13 winter sun destinations for food lovers

Looking for the ultimate winter sun destinations for food lovers? Want to make the most of the sunshine on an alfresco city break? Check out our pick of places to go, including where to stay, which restaurants to visit and what dishes you should try. For something a little chillier, check out our picks of the best ski destinations in Europe for a snowy getaway.

Winter sun destinations for food lovers

Bali – for an eco-chic escape

Bali isn't all about parties and gap year travellers. If you need some relaxation after December madness, head to Bali for a calm wellbeing break. Soak up the warmth by relaxing on the beaches, go for a swim in the Indian Ocean and immerse yourself in Indonesian culture exploring the bustling cities. The unbeatable sunsets will stay with you long after you go home. Base yourself in Seminyak – a blend of luxury that still feels laid-back, with buzzy beach clubs, wide beaches and endless beachside cafés to while away the days at.

Where to stay: Stay at Potato Head, an eco-chic retreat on Seminyak’s beachfront. Sustainability is at the forefront of this brutalist structure: ceilings are made of recycled Sprite bottles, earthy tones warm up the expansive space and rattan furniture adds local character. Book the Oceanfront Studio to wake up to daylight pouring in and stunning sea views. To enjoy golden hour as the sun sets, a wood-panelled bath takes centre stage, which can be drawn with floating petals, and fresh dragon fruit and watermelon platters on the side. The room is complete with a custom-made maxi-bar, stocked with the likes of spiced rum and pink guava kombucha.

On-site dining options have been curated to meet every need, with seasonal produce grown on the organic regenerative farm, Sweet Potato Project. Kaum serves authentic Indonesian dishes such as gado gado, a vegetable salad with peanut dressing, in a casual, plant-filled setting. At Ijen, seafood fresh from the boat is cooked on open fire – think grilled octopus, whole roasted barramundi and clams in seaweed butter. Contemporary plant-based versions of classics such as báhn mì, crispy oyster mushroom katsu and warming pandang curry are given the spotlight at Tanaman. The zero-waste cocktail lab designs options for each restaurant, salvaging surplus ingredients otherwise destined for the bin to turn into the likes of avocado stone syrup, showcased in cocktails such as the rum-based Barong Zombie.

Doubles from £157, check rates and availability at booking.com

Belize – for eco-friendly adventure

Head to Belize for an adventure along with your sunshine – think kayaking down the Rio Grande River, hiking the national parks or scuba diving in the Belize barrier reef. Explore ancient Mayan ruins for a culture fix, or learn about local coffee or chocolate production with guided tours and tastings. There is something to do for everybody – perfect for those who can't sit still, or for a family trip with an experience for all ages.

Where to stay: Copal Tree Lodge is a luxurious eco-resort set between the Rio Grande river and lush jungle. Four Signature Canopy Suites are accessed by a tiny tram that takes you to the top of the jungle canopy. Choose rooms 13 or 16 for sunrise views, and 14 or 15 to watch the sunset from your king-sized bed, veranda hammock or outdoor balcony bathtub. Whichever you go for, the views are out of this world. You also get shared use of the infinity pool and a private bar with bartender Ducky to shake up whatever you fancy.

Most of the food you’ll eat at Copal Tree Lodge is grown on site. As well as growing and drying its own coffee and chocolate, the estate also makes its own rum, Copalli, from the sugar cane harvested in the surrounding fields. Try the organic cacao rum for its rich chocolate flavour and smooth finish. The Garden Table Restaurant serves dishes from the kitchen garden, cooked in traditional Belizean styles such as Creole, Latin and Garifuna. Lunches combine fresh produce in sandwiches, salads and tacos with spicy pico de gallo, handmade tortillas and homemade queso fresco.

Belizean breakfasts are some of the best in the world, combining Central American favourites like huevos rancheros or burritos with a plethora of sweet, fresh tropical fruits and juices, and US-style breakfasts like pancake stacks (served with pineapple butter – a must-try) and thick coconut and cinnamon french toast. Fry jacks, puffed-up fried tortillas, are a speciality of the region. Copal Lodge’s version comes stuffed with farm-fresh scrambled eggs, refried beans and garden veggies.

