Escape Winter: 5 Idyllic Beach Destinations

Imagine escaping the dreary winter chills to sunlit paradises where the sand is warm, and the worries of everyday life melt away. As we mark the second anniversary of our podcast and celebrate the milestone of over 50,000 downloads, we reflect on the incredible journey of supporting solo travelers worldwide. This episode is a special winter guide to idyllic beach destinations: the mesmerizing overwater bungalows of the Maldives, the vibrant and budget-friendly allure of Bali, and the diverse, passport-free adventures on the Hawaiian Islands. Each location offers a unique escape from the cold and promises a rejuvenating experience, whether you're seeking luxury, culture, or convenience.

But there's more than just sun and sand on the horizon. We also uncover the tranquility of the Cook Islands and the diverse offerings of the Canary Islands as perfect havens for those needing a secluded retreat. Whether you're drawn to the rich Polynesian culture or the exciting activities from hiking to dolphin cruises, these islands offer a restorative getaway. Additionally, I'm thrilled to introduce an exclusive opportunity for listeners seeking healing through travel—a chance to apply for a free travel coaching session. This is your moment to embrace solo adventures and overcome past challenges, with the healing power of beaches as your guide. 
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Chapters

• 0:00 Paradise Beach Destinations for Winter
• 6:57 Healing Travel Coaching Offer Application

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello sister travelers. Well, it is November and actually I'm also here to announce a second year anniversary of doing this podcast and being here for you. I can't believe two years. I've been consistently producing and giving you resources for your solo travel adventures. So I'm glad you're here, I'm glad that we are continuing to move forward and offer you more resources, more stories and everything in the next following episodes. But two years I am so thrilled. And we surpassed 50,000 downloads as well. So I'm just grateful again to all of you listeners out there.

Speaker 1: 0:53

Now it is November and I don't know about you, but I live in the Northern Hemisphere. I get a little what's called a seasonal affective disorder as we get into shorter days, less sunlight, colder days are coming and I kind of get a little like want to hibernate kind of feeling. And you know it's hard to get motivated in my opinion, and so I know that I need sunshine Now. Here in Texas we have been blessed with some unceasingly warm weather in October and it just now is starting to get a little cooler, and I haven't been complaining because I'm loving the sunshine and all the warmer weather, because then that just means that my seasonal affective disorder will hit later, thankfully. But when I get in this mood and I start to feel, oh gosh, don't like the cold weather, you know that kind of stuff I start to dream about going to a beach. I don't know about you, but a beach sounds so good when it's cold and wintry. Wherever you live Now in the Southern Hemisphere, for example, australia, you are experiencing your summer months and so maybe that's where I need to go. But I'm here to share with you some beautiful beaches. These are paradise type beaches that, if you're considering going somewhere over the winter months here in the Northern Hemisphere, you may want to consider some of these places. I will have to say that many of these places are on my bucket list. I can't say I've been to any of them, unfortunately, but I have them on my list and that's why I want to share them with you, because these are truly beautiful paradises that you can just relax. If you're a beach person, you just chill out and enjoy the warm weather, the sunshine, your toes in the sand and the lapping water of the ocean or whatever you're sitting at as far as the water. So I wanted to share with you some of these places.

Speaker 1: 3:10

The number one and this is number one on my list of kind of paradises to get to is the Maldives, and if you've never heard of them, you just Google it and you're going to see some gorgeous pictures. And so they're located in the middle of the Indian Ocean and it's really a chain of a thousand islands, and pictures you see are often these bungalows that are just kind of hovered on the water, and so it's a very luxurious type of place to go. It is a sought after luxury destination and it can be expensive. The best time to go is November through May, so we are looking at, you know, kind of those winter months in the north to escape to the Maldives. Right, I know that's where I wish I was Now. The next one is Bermuda, bali, and we all maybe have familiar with Bali and have dreamed of going to Bali, and this is a tourist mecca. It is voted one of the best islands in the world year after year. It's Bali and the Gili Islands. The surfing is great, there's amazing food and it can be cheap to visit as well and the locals are very friendly. So again, that is in indonesia and it's just an incredible island getaway and it can also be an active tropical vacation. The weather remains pretty constant all year round, and if you're going during our winter months here in the northern hemisphere, you should be fine, but it does tend to be a little drier April to October though, so if you're wanting to go a little later in the year, that could work as well.

