Where’s hot in January? 15 of the best places for sun to get the year started - The Times
There’s no better time to get away to the sun than during January. Swapping cold, dark days for some much-needed warmth is a failsafe cure for the winter blues, and the best way to set the tone for the new year ahead. There are adventures galore up for grabs around the world this month and you can leave your woolly jumpers at home for them all. If sitting at home on wintry weekends gives you cabin fever, there’s kitesurfing and desert safaris in Egypt’s El Gouna, diving with manta rays in Raja Ampat in Indonesia, and hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park.
Wildlife lovers take note: there are humpback whales to spot in Maui, nesting sea turtles in the Galapagos Islands and it’s prime time for birdwatching in Principe. But if you just want to flop on a beach, we’ve got you covered too — how about Antigua or Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula to ease into the new year gently, preferably with a cocktail in hand? However you spend them, those few days in the sun are sure to lift your spirits before the arrival of spring. Here are some of the best places to book for January.
All recommendations within this article are informed by independent expert editorial opinion. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue. Where a “Book now” button appears, it may direct you to our in-house travel agency, Times Holidays, or to one of our affiliate partners.
Escape to Indian Ocean bliss on the car-free Kenyan island of Lamu. January falls between the country’s seasonal short and long rains, leaving the weather dry and clear-skied, with hot and sunny days and perfect visibility if you fancy snorkelling. The golden sands of Shela beach unfurl for miles so you’ll never struggle to find a quiet spot for an afternoon snooze between bathwater-warm ocean dips; or you could take a trip on a traditional dhow boat for uninterrupted sunset views.
Away from the beach, head to the Unesco-listed Lamu old town, east Africa’s oldest continuously inhabited Swahili settlement, and its best preserved, with its coral stone houses, narrow alleyways and elaborately carved wooden doors.
Close to Lamu Fort, and right on the beach, the Majlis Hotel is a stylish pick with a boutique spirit. The 39 rooms put Swahili craftsmanship to the fore, and three pools, a spa and beachfront restaurant ensure sun-kissed escapism at every turn.
Kuoni’s Secret Kenya Fly-in Safari and Lamu tour combines a five-night stay in Lamu with four nights at Kenya’s Elewana Lewa Safari Camp, where you’ll head out with a ranger to spot lions, zebra and the endangered rhino. A night in Nairobi is also included, where you might haggle for souvenirs at the market or visit the National Museum of Kenya.
Stick to the south of Vietnam in January, where it’s pleasantly dry and sunny all month long, but without the stifling humidity of later in the year. The Mekong River weaves towards the sea and provides an opportunity for cruises aboard a sampan narrowboat to visit floating markets. Cycle past orchards and riverside villages, and watch preparations for Tet, the Vietnamese lunar new year which falls at the end of the month or in early February. The flowers used to decorate homes during those celebrations can be found locally, and fields are thronged with vivid orange marigolds and yellow apricot blossoms.
A four-star boutique hotel on Unicorn Island, the Island Lodge is 15 minutes’ drive from the city of My Tho and has some rooms with Mekong River views. Unwind between day trips with a Vietnamese therapy in the spa or a cocktail at the My Tho bar, a space inspired by Ho Chi Minh City’s’s historic opium refinery.
The best way to experience the Mekong Delta is from the water and you’ll spend a full week on board the new Riviera Alba on Riviera Travel’s 15-night tour of Vietnam and Cambodia. Stays in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap in Cambodia are also included.
While many parts of Indonesia — including Bali — are drenched by monsoon season in January, the Raja Ampat islands northwest of New Guinea are bathed in sunshine. Right on the Equator, the archipelago has blue skies and calm seas, with just the odd afternoon downpour that passes quickly. Visibility is near-perfect for spotting the reef manta rays that are most active at this time of year due to the nutrient-rich waters but there are also sharks, turtles and huge schools of colourful fish to see.
Kri is an island perfect for divers, with its eco-resorts, dive shops and reefs close to the shore. The island of Arborek has homestays, a welcoming village and easy access to manta ray sites. If you’re set on an island-hopping tour, January also brings the calmest waters for smoother sailing.
On the idyllic island of Birie, Papua Paradise Eco Resort has 26 traditional bungalows built on stilts over the house reef plus its own Padi dive centre. The spa specialises in ayurvedic treatments and has ocean-view treatment rooms while optional excursions include bird-watching trips and kayaking.
