If you’re suffering after a summer that never really got off the ground with the prospect of months of grey winter weather ahead, there’s only one thing for it - get yourself a dose of medicinal winter sun. First things first, check out our winter sun hotlist for the latest chic retreats in hot spots around the globe.
Thanks to those big wigs at i-escape.com we have have sought-out a selection of stylish sanctuaries in the sun, each offering something a little special, from a luxe cave in the Canaries to a brand new eco-retreat on an Indonesian private island. With prices starting from £40 per room per night, sun-seekers can choose to get their fix in a far flung destination or opt for somewhere a little closer to home.
The brand spanking new Dar Bibine in Djerba, Tunisia is a seriously chic 4 bed maison d’hotes. It’s brilliant white walls and cerulean blue doors are reminiscent of a Greek island but the designer furnishings are straight off London’s Kings Road, Philippe Starck dressing tables sit alongside Descampes bath robes. Enjoy the hearty breakfasts, top up the tan on the tranquil roof terrace, relax beside the pool or immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the old medina. Dar Bibine costs from £95 per room per night, including breakfast and a bottle of wine.
Next stop on the winter sun trail is the Canarian island of Lanzarote, off the coast of west Africa, which offers guaranteed year-round sunshine only 4 hours' flight from London. Stay away from the over developed coastal resorts and escape inland to the hippy hideaway of Casa El Morro, with its shady gardens, big pool, Balinese daybeds and yoga/massage tent in the grounds.
Choose from seven warmly decorated apartments, sleeping 2-5 people, each with a fully equipped kitchen and shady terrace. There are shops and weekly markets in nearby Uga (or you can push the boat out and book a chef); Timanfaya National Park is on your doorstep, for dramatic hikes and horseback rides through stunning volcanic desert-scapes.Suite for 2 from £62 per night; suite for 4 from £98 per night.
Head to the recently opened Riad Dar Rabia in Marrakech, Morocco, if you’re looking for a quiet retreat in this bustling city. This stylish, contemporary villa sleeps 6 and is a wonderfully, tranquil bolthole after the madness of the Medina.
Located a short stroll from the Djemaa el Fna, this place is a bold blend of oriental and western design – mosaic tiled bathrooms and Moroccan silks combine with sleek beds and modern TVs. Lie back on a slick wicker sunbed and enjoy that all important sunshine on the spacious roof terrace. The Riad sleeps six and costs from £166 per night, including breakfast.
Newly opened this year, Nikoi Island combines barefoot luxury with eco-friendly principles. Located just 2 hours from Singapore, this Indonesian private island offers the ultimate Robinson Crusoe experience – white sandy beaches, gin-clear waters, coral reefs and a rainforest teeming with birds.
Nikoi Island is so unspoilt you feel you've rented the whole thing for yourself; especially because there are only 6 beautiful Indonesian beach houses. You'll not be short of things to do - choose from snorkeling, island hopping, fishing, sailing, beach-combing, wildlife spotting or just reclining on a daybed, cocktail in hand. A one bedroom beach house costs from £117 per night, room only.
Where better to enjoy the sunshine than on a Brazilian beach? Opt for the recently opened (spring 2008) Casa do Dean in Arraial d’Ajuda on Bahia’s beautiful coastline. Set in the rainforest, but just 5 minutes from the beach, this is New York loft meets funky beach house.
Huge glass windows open onto the wooden veranda, with a wonderful view out over the trees to the sea beyond. The villa is private, laidback and luxurious, with beautiful en-suite bedrooms and the services of a maid for up to 6 hours a day. Down on the beach, head one way for deserted sand and coconut palms, or the other for some of the chicest beach bars on the Discovery Coast. Casa do Dean sleeps 4 and costs from £279 a night.
Team sea and sun with safari at Saadani Safari Lodge in Tanzania, East Africa’s only park with sea frontage. Nine tented cottages are hidden amongst the screw palms on a tranquil spot overlooking the Indian Ocean, perfect for gentle game viewing with a dose of beach.
Spot baboon, giraffe, lion and buffalo from the hidden tree house then swim out to one of the off-shore islands to snorkel amongst tropical fish. Socialise at sunset with cocktails at the quirky ‘boat bar’, enjoy a meal overlooking the golden sands in the grass-roofed restaurant and finish the night with a campfire on the beach. From £134 per person per night, including full board accommodation, laundry, one daily activity and airport transfers.
The go slow island of Isla Holbox off the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is the perfect place for total relaxation in the sun this winter. Stay at CasaSandra – the passion project of Sandra Perez, Cuban music producer, poet and artist. Sandra's influence is evident in the hotel’s carefully sourced Cuban antiques, the bespoke colonial style furniture from Guadalajara, and the 15 romantic rooms and seriously sexy suites with ocean views.
This place is Mexican with a contemporary edge that gives it a stylish and welcoming ambiance. Add the best restaurant on the island, vast double sun loungers and a new pool, and you have the perfect formula for lusciously lazy days. Rooms cost from £87 per room per night, including breakfast.
Take in the Atlantic Ocean views and relax in contemporary surroundings at Glen Beach Villas, near Cape Town, South Africa. The three spacious villas and wonderful Penthouse apartment overlook stunning Glen Beach and are all stylishly decked out, with open plan living rooms, sleek modern kitchens and refreshing plunge pools.