Suites from £450, check rates and availability at booking.com

The Caribbean – for beachside seafood suppers

The tropical climate of the Caribbean makes this cluster of islands with white sand beaches a go-to destination for winter sun. Friday night fish fries are where locals and tourists come together to drink rum, hang out, play dominos and eat fresh fish to a backdrop of live music in the open air. Fresh fish such as mahi-mahi, tuna and swordfish are cooked in front of you over flames. In the Bahamas, Nassau’s colourful Arawak Cay harbour hosts a fish fry every night. Taste unique dishes that vary between each of the 700 islands of the Bahamas, such as conch salads and fritters, guava duffs and ‘cracked’ battered fish washed down with sky juice or local beers.

In Tobago, get your seafood fix from the Store Bay Ladies, who have been selling their homemade crab and dumplings at the idyllic turquoise bay of the same name for decades. Head to Miss Trim’s – set up by 86-year-old Miss Trim, who recently passed the business on to her eighth child, Meisha – to enjoy blue-black crab in a blend of coconut milk and spices. Other iconic spots for curried crab include Scarborough’s Blue Crab, run by charming 80-year-old Alison and her husband Kenneth. Further up the north coast lies Castara, a small Caribbean beach town with a laid-back local culture.

Where to stay: On Tobago’s north coast lies Castara, a friendly beach village with a laid-back culture. Born-and-bred locals Derek (aka Porridge) and Jeanelle Lopez welcome guests to their small eco boutique, Castara Retreats. The collection of treehouse lodges nestled into lush hillside rainforest are designed to soak up breathtaking views of the sun setting over the Caribbean Sea. Sun spills through intricately carved window frames into minimally decorated cedarwood suites, brightened with colour pops from handwoven fabrics on four-poster beds, local contemporary art and the flutter of resident hummingbirds.

At open-air multi-level restaurant Caribbean Kitchen, you can sip on passion fruit mojito sundowners before trying the island’s fresh ingredients in dishes such as grilled red snapper with homemade salsa, lamb curry with coconut greens, and black bean and plantain fritters. Guests are also encouraged to mooch down to the village and join the community in daily food rituals. Mornings at local meeting hub Cheno’s Coffee Shop start with breakfasts of coconut bake, salt fish and tropical star fruit salads. Marguarite’s, set back from the beach, serves its own take on curried crab and dumplings, and the handful of beach bars regularly host live steelpan, soca and calypso music for barefoot dancing on the shore in the moonlight.

Join a sea-breeze-fuelled yoga class in the retreat’s open-sided studio, spend the day unwinding on secluded golden sand beaches and hike through rainforest paths to the oldest protected waterfall in the Western Hemisphere.

Apartments from £141 per night, check availability at booking.com or castararetreats.com

Sri Lanka – for a tropical, sun-fuelled reset

Start the new year with a mood-boosting holiday to return nourished, rested and rejuvenated for the months ahead. Sri Lanka’s south coast boasts plenty of sunshine in the winter months, without much rain. Tropical fruits such as electrolyte-rich coconuts, pineapples and papaya are in abundance all year round, as are vibrant vegetarian curries that include plenty of turmeric and nourishing veg.

Where to stay: One of Sri Lanka’s luxury stars, Malabar Hill is located on an old cinnamon plantation just outside Weligama on the south coast. From its hilltop perch, the palatial-like hotel has expansive views looking back towards the Indian Ocean and further out to lush green paddy fields. The secluded villas, nestled in the jungle, are designed to make the most of the scenery, each boasting floor-to-ceiling glass windows, terraces and salt-water infinity pools.

Antique Rajasthani chests, mirrors and bedframes contrast contemporary brushed concrete walls to create luxurious cocoons for ultimate relaxation. Intricately carved arches give way to breathtaking viewpoints from open-air Hill House restaurant and bar in the ornate main building.

A wide-ranging menu of excellent Sri Lankan, Indian and Southeast Asian dishes use the freshest ingredients from the market and surrounding waters. Options include sticky aubergine salad, crispy skin barramundi and prawn curry with kachumber salad, while the seafood platter of lobster, squid, prawns and fish is a real treat. Pre-order the traditional Sri Lankan lamprais – a selection of curries, fricadelle meatballs, ash plantain, shrimp paste, tangy aubergine moju, and rice wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf.

The intricately prepared Sri Lankan breakfast begins with freshly cooked hoppers or coconut roti to pair with dhal curry and katta, seeni and coconut sambols, plus a choice of watermelon, papaya, pineapple or king coconut juices. Tailor-made excursions include water safaris, restaurant and café hopping in Galle Fort, and guided tours of the original cinnamon estate just across the valley.