See more of the archipelago on a seven-night sailing trip with Intrepid. Travelling on a wooden-hulled phinisi-style boat that can carry up to 22 passengers, the voyage is a round trip from Sorong and includes plenty of snorkelling spots, a hike to Pianemo viewpoint and visits to local villages including on Mansuar Island and Arborek Island.
Stellenbosch is a wine-lover’s paradise and harvest celebrations begin towards the end of the month with a parade through the town centre. Wine estates such as Delheim mark the season with outdoor festivals, markets and traditional barefoot grape-stomping. Others like Spier offer picnics on the estate where you can pre-book loaded baskets of wine, farm cheeses and homemade dips. Alternatively, there are outdoor tastings on the lawn at Peter Falke Wines; a sculpture garden at Tokara Wine Estate; and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking Banghoek Valley and Simonsberg mountain at Delaire Graff.
Walk the Stellenbosch Art Mile with its outdoor riverside gallery, or head to nearby Jonkershoek Nature Reserve for hiking trails and waterfall dips in the sunshine.
A lovely boutique hotel well placed for vineyard exploring, Majeka House has 23 individually decorated rooms, a cosy library full of board games and books, a spa with a heated indoor pool and a restaurant serving seasonal dishes made with ingredients from the hotel’s own kitchen garden.
A winelands tour of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl is included in Intrepid’s four-night South Africa tour. You’ll also journey along the Cape peninsula to the Cape of Good Hope, see the penguins at Boulders Beach and take a walking tour of Cape Town.
Tropical temperatures are a dead-cert in Kuala Lumpur in January and, though you should still expect the occasional afternoon shower, the city is largely emerging from its rainy season, making it prime time for sightseeing.
Visit the 88-storey, twin Petronas Towers to look out over this round-the-clock metropolis full of markets, malls and temples; then head to Chinatown’s Petaling Street market, busy preparing for Chinese new year that falls between late January and early February. Strung with red lanterns, the area has carts selling street food, as well as the city’s oldest Hindu temple, the rainbow-bright Sri Mahamariamman Temple.
Make the most of dry days to climb the 272 multicoloured steps up to the Batu Caves, where Hindu temples are carved into a limestone hill and monkeys scamper over the rocks waiting to grab tourists’ food.
Right next to a park in the centre of the city, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur has one of the best views of the Petronas Twin Towers from its rooftop bar. Elsewhere, there’s a steakhouse, an all-day restaurant serving a vast buffet breakfast and a spa with a pool, while a short jogging trail is right outside the hotel.
A city break in Kuala Lumpur is just the start of your Malaysian adventure on a nine-night itinerary with If Only. After two nights in the capital, you’ll fly to Malaysian Borneo and cruise the Kinabatangan River to spot saltwater crocodiles, proboscis monkeys and perhaps even more rare orangutans. Finish your trip with four nights relaxing on the beach in Langkawi.
January is mostly sunny and wonderfully warm in Hawaii. Showers do become more common, but much less so on Maui’s leeward (south and west) sides. Instead of emptying clouds, expect endless cetaceans: with pods of humpbacks passing en route to the South Pacific; that same coast’s offshore Maui Nui Basin is a mecca for thrilling whale-watching boat trips in January.
The north shore, meanwhile, is prone to receiving some of the world’s biggest waves at this time of year: marvel as daredevil surfers tackle swells up to 15m high from Ho’okipa Beach Park. Back in western Maui, the towns of Kaanapali and Wailea tend to be driest and best of all for beach days.
Hawaii’s lone Relais & Chateaux group member, the elevated Hotel Wailea offers Zen-inspired gardens and terrific Pacific vistas.
Go island hopping with Trafalgar on its nine-night Best of Hawaii tour, visiting Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kona and Maui.
Positioned about 190 miles west of Gabon and straddling the Equator, this two-island nation is undeservedly off the radar for most travellers. Sao Tome is the bigger isle, with tourable chocolate-making factories and a large, waterfall-happy nature reserve in Obo National Park. But Principe is the real gem: its jungly Unesco-protected biosphere interior, littered with old plantations dating to Portuguese colonial days, gives way to tens of castaway-style, coconut-lined and totally empty beaches; Praia Boi and the gorgeously named Praia Banana are the finest. A few luxury hotels line that coast, adding spas and quality Portuguese-creole food to the mix. January is peak time for birdwatchers, with the endemic Principe sunbird a prized spot.
Dividing two dreamy beaches, Bom Bom is the most economical and laid-back of Principe’s few luxury hotels.
