Top Three Winter Escapes

As the temperature is dropping, it’s that time of year where my mind turns to my next trip!  Preferably somewhere hot with options of slipping in a few lazy days to recharge the batteries as well as not missing the sites and culture.  With that in mind, here are my top three winter escapes.

Want to go back in time?  Try Cuba. Caught in a time warp of old world decadence, crumbling buildings, cigar-smoking beggars, cool cars and, at night, rhythm and music round every corner from Havana to Trinidad on the coast, here is a bygone way of life.

Oman has a most agreeable climate between October and March. It combines luxury on the coast with the romance of the desert.   Dive, snorkel, swim in the clear warm waters of the Arabian Sea, relax by the pool or in the spa of a tip-top hotel.  Charter a boat to a fishing village for dinner. For adventure, a few days out on an expedition into the desert and stay in a Bedouin tent under a spectacularly starry sky.

The Cape in its summer is the place to be, with a Mediterranean climate from November to April, sun and sea, and wide variety of places to stay.  Attractions abound for the energetic – golf, tennis, walking in the wilderness, climbing Table Mountain – and for the not so energetic – visiting wineries and tours to wildlife reserves and Robben Island.