Every list has a few trips that sit at the top for years, waiting for the right moment. This is the moment to book them, with the cold months ahead and plenty of time to plan. From Maldives lagoons and Caribbean beaches to safaris, Peruvian mountains and a long trip around Australia, here are the holidays worth putting in the diary.

Amilla, The Maldives

Tucked away in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Amilla is the kind of place that makes a British January feel very far away. The pool villas are big enough to feel like private homes, so families and couples can spread out without bumping into anyone else. The house reef is only a few steps from the shore, which means turtles and reef fish are part of your morning before you’ve even thought about booking a boat trip. Then there’s the food, with themed beach dinners like Lobster and Champagne, plus 24-hour in-villa dining for those 2am cravings. For complete relaxation in the heart of the one of the world’s most sought-after holiday destinations, it’s a bucket list trip that’s hard to top.

Website: www.amilla.com
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Thailand

For those looking for altnerative Christmas plans, this Thailand trip isn’t one you’ll forget in a hurry. This 12 night adventure starts with two nights at The Peninsula in Bangkok, then heads north to the laid back lanes of Chiang Mai for three nights at 137 Pillars. It finishes with a week at Six Senses Yao Noi, where you get a private pool and views of the limestone karsts rising out of Phang Nga Bay.

If a Christmas in Thailand sounds like your kind of break, Turquoise Holidays can put the whole journey together for you and adjust it to suit how you like to travel. The team also plans luxury holidays across the Indian Ocean, Caribbean, Asia, Africa, Australasia and the South Pacific, so they can help with the rest of your bucket list too.

Website: www.turquoiseholidays.com

Heritance Aarah, Maldives

The Private Ocean Suites Wing at Heritance Aarah in the Raa Atoll is an adults-only corner of the resort, so it suits couples who want to unwind in complete silence and privacy without losing the choice of a big island. Every overwater suite has its own infinity pool and lagoon views, which means breakfast on the deck and sunset drinks are both a few steps from your door.

Wing guests also get their own pool, exclusive access to Baani Restaurant and a couple of bars, and everything sits under a premium all-inclusive package, so nobody is checking a bill. When you fancy more than lounging, there are manta encounters, reef snorkelling and sunset sails on the doorstep, plus a spa that shapes treatments around how you feel that day.

Website: www.hertiancehotels.com
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Australia

If you’ve long been dreaming of that trip to Australia, this is your sign to make it happen before the year is up. You start with four nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney beside the harbour, then head into the Blue Mountains for two nights at Lilianfels. Next comes five nights at Capella Lodge on remote Lord Howe Island, where the scenery is rugged and the marine life is a big part of the appeal. You finish with four nights at Crystalbrook Byron, soaking up the classic Aussie surf lifestyle.

Website: www.turquoiseholidays.com

The Caribbean

Sandals Resorts is the answer if you want to arrive, hand over your wallet to the hotel safe and not think about money again. The family owned brand has been doing adults only escapes in the Caribbean for 45 years, and it now has 17 resorts across eight islands, including Jamaica, Barbados and Saint Lucia. Airport transfers, tips and taxes are all covered, along with up to 16 restaurants and 11 bars per resort, so you can have fresh seafood on a pier one night and French dining the next.

Website: www.sandalsresorts.com
Find out more here

The Indian Ocean

Constance is a good pick if you can’t decide between islands, because it has ten properties spread across Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar, the Maldives and Rodrigues. Choose a polished retreat like Prince Maurice, Halaveli or Lemuria, or go for one of the island lodges, Tekoma in Rodrigues or Tsarabanjina in Madagascar, if you’d rather trade the frills for a barefoot, back to nature feel.

Divers can swim with mantas and whale sharks, while golfers get three championship courses across Mauritius and the Seychelles. Whichever island you land on, expect the kind of warm, unfussy service that has kept guests returning for 50 years.

Website: www.constancehotels.com

Peru

Peru is one of those trips where the big name lives up to the hype. Machu Picchu is the draw, and arriving by train through the Sacred Valley makes it feel like more of an occasion than a day trip. Cusco deserves a couple of days on its own, with Inca stonework running through the old streets, and Lima is one of the best cities in South America for food, with ceviche at the top of the list. Add a few nights in the Amazon rainforest and a trip to the Rainbow Mountains, and you get very different landscapes in a single trip.

Tanzania

Tanzania is the safari that lives up to the picture in your head. In the Serengeti, huge herds of wildebeest and zebra move across the plains through the year, following the rains with lions and cheetah never far behind. Ngorongoro Crater is a short drive away, and its steep walls hold so much wildlife in one place that you can often spot most of the Big Five in a day. Plenty of travellers finish with a few days on the beaches of Zanzibar, which makes it easy to build a winter escape around.

Which destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Hot Hotels, International, Travel

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