Active Winter Sun Holidays in Dubi (Dubai)

Dubai or Dubi as many people seem (including me) seem to spell it by mistake, is an excellent location for a winter sun holiday location where it is possible to view a completely different way of life as well as go to the beach, perhaps play a bit of golf as well as experience some of the finer things in life. In this post I am going to focus on some of the more physical activities you can enjoy on holiday in Dubai.


Dubi as a active holiday location?
Desert safaris, camel racing, sand skiing, golf and exploring the wadis in a 4x4 vehicle are all very popular in Dubi.

Dubai Golf Holidays
Dubi also has some of the best Golf courses that you could ever wish for and is an excellent location for a golfing holiday. one of the best and probably most well known golf courses in Dubi is the Dubai Emirates Club and actually has two 18 hole par 72 courses: The Majlis, which is where the famous Dubai Dessert Classic [Dubai Desert Classic] is played and the Wadi which was redesigned by Nick Faldo in 2006. Like most golf courses in this region it is a magnificent oasis of green grass and water features reclaimed from the desert sand and well worth a visit to anyone who loves their golf. If you want more info try this guide to all Dubai Golf Courses including the emirates golf club Dubai.

Scuba Diving in Dubai
Scuba diving is often forgotten by people looking for some adventure in Dubai, which is a shame as there is some pretty good dive sites and centers in Dubi.

Hotels in Dubai that have a dive center include the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (00 971 4348 0000) and you can expect to pay around £15/US$30 per trip if you have your own equipment, or if you ar new to diving in Dubai around £280/US$500 for a full PADI open water qualification. Children are also welcome and they have dive courses suided for them as well.

Another location is the The Scuba International Headquarters is a fully licensed PADI 5 star Instructor Development diving centre in Dubai located on the Al Wasl Road and has a purpose built on-site swimming pool for training.

Wadi Bashing - 4x4 Holidays in Dubai
Wadi Bashing involves bouncing a four wheel drive vehicle (4WD) through dried up creeks and river beds. There are many companies that run safaris to Wadi Hatta or the Hajar Mountains, so should not be very difficult to organise.

If you are more of an independent traveler you can try camping under desert stars or again organise the trip through a company.

Jebel Shams lays claim to the title "Grand Canyon of the Middle East", climbing up to nearly a mile-and-a-half above sea level. The eastern emirates have plenty to offer too. Ras Al Kaimah to Dibba is a classic route, climbing from sea level to over 6,000ft and back again. It's always advisable to take a second car and tow rope in case one gets stuck. Most major car-hire firms are represented at Dubai airport an important point is 4x4's will need to be booked in advance.


For more info on Holidays in Dubi check out Dubi Holidays & Beach Holiday Guide

Winter Sun Holiday in Cape Verde

Cape Verde makes an excellent spot as a beach holiday destination all year round, but because of it's location, it also makes the perfect winter sun beach holiday destination.

So where is Cape Verde?
For those of you who don't know, Cape Verde is a group of very small islands in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Africa and so make a great tropical island paradise almost all year round. The temperature in winter average around 24 degrees Celsius and the summer has a low temperature of around 29 degrees Celsius. So thats the first check sorted in any good beach holiday - the weather.

The beaches in Cape Verde
Cape Verde has some of the best beaches I have ever seen, up till now pretty much unspoilt, the perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday. For the more energetic there are also beaches that offer water sports, like windsurfing, snorkeling and even scuba diving around the islands.

So apart from the beaches what else is there to do in cape Verde?
Cape Verde is known for it's their own style of folk music, which is sung all over the island and there are many laid back beach bars and clubs where you can join in.

Like most tropical beach locations, Cape Verde also makes a great spot for your honeymoon or a romantic holiday as it has a very laid back out of the way feel to it. You could easily rent a holiday villa or self catering holiday apartments giving you all the seclusion you could ask for for the ultimate romantic holiday!

The Cape Verde’s islands are however much more than just a beach holiday destination, if you venture inland you will find some stunning scenery perfect for those who love of hiking. It is also important to remember that each island is unique and special in it's own way and my advice would be to definitely do a bit of island hopping.

So there you go, I would recommend The Cape Verde Islands as a truely relaxing beach holiday destination both as a winter sun holiday location and as a summer destination. So if you are lloking for something a little different why not give these beautiful islands a try.

Winter Sun Holiday in The Gambia

As mentioned in my previous post, I went on a winter sun holiday to The Gambia in West Africa this year, and escaped a little the English winter over Christmas.

