The five best-value holiday destinations right now — and how to see them
With summer holidays on the horizon, there's good news for most people planning to get away this year. The Post Office's latest Holiday Spending Report, released this week, has found that the British pound is stronger than a year ago against 25 of the 30 bestselling currencies. Those visiting Turkey can feel particularly smug as they'll reap the biggest rewards, getting almost a third more for their money compared with last June.
Other countries that offer Brits significantly extra currency for their sterling compared with a year ago include Mexico (12.8 per cent more, which is about an extra £57 for £500), Brazil (12.5 per cent, or an extra £55), Egypt (11.3 per cent, or an extra £51) and Jamaica (9.8 per cent, or an extra £45). Beware travelling to Thailand, Malaysia, Sweden, Switzerland or Japan, however, as all of their currencies have risen in value against the pound, although Thailand and Malaysia still offer good value overall.
Instead, consider the report's top five destinations where the UK's pound is strongest. We've picked three holidays in each that will make your money go even further this year.
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No need to splurge on spendy flights to Orlando. Antalya's mammoth The Land of Legends is Turkey's biggest theme park, with a 40-slide waterpark, nightly parades, a string of white-knuckle rollercoasters and, for little ones, a Nickelodeon Land that opened earlier this year. One of three hotels onsite is the all-inclusive Kingdom hotel, which has an extensive, child-friendly buffet, mini discos, an indoor pool and cartoon-coloured rooms that come with games consoles. Details Seven nights' all-inclusive from £892pp, including flights and luggage (tui.co.uk)
• Read our full guide to Turkey
Turkey's Mediterranean coastline has the same brilliant blue waters, seafront restaurants and long sunny days as nearby Greece, but often for a fraction of the cost. The five-star adults-only Supreme Beach Icmeler hotel is next to the sand and surrounded by pine forests, and less than a mile from Marmaris with its open-air nightclubs, marina and bustling bazaar. The all-inclusive hotel has 68 simple, modern rooms with tiled bathrooms, two pools, a fitness centre and a spa with a Turkish bath and sauna.Details Seven nights' all-inclusive from £386pp, including flights (thomascook.com)
With its historical landmarks, gourmet restaurants and cultural attractions, Istanbul has all the charm of other major European cities for friendlier prices. Visit the Blue Mosque with its colourful tiled interior, sail along the Strait of Bosphorus which divides Europe and Asia, or pick up (even more) bargains in the 15th-century bazaar. Stay in Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul Curio Collection by Hilton, which is close to the major sights and has extravagantly decorated rooms, a garden restaurant offering shisha, and a spa built around a 1,500-year-old cistern.Details Five nights' room only from £614pp, including flights and checked luggage (britishairways.com)
• 23 of the best things to do in Istanbul
Next to the bath-warm Caribbean Sea but better value than islands like Barbados or Antigua, Cancun has white-sand beaches, a buzzy nightlife, spectacular coral reefs and nearby Maya ruins to explore. The Oleo Cancun Playa resort simplifies its rates by including everything from 24-hour room service to art workshops and meals in five restaurants. Rooms are all-white and minimalist, and some have sunset sea views. There are restaurants and shops within walking distance and the El Rey Archaeological Zone is less than two miles away. Details Seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,186pp, including flights (virginatlantic.com)
Take advantage of cut-price currency and see even more of Mexico on this nine-night self-guided tour. You'll spend three nights in a Mexico City hotel, including a visit to the Teotihuacan pyramids, before flying to the arty Yucatan capital of Merida for three nights in order to visit cenotes on the inner rim of an asteroid crater and the ancient Maya complex of Chichen Itza. Finally unwind with three nights in an all-inclusive beachfront resort on the Riviera Maya.Details Nine nights' B&B from £2,559pp, including flights, transport, some excursions and some extra meals (haystravel.co.uk)
• Read our full guide to Mexico
Decent exchange rates mean it's even possible to visit Mexico during one of its most famous festivals. This small-group tour, departing on October 28, includes six nights in Oaxaca during El Dia de los Muertos, otherwise known as Day of the Dead, when the southern Mexican city thrums with street parades and candlelit vigils. You'll view several, as well as joining an orientation walk round the city and taking a tortilla-making workshop in a local family's home. Details Six nights' B&B from £1,599pp, including activities and some extra meals (trailfinders.com). Fly to Oaxaca
