Some people can’t wait to flee the nest and cure their winter blues with a holiday in a warmer and sunnier climate. Perhaps you just fancy something a bit different than the usual turkey dinner and chunky knits keeping out the cold such as a BBQ on the beach? Find top properties to work on your tan this winter with HostelBookers and here are three sunny destinations to consider:

Bangkok

Even during the city’s coolest months of November and December, temperatures average around 24°C and 31°C in Bangkok. It is a pleasant and balmy time of year for exploring the city’s attractions including the atmospheric Wat Suthat temple compound. For an authentic Thai food market opt for Or Tor Gor, across the road from the usually chocca Chatuchak weekend flea market. It’s a great place to get stuck in to the Bangkok street food scene and you can give your taste buds a real work out sampling curries and grilled fish. To escape city life, head to the end of Narathiwas Road where little motorboats will happily ferry you across to Bang Krajao, a lush and undeveloped jungle of stilt houses, fruit-laden trees and stooped elders clad in colourful sarongs. It’s like stepping back in time. Why not split your time between city and beach? The small island of Rayong is about 3 hours from Bangkok by bus. After a few days of sightseeing in Bangkok you’ve really earned a rest and you can while away a few days snorkelling in the clear water around Koh Mun Nork and enjoy the spectacular sunsets.

Sydney

Jetset to the southern hemisphere where the population down under is enjoying its summer season. Sydney is buzzing at this time of year as people make the most of the weather outdoors with a heady array of music, food and arts festivals on offer too. Locals love their coffee and there are plenty of curbside cafes and quayside restaurants where you can soak up both Opera House views, Australian wines and fresh seafood. In fact, if you are visiting at Christmas, a seafood BBQ is the traditional Christmas lunch/dinner here and on a hot sunny day you won’t miss the turkey and roast potatoes one bit. Head to the Northern Beaches or Bondi to watch the surfers or why not join in yourself? There are plenty of surfing schools around that can teach you the art of catching those magnificent waves. Kings Cross and Darlinghurst are all popular nightlife hubs but for something extra special New Year’s Eve in Sydney is legendary. Nothing beats the flotilla of vessels that parade a 15km circuit for the Harbor Light Parade followed by fireworks over Sydney Harbour.

Punta Cana

One of those blissfully mild all year-round destinations, temperatures peak at about 29°C and rarely drop below 20°C during the night between November and April in the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana boasts some of the best beaches in the Caribbean – think soft white sand, aquamarine and bathwater-temperature sea bordered by shady coconut palms. Head to Playa Limón for a spectacular drive through the mountains to find your own spot on an all but isolated beach. The Punta Cana Ecological Park is home to over 80 bird and 500 plant species and you can take a 90-minute guided tour through the idyllic freshwater lagoons, an area known as the Paque Ojos Indigenas. Other popular activities include golf, snorkelling and catamaran cruises.

As an ardent explorer of the Caribbean, I presumed my recent trip to the twin islands of Nevis and St Kitts would

simply result in a typical week spent on sandy beaches, gorgeous water with recurring Mai Tai’s. I now know (and should have known) that when traveling, expectations are often, wonderfully exceeded.

The beautiful islands of Nevis and St. Kitts are tropical, culturally authentic and naturally sophisticated (assuming the latter can be used to describe an island). In translation, it was refreshing not to hear Bob Marley’s, “Jamming,” at every restaurant or hotel lobby I entered. For the first time in my journey to touch all corners of the Carribbean, I felt that my experience was authentic and unconstrained.

The tropical weather was refreshing and created a calm, yet spontaneous environment during the duration of my trip. One minute I’d be on the beach digging into a worthy fiction novel and hours later I’d be running for cover with an excuse to take a nap in my room. Luckily, the resort I was in provided guests with a generous plethora of adult activities and entertainment.

I stayed at the St. Kitts Marriot Resort, where famous musicians, athletes and even former President Bill Clinton escape to when they’re looking for a peaceful, unassuming vacation. The Marriot houses eight restaurants, three lounges, a 35,000 sq ft Royal Beach Casino and offers world class service. So even when inside, avoiding the rain…there was still much fun to be had.

In contrast, while in Nevis I stayed at the Nisbet Plantation where travelers go when seeking solitude, genuine guests relations or romantic escapes. Many of the rooms have no televisions which encourages guests to truly unwind and get to know their neighbor.

Nevis and St. Kitts is off-the-beaten path, charming and inviting. It’s the sort of destination that tempts you to stay a little longer and will have you considering investing in a slice of the rich, developing land. Before I sign off, I’d like to offer my top picks on where to stay, play, eat and relax as well as share my video recap directed by my husband and Film Director Ryan Small:

Stay: St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino or the Nisbet Plantation Beach Club

Play: Culturama

Eat: Sunshine’s Beach Bar & Grill

Relax: Emerald Mist Spa at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino

To keep up with Ashley on the social circuit, follow her on Twitter at @ashleyrsmall or check out her blog at www.ashleysmallonline.com.

Living and working in a hotel in the Caribbean can spoil you. I know I’m ruined. When I lived in St. Martin, Dutch West Indies, Caribbean, not only did I work at the hotel, Mary’s Boon, I also lived in a room right off the beach-lucky room 13. It also doesn’t help having lived on yachts in the Caribbean either.  Nothing in the entire world compares to to drinking tea on the deck of an anchored sailboat in the British Virgin Islands watching the sun rise. It’s probably needless to say that I have high expectations when it comes to Caribbean hotels and not much surprises me.

