Tag: sun

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Australasia Australia City Perth

Perth, Australia

Perth is Australia’s sunniest city and temperatures even average above 18°C even in winter. In summer, average temperatures are over 30°C with 11 hours of sunshine. In the Perth metropolitan area there are 19 unique beaches to choose from including the world famous Cottesloe (Cott) Beach with its picturesque pavilion, and experience a wonderful Indian Ocean sunset.

The Crawley Edge Boatshed Copyright tourism.wa.gov.au
The Crawley Edge Boatshed

Perth’s city sights are easily accessible with one of the free Central Area Transit (CAT) bus that connect all the cities main tourist attractions. Just because it’s remote does not mean that Perth lacks high culture, you can visit the ballet, opera or art gallery. Choose between the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts or the Aboriginal Art and Craft Gallery or take in all three. Established in 1899, visit the Perth Mint and watch a live gold pour and see the world’s largest collection of gold bars.

Watching the sunrise at Kings Park and Botanic Garden with the Perth Skyline in the background. Copyright tourism.wa.gov.au
Watching the sunrise at Kings Park and Botanic Garden
with the Perth Skyline in the background.

If you get as far down the coast as Freemantle then make a visit to the historic prison where convicts from the UK were incarcerated .

Corridor in Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Copyright tourism.wa.gov.au/
Corridor in Fremantle Prison, Fremantle

Other highlights would be to take a cruise up the the Swan River or make a tour of the wineries along the Swan Valley. Many people head off to the Caversham Wildlife Park, east of Perth where you can meet koalas, wombats, kangaroos and many other native wildlife. The absolute must see if you travel all that way is a trip out to Rottnest Island, a protected nature reserve, home to the Quokka, a small wallaby-like marsupial.

Taking selfie with Quokka (Setonix brachyurus) on Rottnest Island. Copyright tourism.wa.gov.au
Taking a selfie with Quokka (Setonix brachyurus) on Rottnest Island.

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Barbados Beach Caribbean Sun

Barbados

This small Caribbean island is an eight and half hour flight from the UK and when you step off the plane at Grantley Adams International Airport you will have been transported to a different world but some elements of familiarity. Afternoon tea and cricket are just two of the examples.

The temperature rarely drops below 25°C, with daytime temperatures in August reaching around 30°C. The sea in Barbados is warm enough to swim all year round. The driest period is from December through to April. If soaking up the sun is for you then there are few prettier places in the world to do it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it’s generally considered that Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.

There is more to Barbados than just beaches and due to its size its relatively easy to travel around the island. Buses travel all over the island and are super cheap! They are a great way to experience Barbadian (aka Bajan) life. Meet some locals and see life outside your hotel or villa.

Since 2011 Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Bahamas Caribbean Sun

Bahamas

The Bahamas - Courtesty of the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism
The Bahamas

If you are thinking of a getaway, it’s easy to understand why the Beach Boys would have wanted to take you to the Caribbean.

A holiday in the Bahamas makes great sense at this time of year.  Average daytime temperatures range from 25C in February to 28C in April, and your tourism pounds will help the country rebuild.

The Bahamas has beautiful clear waters which are ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Explore some of the world’s largest underwater cave systems and one of the largest barrier reefs. The Bahamas consists of 700 islands of which 14 are tourist destinations.

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Beach Caribbean City Cuba Havana Sun

Cuba Calling

Cuba has to be close to the top of the list of places to visit once we can travel again.  Thanks to US sanctions it is caught in a partial time warp.  Cuba is one of the few places in the world that you still can’t buy a McDonalds, unless you are serving or detained at Guantanamo Bay!

Havana Cuba

So you need to visit before it all changes. Unlike former Communist Central and East European countries where almost all vestiges of socialist ideologies have disappeared there are plenty of reminders around.

Outside of Havana where you must visit UNESCO listed the Old town and its impressive colonial buildings, you can access some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, with crystal clear waters and fine sandy beaches that are not overrun with tourists. 

And if you need any more reasons to visit, did we mention the old cars, the cheap beer and rum and world renowned cigars.

Old Cars Cuba
Old Cars Cuba
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Asia City Singapore

Super Singapore

Written 100 years ago, many of us will know the song “On a Little Street in Singapore” from Glenn Miller, Bob Dylan or Manhattan Transfer. Today, it’s the attraction of those “Little Streets” that draw us to this Island State. Those “Little Streets” are the result of Singapore’s multi-cultural, colonial and wartime past and make it a destination in its own right rather than just a stopover. Being uniquely placed at the tip of the Malay peninsula, at the cross roads of trade routes it has been the meeting point for Asian and European cultures.  British influence is clearly evident as many of us are familiar with the Raffles Hotel named after Sir Thomas Raffles who brought the British to the island and the Anderson Bridge named after the Governor of the Region in 1910. 

Due to its size and history there is so much to see and do, it’s all very easy to access and so much can be packed into such a short space of time.  On the one hand you have traditional Chinatown and on the other the Sands Skypark and shopping in Orchard Street.  Singapore’s nickname is “City in a Garden” and it’s possible to get away from it all at the National Orchid Garden and the Jurong Bird Park which home to 400 species of birds.

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Canary Islands Spain Sun Winter

Winter Sun

Who knows what the restrictions will be as we head towards Christmas and New Year.

Playa Barca
Playa Barca

There is plenty of winter sun to be had in destinations such as Mexico, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Oman. 

However you don’t have to travel so far to sit on a beach and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Daytime temperatures on the island of Fuerteventura (the second largest of the Canary Islands) are 22 oC in December compared to 24 oC in Cancun and you will get there nearly 7 hours faster.

Prices for a week in Fuerteventura are a lot less than you might think at this time of the year and represent great value when compared to long haul destinations like Cancun.

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Beach Caribbean Jamaica Sun

‘Wah Gwaan’

“What’s Up?” Not much as you look at the grey sky and the rain pouring down. Wouldn’t you rather be somewhere warm surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the Caribbean. This is the perfect time of year to be thinking of a wonderful holiday on the beautiful island of Jamaica.

Ocho Rios Bay Beach

Jamaica has so much to offer it’s visitors and that’s why according to the Jamaican Ministry of Tourism 40% of tourists are repeat visitors. Over 4 million visitors a year can’t be wrong. The beaches are a magnet, the golden sand and the clear blue sea, but once there, there is so much more to do and see. Jamaica is the cultural capital of the Caribbean there’s never a dull moment.

In recent years Jamaica has become an increasingly popular destinations for weddings and honeymoons. The naturally heart-shaped ‘jacuzzi’ at Reach Falls and the sunsets in Negril are the perfect backdrop to your romantic getaway.