Winter Sun Breaks - The Caribbean
By Robin Richmond, Mon Dec 26th

The build up to Christmas is always an exciting time of the yearwith various parties to attend and presents to buy. However,January and February can become pretty depressing times of theyear, with little to look forward to and the festive cheer ofChristmas nothing but a distant memory. Booking a winter holidayand getting some sun can be the perfect tonic to beat the winterblues - and where better to head than the Caribbean!

Lets face it swapping horizontal sleet and freezing winds for abeautiful, warm beach isn't a tough choice - but choosing theright holiday package to ensure a holiday of a lifetime. Withprices becoming increasingly more competitive for long-haulwinter sun destinations, a Caribbean holiday shouldn'tnecessarily mean a begging letter to the bank manager either. Interms of destination, you're spoilt for choice between thepopular islands of Barbados and Jamaica or the equally beautifulDominican Republic or Grenada, among others.

The Dominican Republic is becoming an increasingly populardestination for British holidaymakers - not least for itsconsistently warm temperatures. Most tourists stick to thesouthern and eastern coasts where the weather tends to be dryer.The island is covered in white-sand beaches, dramatic mountainranges and spectacular rivers and waterfalls - meaning it fillsevery fantasy you may harbour of a tropical island. The islandalso boasts a multitude of top class hotel accommodation, suchas the beautiful Barcelo Bavaro Beach and Caribe.

Located on a 3km stretch of tropical beach surrounded by acoral reef one can not ask for much more in terms of location.The hotel provides an excellent choice of facilities against thebackdrop of the Caribbean Sea. Guests can enjoy the use of 8restaurants, 13 bars, 24 hour casino and several swimming pools.All bedrooms are air conditioned and equipped with modernamenities. For further details on this hotel check outhttp://www.superbreak.com which has some fantastic offers for2006.

Perhaps the most famous island in the Caribbean, Jamaica hasbeen a popular tourist destination for decades. The variationsin landscape from the expansive beaches to the lush jungles,misty mountains and African esque savannas mean that one canenjoy a multitude of views and outdoor experiences. While theisland has a somewhat dubious reputation for high crime ratesthe problems really are isolated to a few inner city area andcan be easily avoided.

Jamaica owes part of its success to the prevalence ofall-inclusive resorts, which were first popularized here andhave spread to several other Caribbean islands. While manypeople complain that staying in the resort limits ones exposureto real Jamaican life it should be remembered that they do havethe choice to leave at any point! The resorts also allow you toreally control the holiday budget and have huge amounts offantastic activities available that will keep you entertainedfor the entire stay.

Whether you're interested in a relaxing sail from bay to bay ona chartered yacht or an energetic hike through the mountains,there are activities to capture almost anyone's interest. Theisland is a mecca for Anglers who can spend an adventurous dayout

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looking for Jamaica's famous deep sea fish, while divers canget right into the underwater environment.

For the less adventure-minded tourists there are plenty ofother more low key activities to choose from. The island has anumber of world class golf courses to choose from and the localartwork and craft shops are a great place to buy gifts forfriends. If even that sounds to energetic then sun bathing whileimagining all your cold friends and family stuck back in the UKcomes highly recommended!

Most tourists are willing to overlook Jamaica's rough edges,because, overall, it's a fantastic place to visit and an idealgetaway for some summer sun. For further details on the islandvisit http://jamaicasplash.com.

About the author:Robin is a UK based travel writer who is webmaster forhttp://www.travel-tips.co.uk