1. Sun on a budget

Spain's sunshine coast has a hidden gem in Nerja: a chocolate box town of twisting streets, whitewashed houses and dark, alluring churches. Back in the days of the Moors, a network of towers crowned Spain's coastline. Nerja's was torn down to create the charming promenade that is known as the Balcón de Europa. It's a natural balcony, fringed by palm trees and overhanging the Med. It's also the spot where everyone meets everyone else sooner or later, and you must join the evening stroll or paseo. Balcón de Europa (hotelbalconeuropa.com) is a quaint hotel with gorgeous views over the eponymous balcón. Other sights include a clifftop walkway that winds its way through fig trees and mimosa, cute coves and the Nerja caves where natural forms are calcified in captivating shapes.

* Average January temperature is 20°C.

* Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Málaga.

* Flying time is 2hrs 30mins.

2. Sun in the city

Abu Dhabi has emerged from the shadows of bling Dubai to become the Middle East's hip hangout. The highlight is the Al-Husn palace, the only building more than 30 years old in the entire city. The skyline is another highlight with its muddle of enormous tubes stretching ever skywards. The intrepid can paddle through mangrove swamps, jet ski or play a round on Gary Player's beachside course. But, there's only one place to bed down. The Emirates Palace is a 21st-century copy of Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, with 114 domes, crenellated towers and lush gardens. In fact it's so huge that staff use Segway scooters to make the trip between the East and West wings.

* Average temperature in January is 24°C.

* Etihad Airways (etihadair ways.com) flies from Dublin to Abu Dhabi.

* Flying time is 8hrs 35mins.

3. Creatures in the sun

Safari is probably the most evocative word in the entire dictionary of travel. Today's versions might be more soft adventure than high drama but it's still an opportunity to meet Africa's fabled animals, busy doing their own thing on the never-ending plains. You know the stars – dainty gazelles and lumbering rhinos – but you're never sure what will happen next as Africa is teeming with life. So, if you want to play Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, get yourself to the Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The reserve hosts more than 7,000 wild beasts and the landscape here ranges from dense thicket to open savannah. Melton Manor (kwandwereserve.com) is a great option here.

* Average January temperature is 26°C.

* KLM (www.klm.com) flies from Dublin to Cape Town and Kulula Airlines (www.kulula.com) links Cape Town with Port Elizabeth.

* Flying time is 12hrs.

4. Adventure in the sun

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is just that: a great barrier reef. Three words might sum it up but it's so much more. It's a magnificent nature reserve for coral, bird, marine and even terrestrial life. And, most importantly, it's a big kid's playground, offering overwhelming aquatic adventure experiences. Island and beach resorts all provide equipment and classes and run snorkelling and diving trips to different reef sites. Divers visit sites like Cod Hole and come up close and personal with potato cod the size of a Fiat Punto. The nearby Angsana Resort and Spa (angsana.com) has Asian-colonial-style suites that are all utterly idyllic, with balconies overlooking the huge saltwater swimming pool.

* Average January temp is 34°C.

* Ethiad Airways (www.ethiadairways.com) flies to Brisbane from Dublin via Singapore.

* Flying time is 20hrs 40mins.

5. Break the bank

The Seychelles truly are a box of delights. The main granite islands splintered in the wake of India when it tore away from Africa and were cast off with an ark-load of species that continue to thrive. The diminutive North Island resort (north-island.com) has all the right ingredients to be the perfect beach-side hideaway cum private Eden. Each of its 12 thatched villas is handcrafted from local timber and stone and guests share their surroundings with flying foxes and giant tortoise since the island doubles as an endangered species sanctuary. To top it all off, a butler service panders to every whim.

* Average January temperature is 32°C.

* Air Seychelles (airseychelles.com) flies from London Heathrow to the islands.

* Flying time is 9hrs.

6. Kids in tow

Egypt's Sharm el-Sheik is all baby blue skies and crimson sunsets. It's definitely an über-glitzy tourist town but it's also very child-friendly with a myriad of activities that range from swimming with dolphins to camel rides in the desert or sampling life in a Bedouin camp. The Ritz-Carlton (ritzcarlton.com) offers old-style luxury but most importantly there's the Ritz Kids programme that will take your little treasures off your hands seven days a week free of charge leaving you free to enjoy Sharm's delights.

* Average January temperature is 21?C.

* Egyptair (egyptair.com) flies to Sharm el-Sheik via Cairo from London Heathrow.

* Flying time is 4hrs 45mins.

7. Budget long haul

Sri Lanka is fast overtaking Thailand as the best-value long-haul destination and visiting is a bit like stepping into a Henri Rousseau painting. A must see is the "Cultural Triangle" which is a jungle-swathed plain strewn with boulders and more than a sprinkling of teak and ebony forests. Marco Polo called it the most beautiful place on earth and he had seen something of the world. Vil Uyana (jetwinghotels.com) is a boutique hotel-cum-nature reserve with 35 villas surrounded by forest and paddyfields. Everything used is biodegradable where possible and you'll find a gym, spa and all the usual suspects.

* Average January temperature is 27°C.

* BMI (flybmi.com) flies Dublin to Colombo via Heathrow.

* Flying time is 12hrs.

8. Hidden sunny gem

The Aeolian archipelago is a cluster of seven volcanic islands scattered off the northern coast of Sicily. Their unique volcanic heritage has lent the island group a distinguished mythical history, and the islands still rouse feeling and fantasy. Like the Mona Lisa's eyes, it doesn't matter where you are on Stromboli, the smoking volcano can always see you. To spend the night on the summit is an extraordinary experience, with the repeated vomiting of enormous incandescent blocks of pumice or showers of molten stone breaking into a thousand splinters. After the show, sleep tight in one of the Sirenetta Park Hotel's cosy whitewashed rooms (lasirenetta.it).

* Average January temperature is 18°C.

* Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Palermo via Bergamo. Ustica Lines (usticalines.it) operates hydrofoils from Milazzo in Sicily and between the islands.

* Flying time is 4hrs.

9. Best beach

The Maldives ooze beauty and insouciant sexiness. Because the islands are so tiny, they offer a beach-holiday experience stripped to its most tantalising bare essentials, and you are effectively a prisoner in a gilded sandy cage. The coral-fringed Maldivian island of Vabbinfaru is the heavenly backdrop for the Banyan Tree resort (see banyantree.com/maldives). The resort is laid out in the shape of a sea shell and offers the definitive sand-between-your-toes experience as each villa is right on the beach. Inside, there are four-poster beds, open-air Jacuzzis and sofas strategically placed so you can gaze out over the Indian Ocean. If you're more the active type then there are plenty of watersports to try out, or you could just indulge yourself in the sumptuous spa.

* Average January temperature is 26°C.

* Emirates (emirates.com) flies from London Gatwick to Male via Dubai.

* Flying time is 10hrs 30mins.

10. Volunteer in the sun

If you want to make a difference rather than just slobbing out on the beach, then volunteering can provide a meaningful holiday experience. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an incredible project bringing organic farmers and volunteers together. The organisation started in Britain in 1971 but since then it's mushroomed into an international movement offering opportunities in 87 different countries. The idea is simple: you do the graft and your host gives you board and lodging. A typical advertisement reads, "Looking for Paradise? Stay on the Tasman Peninsula, Australia. No matter where you work on our waterfront property, the views are stunning and your hosts very appreciative of all of your efforts to progress our small farm. Come and bring your ideas to help us shape our property and move towards a more sustainable existence."

See wwoof.org.