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What better time than the mid-winter solstice to let our minds wander to thoughts of a hot sunny beach holiday to beat those winter blues. We are thinking blue skies, white sands, crystal clear seas and weather so hot you’ll want to be in the shade. Barbados anyone?

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Why Barbados?

It has over 70 miles of stunning beaches, arguably the best in the Caribbean, and you can choose where to go by deciding whether you want to swim, surf, paddle board, snorkel… you get the picture. The weather is a delight and the laidback vibe is made for relaxing – in the daytime! By night you’ll soon discover that this is when the island wakes up, and there is much fun to be had!

Where to Stay

The island is small, approx 32km by 25km, but you still might like to base yourself near the type of beach that fits your preferred activity. The west coast is a bit more expensive but has a calm sea so good for swimming and snorkelling, the east coast is the place to be for surfing and the generally more rugged terrain will appeal to hikers too.

What to Do

Island Tour: A five hour feast for the eyes, (and the belly!) where you can experience the people, culture and history of Barbados. Stops include taking in the beautiful architecture of  Speightstown, a visit to the Animal Flower Cave, Bridgetown, the Platinum Coast and the Garrison – a world heritage site. Expect to be offered rum and banana bread as well as delicious traditional cuisine for lunch.

Snorkelling: For most of the year visibility is between 40 and 70 feet, making it the perfect place to explore the water’s wildlife and shipwrecks! The best spots are within the two marine parks. You may well be able to spot seahorses, turtles, parrotfish, grouper, squid and nurse sharks.

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Rum Tasting: Barbados is considered the birthplace of rum, and The Mount Gay Rum Tour is well recommended. The distillery was founded over 300 years ago so home to the world’s oldest rum. It’s not the only rum tour on offer though, check out St Nicholas Abbey, Foursquare Rum and Heritage Park and the West Indies Rum Distillery if you are really serious about your spirits.

Food and Drink: We’ve covered rum, but for something a little less potent try mauby – a favourite amongst locals. It’s made from mauby bark and is delicious with ice and a slice of lemon on a hot day. It’s quite a tonic, said to alleviate symptoms of arthritis, reduce cholesterol and treat diarrhoea. The national dish is Flying Fish with a side of cou cou (cornmeal cooked with okra). If meat is off the menu, check the roti options – available with a wide variety of fillings all over the island.

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Good to Know

• The best time to go is January through to March when temperatures average 29°C.
• The tap water is safe to drink.
• In Barbados they drive on the left.
• Although the island is considered safe, it is wise to have your wits about you when visiting the capital Bridgetown, just as you would in any city, as petty crime is a reality even in paradise; a good reason to make sure you get your travel insurance!

Barbados Travel Insurance: Longstay, multitrip  or single trip, either way you’ll find that our Travel Insurance fits the bill for what you want to do abroad. Annual Multi-trip covers any number of trips in a year, and covers travellers up to the age of 74, as well as business trips and families. Single Trip will cover you for up to 94 days of adventure, if you are going for longer – check out the longstay which covers overseas adventures that last from 3 to 18 months.

The Aurora Borealis, aka The Northern Lights. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, but unlike the other wonders you have no guarantee that you’ll even get a glimpse of its beauty when you get to your destination. It is an elusive luxury money can’t buy. For this reason we’ve compiled a list of top destinations that offer the traveller something amazing to do while waiting for the best light show on the planet to show up!

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Tromso Norway

Tromso is billed as the best place in THE WORLD to see the Northern Lights. It is a gorgeous historic city, 350 km north of the Arctic Circle, with colourful timber buildings that look magical against the rugged and snowy terrain. The Aurora is so strong here that (should they show) you’ll even be able to see the lights from your hotel window in the city!

• Whale Watching: Take to the water to watch migrating Orca and Humpback whales in the fjords of Norway. These tours often have an option to stay overnight in a glass-roofed cabin to watch the skies at night.
• Snow Mobile Safari: An action packed day where you get to grips with handling a snow mobile before heading off to explore the fjords, mountains and spectacular views of Tromso.
• Sami Culture Reindeer Experiences: Options to take a sledding experience with the Sami during the day, or to join the herders in an overnight camp. Both offer an excellent opportunity for immersing yourself in the culture of the tribe, but opting for the camp comes with an extra opportunity to view the Northern Lights.

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Reykjavik Iceland

Situated slightly south of the Arctic Circle, Iceland isn’t positioned quite as well as Tromso for light spotting, but there’s still no need to head to the hills to see the spectacle, you can get a good view even in the city should the Northern Lights show. The city itself is a wonder of colourful buildings and interesting architecture with plenty to see and do while you are here.

• Icelandic Horse Riding Tour: The Icelandic horse is the perfect way to explore the natural beauty of Iceland in total peace. Tours are kept small and usually only in the south of the island during the harsh winters – more to protect people than these hardy horses!
• Explore Lava Tunnels: It may not be the longest, but the best known and possibly most beautiful lava tunnel is in Raufarhólshellir in the south-west. Dazzling rock formations, rainbow coloured walls and magnificent mosses make it almost as magnificent as the Aurora Borealis.
• The Blue Lagoon: An other-worldly geothermal spa in a lava field. As well as providing a surreal spa experience, the Blue Lagoon has a wealth of amazing pampering treatments including complimentary treatments at the mask bar where you can enjoy the revitalising wonders of the natural minerals found here.