Villas from £386 per night, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or malabarhillsrilanka.com

Mendoza, Argentina – for vineyard experiences in the sunshine

Mendoza valley, high up in the Andes, is Argentina's number one and biggest wine region. The vineyards in this area are known to be home to some of the highest altitude vines in the world, with Malbec being the most prevalent grape. During February and March's Fiesta de la Vendimia harvest festival, Mendoza city and its surrounding villages and vineyards come alive with colourful parades, food markets and open air concerts to celebrate the graft of workers in this stunning region of Argentina. Wineries open up for tours and tastings, there are unique pairing menus in restaurants, and tourists can join in grape picking and stomping in the vineyards.

Where to stay: Set in the foothills of the Andes, this sustainable-forward, 320-hectare estate embraces the outdoors with its minimalist design, natural reserves and outdoor activities. The contemporary hotel building is designed to reflect the surrounding landscapes – floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive terraces in the upper-floor rooms, cubist stand-alone suite structures set around the Andean water-filled lagoon and outdoor pools for taking in the mountain air.

Small touches of hospitality make Casa de Uco feel like home, from a glass of the estate’s wine and homemade alfajores to enjoy on arrival to bespoke cocktails tweaked to your tastes from the list curated by renowned Buenos Aires bartender Renato Giovannoni. An expansive organic kitchen garden provides bountiful produce for chefs to showcase the best of the Uco Valley and its terroir. Vibrant salads are a riot of textures – think pickled beets, pears, roquefort and fried walnuts. Argentinian beef classics are given contemporary flair – carpaccio in chermoula sauce, empanadas with chilli sauce and tomahawk steak with gratin onions.

The Uco Valley is a key part of Mendoza’s wine region and experiences among the 70 hectares of vines range from interactive tours and tastings to immersive wine-making workshops. You can even join the harvest, partake in grape stomping and reward yourself with vinotherapy treatments in the sleek spa. The estate is a playground to soak up the winter sun – cycle or ride horseback through the vines to secluded fireside dinners, tuck into a lavish picnic on a ‘wild deck’ in the on-site natural reserve or join chefs as they pluck ingredients from the kitchen garden and teach you asado skills as the sky turns pink and orange behind the mountains.

Doubles from £502 per night, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com or casadeuco.com

Zambia and Zimbabwe – for a luxury safari

If you've ever wanted to go on safari, now is the time. Thoughtful, responsible and deeply moving, the remote Wilderness reserves in Zambia and Zimbabwe offer a rare kind of travel, one that reconnects you with nature and reminds you how extraordinary the world can be.

Set along riverbanks and deep within vast national parks, these camps offer a front-row seat to Africa’s raw, unfiltered beauty. Each is built sensitively around its environment to allow wildlife to roam freely and the landscape to remain untouched. The guiding here is world-class and truly tailored to each guest. The ability to read and interpret the bush transforms every sighting into a profoundly intimate experience, the kind that stays imprinted long after you return home – think watching a leopard slink silently through the shadows, stalking a porcupine.

Days begin and end with river cruises or game drives timed for when the animals are at their most active and the sunsets impossibly vivid. In the golden calm of the afternoon the tempo slows – you can enjoy a dip in the pool, a massage at the spa, or a lingering lunch accompanied by the sound of cicadas and distant bird calls. Sustainability also runs through everything Wilderness does – solar-powered camps, eco-friendly toiletries and locally sourced ingredients all supporting conservation and nearby communities.

Where to stay: As well as getting you up close and personal to the animals, the Wilderness reserves offer a touch of luxury throughout your stay. Wilderness Toka Leya’s open-sided river suites with swinging chairs and outdoor bathtubs allow you to soak up the hippos’ nightly chorus from the mighty Zambezi below. Wilderness Linkwasha’s pale woods and glass walls create a modern aesthetic overlooking the watering hole where giraffes stoop to drink as you sip your morning coffee. Wilderness Ruckomechi’s lantern-lit decks and elephants wandering through camp feel timelessly explorer-chic. Many suites also feature outdoor beds – perfectly safe yet open to the night sky – where you fall asleep beneath the Milky Way and wake to the sound of laughing hyenas greeting the dawn.

