For those who find January and February's cold and grey insufferable, as so many of us do, these five destinations offer guaranteed warmth, sunshine, and excellent hotels. We've selected Fiji for its fabulous reefs and warm, clear conditions; South Africa for its fantastic combination of wildlife, wines and urban chic; Mauritius for its luxurious hotels; Sri Lanka for its wellness offerings; and Brazil for its sheer joie de vivre. Here is a pick of some of the world's most rewarding winter escapes as recommended by The Hotel Guru.

Fiji

Fiji in winter (Northern Hemisphere winter, December to April) is the South Pacific at its most inviting. The Fijian archipelago of over 300 islands enjoys warm, clear conditions from December through March, with temperatures around 30 degrees and extraordinary reefs, bioluminescent bays, and coral-fringed beaches that make it one of the planet's finest island destinations. Fijian culture, including the Kava ceremonies, the singing, and the extraordinary generosity of the people, adds a warmth and welcome that is genuinely among the finest in the world.

• Paradise Cove Resort is an adults-only boutique resort on the Yasawa Islands, the most remote and beautiful of the accessible Fijian island groups, which can be reached by seaplane or high-speed catamaran from Port Denarau. The 65 bures (traditional Fijian cottages) are set along a private beach or in tropical gardens; the reef just offshore is excellent for snorkelling, and the resort's all-inclusive programme lets guests eat, drink, and explore without financial friction.
• Oarsman's Bay Lodge is a small, eco-focused lodge on Wayasewa Island in the Yasawas with just eight bures and a commitment to sustainable tourism and community partnership that makes it one of the most genuinely responsible options in Fiji. Diving from the lodge is exceptional, and the property's intimacy — guests often number fewer than 20— gives it a character unlike larger resorts.
• Matamanoa Island Resort is a boutique resort on the private island of Matamanoa, accessible by floatplane from Nadi, with 30 bures and villas in a coconut grove and on the beach. The reef directly offshore and the extraordinary isolation of the island — no day visitors, no other hotels — give it a genuine sense of being off the world.
• Turtle Island Fiji is one of the most acclaimed private island resorts in the Pacific: a 500-acre island in the northern Yasawas with just 14 bures and an all-inclusive experience of considerable quality and thoughtfulness. The island has been lovingly managed for several decades, and the combination of conservation, community partnership, and extraordinary hospitality has made it consistently one of the finest small resorts in the world.

South Africa

January and February is the heart of South Africa's summer: Cape Town and the Garden Route are warm and sunny, the Kruger National Park's game viewing is excellent (the dry winter months are actually best for game, but summer brings newborn animals and lush bush), and the Winelands are producing their harvest. The combination of wildlife, wine, beaches, and one of the world's great cities (Cape Town) makes South Africa the most complete winter escape in Africa.

• Ellerman House is a beautifully restored Edwardian mansion in the Bantry Bay neighbourhood of Cape Town, one of Africa's finest small hotels, with 11 rooms and three villas, a private art collection, a spa, two pools, and direct Atlantic views. The service is of the intimate, highly personalised standard that only 11 rooms can sustain, and the wine cellar (over 7,000 bottles!) is exceptional.
• Camp Figtree is a boutique safari camp in the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape, with nine suites and a programme of game drives in one of the few parks in the world where the Big 10 can be seen (the marine Big 5 — whales, dolphins, penguins, seals, and great white sharks — in addition to the terrestrial Big 5). In summer, Addo is lush and excellent for families.
• Coopmanhujis Boutique Hotel & Spa is a five-star property in Stellenbosch, at the heart of the Cape Winelands, in a beautifully restored historic building with a strong spa and a position that makes the wineries of Stellenbosch immediately accessible. The harvest season (February and March) is one of the most extraordinary times to be in the Winelands.
• The Outpost is a safari lodge in the far northern section of Kruger National Park, bordering Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with nine cantilevered suites suspended above the Limpopo River floodplain and some of the park's best game viewing. The remote location and the design — concrete and glass, minimalist and striking — make it one of the most architecturally interesting lodges in the country.

Mauritius

© Newmark Hotels

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is Mauritius'  summer: warm, occasionally rainy in the cyclone season (January and February), but with reliable sunshine and the extraordinary azure lagoon that surrounds it on all sides. Mauritius has positioned itself at the top end of the Indian Ocean island holiday market, and its hotels reflect this ambition — the quality of accommodation, food, and service across the island's luxury properties is among the highest in the world.

