WHERE TO GO ON HOLIDAY IN JANUARY

SILVER LAKE, LOS ANGELES

Now Venice has officially made the transition from edgy to upscale, where do you go in LA for more boho, less bling? Head east for Silver Lake. There might not be a beach, but the chilled neighbourhoody vibes more than compensate. Houses spill down jungly hills to palm-lined boulevards jammed with vintage T-shirts and vinyl. Behold the surf shops and farmer’s markets, street murals and food trucks, plus grimy indie clubs that launched Foo Fighters and Foster The People. Think of it as an unending summer of hip, young cool – even in January. And, like any self-respecting ‘creative hub’, it’s where food trends are born: see French-Mexican brunch at Trois Familia for beet tartare tostada and churro French toast).

Los Angeles insider guide

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Los Angeles insider guide

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3. Barbados, Caribbean

3. BARBADOS, CARIBBEAN

“Beach, eat, drink, dance, repeat,” is how Rihanna told us she’d spend the perfect day in Barbados. Certainly it’s the Caribbean island’s good-time vibes that keep regulars coming. Well, that and the pirate’s bounty of bleached-white, powdery beaches. The glam west coast might be all five-star luxury, but travel slightly south and the scene quickly skews more local. Lively Oistins’ Friday Night Fish Fry brings the community out for an open-air party, with fresh-caught fish on the barbecue and booming reggae. Or, closer still, hit St Lawrence Gap, a strip of rambunctious rum bars. On the quieter east coast, pounding Atlantic waves draw surfers: Bathsheba is the closest Barbados gets to boho, with pro boarders and tattooed artists. In January, the dawn of dry season, it’s all appealing – drenched only in a daily average nine hours’ of sunshine.

4. CAPE VERDE

A smattering of volcanic islands 350 miles off the coast of Senegal, at first look Cape Verde seems a lonely prospect, out in the mid-Atlantic. But there’s a reason it’s fast become a fly-and-flop favourite: miles of uninterrupted, ivory beaches, impossibly pure surf, and an intriguing lunar landscape. Not to mention its consistently sunny disposition: January’s average temperature is 25˚C. And finally, finally, there’s a lovely little eco lodge to rival the big hotels and budget guesthouses. Run entirely on renewable energy, Spinguera is a restored fishing village with its own private beach on the north coast of Boa Vista island (translation: “good view”). Think charming, stone-hewn villas with bright-yellow shutters; fresh, white bedrooms; and lantern-lit sunset dinners. You could while away every day in this peaceful paradise. Or go island-hopping to explore more of Cape Verde’s craggy beauty: from Sal’s red deserts and salt pans to São Vicente, the heart of its colourful Afro-Portuguese culture.