Rainbow Tours is the expert on trips here, with tailor-made suggestions including flights via Lisbon and inter-island transfers. Its 12-night Discover Sao Tome & Principe trip includes a week in Principe where you’ll walk in the rainforest, meet resident communities and visit the lost city of Ribeira Ize.
While hot could be overstating it, January does herald one of the warmest times to visit Patagonia (although its famous winds can still rear up). That makes it prime time for hiking or inspecting glaciers in this vast, wondrous region, which extends across the bottom of both Argentina and Chile — and thus peak season in terms of prices.
Further south, Torres del Paine has long daylight hours, sunny days for short sleeve hiking and valleys carpeted in wildflowers. All trails are fully open after winter’s heavy snow has passed and the entire park is safer to navigate without specialised guiding. Widescreen views are all you need to spur you on, as blue skies frame the region’s granite spires, grasslands and glacial lakes, and kayaking and horse riding offer a welcome change of pace.
At Awasi Patagonia lodge, 14 luxury cabins afford private guides and sensational views over Torres del Paine National Park.
You’ll spend two full days on guided trips in Torres del Paine National Park during Journey Latin America’s 12-night tailormade trip to Patagonia. Travelling to both Chile and Argentina, you’ll also marvel at the Perito Moreno Glacier, take guided walking tours of Santiago and Buenos Aires, and go wine tasting in Chile’s central valley.
Part of Mauritius, and about 360 miles to the east, this 42 square-mile island is the sleepier alternative and has deserted beaches, wide open spaces and a turquoise lagoon. In January, the sea is at about its warmest and temperatures are reliably tropical; although year-round trade winds stop the stickiness and the odd afternoon shower freshens the air. It’s perfect weather for scuba diving or hopping on a traditional wooden boat to Île aux Cocos, a protected nature reserve with thousands of nesting seabirds. Hike trails across the island’s volcanic landscapes and forests, dropping into secluded coves to cool off en route, or mooch around the capital Port Mathurin with its pastel houses, market and the island’s main port.
Constance Tekoma is the swishest spot on the island. A beachfront lodge with 32 villas, the hotel offers snorkelling straight from the sand, kayaking and boat trips or guests can drift from a poolside lounger to a restaurant serving local dishes like green papaya salad and crab noodles.
Visit Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues on Rainbow Tours’ 13-night Mascarene Magic trip across the Indian Ocean. A helicopter excursion over Reunion is included and there’s free time to visit the natural amphitheatre of Cirque de Salazie, walk into the crater of Piton de la Rounaise or visit François Leguat Giant Tortoise Reserve.
Loud, busy and alive with Latin spirit, Sao Paulo is one of the most vibrant cities to visit in Brazil. It’s primarily known as a financial hub, but with that wealth come world-class restaurants — among them DOM, considered one of the best in South America — and a busy arts schedule at the likes of Municipal Theatre of Sao Paulo. Parque Ibirapuera is a popular spot for its expansive green space and small collection of museums. On Sundays, Avenida Paulista is the place to be seen, with cafés, shops and restaurants that are ripe for people-watching. Don’t miss Beco do Batman, or Batman Alley, where the walls are splashed with colourful graffiti.
Sao Paulo is a sprawling city so you’ll most likely be stuck in traffic at some point but L’Hotel PortoBay Sao Paulo is close to the main shopping strip of Avenida Paulista.
MSC Cruises’ seven-night round-trip from Camboriu in Brazil includes a full day in Sao Paulo where excursions might include a walking tour of the city centre or even a visit to the Pelé Museum in nearby Santos. You’ll also stop in Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
Ecuador’s isolated Galapagos Islands — 600 miles west of the South American mainland — have many endemic species, meaning wildlife watching is always astounding. January experiences a flurry of activity: green sea turtles start to nest, laying their eggs on beaches; iguana mating season kicks off, leaving large land species and their smaller marine counterparts highly visible; and land birds perform colourful courtship rituals. It’s also the period when some penguin species are busiest. Inspiring all of that is the month’s balmy weather — especially its blue-skied mornings — as any fog or mist mostly disappears and seas become especially clear. Is the trip of a lifetime in order?
On Isabela Island, Scalesia Lodge is a boutique stay with safari-style tents secluded away in forested hills near the Galapagos National Park.
Volcanic hikes, world-class snorkelling and remote beaches are all part of Audley Travel’s ten-night Galapagos tour. The tailormade itinerary includes seven nights on board the Archipel I catamaran plus guided outings to spot sea turtles and flightless cormorants, walks across raw black lava flows and a private tour of Quito.
