Looking for a shore thing on a lazy holiday? Joanna Booth has some ideas
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We’re getting to that time of year again: dark when you go into work in the morning, and dark all over again when you leave at night. Did the sun even come up?
It’s time to make sure clients get a much-needed dose of vitamin D with a classic sun, sea and sand holiday to somewhere that stays balmy while Britain freezes.
And while some of your clients will be looking to pack plenty of action into their time away, there will be just as many keen to do as little as possible beyond flying and flopping.
Here are eight beautiful beaches tailor-made for total laziness in popular winter-sun hotspots – what more temptation could they possibly need?
1. Private Island, Maldives
If, like French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, your clients believe that ‘hell is other people’, you need to pack them off to the Maldives as soon as possible. At JA Manafaru, they can enjoy complete solitude with a Castaway Experience on a deserted private island off the main Haa Alifu atoll. No Bear Grylls-style survival skills will be necessary – they’ll be marooned in style, dropped off on the sand with a gourmet hamper and snorkelling equipment.
“Enjoy complete solitude with a Castaway Experience on a deserted private island off the main Haa Alifu atoll.”
Book it: Kuoni offers seven nights’ B&B in a Beach Bungalow with a private pool from £2,999, including flights and transfers. The price is valid on certain dates from January to March.
kuoni.co.uk
2. Xpu-ha, Mexico
Too relaxed to even wave at a waiter? Hotel Esencia has thought of a solution for the most laid-back luxury clients. The sun loungers on stunning Xpu-Ha Beach (pronounced shpoo-ha) come with a call button, so clients can summon coconuts, cocktails or whatever they fancy with zero effort. There’s no need to leave the sand come dinner time – just stick around for a beach barbecue lit by flaming bamboo torches.
Book it: Exsus Travel offers five nights’ B&B in a Jungle Suite from £3,235, including flights and transfers, valid on select dates from January to April.
exsus.com
3. Pigeon Point, Tobago
With its white sand, swaying palms and iconic thatched-roof jetty, Tobago’s Pigeon Point is one of the finest beaches on the island, and lies at the heart of a 50-hectare nature reserve. After sipping a Carib beer on a sun lounger, clients can take a leisurely boat trip out to wallow in the Nylon Pool, a bath-warm, thigh-deep lagoon. They should also stick around for sunset – it’ll be spectacular.
“After sipping a Carib beer on a sun lounger, clients can take a leisurely boat trip out to wallow in the Nylon Pool, a bath-warm, thigh-deep lagoon.”
Book it: Caribtours offers seven nights’ B&B in a Superior Garden View Room at Coco Reef Resort & Spa, one of the nearest hotels to Pigeon Point, from £1,495. The price includes flights, transfers and lounge access, and is valid for departures in November.
caribtours.co.uk
4. Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
There are ‘buzz me’ buttons on the loungers at Lux Belle Mare too. Set on one of Mauritius’s widest and whitest beaches, the hotel plies guests with ‘frozés’ (frozen rosé – what’s not to love?) on the sand. Just steps away, the Sandy Toes shack is both bar and concierge service, serving up mojitos along with information on tonight’s movie screening under the stars, tomorrow’s sunrise beach yoga class, and how to book horse riding along this perfect shore.
Book it: Simply Luxury by Travel 2 offers 10 nights’ B&B in a junior suite from £2,549, including flights and transfers, for departures between February 24 and March 28.
travel2.com
5. Siesta Key, Florida
Plenty of beaches claim to be the best in the world, but there’s science on side when it comes to Siesta Key. Most sand is pulverised coral, but the fine, white powder on this Florida barrier island is 99% quartz from the Appalachian Mountains, washed downstream over millions of years. What this means for your clients is the softest, coolest – it reflects rather than absorbs the sun – grains they’ve ever lazed on, making up a long, wide and serene beach.
“Most sand is pulverised coral, but the fine, white powder on this Florida barrier island is 99% quartz from the Appalachian Mountains.”
Book it: USAirtours offers seven nights in an eight-bedroom Siesta Key luxury villa with private heated pool and direct beach access from £1,349, departing February 23. The price is based on 16 sharing and includes flights from Gatwick.
usairtours.co.uk
6. Playa Jardin, Tenerife
Both nature and nurture have played their part in making Tenerife’s Playa Jardin one of the most beautiful beaches in the Canary Islands. The island’s volcanic geology means clients will find striking black sand and expansive views of steep-sloped Mount Teide, while famous architect César Manrique has created a complex of flower-filled gardens and waterfalls behind the shoreline.
Book it: Jet2holidays offers seven nights’ B&B at the Sol Puerto De La Cruz Tenerife, one of the closest hotels to Playa Jardin, from £359 including flights from Stansted and transfers, departing December 12.
jet2holidays.com
7. Phra Nang Beach, Thailand
Accessible only by sea, the Phra Nang peninsula is cut off from the rest of Krabi by limestone headlands and thick, jungle-clad valleys. A long-tail boat journey brings travellers to white sands, dramatic karst formations, and a real sense of tranquillity. If clients have the spending power, book a stay at Rayavadee, the only hotel with direct access to the most beautiful beach of all, Phra Nang. Its Grotto restaurant is right on the sand, sheltered by a soaring cliff face.
“A long-tail boat journey brings travellers to white sands, dramatic karst formations, and a real sense of tranquillity.”
Book it: Inspiring Travel Company offers seven nights’ B&B in a Deluxe Pavilion at Rayavadee from £2,389 including flights and transfers, departing November 28.
inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk
8. Emerald Bay Beach, Bahamas
There isn’t much that’s whiter than the sand on Great Exuma’s Emerald Bay beach. But even more pristine are the starched shirts of the butlers at Sandals Emerald Bay. Trained to the standards of the Guild of Professional English Butlers, these besuited pros will be on hand to cater to clients’ every whim, whether that’s serving champagne on the sand or cycling cocktails along the boardwalk to the far end of the resort’s mile-long beach.
“Trained to the standards of the Guild of Professional English Butlers, these besuited pros will be on hand to cater to clients’ every whim.”
Book it: Seven nights’ all‑inclusive in a Beach House Oceanview One Bedroom Butler Suite starts at £2,629 including Butler Elite service, flights from Heathrow and transfers, departing January 21.
sellingsandals.co.uk
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