Dining is integral to the experience and service is warm and intuitive, every detail considered. Meals celebrate the bold, earthy flavours of southern Africa – flame-grilled bream from the Zambezi, slow-cooked game stews, and vegetables grown in camp gardens. Mornings start with a light breakfast of fresh fruit, wood-fired breads and eggs cooked to order before your first adventure. Evenings are pure theatre – gin and tonics around the campfire as the sun sinks below the horizon, followed by candlelit dinners beneath a vast star-studded sky. Food and drink preferences are gathered before your trip, and guests are encouraged to treat each camp as a home from home, including mixing a drink from the bar at any time of day or night.

Check out Wilderness Destinations for destinations, rates and availability.

Florida – for rooftop sunbathing and al fresco dining

Make the most of the Sunshine State's abundance of warm weather with alfresco eating and outdoorsy adventures. Choose an eclectic city break in Miami, that boasts everything from sandy beaches and swish cocktail bars to an artsy independent craft beer and restaurant scene amongst the colourful murals in Wynwood. Or stay in the heart of Little Havana to soak up the area's Cuban culture with morning cafecitos, El Sanguich's pork-stuffed toasted sandwiches and late-night cocktails at iconic bar Café La Trova.

Down in the Florida Keys, take in ocean views and breathtaking sunsets over seafood suppers on the vast deck of Key West institution, Louie’s Backyard. The town's picture-perfect, porch-fronted clapboard houses host plenty of restaurants with dining decks; tuck into key lime pie and Caribbean dishes in Blue Heaven’s vibrant backyard complete with live music and chickens mooching around.

Where to stay: If you're looking for a sunbathing bolthole in Miami, try Arlo Wynwood, complete with a mural-clad staircase leading to a funky tropical cocktail bar and terrace. The rooftop pool is the place to relax for classic Miami vibes; wiggle along to tunes on your sun lounger and sip refreshing mezcal cocktails or tuck into tuna poke bowls beneath candy-striped parasols. The ground floor restaurant is a collaboration with some of Miami’s best-known names, including chef Brad Kilgore and Broken Shaker’s Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta.

Doubles from £329, check availability at booking.com

Jordan – for street food and desert feasts beneath the stars

In the centre of the Levant, Jordan looks out across the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean and all of these influences can be seen in the country’s food. The way to a country’s heart is through its stomach. At least, that’s the conclusion drawn by solo-friendly tour operator Intrepid.

On Intrepid's six-day Jordan Real Food Adventure a local guide invites a small group to experience the country's cuisine. Sit outside a local falafel restaurant and soak up the late night bustle of an Arabic city. Amman really comes alive after dark, when the heat has dissipated and people are free to do their shopping, catch up on local gossip or, among the younger generation, congregate with friends to drink mint tea and share a shisha. As dinners go, sharing slow-cooked goat with Bedouin tribesmen under a star-filled sky in the Wadi Rum desert is unmissable. Guide Mohammed and his brothers cook a traditional ‘zarb’, an ancient method of cooking where they bury meat, vegetables and rice in a pit in the ground, add lots of embers, wrap it in blankets and bury it in sand. Other experiences include drinking sheep’s milk with local shepherds, preparing lamb mansaf with a family at Petra (before visiting the site itself) and whipping up your own dinner at Amman’s most innovative cookery school.

Where to stay: Intrepid's six-day Real Food Adventure includes accommodation in bedouin tents, boutique hotels and homestays.

Check rates and availability at intrepidtravel.com

Cape Town – for an al fresco city break

UK winter is summer in South Africa, and that means platters of crayfish and local oysters, and glasses of local chenin blanc enjoyed by the water’s edge. At the V&A Waterfront, a shopping and dining complex, settle in for a magnificent view of the harbour and the mountain at waterside Harbour House and take your pick from a fine selection of seasonal seafood caught by the restaurant’s own trawler; in late December it’s all about crayfish. Fish and chips is a must in Cape Town. Take yours up a gear by ordering snoek, a large-boned member of the barracuda family. Eat it outdoors with the locals at no-fuss Fish on the Rocks in Hout Bay. Fish comes served with slap chips doused in vinegar and you’ll find the 25-minute drive from the city centre worth every bite.