There’s one hotel though that it unlike any other hotel you’ll find in the Caribbean, Copper and Lumber Store Hotel in Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, English Harbour, Antigua.

Copper and Lumber Hotel is rich in history having been built in 1783 by Lord Nelson for use in the shipping industry as, you guessed it, a Copper and Lumber store.  The building is an original and was restored in 1988 as in inn. The hotel has 14 studio rooms, each one named after a Lord Nelson ship. The rooms are decorated to reflect the period in which the hotel was built, yet upgraded to a comfortable and luxurious rustic feel.

At the time I stayed at the Copper and Lumber Hotel I was already living on the island working as crew on a yacht and had a friend visiting me for the weekend. Since my friend couldn’t stay with me on the yacht, we opted to stay at a hotel nearby. The Pineapple House did not have vacancy for the weekend to my dismay. I’d been wanting to try that place out for a while.

Ultimately, I reluctantly chose Copper and Lumber because it was within walking distance from my boat.  I was unsure about getting the room as it wasn’t directly overlooking the water.  In the end, I changed my mind about the view because the room and view overlooking the mountains was so charming.

The room we stayed in was the biggest hotel room I’ve ever had and exuded an understated luxuriousness with it’s rustic charm. The bed was gigantic and extremely comfortable.  The room had a small kitchenette and was perfect for making tea in the morning. My friend and I opened both of the huge double doors on our patio and drank tea and took in the fresh Caribbean mornings. There’s a charming little courtyard in the hotel that looks so historically European one forgets they are on an island in the middle of the Caribbean.

There are restaurants in the hotel but we didn’t go to them as there are many more local eating places within walking distance. Also, the hotel is not on a swimming beach so you’ll have to walk to one of those too. However, the excellent beaches are a short distance and well worth the effort.

The area in which the hotel is located is popular with the yachting community and is extremely busy during sailing week. You won’t find a  hotel like this anywhere in the Caribbean, but if you stay here you’ll certainly be glad you did.

Written by Jerri Stephenson, co-founder of DIWYY.

Photos courtesy of Copper and Lumber Store Hotel

As told by DIWYY co-founder, Jerri, who previously lived and worked in the Caribbean.

When I went: I lived there while working on a yacht from November 2004 to March 2005 and have been there a few times since on other yachts I was working on. This is the peak season for travelers since hurricane season is mostly over and it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere so lots of snowbirds are coming down to the Caribbean to get away from the cold weather.

How I Got There: Most of the times I got there by boat. Once we sailed there from Key West and it took about 5 days.  Another time I went I flew to St. Thomas’s Cyril E. King airport (STT) from Miami on American Airlines and then took the ferry from St. Thomas’s, Charlotte Amalie dock to Cruz Bay in St. John.

Where I stayed: Well, I lived on a 110′ Palmer Johnson Ketch moored in Honeymoon Bay, St. John. We had to take the tender into Cruz Bay to get on land.  Since St. John is a small island covered mostly by a national park, lodging options are pretty limited. They range from high end hotels like Caneel Bay and Westin, privately owned villas, to eco-tents on campgrounds like Maho.

Things to do: St. John is famous for the Virgin Islands National Park which takes up about 60% of the island including the coral reefs and ocean offshore. There are a lot of hiking trails with beautiful views of the Caribbean.  Ruins from the old sugar plantations are a must see. Scuba diving and sailing are extremely popular, of course, all around the island.  Mongoose Junction in Cruz Bay has excellent shopping and some consider it to be like the Beverly Hills of the Caribbean. There are plenty of excellent restaurants around the island as well as the the infamous walk-up shacks where you can get a Caribbean favorite, the Roti.  Odd fact: There aren’t any movie theaters in St. John. If you wanna catch the newest flicks you’d have to ferry over to St. Thomas. Don’t worry, you’ll still find plenty of other things to do.

How I got around: It’s pretty easy to catch a taxi in the main areas of St. John like Cruz Bay and your hotel can always call one for you.  If you’re going to be there for a while you can also rent a car but they’re super expensive. If you don’t plan on driving much, your best bet is just taking a taxi.  While romantic and adventurous, scooters aren’t really safe or recommended because of the hilly terrain. You can also walk around in places like Cruz Bay.

Language tips: Since it’s the United States Virgin Islands everyone will speak English but there are different languages spoken on the island from Spanish to French Creole. Be prepared. They speak pretty fast there so you’ll probably be asking them to repeat themselves.

What To Bring: You don’t need any long sleeves or really any long pants (unless maybe you have some light linen pants) so don’t even use up that space in your luggage. You’ll need your swimsuit, shorts, t-shirts, dresses for women, some button down shirts or polo shirts for men, flip flops/sandles and tennis shoes if you plan to go hiking and probably a hat for protection from that tropical sun. If you know you’re going to a nice restaurant try and find out in advance if they have a dress code. Most don’t have formal dress codes anymore but it’s good to know just in case. It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever need heels. And bring plenty of sunblock!

Other advice for someone wanting to go to this location: Just like any other place you travel, remember to stay safe. While the Caribbean is as close to paradise as you can get, it is not crime free. Never walk anywhere alone at night. Make sure you always have a trusted friend with you at all times and let people know where you are going.

Email Jerri at jerri@diwyy.com. Have more questions about the Caribbean? Visit the DIWYY forums and let the discussion begin!