Worldwide Holidays
When it comes to booking the annual holiday some people struggle to think past Spain, Greece and France, citing long flight times, alternative cultures and nasty diseases as obstacles to more exotic locations. Yet with overnight flights, easy access to inoculations, and the abundance of travel guides on the high street, there is no reason why your two-week jaunt cannot turn into the trip of a lifetime.
Beach holidays in tropical destinations will provide all the luxury and relaxation that are sometimes missing from hectic European resorts. For white sands and turquoise seas you cannot do much better than the Dominican Republic and Goa where you will truly feel as though you have stepped into paradise. For younger travellers looking for a bit more in the way of nightlife many of these resorts boast bars and clubs to rival their Spanish counterparts. Some fantastic all-inclusive packages to Cancun and Barbados often come complete with all the water sports and activities you can dream off, so adults and children alike will find plenty to keep themselves entertained.
If your idea of an ideal holiday involves a distinct absence of 'English-style' pubs and karaoke bars then the coastal resorts of Africa and some Pacific islands are a safe bet. Holidays to Kenya now come as cheap as a week in Greece, but with the added bonus of a lodge overlooking the beach and safari trips into the nearby big game nature reserves. Sri Lanka also combines beautiful beaches and lush scenery with something a bit extra; elephant sanctuaries and elusive wild tigers make this destination an animal lover's paradise, not to mention a food heaven with curries and fresh fish galore.
If you want to immerse yourself in the local culture than sightseeing tours to South America are very popular choices. The hustle and bustle of Brazil and Cuba are best explored with the aid of a qualified guide, but the sights and sounds of these astonishingly diverse cities will stay with you long after your suntan has worn off.
If it is serious sunbathing
that you are in search of, then the world really is your oyster. The beaches of
Thailand, the islands of the Maldives or the sheer exuberance of Jamaica all promise
to deliver on the white sand, turquoise sea, hammock in palm trees idyll that
so many holidaymakers seek.