Book a historical walk in colourful Bo-kaap, an iconic area renowned for its commanding views over the city and its tight-knit, traditional Cape Malay community. The city’s numerous parks and Kirstenbosch National Botanical gardens are perfect for picnicking. For platters of the best Western Cape produce – think goat’s milk labneh, cumin-studded boerenkaas, chorizo, homemade pâtés, pickled South African peppadew peppers and spreads – head to Saucisse for supplies. The Saturday Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock is a great place to pick up artisanal staples and vegetables if you’re self-catering (or food souvenir hunting). Many shoppers stay on for a street food brunch from one of its stalls, from steak sandwiches at Kitchen Cowboys to cultivated Saldanha Bay oysters from Mother Shuckers.

Where to stay: Boutique b&b Welgelegen is in prime position to mooch along trendy Kloof Street, that's bursting with coffee shops, restaurants and bars including quirky Kloof Street House. For a striking luxurious option, The Silo offers showstopping views from it's lofty spot occupying six-floors above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, plus a rooftop terrace and pool.

Doubles at The Silo from £848 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Athens – for a sunny European city break

During the winter months, Greece’s capital city offers plenty of blue sky days and mild temperatures. The lack of crowds means the Acropolis, and other ancient sites usually crammed with tourists, can be visited at a much more leisurely pace. Back down the hill in the city centre, walk through the cobbled streets with one of the many street food options – hearty gyros, crisp spanakopita and sweet, syrupy loukoumades. Grab a coffee to go from Samba Coffee Roasters and climb up Lycabettus Hill for magical orange-hued sunsets over the Acropolis, mountains and Aegean Sea. Duck into one of the city’s many tavernas (we loved no-menu cellar Diporto, deli-restaurant Karamanlidika and old-school fish spot Ouzeri Lesvos) for traditional Greek dishes such as homemade moussaka, fresh Greek salads and rice-stuffed vegetables, known as ‘gemista’.

Where to stay: Book a stay at Monument, an elegantly restored neoclassical-style mansion in the heart of the vibrant Psyri neighbourhood near the Acropolis. Once you step foot into this compact boutique, the city buzz immediately subsides and guests are enveloped in quiet but warm hospitality. Each of the nine rooms and suites are unique, intertwining meticulously restored original features – intricate stucco ceilings, mottled limewashed walls, Persian carpets – with contemporary bronze accents. Epos boasts a private marble balcony overlooking an orange tree lined church yard and a view of the Acropolis in the distance, while Nidus has its own terrace complete with hot tub with dazzling views of the city’s iconic monuments.

In the elegant reception room, the breakfast table groans with Greek cheese pastries, cured meats and dried figs along with dinky jars of local honey and homemade jams. Made-to-order dishes include Greek classics such as strapatsada scrambled eggs flecked with crumbly feta and tomatoes.

Bookings include a daily hour of private relaxation in the serene, candlelit basement wellness area, where Greek sweets and a pot of green tea await to enjoy between rotations in the wood sauna, marble hammam and cold power showers.

Suites from £227, check rates and availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Mexico – for winter wellness

Discover Mexico during the UK's winter months to make the most of sandy beaches, warm turquoise seas and vibrant cenotes. Graze a smorgasbord of street food in Mexico City; try chilli-chocolate mole poblano and pizza-like tlayudas in Oaxaca (Mexico’s culinary capital) and eat fresh-fish ceviche on the Yucatán. Carnival, Semana Santa and various feast days fall in UK winter season, so there are plenty of opportunities for food-fuelled festivities and social gatherings. Tacos are a way of life, and there’s nowhere this is more true than in Mexico City, where you can enjoy a variety for breakfast, lunch, dinner and at any time between.

Where to stay: Boca de Agua is a luxury jungle retreat set back from the Yucatán Peninsula’s Lagoon of Seven Colours, close to Mexico’s Belize border.

Twenty-two treehouse suites, each with private plunge pools and hammocks strung across shaded decks, are nestled within the forest of mango, banana and kapok trees (believed to be sacred in Mayan culture), from which toucans, woodpeckers and spider monkeys provide a tropical soundtrack. Five-star luxuries are catered to – natural Laguna Cyprien toiletries to use in turquoise tiled outdoor rain showers, king-size beds and dark tropical wood cabinets made from recycled materials.

Chef Sergio cooks local specialities over fire in the open kitchen. Lunch options include flame-grilled steak tacos, plump prawn aguachile and black fish, mango and achiote ceviche – best paired with refreshing Mexican lagers, Cayaco, Victoria and Modelo. Come evening try charcoaled empanadas with chimichurri, a selection of steak cuts with tomato and fresh berry salad, and crisp seabass on a bed of sautéed Yucatan squash, garden herbs and red salsa. Mexican wines include floral orange from Valle de Parras, or drinks specialist Leandro can guide you through a mezcal tasting.

