We’re only a few weeks past the winter solstice and already, the grey and gloom are getting to us. You, too? The folks at Britain’s The Guardian feel our pain — so much so, they’ve assembled a list of the top 10 sunny spots for a winter vacation.
The palm-fringed sands of Vietnam’s Phu Quoc top the list and it’s hardly surprising why. This is the spot Lonely Planet has called a “must-visit beach escape” for sun-worshippers. Resorts have invaded many of the once-uncrowded beaches, but there are still plenty of spots to explore including scuba-perfect reefs, dusty back roads and waterways that beckon kayakers, too.
You’ll find plenty of other sunny islands and coastlines on the Guardian list, clustered along the equator or across the southern hemisphere. Among the wanderlust-inspiring picks are the budget-friendly shores of Sri Lanka — with all the sandy beach and gorgeous-water appeal of the Maldives at a fraction of the price — and foodie pleasures of South Africa’s Paternoster. (Yep, we had to look it up, too. It’s on the west coast of South Africa, 90 miles north of Cape Town.)
Here’s just a taste. Find the full list and all the reasons why you should go — and what to do once there — at www.theguardian.com/travel/.
- Phu Quoc, Vietnam
- Cyprus
- Sri Lanka
- Valletta, Malta
- Paternoster, South Africa
- Lanzarote, Canary Islands
- Jericoacoara, Brazil
- Taghazout, Morocco
- Algarve, Portugal
- Jaffa, Israel.