Though midway through Mexico’s sun-soaked dry season, January has lower humidity which means that you can comfortably go sightseeing between beach days. Both are a good idea during stays on the eastern Yucatan peninsula. Opt for the Riviera Maya coastline, and perhaps one of Playa del Carmen’s all-inclusive resorts to have the run of numerous white-sand Caribbean shores plus a fish-filled reef ripe for snorkelling or diving. Cancun’s lively nightclubs are to the north, while Tulum is home both to some of Mexico’s best chefs and the well-preserved ruins of a 13th-century port city. Inland, explore more Mayan wonders headlined by Chichen Itza’s pyramid-style step temple; and the jungle-hugged cenotes, caves whose swimmable stalactite pools were once believed to be passages to the underworld.
The swish Grand Velas is one of Riviera Maya’s best beachside all-inclusive hotels, with the added bonus of a brilliant restaurant on site.
The seven-night Yucatan Peninsula Adventure tour from Intrepid Travel hits all the highlights, including visits to Playa del Carmen, Merida, Campeche, Bacalar and Tulum.
Where better to escape from January’s gloom than on one of Antigua’s 365 beaches? Pick a preferred spot to soak up this month’s glorious weather, with its just hot enough temperatures and welcome cooling trade winds to stop the swelter. Dickenson Bay has water sports and a floating rum bar, while quieter Galleon beach has some of the island’s best snorkelling with an easy to reach shipwreck and bountiful turtle sightings. Make the most of the balmy evenings by visiting for the One Nation Music Festival in early January; or just drop by the Shirley Heights Lookout party held every Sunday, where you can watch the sunset with rum punch, freshly barbecued jerk chicken and live reggae music.
The all-suite Carlisle Bay, Antigua sits on a crescent-shaped beach on the island’s south coast and is a dream fly and flop with its yoga pavilion, organic spa, tennis courts and Caribbean restaurant overlooking the water. The excellent kids’ club makes it a good choice for families too.
Fun is all but guaranteed on the adults-only Virgin Voyages round-trip sailing from San Juan, where you should expect festival-style entertainment, bungee workout classes, a tattoo parlour and a champagne bar. The itinerary calls at Tortola, Bridgetown, Castries, Philipsburg and St John’s in Antigua, where optional excursions include an afternoon partying on a floating bar, rum tasting, a jet ski tour of the coastline or a helicopter ride over a volcano.
Summer’s fierce desert scorch may have faded by January but this purpose-built Red Sea resort town still sees temperatures in the twenties with plenty of sunshine for hitting the beach. Some front lagoons and have calm water and trendy beach clubs, but opt for those open to the Red Sea if you’d rather have a go at water sports, as it’s a good spot for kitesurfing. Stroll the Abu Tig Marina with its alfresco restaurants and bars, or rent a bike to zip along the coastal paths between the beach and Tamr Henna Square. Day trips into the desert might include 4×4 safaris, quad bike riding and a traditional meal at a Bedouin camp; or take a sunset cruise along El Gouna’s waterways.
The adults-only Casa Cook has direct access to the saltwater lagoon, its own kiteboarding centre and open-air yoga classes, plus weekly pool parties, DJ sets and a spa with a hammam.
Stay right on the sand in club Paradisio El Gouna, which is bookable through Tui and has three pools, a sheltered beach with diving and kitesurfing centres and a kids’ club.
Closer to Africa than mainland Europe, this Portuguese island has a subtropical climate that guarantees longer, sunnier January days — albeit interspersed with rainy ones. Its south and west corners tend to be warmest. Rather than a beach destination, mountainous Madeira suits hiking. Not all 23 official pequenas rutas (small routes) are strenuous though: those following levada irrigation channels tend to be flat in certain sections. Visitors will also find botanical gardens, Europe’s highest skywalk in the shape of Cabo Girao’s glass-bottomed observation deck and plenty of fortified Madeira wine. Chestnuts, in season until mid-January, inspire delicious soups and tarts in restaurants around the pleasant capital Funchal — and look out too for bolo de mel, a dark, dense cake made using molasses.
For anyone planning some hiking, the flexibility of a rental home should be appealing. Solmar’s 19 villas on the island all come with swimming pools.
Fred Olsen’s sophisticated Winter Warmth cruises, which are round trips from Britain, combine a day in Madeira with the nearby Canary Islands.
What’s your favourite place for January sun? Please share in the comments below
