El Nido Philippines

While Britain shivers in December and January, the Philippines revels in perfect dry-season conditions of clear skies, calm seas and tropical temperatures. It’s the busiest time of year in El Nido, a municipality towards Palawan’s northern tip, but also ideal for discovering its biggest draw: the Bacuit Archipelago. With scenery reminiscent of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay or Thailand’s Phang Nga, El Nido’s isles are all about limestone cliffs, hidden beaches and idyllic lagoons: a combination that is like catnip for island aficionados.

Travelling through the Bacuit Islands presents memorable highlights: exploring Small Lagoon and Secret Lagoon, kayaking among Big Lagoon’s karst formations, or pitching up at low tide for a day on Snake Island’s ephemeral sandbar. Helicopter Island and Shimizu Island are particularly good for snorkelling among fish-rich coral gardens, while Matinloc Island’s Hidden Beach, lost behind cliffs, is a genuine gem. Back on Palawan itself are heavenly views across Bacuit Bay from Taraw Cliff’s lookout, plus Nacpan Beach’s 4km of unspoiled, creamy sands. And wherever you’re gazing out from, have a go at naming the many shades of blue that bring the outrageously beautiful scenery to life – from turquoise, teal and topaz to cobalt, kingfisher and aquamarine.

Adding extra depth is the local Filipino food. Lapu-lapu (grouper) and grilled squid are popular, as is adobo (a marinated meat dish) and colourful halo-halo, a dessert of sweet beans, fruits and shaved ice. And what better than cocktails with lambanog, the Philippines’ coconut-based spirit, for sipping as the sun goes down on each adventure-filled day?

Lord Howe Island Australia

Island getaways rarely come as tranquil as Lord Howe. As if this offshoot of New South Wales wasn’t already remote and exclusive, it permits a maximum capacity of 400 visitors at a time. Better still, two-thirds of this crescent-shaped island remains pristine and protected – and with mountains, forest, coral lagoons and empty beaches to lose yourself in, the result is a hideaway that feels uncrowded and untouched.

Getting to Lord Howe is an adventure in itself. Cast adrift in the Tasman Sea, the island is accessible via a two-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, so holidays here can be topped and tailed with a city break or the Great Barrier Reef. The lack of ferries from the mainland feeds into Lord Howe’s secluded charm, but although it’s super-sleepy, this is not some unrefined outpost. Modern Australia makes its presence felt via quality facilities and infrastructure – plus, of course, a wealth of decent places to eat and stay.

The food scene here showcases Lord Howe’s natural productivity, via gourmet offerings foraged and harvested from land and sea. Fish and shellfish are particular standouts among all these island ingredients, with must-try dishes including kingfish and lobster sourced from its surrounding waters. Anchorage Restaurant and Capella Lodge are among the top spots to seek them out – ideally paired with Australian wines brought over from the mainland.

Elsewhere, Lord Howe Island appeals for snorkelling, hiking and nature-watching – activities that are all well-suited to the balmy seasonal temperatures, with the mercury hovering around the 20Cs. When you’re not immersed in the lagoon, choosing from 11 lovely beaches to relax on, or scrambling up Mount Gower – which dominates the southern part of the island – the best thing to do is potter about on two wheels spotting local wildlife.

Noddies, terns and other seabirds are untroubled by people passing close by; and with the lack of mobile phone reception adding to the Edenic air, this is an island escape that promises a total disconnect.

Bazaruto Mozambique

Coral reefs, beachfront palms and island-hopping by wooden dhow: Bazaruto is the archetypal tropical paradise. As the largest of five specks of land in the archipelago sharing its name, Bazaruto lies some 20km from mainland Mozambique. Its landscape is a mix of forest, wetlands, lakes and savannah, all fringed by white-sand shores and towering dunes. December and January visits coincide with peak seasonal temperatures, creating conditions that lend themselves to spending maximum time in the sea. That’s just as well: the Indian Ocean’s clear waters are alive with corals and fish, plus dolphins, dugongs, humpback whales and whale sharks further out. No wonder the entire archipelago is a national marine park.

It may be remote but Bazaruto offers luxurious escapes. On the main island, the go-to choice is the Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, whose 44 villas (some with private pools) are dotted along the waterfront. Flame-grilled seafood and exotic-fruit beverages are among the standouts at the three on-site restaurants; or roll up your sleeves and learn the secrets of Mozambican cuisine in an immersive, step-by-step Spice Spoons cookery class using local ingredients.

But don’t stay in just one spot: Banque is a castaway’s dream and Magaruque has excellent snorkelling, but the second-largest island, Benguerra, offers the best twin-centre options. Its eco-luxurious Kisawa Sanctuary is a low-impact development where tradition meets innovation. The 12 seafront residences are built local-style from cork, wood, reeds, rammed earth and other natural materials, enhanced with architectural components 3D-printed on site using just sand and seawater. Truly groundbreaking.

Cook Islands Cook Islands

These 15 Polynesian beauties have a rich indigenous cultural heritage, in tandem with coral atolls, white-sand shores and forested mountains. Getting here is long-haul travel at its most extreme, but the reasons to make the journey are compelling. Since the Cook Islands lie roughly halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii – and are best reached via Sydney, Auckland, Honolulu or Tahiti – crossing all those time zones opens up a wealth of worthwhile experiences that embody the islands’ blend of tradition and modernity.