The flight is only meant to be six hours from Gatwick Airport, but unfortunately we were delayed by two hours in Gatwick because of poor weather! Luckily this would be the last sort of any bad weather we'd see again until returning back in England!

After landing at Banjul International Airport, we spent a night at the coast and stayed at the Safari Garden Hotel, we then traveled inland, partly on land by bush taxi and partly by boat on the Gambia River.

Along the way we spotted many birds, we also saw dolphins in the river, monkeys, baboons, hippos and chimpanzees!



Our destination up country was the Bird Safari Camp, located near Georgetown on MacCarthy Island, not far from the Gambia River national park and where the The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project is located. We stayed at the Bird Safari Camp for three nights, before returning back to the beaches of The Gambia.

On the whole I would say that The Gambia is a pretty good location if you are looking for some winter sun, the temperature never dropped below 30 degrees and we never saw a cloud whilst we were there. The prices are, for me a little high for what you get, especially when you compare it to a few other locations in Africa, this is probably because of just how popular The Gambia is becoming as a tourist location, especially as a beach holiday location. The trip that we did up river was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone looking for more than just a beach holiday in the sun.

I have written a full report about the trip on another of my websites if you would like to read it: Winter Sun Holiday in the Gambia

Four Top Winter Sun Holidays

No matter how dark and cold the winter gets, remember somewhere out there, the sun is shining, therefore winter is a great time to pack your bags and visit a far off land. How does Mauritius, Florida or Sri Lanka sound?

Winter Sun Holidays in Mauritius
Mauritius, the idyllic beach holiday destination is not only is renowned for it's beautiful clear waters and white sandy beaches, but also has a large selection of top quality five-star hotels. If you are looking for more space and some privacy, a great tip is to rent a villa in Mauritius. You could be sitting on your own veranda admiring the sea views, taking a dip in your very own outdoor spa bath.

You can expect to pay around £350 per person for a week in a villa that will typically sleep 6 to 8 people.

(0845 5002000, www.thevillabook.com). Flights from Heathrow cost from £476pp with British Airways (0870 8509850, www.ba.com).

Winter Sun Holidays in Florida
If you are looking for a children friendly winter sun holiday destination, then Florida ticks all the boxes. You could be visiting top theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea-world. The hotel to stay at would be the 777-suite Holiday Inn hotel as it is a complete children's paradise complete with water playground, a huge games room, free nightly entertainment and themed bedrooms. Children under the age of 5 get to eat free and they offer free transport to Walt Disney World, Seaworld and Universal Orlando.

Expect to pay around £750 per person for 7 nights based on four people sharing and flights are often included in the price!

Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk)


Winter Sun Holidays in South Africa
A winter safari holiday is an incredible experience, but how does having your very own safari lodge with your own chef and safari guide (ranger) sound? The Djuma Galago Lodge on the Djuma Game Reserve which is part of the Sabi Sands Game reserve and borders on to the world famous Kruger National Park.

Expect to pay about 6,850 SA Rand for the whole lodge and also includes two game drives an 1 bush walk per day with you very own field guide. check out the Sabi Sands South Africa Safari Holiday Guide for more details.

Winter Sun Holidays in Sri Lanka
Bet you never thought of Sri Lanka as an active adventure holiday destination, but there is loads of activities you can do in Sri-Lanka for the adrenalin junkie. Take a white water rafting canoe trip on the Kaleni river and an elephant ride in the rain-forest.

You can organise this trip through Hays and Jarvis (0871 6640246, www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk) and will cost about £990 per person which includes flights from Heathrow airport in the UK, a car with an english speaking guide, half board accommodation at three locations you will be staying (Sigiriya, the high rock fortress, Kandy and a night at The Beach which is an oceanfront hotel near Negombo.)

Kenya Winter Sun Holidays 2007

Staying on the continent of Africa for the moment Kenya is a fantastic country to visit, especially for your Winter Sun Holidays. What is very popular for 2007 is a beach and safari holiday in Mombasa.

Kenya Beach and Safari Holidays from Mombasa
A beach resort in Mombasa, Kenya can be the ideal spot for finding you place in the sun this winter, not only will your hotel be right on the beach but how does an early morning game drive, viewing some of Africa's top wildlife like Elephants, Lions, Zebra and the hoards of antelope species, followed by and Afternoon lazing on the beach sound?<

I have been to Kenya and whilst in Mombasa, stayed at Bamburi Beach which is less than 30mins from Mombasa by a local shared taxi. The Hotel was stayed at called the Travellers Inn. The hotel was excellent from our balcony we had a wonderful view of the sun rising every morning, there are also many other excellent looking hotels dotted along the coast line.