Speaker 1: 5:01

The next island I will mention, or, I should say, set of islands is the Hawaiian islands. Now, there are eight major islands, but you will likely have only heard of four kind of major ones or more populated ones that are visited. Of course, you have the big island they call it, you have Maui, you have Kauai and you have Oahu, so those are kind of four that I hear a lot about that people go to visit. There are others, of course, and I like to mention the Hawaiian Islands mainly because if you are a US citizen, you do not need a passport to go to the Hawaiian Islands, and if you live on the West Coast, oh, even easier to get to. So, definitely, it is on my list, because I have been to 46 out of the 50 states, and so, of course, hawaii is still yet to be accomplished there for myself, but it's beautiful there Again, if you like surfing or you just want to hang out on the beach. It certainly could be a great place to relax. It is also a known fact that Hawaii is a bit expensive, mainly because everything has to be imported to the island, so it can be a little pricey, especially depending on where you stay, so keep that in mind if you're considering Hawaii. However, maybe you find a super cheap flight, which I have seen quite a few out there. And again, january, february are, like, in my opinion, perfect months to go to Hawaii, and again, that's going to be probably the coldest months and the months that I like to get away and get out of even Texas. We get some we still get some cold weather.

Speaker 1: 6:57

The next one I mentioned is Cook Islands. Again, these are a bunch of islands there in the South Pacific. They are pretty far off the map and which means they are less visited, so maybe, if you want something that is, you know, a little more secluded, cook Island islands are pretty good option. There's actually 15 islands scattered over the area, and it's in the Pacific Ocean, so it's part of. Originally, the islands had been inhabited by indigenous Polynesians, so it's just a great getaway as well.

Speaker 1: 7:38

And then the final one I'm going to mention, although there are many others, this one also. I mentioned it mainly because it is like on my list to get to and I even mentioned it. I mentioned it because there are. There's a hike actually through these islands and I like to get there to do the hike. So it is the Canary Islands. So these are located just off the coast of the Western Sahara in Africa. They're actually owned by Spain, so there are seven male islands in the Canaries and all of them offer something different for the traveler, whether you want to just kick back and enjoy the island life or, like I said, you have some hikes that you can do there. Whatever you choose to do, some hikes that you can do there. Whatever you choose to do, there's also some dolphin and whale cruises that you can do off of the Canary Islands.

Speaker 1: 8:36

So, as I mentioned before, there are tons of islands. There are lots of beaches. You can go somewhere local. Maybe you have a beach that is within driving distance, but something about going to the beach just makes me feel so refreshed. It is definitely the salt water, the seawater, the, the ocean rhythm of the ocean that just kind of puts me at a like. It puts my circadian rhythms, I guess, back in order. It just I can relax on a beach and not have a care in the world. Now I will preface this and say, if you've seen pictures of me, you know I am fair skin and red hair. So I don't spend a whole lot of time out in the on the beach or in the sun, but enough to allow me to truly relax and something about just walking in the sand as well, being connected to the earth, is so rejuvenating for me and it kind of resets my body. So things to think about. You've got some time off, or you want to get away out of the winter months and you like some of those places I mentioned. Get them booked up now, because winter is upon us and maybe you're up in sort of some northern areas where you are already maybe getting some snow or at least some colder, rainier weather. So I don't know, sunshine just makes me happy.

Speaker 1: 10:10

Are you suffering from a past hurt, trauma or loss and don't have the energy, or you feel overwhelmed, or you're anxious and would like to utilize travel as an opportunity to get away and heal from these events? Well, I'm here to offer you I have spots left in offering coaching travel coaching to heal from these past traumas and I'm taking applications. I have three spots. I have not chosen who I'm going to coach yet. Fill out an application so that you can be considered for this free coaching session, and so in the link in the show notes you will find an application to fill out. If this is you, please fill out that application. I would love to serve you and be able to help you get past some of these past hurts that might be preventing you from getting out there and doing a solo trip.