 running. Further afield, the lengthy flight to Australia is made entirely worthwhile when you consider that, even though the more southerly states are enduring winter, a Queensland 'winter' scarcely merits the name: temperatures around Cairns, the launchpad to the Great Barrier Reef, rarely dip below 26C. Even if you travel further south to Brisbane and Byron Bay, you can still expect pleasant low 20s. Their schools also have their summer holidays between December and January, so you won't be competing with packs of other families. So, if you're tempted to swerve the mad){kind=link}
We might travel beyond Europe for some Christmas sunshine, but these places might be even better value at this time of year
The Met Office has predicted that the summer of 2023 will be one of the warmest on record, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not dusting off passports and hankering after a change of scenery – and, regardless of the forecast on these shores, many of us usually have Europe’s sunnier realms on our radars. Spain, Greece, the South of France and Italy, these destinations are some of the most popular with Brits looking for a warm weather break.
And why not? Short flight times, minimal time differences and budget airlines make Europe a sure-fire winner when the sun shines on the northern hemisphere. But there’s a flipside to this, not least of which is that the combination of these factors makes Europe a popular destination for families making the most of the school holidays, and resorts and beaches can, at times, be tiresomely busy.
What many people overlook at this time of year are the destinations more readily associated with winter sun; the ones that surge in popularity over Christmas and New Year. Take Mauritius, for example – it’s reachable by a direct flight from the UK and, at this time of year, has average highs of around 25 degrees. It’s also home to a fantastic array of accommodation options, ranging from luxury resorts to low-key beach-houses. Banish thoughts of jetlag, too – with a time difference of a mere three hours, you’ll be able to hit the ground (or, more precisely, the beach) running.
Further afield, the lengthy flight to Australia is made entirely worthwhile when you consider that, even though the more southerly states are enduring winter, a Queensland “winter” scarcely merits the name: temperatures around Cairns, the launchpad to the Great Barrier Reef, rarely dip below 26C. Even if you travel further south to Brisbane and Byron Bay, you can still expect pleasant low 20s. Their schools also have their summer holidays between December and January, so you won’t be competing with packs of other families.