TAKE 2 t


Clients looking to fly and flop on exotic shores they can have to themselves? Laura French looks into the lesser-known options for winter sun


here’s something quite novel about taking off in the heart of the cold, dark British winter and landing a few hours later in the height of a warm, bright summer, sun streaming down on your skin, locals gleeful with the type of energy a radiant blue sky seems to encourage. Fortunately there’s a host of places where you can do exactly that, with beach destinations whose temperatures are at their most pleasant when our climate is at its most volatile.


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Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean all offer their fair share, – and while the better-known spots can attract the crowds, there’s plenty of off-the-radar options for those wanting more secluded getaways. We’ve done our research to find some of the best, so read on to see where to send clients who’ve already been there, done that and got the (slightly touristy) T-shirt – and now want a beach break where they’ll have the turquoise seas and swaying palms to themselves.²


DESTINATIONS BEACH BREAKS | WINTER SUN


LIKE THIS? KOH SAMUI, THAIND


Bath-warm waters coloured electric blue, white-sand beaches brushed with coconut groves, emerald-green rainforests carpeting the mountains; they might sound like clichés, but Koh Samui is about as close to the vision of a paradise island as you can get – if you take away the crowds. In reality, it’s not shy of tourists and big-name resorts, so if clients want a more remote spot it might be worth looking to a lesser-known option.


KOH YAO YAI, THAIND


WHY: Located between Phuket and Krabi, Koh Yao Yai has fewer visitors and only a handful of lodgings to its name, with kayaking through mangroves, trekking through coconut plantations and bumping around on tuk-tuks the main activities. For an extra-peaceful trip suggest pairing it with the nearby isle of Koh Lanta, where barefooted, carefree types amble along deserted sands and limestone formations float above aqua- coloured water.


EXPERTS SAY: “These islands remain fairly quiet to tourists and have avoided an influx of hotels,” says John Parker, Premier Holidays product manager for Africa and Thailand. “Visitors coming in winter will see minimal rainfall with hot, sunny days.”


BOOK IT: A week’s B&B at Layana Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta, costs from £1,999, including flights and transfers, for travel January 1-March 26, 2020. premierholidays.co.uk


TRY THIS


7 NOVEMBER 2019


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PICTURES: Shutterstock; Dafna Tal


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