• 10 of the best places to visit in Mexico (and how to see them)
Escape the British weather without blowing the budget by jetting to Rio de Janeiro for its endless stretches of sandy beach, rainforest trails, lively nightlife and the towering Christ the Redeemer statue. The Windsor Florida hotel is in a residential district within strolling distance of Flamengo beach but also two minutes' walk from the nearest metro station for easy access to the sights without paying city-centre prices. It has an outdoor pool with loungers, a gym and a lavish buffet restaurant.Details Five nights' B&B from £1,099pp, including flights and luggage (britishairways.com)
Nab a bucket-list adventure for less with this eight-night small-group tour of Brazil's highlights (plus a brief foray into Argentina). After a first night in Buenos Aires, you'll fly to Iguazu for three nights exploring both the Brazilian and Argentinian side of these humongous falls, before a night in the Unesco-listed Portuguese colonial-era town of Paraty. Afterwards, a van and ferry will whisk you to Ilha Grande for two nights of hiking, snorkelling and fresh seafood before a final night exploring Rio de Janeiro. Details Eight nights' B&B from £1,612pp, including transport and excursions (gadventures.com). Fly to Buenos Aires
Even a five-star all-inclusive represents a bargain in Bahia, known for its clear waters, historical sites and the waterfall-filled Chapada Diamantina National Park. The Iberostar Waves Bahia is close to the village of Praia do Forte and lies directly on its white-sand beach, though the hotel also has three pools in its gardens. There's also a golf course, a large spa with Roman and Turkish baths, a two-storey fitness centre with a spinning room, a sea-turtle monitoring station and museum, and six restaurants including a poolside food truck.Details All-inclusive doubles from £218 (iberostar.com). Fly to Salvador
• 21 of the best affordable holiday destinations for 2025
Hectic Cairo can be exhausting to fit into a weekend, so take advantage of the exchange rate and go for longer. Stay outside the centre in the residential Fifth Settlement neighbourhood for some breathing space between sights, with the Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum half an hour's drive away. Local restaurants and shops are within walking distance of the Triumph Luxury hotel and there's an outdoor pool with a bar, padel court, kids' playground and spa for relaxing. Details Seven nights' B&B from £915pp, including flights, transfers and luggage (easyjet.com)
• Egypt travel advice: is it safe to visit right now?
Once the sole preserve of the wealthy, voyages down the Nile became more affordable late last year when Tui's Marella Cruises brand launched its first itineraries on Africa's longest river. On a round trip from Luxor you'll visit Edfu (for excursions to the Temple of Horus and the double temple of Kom Ombo) and Aswan, with all the on-board food, drink and entertainment included. The decent exchange rate means you can splurge on extra shore excursions, including a tour of the rock-cut Abu Simbel temples or a hot-air balloon trip over Luxor's Valley of the Kings. Details Seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,824pp, including flights and transfers (tui.co.uk)
• 18 of the best Egypt tours
You'll get near-guaranteed sunshine and wonderfully low prices if booking a beach break in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the southeastern coast of the Sinai peninsula. Stella di Mare Beach hotel and spa ticks every fly-and-flop box, with a large pool right next to its own beach, a jetty from which to jump straight into the Red Sea, a Padi centre for diving, a spa and three restaurants. Naama Bay's shops, nightclubs and cafés are less than a ten-minute taxi ride away. Details Seven nights' B&B from £571pp, including flights (firstchoice.co.uk)
Beaches don't get much more exclusive than the one at Catalonia Montego Bay on Jamaica's northwest coast. As well as the 1.5-mile stretch of white sand right beside its pool, the hotel has its own palm-tree-ringed private island, reached by walking across the clear shallow water. A spa, tennis courts, a diving centre and a mini-golf course might also tempt you from your lounger, and there are three à la carte restaurants including Japanese and Italian options, plus a jerk bar and beach grill.Details Seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,160pp, including flights (thomascook.com)
• 12 of the best all-inclusive hotels in Jamaica
