Having winter blues? Don’t despair! While Canada is bundled up for chill and snow, there are lots of places in the world for warm winter vacations, just to mention a few.
Vacations in Roatán Island, Honduras
The island of Roatan is 30 miles off the north coast of Honduras atop the world’s second largest coral reef making it excellent place for diving and snorkeling. The island has nice sandy beaches, all of which are public. Originally an English colony, and later ceded to Honduras, Roatan has a mixture of English and Spanish speaking natives. There are only about 60 hotels there, and holiday rates are still surprisingly reasonable considering what is on offer.
Vacations in Bali, Indonesia
The famous Island of the Gods in Bali is summer paradise. It has something to offer to everyone, from young back-packers to the super-rich. The combination of hospitable people, ancient temples, spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving, wreaths of rice plants and flowers, holiday meals of Indonesian green-tea noodles with seafood in bonito broth, have made Bali one of the world’s most popular place for warm winter vacations and one which consistently wins travel awards.
Vacations in Penang, Malaysia
Penang Island and its main city of George Town are certainly worth a look. The island has rich multicultural history which is full of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European influences. George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cheaper hotels in the area are those in the historic center of George Town. A favorite area for both locals and visitors is located on the north coast with white sandy beaches, luxurious hotels and restaurants. Penang is also well known for being the “food paradise” of Malaysia with an abundance of cheap and cheerful food courts in addition to some notable fine dining.
Vacations in Phuket, Thailand
Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean, which has been a very popular warm winter vacations destination for northern Europeans for decades. It is featuring over 1,000 hotels and resorts with about 12 beach areas that are quite different from one another. Tourism has transformed the island into Thailand’s wealthiest province. Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The “cool” season is from November to February when the weather is quite tolerable: it is comparable to Florida’s summer weather – 25-33°C in temperature, flying clouds, and short and thunderous rain storms.
Vacations in Hoi An / Da Nang, Vietnam
These travel destinations are often overlooked by tourists but they are actually one of the most beautiful, friendly and cheap places for warm winter vacations. Being a favorite among visitors to Vietnam for decades, Hoi An is a beautiful city with its Old Town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Da Nang is more of a newcomer after it’s built a string of large beachfront hotels meant for foreign guests. Vietnamese food has a large cult following around the world, and both of these towns have an abundance of great and affordable restaurants serving several varieties. If it feels like you have already been everywhere, to go Vietnam is a splendid idea.
