Deny the onset of winter with a winter sun escape. Simon Calder and Annabel Grossman take you through their top picks for catching the last of the sun in European, Asia and Africa.Whether an Italian escape in sunny Sicily, the vibrant scenes of Marrakesh in Morocco or further afield with a trip to Thailand or India, Travel Smart gives you the lowdown on the places to visit and things to see. Simon Calder also answers readers questions on the subject of winter sun.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to TravelSmart, your weekly guide to the best of travel from
00:05the independent. We aim to inspire, entertain and inform about the industry
00:10of human happiness, as well as advise on how to stay warm this winter without
00:14actually turning the heating on. Today we're talking about one of our favourite
00:19topics, winter sun.
00:31In the Northern Hemisphere, winter sun is largely a question of degrees.
00:37Generally, the closer you get to the equator, the higher the temperature goes.
00:45Traditionally, British aristocrats used to travel to the south of France for a
00:50winter warmer and the Côte d'Azur remains a firm favourite. There are lots
00:55of flights from across the UK to Nice Airport, from where resorts such as Cannes,
01:01Saint-Tropez and Joins-les-Pins are easily accessible. A personal favourite is
01:07the tranquil port of Villefranche, just over the hill east of Nice, which is
01:12officially the sunniest city in France. We've also been studying the sunniest
01:19places in Italy and the island of Sicily is the clear winner.
01:26Catania and Palermo both have direct flights from the UK and more sunshine
01:31than any other big Italian cities. As well as their metropolitan attractions,
01:36both cities are close to superb beaches. Cefalu, as seen in White Lotus season 2,
01:42is less than an hour east of Palermo, while the beach down the hill from
01:47Taormina is only 40 minutes north of Catania.
01:52Southern Sicily is the same latitude as the far north of Africa, where Morocco
01:58and Tunisia compete for your attention. Both countries have great beaches and
02:04desert landscapes, as well as a rich history with towns and cities growing up
02:10around thriving souks.
02:15New air routes mean easier access than ever, with frequent flights from London,
02:21Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh to Marrakesh, a city full of colour and
02:25energy within easy reach of the Atlas Mountains, if you'd like to stretch your
02:30legs. But there's no contest for the country with the most certain winter sun
02:35in North Africa, it's Egypt. There is an array of indulgent Red Sea resorts
02:41awaiting your attention. Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula offers great
02:46swimming and snorkelling, while Haggadah on mainland Egypt gives easier access to
02:52the nation's archaeological treasures. I particularly recommend a trip down the
02:58Nile, starting in Aswan and passing through Luxor on the way to Cairo. You
03:05can cruise all the way, but if you're short of time there are good air and
03:09rail links as well.
03:17Time to head south at the equator, where of course our winter sun becomes their
03:23summer sun. At the deep south of Africa, Cape Town delivers joyful seaside life
03:31with the additional temptation of wine country close by and the garden route
03:36stretching along the coast. You'll encounter superb scenery and tranquil
03:41towns beside the Indian Ocean. And talking of the Indian Ocean, my favourite
03:47archipelago isn't the Maldives, but the even more entrancing Seychelles. This
03:54archipelago boasts great beaches and much more, including a spectacular
03:58mountainous spine that reaches almost to 3,000 feet. Moving into Asia, southern
04:05India and southern Thailand offer the prospect of sunny skies through the cold
04:10northern months, as well as low living costs and delicious food. You might choose
04:17to take your winter sunshine in a city, in which case Singapore provides a wealth
04:23of experiences and some surprisingly good beaches. And with its excellent air
04:29links, Singapore gives access to all those Australasian temptations.
04:41Now we have time for one question with Simon. Kathy is going on an Antarctic
04:49cruise this January, very lucky woman, and she would love to get some winter sun
04:54along the way. Which South American nation would offer her the richest
04:58experience? Well of course she could choose from the beaches of Brazil, great
05:03cities like Buenos Aires, but actually if you want to pack the most of South
05:08America into a single country, it has to be Colombia. The great thing about there
05:13is that it's going to be fantastic weather in our winter. You've got
05:17everything from the beautiful Spanish colonial city of Cartagena, amazing
05:23Andean mountains and the Amazon rainforest.
05:28Well that's all we've got time for now, but do get in touch with your personal
05:33favourite winter sun destinations and journeys. And for all the latest travel
05:38news, reviews and advice visit independent.co.uk forward slash travel.
05:43And do have a listen to my daily travel podcast.
06:03you