• Otentic Eco Tent Experience is a glamping resort on the southern coast of Mauritius with eco-tents on a private beach, fishing and snorkelling equipment available, and a simple design that makes the extraordinary natural beauty of the southern coastline the primary focus. It is the most affordable and most genuinely eco-conscious option on this list.
• Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort is a five-star resort in the Bel Ombre nature reserve in southern Mauritius, whose architecture and design is inspired by the island's colonial sugar estate heritage. The golf course, spa, beach club, and six restaurants reflect the comprehensive quality of a large luxury resort operating at the top of its market.
• La Maison d'Ete is a small, beautifully appointed boutique hotel near Grand Baie in northern Mauritius, with a pool, a garden, and the personal service of an intimately run property. It offers a more residential, less resort-like experience of Mauritius and suits those who want to spend time on the real island rather than in an artificial beach enclave.
• Bakwa Lodge is a laid-back beach lodge in Rodrigues Island — a small, remarkably pristine island dependency of Mauritius, 563 kilometres to the east — with access to some of the most untouched reefs and marine life in the Indian Ocean. Rodrigues is what Mauritius was before mass tourism, and the decision to go further is very much rewarded.

Sri Lanka

Winter (December through March) is the dry season on the west and south coasts of Sri Lanka, the side of the island where the major tourist infrastructure is located. Colombo, Galle, the Cultural Triangle (Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy), and the tea country of the central highlands are all accessible and excellent at this time of year. Whale watching off Mirissa, the sea turtle nesting beaches of Rekawa and Kosgoda, and the extraordinary wildlife diversity in Yala National Park (leopards, elephants, sloth bears) give the island a natural dimension that goes well beyond its beaches. Sri Lanka has also been voted the best wellness destination for 2026.

• Luna Laguna is a boutique hotel on the Pottuvil Lagoon in eastern Sri Lanka, accessible via Arugam Bay, with a combination of surf (Arugam Bay is one of the world's finest surf breaks), wildlife (Lahugala National Park is adjacent), and the extraordinary mangrove lagoon. The eastern coast follows a different weather cycle than the south and is at its best from April through September, but the area's winter tranquillity and beauty make it worth considering.
• Malabar Hill is a boutique hotel near Unawatuna on the south coast, with a strong connection to Sri Lankan cooking tradition. It's a beautifully conceived small property that reflects the warmth and creativity of its founders. The south coast in winter is at its best, and Unawatuna's beach and the nearby Galle Fort are both excellent.
• Tekanda Lodge is a beautifully positioned small lodge in Sri Lanka's cultural heartland near Sigiriya, with direct access to the rock fortress and the surrounding ancient landscape. The dry season makes the Cultural Triangle very comfortable for exploration, and the lodge's pool and gardens provide excellent relief from the afternoon heat.
• Rukgala Retreat is an eco-lodge in the Wasgamuwa National Park, one of Sri Lanka's least-visited and most rewarding parks for elephant sightings, with accommodation in luxury tents, and a strong emphasis on nature and conservation. The dry season brings the elephants to the river in large numbers and makes wildlife viewing exceptional.

Brazil

Brazil in January and February is the southern summer in full swing: Rio de Janeiro preparing for Carnival (Mardi Gras falls in late February or early March, and the pre-Carnival season runs all January), the beaches of Bahia warm and beautiful, the Amazon accessible and extraordinary, and the Pantanal wetlands at their most wildlife-rich as the waters begin to recede. Brazil is the largest country in South America and offers an almost overwhelming diversity of experiences — urban (São Paulo, Rio, Salvador), natural (Amazon, Pantanal, Iguazu, Chapada Diamantina), cultural (the Afro-Brazilian traditions of Bahia, the Art Deco of Copacabana, the colonial cities of Minas Gerais) — that rewards extended exploration.

• Casa Na Praia is a boutique hotel directly on the beach in Jericoacoara. Here it's all about the combination of refined elegance with a strong slice of rustic charm! Think decor with plenty of artisanal accents, gardens filled with tropical blooms, and stunning ocean views. It epitomises pure barefoot luxury.
• Zank by Toque Hotel is a design hotel in Porto Seguro in southern Bahia, combining contemporary Brazilian design with direct beach access and the warm hospitality of the Bahian coast. The combination of reef diving, beach, and access to the extraordinary Discovery Coast reserve makes this part of Bahia a rewarding base.
• Belmond Hotel das Cataratas is the only hotel inside Iguazu Falls National Park on the Brazilian side, with rooms that directly overlook the falls and the ability to walk the viewing platforms after day visitors have left. Iguazu in January is at the height of the rainy season, which means the falls are at their most powerful and dramatic — up to 275 individual cataracts in full flow.
• Boutique Hotel Castelinho is the small, individually styled Santa Teresa villa hotel that is one of our long-time favourites. It's an excellent base for experiencing the real Rio alongside the spectacle of Carnival preparations in January and February.

Still not sure? 

• Browse through our full list of accommodation options in Galle
• Refine your search to include our recommendations for our recommended hotels in Cape Town or The Best Barbados Hotels on a Beach
• Alternatively, you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.