The Best Times To See The Northern Lights

The solar cycle dictates when you are more likely to see the Northern Lights. It has an 11 year cycle – the next peak (so the year you are most likely to see the lights at one of these destinations) is 2025!

The best time of the year to see The Aurora Borealis is from late September to March when the phenomenon is more active and the skies are at their darkest. Having said that there is a peak in the action around the autumn and spring equinoxes.  

Time of day is also important! Expect to see the lights any time from 6pm until 4am – again there is a peak in performance usually around 11pm/midnight.

And the weather… unless there is a clear sky there will be very little to see even if there is a massive solar storm raging in the skies above. Later in the season is likely to be less cloudy.

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Yukon Canada

Once a gold-rush territory, Yukon in Canada makes the most of a different type of glittering natural resource to attract visitors – the promise of shimmering night skies. Yukon is just 12km north of the Arctic Circle and is very sparsely populated, the ideal Northern Lights destination if escaping modern life is top of your agenda! But what is there to do if the lights don’t show? Let’s find out:

• Be a Culture Vulture: Connect with the history of the gold rush and try your hand at panning for gold at The MacBride Museum of Yukon History. Or step back even further in time, 26,000 years perhaps, explore the natural history of Yukon at the Beringia Interpretive Center – home to the oldest and best preserved Yukon Horse, as well as wooly mammoth and giant beaver replicas, and fossil collections.
• Yukon Wildlife Preserve: If living things are more your thing, take to skis, snow shoes, or catch a tour bus to go see caribou, elk, lynx and bison that have been rehabilitated after injury and released by the animal-loving staff at the preserve. The three mile loop is home to over 180 individual animals in 350 acres of beautiful landscape.
• Dog Sledding: Multi-day winter dog-sledding trips are one way to get your fill of arctic wonder! Join an experienced musher and their four-legged friends for training and then a few days of using and honing those sledding skills. Choices to camp under the stars or in a lodge.

Don’t forget your wintersports travel insurance! Ski and snowboard insurance that covers a wide range of winter sports and your equipment too!

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Fancy a city break to celebrate Christmas this year? Here are some amazing destinations that will fill you with festive cheer and seasonal sparkle.

Helsinki Finland

Reasons to go: The traditional Christmas drink is Glögi, made of spiced wine, almonds and raisins and often a warming dash of Vodka! This seasonal speciality is sure to keep you toasty whether you plan to shop ‘til you drop on Aleksanterinkatu, the official Christmas Street of the city – this is where you’ll find all the biggest names in Finnish design; or decide to explore the Helsinki Christmas Market, a winter paradise with over 120 stalls selling gifts and festive food and drinks.

• Approx Flight Time: 3h
• Chance of snow: 10%
• Average Temperature: -4°C

Quebec Canada

Reasons to go: Each year Old Quebec City transforms into a Christmas village adorned with glittering lights, nativity scenes and all things festive. Quebec also has an amazing German Christmas market serving up delights such as roast chestnuts and sausages as well as plenty of stalls selling artisan Christmas gifts that you won’t find on the high street. What really makes it our choice for a Christmas break is the famous toboggan run, where you can speed down the hill on a wooden sled whilst taking in the city views.

• Approx Flight Time: 10h
• Chance of snow: 20%
• Average Temperature: -10°C

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Prague

Reasons to go: A mouthwateringly wonderful cinnamon sugar covered pastry treat called Trdelnik! It goes great with a Svařák – the Czech equivalent of a hot mead or mulled wine – and is commonly served with a scoop of ice cream; and believe us when we say you’ll need the calories for hitting the Christmas markets! Make sure the Old Town Square Christmas Market is on your itinerary, it’s said to be the most scenic one in the city. Other favourites include markets at Peace Square, Prague Castle, and Wenceslas Square.

• Approx Flight Time: 2h
• Chance of snow: 69%
• Average Temperature: -1°C

Reykjavik

Reasons to go: Being so far north, Reykjavik gets just four hours of daylight at this time of year. The dark skies coupled with frost, snow, (maybe northern lights) and the bright festive lights in the city makes it a truly magical place to be for Christmas. It’s also the place to be to enjoy an early Christmas, because here it is celebrated on the 24th. The fun starts with Þorláksmessa on 23rd of December, the time to join locals for a few beers, or pastries and hot chocolate whilst taking in the last hours of Christmas shopping.

• Approx Flight Time: 3h
• Chance of snow: 9%
• Average Temperature: -2°C

New York

Reasons to go: The city is alive with festive wonder, there is more shopping here than you can shake an Amex card at, and the entertainment is next level. Top places to head for are: Bryant Park Winter Village – here you’ll find over 120 holiday stalls and a huge ice rink; Fifth Avenue for Christmas window displays – a riot of festive imagination where you are just as likely to see seven million Swarovski crystals twinkling away (actually true!) as you are fairy lights on a tree; and Dyker Heights Brooklyn, where even the locals ramp it up all the way to 11 at this time of year – check it out, it’s even got its own tour bus.

• Approx Flight Time: 7h
• Chance of snow: 3%
• Average Temperature: 0°C

Don’t forget your travel insurance! Cancelled flights, lost luggage, missed flights, illness or injury can all turn a dream holiday into a bit of a nightmare without the right cover.