MEANDERS IN MADEIRA
18C, five hours of sunshine
Madeira isn’t a beach destination. Nor is it tropically hot – in fact, November is the best bet for warm sunshine, rather than midwinter when it can get decidedly cool. But as well as being mild and lush, it is extremely scenic and a wonderful place for a walking holiday. There is an excellent network of wellmaintained footpaths, and its levadas, or ancient irrigation aqueducts, lead you on some extraordinary and sometimes vertiginous routes around the mountainous terrain.
Headwater (01606 369121; headwater. com) offers a Marvels of Madeira Walk from £1,589, half-board, including luggage transfers. You walk up to nine miles a day and stay in three hotels
SAFARI SO GOOD 26C, nine hours of sunshine
Tanzania is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to combine great weather with an active holiday. Those huge African skies, the sunsets, the game drives at dawn all make for a perfect safari. Travel in, say, February, and you can enjoy the weather and the wildlife-watching simultaneously, and you could even – if you have the time – add a week relaxing on the beach afterwards. The package we have chosen allows you to explore both the famous Ngorongoro Crater and the great Serengeti reserve, where you will have an excellent chance of seeing lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants.
The Ultimate Travel Company (020 3733 9780; theultimatetravelcompany. co.uk) offers a seven-night itinerary with three nights, all-inclusive, at the Entamanu Ngorongoro and four nights at the Serengeti Safari Camp, including flights and transfers. From £6,575 in February. An optional beach-resort stay after the safari would cost extra