Where to go for a winter holiday in Dec / January?

[arworld]

Help please! We are trying to plan a winter holiday in December or next January. Our son will be about 7 months then and ideally would like to go somewhere warm but not too long flight journey.

Can anyone give us suggestions please?

Thanks,

Anna

[cate]

Morocco or Tunisia.

[Fuschia]

the red sea

[new mother]

Morocco or Tunisia will be freezing. (THere is a nasty wind that sweeps right down and keeps N Africa very cold till later than you would expect.)

Egypt is an option and the flight times are reasonable and frequent these days. More interesting than eg the Gambia or Senegal but take steriliser.

Other places are too hit and miss.

[tor]

The Canaries - despite their slightly naff image Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are actually ok if you go to the right resort.

Try Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and Puerto de Morgan in Gran Canaria. We have been once in January (only just warm enough for t-shirt), February (some hot days and some cooler days) and in March (perfect, around 25 degrees every day :))). So, if you can wait a couple more months then it's worth holding out...

The flights are only 4 hours and the time difference is just one hour. Perfect.

[arworld]

Thank you everyone!

[Bishberro]

Hi - if you're looking at Playa Blanca then look up the Princess Yaiza hotel. We stayed there when my son was almost a year old and it was great. We had an apartment with a mini kitchen and a separate bedroom which was ideal with a baby and the whole hotel is very geared up for kids - there's even a soft play area. We went with Sovereign who seemed to have some nice family friendly hotels all over the place.

[Ondine]

Want about costa del sol? Did nerja in dec with my 6 wk old all those years ago and it was fab

[Fuschia]

I do think the Canaries is a bit cold and windy in Dec/Jan

Even Egypt isn't boiling (and it gets dark very early)

[berryberry]

I think the point is that it is sunnier than here come mid winter.

December is a good month to take very young children to egypt and the like because it is too hot otherwise. I was there last march and horrified by all the little kiddies crisping up in the sun or miserable from the heat.

[ljs]

Oman.

[bee74]

The Gambia. Kenya.

[cupatea]

How about Barbados? Weather is great there at that time of year. Admittedly the flight is a bit of a hike, but BA and Virgin fly there and Virgin in particular is very child/baby friendly. Also it is only 4 hours behind the UK so not too much jet lag. There are also some fantastic family resorts. Or Dubai. Also good weather in January. Not too hot. Or Jordan but don't know how child friendly it is. Or Bermuda which has a good climate all year round, though the flight prices tend to be quite pricey.

I went to Morocco in December and the weather was very pleasant, about 20-21 degrees but maybe I was lucky.

[ljs]

South africa... NO time change.

[blainiac]

When our eldest was tiny we went to Madeira - short flight (3.5hr as I recall), warm and sunny, no time difference. We booked it very last minute and were a bit worried (it's a big destination for the retired set), but we had a great time, and saw in the new year with the most amazing fireworks I've ever seen in Funchal. Try Reids Palace if money no object.