Scuba Diving in Mombasa
Winter Sun Holidays don't get much better when you can be learning to scuba dive or snorkeling in warm crystal clear water. I got my PADI divers license in Kenya and this was definitely one of the highlights of my trip, not only was it cheap (compared to the west) but the diving was pretty good as well, with plenty of tropical fish to see. We started our lessons in the Hotel pool and once I had passed a few tests, which I had studied for lazing on Bamburi beach in the afternoons! After a few days I was ready for my first open water dive. The feeling was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Wildlife Viewing in Kenya
Obviously Kenya is famous for the Masai Mara and it's great Wildebeest migration, and you can organise to visit the Masai Mara from your hotel or before you go on holiday, I would recommend making it a one or two day excursion at least, just so that you get the most of it. If that time frame is a little to long, there is the Tsavo game reserve famous for it's lions (The Lions of Tsavo) and some more less well known game reserves closer to Mombasa and it is even possible to go a day trip to them from your hotel.

These are just a few of the many, many things you can do whilst on your Winter Sun holidays in Kenya, but there is so much more, Including, exploring the old town of Mombasa, including Fort Jesus in Mombasa built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain. Visit one of the many fine restaurants in Kenya, including the famous Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi

I hope I gave given you just a taster of what is available on your Winter Sun Holiday in Kenya. For more details and info try the Kenyan Safari Holiday Guide Website

Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai

Dubai is a pretty new destination for winter sun holidays, but it is becoming more and more common for people to take their holidays in Dubai, So what is the reason why?

When most people think of Dubai as a holiday destination, I guess their first thought would be cheap shopping, and this still holds true, but there is so much more to this oil-rich emirate.

As far as a winter sun holiday destination goes, Dubai is not a bad bet, Dubai has some excellent beaches, some of the best hotels in the world, cheap shopping and for those looking for some adventure how does a desert safari, camel racing, sand skiing and driving 4x4 vehicle on sand dunes sound? Dubai Golf Holidays are also very popular and there are some excellent golf courses.

Dubai Beach Hotels
Dubai has some of the best hotels in the world, many of the best are situated right on the beach, a few of the best to look out for are:
Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Hotel - 5 Star
Madinat Jumeirah - 5 Star
Le Royal Meridien - 5 Star Beach Resort and Spa

For More information on Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai, Cheap Flights to Dubai, all inclusive holiday packages to dubai or if you are just looking to book a hotel in Dubai, try the Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai Guide

Cheap Winter Sun Holidays in Gambia

For my very first post on Winter Sun Holidays I have decided to focus on my favourite continent of Africa. most people won't associate Africa and a cheap holiday abroad, but it is possible and is perfect if you are looking for a Winter Sun Holiday.

So why go to The Gambia?
The Gambia has incredible uncrowded beaches, which are as yet unspoilt. You can laze in the Hot African sun, do some scuba diving or snorkelling or go on an excursion. How does fishing sound, as the fishing in the Gambia is excellent. You can also venture further inland into the bush, the huge variety of bird life making a Gambia holiday great for birdwatchers.

Flights to Gambia

As holidays in the Gambia become more and more common, flights to Gambia get cheaper and cheaper and it is even possible to find last minute and cheap flight deals these days. The flight duration is only 6 hours, and to think that you will then be stepping off in Africa!

The weather in Gambia?

Obviously one of the main reasons you are planning a winter sun holiday is to escape the cold weather, well the good news is that the weather in Gambia pretty good all year round and averages over 30°C every month, even in the winter!

So when is the best time to go to the Gambia?
The great news is if you are looking for winter dun holidays, then from around the middle of October to the early part of June is the dry season in the Gambia this is also the main tourist season, so there are cheap flights to Gambia as well as more regular flights available. At this time of the year, you are almost guaranteed sunshine!!

Gambia Holiday Precautions
Please remember that the Gambia is a malaria area and so you will need to visit your doctor before you leave in order to take the necessary precautions.

For more details on a Cheap Holiday in Gambia, check out the Safari Holiday Guide.

So in my opinion if you are looking for cheap winter sun holidays, the Gambia has on your list of places to visit!