The breakfast menu is split into Mexican and Yucatán specialities. In the latter, you can find huevos rancheros alongside cochinita pibil and lechón tacos, both made with smoky suckling pig cooked underground for 24 hours. Pad down the walkway through the mangroves to the uniquely turquoise waters of Bacalar Lagoon. Take a dip, hop on a kayak to spot the stromatolite fossils and relax on the deck with a mezcal margarita, guacamole and toasted tortilla chips.

Suites from £281, check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com and booking.com

Tasmania – for waterfront festivities

The seasons are switched down under, so December and January celebrates Tasmania's “Taste of Summer” festival. It takes place on the waterfront in the dynamic capital of Hobart from 27 December to 6 January. Try the island’s abundance of oysters and celebrate the diverse cuisines available, from Vietnamese banh mi to Indonesian stuffed breads and Mexican street food. Tasmanian boutique vineyards will hold tastings alongside craft breweries, cider makers and whisky distilleries.

While you’re in town, hop around Hobart’s wine bars to try glasses of locally-grown riesling, chardonnay and cool-climate pinot noir, accompanied by Tasmanian cheeses. Follow the River Derwent up to The Agrarian Kitchen for a seasonal lunch or to take part in a field-to-fork cookery class. If you're staying for longer, take yourself on a self-guided tour through northern Tasmania’s Tasting Trail, strung together with artisan producers. Pick your own berries at The Berry Patch, tuck into hot smoked salmon from 41 Degrees South’s inland salmon ponds and treasure black truffles grown in the volcanic soil.

Where to stay: The glamorous design hotel MACq 01 on Hobart’s harbour has architectural pizzazz and an imaginative concept: each of the 114 rooms is named after an extraordinary character in Tasmania’s colourful history and guests can join complimentary door-to-door storytelling tours.

Doubles from £152, check rates and availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Zanzibar – for ultimate relaxation

Head to Zanibar for winter sun. Stone Town (the pretty old town area of the island’s capital, Zanzibar City) is worth exploring before you begin some holiday relaxation. Pop to Puzzle Coffee Shop for cold-brew coffees made with Tanzanian beans and Lukmaan restaurant for freshly grilled kingfish with a side of banana. 1001 Organic is a must-visit, a social enterprise working with 26 small-scale farmers in the forests of Pemba (the second largest island in the Zanzibar Archipelago) who then sell the spices in their small shop. Smell and taste before you buy, from sweet cinnamon, ginger-infused salt and floral black pepper.

Where to stay: Swim laps of the infinity pool, sip ginger lassis on the private beach and soak up calm vibes in the spice garden at Zuri, a luxury Zanzibar resort two hours from the capital. Zuri is a tranquil 55-bedroom beachside resort with a sustainable ethos and stylish design.

Guest rooms – suites, bungalows and villas – are scattered between cottages in a series of spice ‘villages’ dotted around the leafy 32-acre resort and connected by a network of pebbled paths. As you wind your way between cottage and beach you’ll find little alcoves to relax in, shaded by baobab trees and with just the swish of palm trees for company. A private sandy beach, strung with hammocks, is licked by the emerald waves of the Indian Ocean. Or, if you’d rather get active, do laps of the infinity pool, or push-ups at the outdoor jungle gym. Whether you’re in a bungalow, suite or villa you’re guaranteed luxury. An indoor-outdoor approach gives a real sense of outdoor living with private plant-shaded terraces and open-air showers. When it’s time to sleep, however, modern luxuries come into play. Not least the Evening Breeze system built into each bed, offering cold, cool and fresh temperatures that you can control with a remote.

Choose from three restaurants dotted around the resort, from beach bar Bahari to the main restaurant Ubudo. At breakfast, help yourself to bowls brimming with fresh-from-the-tree mango and passion fruit, or the dozen or so homemade varieties, made with local fruits, on the jam station (try tangy pineapple on slices of Madeira cake or sweet, sticky date on squidgy banana bread).

Bungalows from £760 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

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Images: Getty, Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images, Hiran Thabrew, Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, Fitopardo via Getty Images, MACq 01 hotel, Kirillm via Getty Images, Atlantide Phototravel via Getty Images

Words: Alex Crossley, Tracey Raye, Meliz Burg, Lucy Gillmore