There'll be plenty of opportunities to spend that holiday money during this small-group island tour of Jamaica's highlights. Travelling by coach between five comfortable hotels, the itinerary includes a trip to a coffee plantation in the Blue Mountains, a visit to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, swimming on the sheltered Blue Lagoon beach, a guided tour of the Rose Hall Great House and rum tasting at the Appleton Estate distillery. Splurge on optional excursions such as local cooking classes or rafting on the Rio Grande.Details Nine nights' B&B from £2,349pp, including transport, most excursions and some extra meals (explore.co.uk). Fly to Kingston
Spend the extra you'll claw back with that favourable exchange rate on a stay at GoldenEye, Jamaica's most famous hotel, and the former home of the James Bond creator Ian Fleming. This tranquil resort has just 18 cottages and villas within 52 acres of tropical gardens around a 150m stretch of white sand and a large lagoon. Spend your days snorkelling, paddleboarding or exploring the area on mountain bikes before dining by candlelight on the beach or in the Gazebo, a fine-dining treehouse restaurant. Details Seven nights' room-only from £2,215pp, including flights (bestattravel.co.uk)
• 21 of the best luxury villas in Jamaica
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'I used to wonder why I was sending someone from Corrie to Borneo to look at the orangutans because [the actor] was pretending to be an eco-warrior at the time,' she recalls. Instead, Crawley rates presenters with a depth of knowledge and a 'critical eye', such as Sir David Attenborough and Dame Mary Beard. 'Even Michael Portillo is better than some of the current crop,' she says of the politician turned rail presenter, 'as he at least does like trains.' She concludes: 'It doesn't matter whether someone is posh or not posh – they're just slebs with no special insight and they can pay for their own holidays.' However, Kylie Bawden, who has worked as a location arranger on shows including Ainsley's Caribbean Kitchen and Joe Lycett's Travel Man: 48hrs in Washington, DC disagrees with the idea that travel TV has been dumbed down. The more intimate onus of today's travel TV, she says, is as much down to social media and consumer demand as it is an erosion of standards. 'Viewers have access to celebrities via social media that was never possible in the Palin days,' she tells me. 'Today's audiences want something more light-hearted than before, but they also want to feel like there's a real possibility that they could replicate the experiences they are watching on TV. So, less crossing the Sahara desert in a camel caravan and more the best speakeasies in Washington or where to go to experience trad pub music in Ireland.' 'Parasociality', or the trend of viewers and listeners wanting to feel as if they are personal friends of the celebrities they follow, is – it seems – partly to blame. Bawden adds that destinations are often more than happy to roll the red carpet out for Lycett, Perkins et al with a view to the audience booking a holiday inspired by TV. 'Set-jetting [viewers travelling to destinations they have seen on TV] really drives bookings in the 2020s,' Bawden argues. Gavin Bate, director and mountain leader at tour company Adventure Alternative, corroborates this link between TV appearances and booking spikes: 'When the Comic Relief celebrity team climbed Kilimanjaro and the BBC aired the programme on a Sunday night, we got loads of Kilimanjaro bookings the following morning,' he explains. 'And any kind of wildlife programme, especially the Attenborough ones, will result in people booking more wildlife holidays – especially to see endangered species like the clouded leopard in Borneo.' James Willcox, founder of Untamed Borders, takes it a step further, believing that 'we are more likely these days to see bookings driven by the antics of travel YouTubers and Instagrammers than traditional travel documentaries'. One thing's for certain: the era of the patrician broadcaster showing viewers destinations they can never hope to reach has lost favour, and in its place we have the pally 'everyman' and 'everywoman' travelogue, with their smorgasbord of tick-list travel experiences. And yet, there are some antidotes to this phenomenon – in the gritty Channel 4 shows of ex-Army officer Levison Wood, for example, who slogs through inhospitable terrains from Siberia to the elephant migration routes of Burundi, and in Simon Reeve's various odysseys, in which he combines a diffident everyman approach (that appeals to the 2020s viewer) with thoughtful explorations of remote locations and communities. Wood is back with a show later in 2025 and Reeve is currently on BBC 2, exploring 'Arctic tundra, vast forests and stunning fjords in Scandinavia with Simon Reeve. 'I am very relieved Simon Reeves is back on with his Scandinavia series,' vlogger Emma Reed, who is based in Hampshire, tells me. 'Comedians on tour or hapless celeb father/son jaunts are becoming sooo tedious.' I'll raise a shot of snake's blood to that.
