Where can I get guaranteed sun?
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I am looking for a good value holiday with guaranteed sun for a beach break around April, May or June, away from the usual destinations of the Western Med. Where can you recommend? I am prepared to travel up to around nine hours on a direct flight.
By Bob Atkinson, travelsupermarket.com
The period you are looking to go is generally considered a ‘shoulder period’ as we move away from winter sun into summer 2012
So travelling at this time should enable you to get a good deal on your holiday. You just need to be wary of Easter in early April and the two bank holidays in June 2012 around the Royal Jubilee. Prices around both of these will peak due to school holidays.
So where should you go? There are a huge range of destinations to pick from; however you are looking for value and sun so here are my top five choices.
Florida
This is a great time to visit the Sunshine state of Florida as the weather is good with temperatures in the mid 20s, crowds are much smaller at the theme parks and you can have many of the beaches to yourself. Prices tend to be very keen and you can pick up low season offers from the big tour operators and airlines.
Try and take a break of up to two weeks to fully appreciate your holiday and make the most of the cost of travelling across the pond. Holiday ideas vary from action packed theme parks centred around Orlando to beach breaks on the Caribbean Coast around Clearwater, spending some time in art deco South Beach in Miami. Visiting the awe-inspiring Space Centre at Kennedy, wildlife spotting in the Everglades of the idyllic white sand beaches and laid back lifestyle in the Keys.
Consider either a full package, or separate flight and car hire deal with hotels booked as required for full flexibility. And look out for loads of voucher deals, eating out and shopping offers all designed to cut costs when you are in the USA.
The Caribbean
As is the case in Florida, the weather is great and things have quietened down after the winter season peak. Look out for events such as the St Lucia Jazz Festival in May, Test cricket in April and the Celtic Festival in June on Barbados and the Ocho Rios music festival in Jamaica.
The islands offer a range of holiday experiences from 5-star luxury; with many hotels having great deals to travel and stay at this time, through to budget-end self-catering based apartments. Beware of eating out costs though as these can be expensive on the islands.
The best overall package deals will be to the Spanish Caribbean islands of Dominican Republic and Cuba. Another option is to take a cruise and see a number of islands in one holiday.
Mexico
The Mexican resorts on the Caribbean coasts offer great value, especially on all inclusive packages direct from the UK. Good quality accommodation in resorts such as Cancun, Cozumel, Playacar and Playa del Carmen are tried and trusted favourites. You can also book day trips to see Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza to add some real historical culture to your break in the sun!
Egypt
With political unrest an ongoing issue, you need to be careful about travelling to the big cities; however the Nile area from Luxor to Aswan offers a great destination for dry hot and sunny days where you can combine getting a tan, with culture and some bargain shopping in the bazaars.
Alternatively head over to the Red Sea areas around either Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Taba for hotel resort based breaks and superb snorkelling, diving and other watersports.
Turkey
The resorts really start to open up during April and May and the temperatures climb in to the mid to high 20s, giving you great weather for a beach based Turkish break. Popular resorts such as Kusadasi, Marmaris, Icmeler and Fethiye are good start points, accessed via the gateway airports at Izmir, Dalaman and Bodrum.
Costs have been rising in resorts, however many of the package companies are offering excellent value all inclusive deals to keep costs down. Look out for hotel resorts offering extensive watersports and spa facilities as part of the deal to help get even greater value.