Village tours on the two main islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki provide a glimpse into the ancient history and traditions, alongside more contemporary festivals, arts, music, crafts and dance. Among the impressive local customs is the ura pa-u, a fast-paced ‘drum dance’ performed to the beat of instruments varying in size and style from skin drums to the wooden tokere (slit drum). Cook Islanders are reputed to be Polynesia’s best drummers and dancers, so ura pa-u is a genuine spectacle. Men and women participate in these energetic

but graceful affairs, dressed in traditional skirts made from beach hibiscus and accessorised with armbands, leggings and decorative headdresses.

The islanders’ customs can also be explored via their cuisine. You’re likely to be served food wrapped in green banana leaves and steamed in an umu: a typical South Seas underground oven heated with volcanic rocks. Another favourite local dish is ika mata, a Polynesian salad of coconut cream, chopped vegetables and flying fish sashimi. The taste is authentic yet utterly exotic – much like these islands themselves.

Rodrigues Mauritius

Although Mauritius is a reliable destination for laid-back sunshine beach breaks, occasionally even local Mauritians need to get away from it all. When they do, there’s no need to travel far to find somewhere suitably comatose – a 90-minute flight away lies Rodrigues, their sister island, which, despite being way out in the Indian Ocean, is considered Africa’s easternmost point.

The smallest and most remote of the three-strong Mascarene Islands – the third is the French outpost of Réunion – Rodrigues
is just 100sq km of ancient, weathered volcano; and with its gentle rhythm, bone-white beaches and vast turquoise lagoon, it’s perfect for chilled-out getaways.

The appeal of Rodrigues lies in its step-back-in-time ambiance. Compared with ‘mainland’ Mauritius, this is an unhurried, far less developed kind of place served by smaller-scale hotels and guesthouses, plus a smattering of informal restaurants offering fresh fish and Creole cuisine. Sandy strands are connected by coastal hiking trails – indeed, one of the best beaches, cliff- flanked Trou D’Argent, is only accessible on foot. Early-morning seaside yomps (or ascents to the isle’s highest point, Mount Limon) are best for engaging with the scenery before the day gets too hot.

Cast away even further are the day-trip islets across the lagoon: Pierrot, Hermitage and particularly beach-ringed Île aux Cocos, which is home to a huge seabird colony. Although the flightless Rodrigues solitaire is – like Mauritius’s better-known dodo – long extinct, a glimpse of the island’s remaining biodiversity can be found at the François Leguat Reserve, which protects a fragment of the native forest that once covered Rodrigues. Giant tortoises are its most impressive residents – but ultimately Rodrigues itself remains the greatest discovery.

Long Caye Belize

Fancy a back-to-nature digital detox? Long Caye is for you. One of five coral cays at Glover’s Reef, on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the island is an off-grid adventure playground where endless watersports meet castaway comforts. Arriving from Belize City by speedboat, you’re greeted by palm-thatched, ocean-front cabins – each with a nap-worthy hammock – lying scattered through a coconut grove. Powered by wind and sun, cooled by Caribbean breezes and with filtered rainwater for drinking, this is as close as you’ll get to emulating Robinson Crusoe. Not that the fictional character, marooned on such an isle, could choose between so many activities. When you’re not snorkelling on sea-grass meadows or patches of reef with evocative names – Sea Fan City, Lobster Rocks – the thrills come courtesy of windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding or kayak-surfing, all supported by expert instruction and quality equipment.

Fuelling all this fun are generous meals made using mainland- sourced market ingredients and Long Caye’s own-grown coconuts. Spicy enchiladas and tacos, tasty tortillas and delicious doughy fry jacks are among the dishes created each day from scratch. And when you’re not eating or in the water? Sit back and connect with nature, celebrating the daytime rhythm and tuning into life’s little details: the meditative sound of the waves, the joy of cracking open a juice-filled coconut, or the sight of hermit crabs scuttling along pathways lined with sun-bleached conch shells. It’s an easygoing, feed-your-soul adventure.

Raja Ampat Indonesia

With its dragons and volcanic peaks, Komodo National Park is a veritable island icon, understandably drawing visitors – but Indonesia’s real adventure lies north-east in the magical, hard-to-reach islands of Raja Ampat. Hundreds strong, the archipelago is almost criminally beautiful, with mostly jungle-clad isles and islets rising from coral-filled seas. Among them incredible experiences are to be had, from snorkelling with turtles and manta rays to swimming in a lake that teems with (stingless) jellyfish, or even discovering mysterious rock art that’s at least three millennia old.

Beyond the incredible seascape, this is a region of extraordinary biodiversity. Thanks to its proximity to Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat is home to several colourful species of bird of paradise, including the particularly impressive red and Wilson’s varieties. These amazing birds were a holy grail for Alfred Russel Wallace, the English explorer and contemporary of Charles Darwin who travelled here in the mid-1800s. Elsewhere, dusk draws clouds of massive fruit bats from their daytime roosts, filling the sky as they fly off to feed in the forest. Beneath the waves, meanwhile, it’s thought that at least 75 per cent of all known coral species exist in the region, in finger, boulder and countless other forms. Plus, fish as diverse as wobbegongs, whale sharks and predatory giant trevallies may be seen. With scant infrastructure on land, Raja Ampat is perfect for exploring on an expedition cruise. Tradewind-influenced weather conditions dictate that December to February is the best time to be here; depending on your budget, choose from sailing on a traditional wooden pinisi or a modern, luxurious ship – and be prepared for the odyssey of your life.