To ask you to help me go on holiday....

[DonkeyHotei]

....but not in the way that you think Posting here for ideas and advice only. I'd like to pick your collective brains for a holiday destination. We'd like to go for two weeks in January or February , 2 adults and a pre-school DC. The criteria are as cheap as possible, as sunny as possible. Preferably beach-based. Happy to slum it to an extent....not looking for luxury by any stretch. We had Corsica in mind until we realised that it's nowhere near warm enough until later in the year. Any suggestions would be really appreciated. and and thanks in advance.

cyprus has temperatures of around 17* in January. x

sleepismysuperpower1 brrrrrrrrrrrrrr......shivers....

Canaries are your best bet.

South Cyprus probablyt your best bet, won’t be really hot, or Egypt, Sharm el Sheik should be pretty cheap then

January and Feb either Tenerife or lanzagrotty. Further afield Dubai, Morocco or the Caribbean. That’s about it I’m afraid for sunshine!

With a pre school DC I would go anywhere near Egypt. Even the foreign office tel you not to.

Oooo....Egypt....like the idea of that...thank you

DP says Egypt has "too much sand"....I think he's labouring under the misapprehension that he's being witty

Dear God.....he's just said, "We may not be able to afford the Fare-o" (Pharaoh)....Sweet jesus, kill me now.....

Fruitbat is that because of stomach issues or crime??

www.holiday-weather.com/lanzarote/averages/january/

www.holiday-weather.com/sharm_el_sheikh/averages/january/ if you can face Egypt.

I know families who've done The Gambia recently. www.holiday-weather.com/kotu_beach/averages/january/

We did all inclusive Lanzarote with a 2 year old while I was pregnant in early January. It was warm ish (outdoor pool was doable) but not blistering heat. Maybe 23 degrees ish?

Lanzarote in January is better than the med.
Or... What about Cape Verde?

In fact I've remembered some friends went to The Gambia on Christmas morning last year for a week and came back with a spectacular suntan! But children school age not preschool.

Gosh - love the idea of The Gambia. Never been to Africa....

@DonkeyHotei your DP sounds like mine...
The resorts in Sharm are fine, just stay in the resorts (not much reason to leave)

The Foreign Office don't recommend it.

As a precautionary measure, we advise against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh. On 31 October 2015, a flight from Sharm el Sheikh to St Petersburg crashed in North Sinai. The advice against all but essential travel does not apply to the resort itself. The above advice applies only to air travel to and from Sharm el Sheikh.

The UK government will continue working with the Egyptian authorities to enable regular flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh to resume. We are also liaising with travel companies so that they are able to resume flights and holidays in Sharm el Sheikh as soon as appropriate security arrangements are in place.

Buffalo my sympathies

Cape Verde sounds good too www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/cape-verde/articles/reasons-to-visit-cape-verde/

Second Cape Verde or Canaries. Haven't been to Cape Verde myself as I don't like beach/resort holidays and would get bored as there's not a lot to do there, but friends have been and loved it.

Tobago? Mexico?
Or wait until February or March for more warmth closer to home..

another option could be Oman, which is near Dubai. it has temperatures of around 24* in jan x

Dubai will be nice and warm. Or one of the other emirates like Abu Dhabi or Ras al Khaimah. And of course it's my favourite holiday destination. So much to do and great food.

If you can travel further afield then Malaysia is warm all year.

I'm just back from Egypt, went to a resort in Hurghada which was lovely and clean, lots of security, no one can enter the main gates of the hotel without security checks, we even had to confirm we had transfers booked to let our taxi pick us up i"when leaving.

Airports all have 3 security checks, once before u go in, the main security inside and then at the gate before you board so felt very safe. Flights to Sharm are not running from the UK but Hurghada was lovely.

The kids loves the mini waterslides and funfair in the hotel. We then went to Cairo as well to see the pyramids.

We went to Morrocco in January and it was warm but not hot. Managed the outdoor pool though, so maybe 20°-22°ish. Not sure i' d take a young child though

Lanzarote is best, Playa Blanca is very family friendly (ex Holiday Rep/Travel firm worker of 26 years here 😁). Also Cyprus although not as warm and possibly Malta but it’s a real love it or hate it destination.