Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Tropical birthday location

January in the US is going to mean Florida or Hawaii. Florida you probably know enough about, IMO, you can get cool days in Jan so stay as far south as you can like the Keys might be a good choice. I am going to Hawaii for the first time myself in October so can’t give any comparisons there. For some non-US locations see some thoughts below. All would have a large selection of nice hotels. For “fitness” I am not sure how to respond, some would offer hiking and walking options, some water activities, and any good hotel will have a gym.

Caribbean – great at that time of year, would have all that you want. St John is my favourite in terms of great beaches, but there are so many others.

Maldives – wow, wow, wow for great beaches and snorkelling and diving. Great at that time of year. Not a lot of nightlife, as you generally stay at your hotel for the whole trip or maybe split between two hotels, but if you pick the right hotel the fine dining options are there, albeit only 2-3 per hotel. It is a long way to go for a beach, so I would opt for the 10 days because of the flight length. Fitness is going to be limited to a hotel gym and something like swimming or kayaking, as the islands are tiny and flat.

Bali - wow, wow, wow for culture, dining, shopping and tremendous arts culture. A magical destination. Pretty, but not spectacular, beaches when compared to the above two places. But in every other way a great destination, including the fine dining requirement, as there are many, esp in the Ubud area and the southern portions of the islands. They do have some black sand beaches which make for a nice change. Or course go inland to see the rice terraces and the volcanoes and the music, dance, painting and sculpture. Can be combined with other destinations in SE Asia like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, etc. Good weather generally in January. Good walking and hiking here. Biking is a possibility as well.

Thailand - wow, wow, for people and food. A place like Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui. Some really good wow beaches if you hire boats and go to offshore deserted islands for day trips; hotel beaches are fine but not the spectacular ones you will find at your hotel doorstep in the Caribbean or the Maldives. Good weather in January generally, slightly better for the west coast areas of Phuket, but generally OK all over. Some walking and hiking in Krabi I understand, have not done any. I would definitely say to combine with a trip to Bangkok, which is a great city to explore with some great restaurants.

Australia – wow, wow, wow for fun and sun. They have some great beaches like in the Whitsundays or even around Sydney, some great diving and snorkelling like of course the Great Barrier Reef, some spectacular interior scenery like the vineyards of the Margaret River area and some great cities, like Sydney. Great restaurants. Many outdoor fitness opportunities here, there are like Californians without the obsessiveness about it. January is summer there. IMO with only 10 days and that long a flight it may be pushing it, I would try for at least 2 weeks and of course don’t just go to a beach. (I would also suggest New Zealand if you want to do something really great like walkng the Milford Track, but “beaches” there are cold really almost all the time. But lots of outdoor activties there too, there are like Australians without the obsessiveness (or the lawsuits, if you think Americans like to sue, speak to some Australians)….)

Fiji - wow, wow, wow for landscape, beaches and people. A long way to go for a beach, but what a beach and then the mountainsrising above you to cap it. Not a lot to do in terms of shopping or nightlife, but certainly a very relaxing vacation. I think weather is good in Jan, check weatherbase.com. (French Polynesia, i.e. Tahiti, would also be a consideration, have not been, I think it is more expensive and more developed but would have good French food I would think).

You could do something like the Red Sea beach resorts or the “beaches” of Dubai (I use that term loosely but the Ritz-Carlton is quite nice there and Jan is a great month) combined with a trip to fabulous Petra in Jordan and maybe a desert walk. That would be a great trip for a 50th.

European beach destinations like Greece and Spain are too cold in January. Even northern Africa is a bit cool, but take a look at weatherbase.com to see if temps fit into your range.