Are you a beach bum or an explorer

For paradise seekers

So, you'd love the luxury of your own Caribbean island but can't stretch to the pounds 9,600 a day it costs to hire Richard Branson's Necker Island? Don't panic: natural-history holiday specialist Reef and Rainforest (01803 866 965; www.reefrainforest.co.uk) this year features a private island off the coast of Honduras, and it's a snip at pounds 899pp per week, based on eight to 12 guests.

Upper Monitor Cay, one of the 13 Hog Islands, comes with a cook, maid, boat, captain and manager. Stay either in the plantation-style timber house with verandahs and hammocks, or in the two wooden guest cabanas. Though you can walk round the island in about an hour, there's plenty to do, with snorkelling, fishing and boat excursions. It's not that cut-off, either, with both satellite TV and the internet. Prices include food, local alcohol and boat transfers, with a 25 per cent supplement between 1 December-15 January.

Flights to San Pedro Sula and on to La Ceiba cost about pounds 750.

For the family

Discover the lost city of Atlantis in the Bahamas where the Paradise Island resort is themed on the underwater legend. There are 34 acres of water parks with 50,000 animals in lagoons, including sharks, piranhas and sting rays.

There are no fewer than 11 swimming pools and lots of rides, including a six-storey Mayan temple waterslide. City streets have been restored to the way Atlantis might have looked 11,000 years ago. A children's camp, sponsored by the Discovery Channel, for children aged four to 12 costs pounds 23 per morning or afternoon session. Discover the Bahamas (01737 218 803; www.discover-the-bahamas.co.uk) has seven nights from pounds 1,211pp room only (pounds 294 per child), departing before 18 December, including flights to Nassau.

For the single traveller

Avoid the annoying expense of the single-room supplement and make a whole load of new friends by booking a bunk on the Tenacious, a tall ship owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust (02380 449 108; www.jst.org.uk). This winter, the scenic square rigger will be sailing out of Antigua and through the Caribbean from November to March. Passengers buddy up to help disabled crew members and everybody pulls their weight on board, from a turn at steering the ship to swilling out the heads (loos).

And you get to do night-watch under Caribbean skies. It costs pounds 650 a week at the end of January, including all meals, with flights at about pounds 300.

For wannabe explorers

Head out to the volcanoes and the coffee plantations in the little- visited country of Nicaragua with Trips Worldwide (0117 311 4404; www.tripsworldwide.co.uk). From the capital of Managua, travel to Leon, one of central America's oldest colonial cities, which also has relaxing mud baths and thermal springs. Journey on to the mountainous area of Matagalpa to see coffee growing before arriving in colonial Granada, with its cobbled streets and colourful houses. This is a good base from which to explore Lake Nicaragua or climb the rainforest-covered Mombacho volcano.

Spend a couple of days kayaking or walking round Omtepe Island, the world's largest volcanic mass in a lake, then pass through the fishermen's town of San Juan del Sur before arriving at the Corn Islands to chill out on the beach. A 14-night holiday in November costs pounds 1,850pp B&B with some other other meals included, flights on BA to Managua and internal travel in Nicaragua.

For the active

Spend up to eight hours a day hiking through the dense rainforests of Borneo's Sarawak, on a medium to difficult trek which includes climbing to the summit of Sarawak's holy mountain Gunung Murud (2,423m). On the way, trekkers will learn jungle survival from the tatooed rainforest dwellers of the Kelabit tribe and Borneo's last nomadic hunter-gatherers, the Penan, who still use blowpipes. Sleep

in tribal longhouses, jungle huts and camps. South East specialist Symbiosis (020 7924 5906; symbiosistravel.com) runs the 12-night Kelabit Highlander's Trek, of which seven days are spent trekking on a fullboard basis, with four days' room only, for pounds 998pp. Flights cost about pounds 600. Departures 18 November and 6 January for groups of up to 12.

For beach bums

Substitute the Christmas tree for palms on the white beaches of the Seychelles, spending six nights at the five-star Plantation Club on the island of Mahe. Set in rambling acres of coconut plantation on the south west of the island, the hotel has a kilometre-long private beach.

Christmas celebrations on the island are predominantly Catholic. Somak Holidays (020 8423 3000; www.somak.co.uk) has six nights leaving Gatwick 22 December from pounds 1,879pp B&B. Or follow up Christmas in the Seychelles with a spicy New Year - flying on to Nairobi for one night, before heading to Zanzibar on the 31 December for a week's B&B in the Serena Inn, which has 51 seafacing rooms in two restored stone town houses. The price of pounds 3,102 includes flights and transfers.

The best deals

Save pounds 528 per person on holidays to Antigua with Kuoni (01306 747 008; www.kuoni.co.uk) for bookings made by 17 October. A 14-night all-inclusive stay at the low-rise Hawksbill Beach Hotel departing Gatwick, Monday to Thursday, between 14 January and 9 April costs pounds 1,988pp. Watersports included in the price.

Book five nights in Mauritius before 17 October with Hayes and Jarvis (0870 8989 890; www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk) and save pounds 196 for flights from Heathrow between 8 January and 7 April. Accommodation is at the four-star plus Hilton Mauritius Resort and Spa on the west coast and the deal is pounds 1,099pp half board flying on BA.

Sunvil Africa (020 8232 9777, www.sunvil.co.uk) has pounds 180 off seven night safaris in Botswana booked by 31 October, staying in a tented camp with beds and en suite bathrooms in the Selinda reserve.

The price of pounds 2,536 includes a twoday walking safari plus game drives and is on a full-board basis.

Departures on British Airways via Johannesburg to Maun must be made before 30 November.

Visit St Lucia any time after 1 December with Tropical Places (0800 316 5125, www.tropical places. co.uk) and save pounds 200 per room per week at the three-star Rex Papillon on Reduit Beach - holidays booked by 30 November.

You'll also get a free upgrade from charter flights to Virgin. Seven nights' all inclusive from pounds 749pp (child reductions of 60 per cent).

Complimentary water sports.

Save pounds 170pp on a seven-night holiday on the Arabic island of Lamu, off the coast of Kenya. Stay in Shela House, a fully staffed three-storey property with roof terraces viewing the Indian Ocean.

Set around an open courtyard, it sleeps nine and costs pounds 835pp with flights and transfers. Available until 13 December. Call Steppes Africa (01285 650011).

Prices are based on two people sharing a room and include transfers.

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