Chill out on the beach, stroll into town for a night out, watch the sun sink into the sea from your terrace and go to sleep to the sound of the waves – bliss! The penthouse sleeps 4 and costs from £174 per night, while the villas sleep 8 and costs from £160 a night.
For quirky accommodation right on the beach, choose to take your winter sun at YabYum Resort on Mandrem beach, Goa. The wonderful, palm-thatched ‘igloos’ are hidden within a magical sand garden. The 12 rounded domes are lovingly decorated with richly-coloured Rajasthani 'paintings' above every bed, bright paint on the walls and muslin curtains in front of the propped-open palm windows.
Shaded by coconut palms during the day and twinkling with strings of fairy lights and paper lanterns in the evening. Enjoy breakfast on your own table outside your pod, sunbathe by the plunge pool or have your lounger carried to the nearly-deserted beach. A pod that sleeps 2 costs from £40 per night, including breakfast. There are also larger pods that sleep up to 4 and costs from £53 per pod per night.
Situated on a blissfully secluded beach, yet within easy reach of the popular jungle and nature park of Manuel Antonio, Arenas Del Mar is our favourite coastal hideaway in Costa Rica. It offers the best of both worlds: sophisticated yet surrounded by rustic beauty. The reception area is a soaring wooden palanque lined with woven palms, crimson walls, elegant armchairs and a circular bar.
An organic swimming pool forms a natural oasis and interiors are filled with original paintings. Rooms offer ocean views from your bed or balcony jacuzzi. Spend your days lazing on the secluded beach, venture into the jungle with a friendly local guide or unwind in the spa with an organic treatment. From £147 per room per night for a kingsize room with an ocean of rainforest view, includes breakfast.
If you’re suffering after a summer that never really got off the ground with the prospect of months of grey winter weather ahead, there’s only one thing for it - get yourself a dose of medicinal winter sun. First things first, check out our winter sun hotlist for the latest chic retreats in hot spots around the globe.
Thanks to those big wigs at i-escape.com we have have sought-out a selection of stylish sanctuaries in the sun, each offering something a little special, from a luxe cave in the Canaries to a brand new eco-retreat on an Indonesian private island. With prices starting from £40 per room per night, sun-seekers can choose to get their fix in a far flung destination or opt for somewhere a little closer to home.
The brand spanking new Dar Bibine in Djerba, Tunisia is a seriously chic 4 bed maison d’hotes. It’s brilliant white walls and cerulean blue doors are reminiscent of a Greek island but the designer furnishings are straight off London’s Kings Road, Philippe Starck dressing tables sit alongside Descampes bath robes. Enjoy the hearty breakfasts, top up the tan on the tranquil roof terrace, relax beside the pool or immerse yourself in the hustle and bustle of the old medina. Dar Bibine costs from £95 per room per night, including breakfast and a bottle of wine.
Next stop on the winter sun trail is the Canarian island of Lanzarote, off the coast of west Africa, which offers guaranteed year-round sunshine only 4 hours' flight from London. Stay away from the over developed coastal resorts and escape inland to the hippy hideaway of Casa El Morro, with its shady gardens, big pool, Balinese daybeds and yoga/massage tent in the grounds.
Choose from seven warmly decorated apartments, sleeping 2-5 people, each with a fully equipped kitchen and shady terrace. There are shops and weekly markets in nearby Uga (or you can push the boat out and book a chef); Timanfaya National Park is on your doorstep, for dramatic hikes and horseback rides through stunning volcanic desert-scapes.Suite for 2 from £62 per night; suite for 4 from £98 per night.
Head to the recently opened Riad Dar Rabia in Marrakech, Morocco, if you’re looking for a quiet retreat in this bustling city. This stylish, contemporary villa sleeps 6 and is a wonderfully, tranquil bolthole after the madness of the Medina.
Located a short stroll from the Djemaa el Fna, this place is a bold blend of oriental and western design – mosaic tiled bathrooms and Moroccan silks combine with sleek beds and modern TVs. Lie back on a slick wicker sunbed and enjoy that all important sunshine on the spacious roof terrace. The Riad sleeps six and costs from £166 per night, including breakfast.
Newly opened this year, Nikoi Island combines barefoot luxury with eco-friendly principles. Located just 2 hours from Singapore, this Indonesian private island offers the ultimate Robinson Crusoe experience – white sandy beaches, gin-clear waters, coral reefs and a rainforest teeming with birds.
Nikoi Island is so unspoilt you feel you've rented the whole thing for yourself; especially because there are only 6 beautiful Indonesian beach houses. You'll not be short of things to do - choose from snorkeling, island hopping, fishing, sailing, beach-combing, wildlife spotting or just reclining on a daybed, cocktail in hand. A one bedroom beach house costs from £117 per night, room only.
Where better to enjoy the sunshine than on a Brazilian beach? Opt for the recently opened (spring 2008) Casa do Dean in Arraial d’Ajuda on Bahia’s beautiful coastline. Set in the rainforest, but just 5 minutes from the beach, this is New York loft meets funky beach house.