Winter holidays in the sun and bikini guide

Mozambique

Where in the world: South-eastern Africa, neighbouring Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Malawi.

What to expect: 2470km of rugged cliffs and sandy coves, arguably the world's best scuba diving, luxury lodges, historic colonial towns, exceptional seafood and diverse wildlife, including elephants, flamingos, impala and porcupine.

Winter temperature: 28°C

Where to stay: Benguerra Lodge in the Bazaruto Archipelago offers a luxury safari experience in Cabana suites (from £249 per person per night) or thatched lodges (from £720 per person per night based on two people sharing). It also boasts a beautiful open-sided restaurant overlooking tropical gardens.

How to get there: Daily connecting flights leave for Mozambique from London, Birmingham and Glasgow with TAP Portugal, South African Airways, Swiss and Lufthansa.

Find out more: www.mozambiquetourism.co.za

The Canary Islands

Where in the world: officially Spain, but the islands actually lie in the Atlantic Ocean, 100km west of North Africa.

What to expect: Endless spring/summer weather, beautiful beaches, rustic food and volcanic landscapes. Away from the traditional British tourist traps like Tenerife's Playa de las Americas, there are plenty of unspoiled nooks and crannies to explore. Visit the charming mountain villages of La Gomera, the lush rainforests on La Palma and head off the beaten track to enjoy quiet coves and beaches all to yourself.

Winter temperature: 20°C

Where to stay: Spend a night in the crater of an extinct volcano at the Parador Hotel Canadas de Teide on Tenerife. The lodge-style rooms offer stunning panoramic views with double rooms starting from £135 per night.

How to get there: Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and La Palma all have airports, and Aer Lingus, Monarch, Ryanair, easyJet, Thomson Flights and flythomascook all fly directly to the Canary Islands from the UK.

Find out more: www.turismodecanarias.com

St. Barthélemy (St. Barths)

Where in the world: The French Caribbean, 200km north of Guadaloupe.

What to expect: Turquoise seas, unspoiled beaches, designer shopping, boutique hotels and holidaying A-listers. Spend your days relaxing on a private beach or engaging in a wide range of water sports, and your evenings enjoying fresh sea food in one of the island's many fine restaurants (try the Restaurant des Pecheurs at Le Sereno hotel http://www.lesereno.com/restaurant-lounge.htm ).

Winter temperature: 21°C

Where to stay: Eden Rock Hotel http://www.edenrockhotel.com/, a favourite among Hollywood stars past and present (Greta Garbo apparently liked staying here) due to its stunning sea views, award-winning service, first-class spa and prime location on the island's best beaches. Double rooms start from £342 per night.

How to get there: KLM, Air France and Continental airlines offer daily flights from the UK to the island of St. Maarten, 25km from St Barths. Complete your journey by taking a ferry over to St. Barths.

Find out more: www.gotostbarths.com

Kerala

Where in the world: South west India, bordering the Arabian Sea.

What to expect: India's finest beaches, rich and varied food, houseboat cruises down one of the region's 44 rivers, elephant riding in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and local festivals with some of the most impressive firework displays in the world (festival season runs from November to May).

Winter temperature: 23°C

Where to stay: Enjoy a healing holiday at the Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort in Chowara. Cute flint cottages (from around £40 per night) overlook the ocean and there's a large guests-only beach. But the hotel's main draw are its Ayurvedic treatments, which combine massage, medicated baths and herbal diets to revitalise body and soul.

How to get there: Emirates and Qatar Airways operate indirect flights from major UK cities to Kozhikode, the region's capital.

Find out more: www.keralatourism.org

Discover the secret to silky smooth holiday skin

It can be all too tempting to let beauty regimes slide in the winter months, especially when it comes to hair removal. But there's no need to make that dreaded trip to the waxing salon before you jet off to warmer shores. And you don't have to worry about wasting time shaving every day of your holiday either. Thanks to the new Philips Lumea, you can enjoy smooth, hair-free skin every day while you're away - and after you get back too.

Philips Lumea is an ingenious hand-held device which you can use at home on your legs, underarms and bikini line. It uses gentle pulses of light to target unwanted hair at the root, causing it to shed naturally and, with regular use, stop growing back. You only have to use it once every two to four weeks to see striking results. And some users report seeing a significant reduction in hair regrowth after just a couple of uses. Start using Philips Lumea now, and you'll be able to show off your bikini with confidence every single day.

Find out more about Philips Lumea, including where to buy it.

For more beauty tips before you hit the beach, see our winter sun beauty guide

Where to find the perfect winter sun bikini

It's not as hard as you might think to find the perfect bikini in the middle of winter – and buying it out of season could cost you less. Here are six of the best in keeping with three of this season's hottest trends:

This Gold Sequin Triangle Bikini set from Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli range perfectly embodies the gold rush seen on catwalks this autumn – and better still, it's now only £82, reduced from £116 on Asos. For an even more affordable option, try this gold bandeau bikini, £25 from Miss Selfridge.

Embrace the early Sixties look as seen in Mad Men with this vintage-looking gingham bikini set from New Look (Bikini top £15.99) or this Ebony Rose frilled triangle bikini by Zimmermann (£150 from Net-a-porter.com) for an updated nod to the era.

This Paul Smith number (£45) softens the leopard print look with a pretty pink bow. Or if you prefer one-pieces, try this flattering leopard-print halter-neck from Debenhams.

If you're a fan of the gold, Sixties and leopard print trends, find out how to work them into your Christmas party outfit in our Christmas party style guide

Escape to one of this season's hottest winter sun spots, from the Canaries to the Caribbean.