CATCH THE SUN

Craving sun? Tamara Hinson recommends you head to one of these paradises to get a blast of heat and shake off your winter blues

Want the good news? Spring is finally here! The bad news is that summer is still a long way off. While we’re certainly not wishing your year away, there may be some among you who are desperate for a blast of proper sunshine and heat following the icy depths of winter. If that rings true for you, we have just the dose of ‘vitamin sea’ you need…

When it comes to long-haul winter sun, Malaysia is hard to beat. Start in Johor, a sunshine-soaked state known for beautiful islands and wildlife-filled jungles. Johor is also where you’ll find the Desaru Coast, a luxurious resort serving up beautiful beaches (17 kilometres of them), golf courses, water parks and spa hotels. Base yourself at the recently opened Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas (pictured, from £171 per night, anantara.com), a beachfront property with a gorgeous spa and five restaurants – our favourite is the Turmeric, thanks to its authentic Malaysian cuisine.

Across the pond, there are more reasons than ever to visit Miami this year, starting with the achingly hip Greystone Miami Beach Hotel (around $152/£ 138 per night for a double, greystonemiamibeach.com). You’ll find this beautifully restored 1930s property, which opened in January, in the heart of the art deco district, just metres from the beach. In recent years, Miami has transformed into a true foodie’s paradise, and top of your culinary wishlist should be a visit to the Time Out Market Miami, an 18,000-square-foot food hall filled with 21 vendors. Feed your face with BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, doublecherry ice cream, sake-steamed mussels and a plethora of booze.

Finally, consider a visit to the Azores, a cluster of volcanic islands in the midAtlantic, 1,600km west of mainland Portugal. Weekly Ryanair flights have slashed the cost of getting there, although a word of warning – the airline will launch additional flights to the islands in June, so head there this spring to avoid the inevitable surge of tourists. One of our favourite properties is the stunning Azor Hotel (from £130 per night,

azorhotel.com) on São Miguel island. This five-star property overlooks the Ponta Delgada marina and makes the perfect base for explorations further afield; nearby gems include the blue flag Pópulo Beach and Lagoa do Fogo, a spectacular crater lake.