to pop the Dutch cultural capital back on your wish list.
And January? While the rest of Northern Europe is hunkered down in a kind of post-holiday hibernation and self-loathing, Amsterdam continues to have fun well into the New Year. Sure, it can be freezing cold and sometimes there’s even snow on the ground but that only adds to the magic.
If you layer up and head out to explore, you’ll find plenty of annual festivals and events that make this most tedious of months feel positively jolly. Head there in early Jan to catch the tail end of the Annual Amsterdam Light Festival where the city comes alive with light installations, or later in the month when 200,000 tulips are planted all over Amsterdam to mark National Tulip Day.
But there’s more than just joie de vivre that makes Amsterdam a brilliant city break spot. It’s simple to get to for a start - just a 45 minute hop from London and an easy direct flight from the US East Coast. And there are so many options to rest your head after a busy day exploring the city - from the grand dames of the golden age to contemporary boutique hotels, lovely little inns and everything in between.
Perfect for:
Design lovers
Foodies
Art & history enthusiasts
