Six of the best long-haul holidays to take this summer from beautiful beach resorts to affordable luxe hotels

HOLIDAYMAKERS are hungry for long-haul getaways this year – and it is no surprise, considering the soaring costs in popular European hotspots.

Thomas Cook has reported a ten per cent year-on-year increase in bookings for far-flung breaks and recent research from holiday operator On The Beach found getaways to Europe could easily set you back more than to farther afield.

On The Beach’s Zoe Harris said: “The gap between long-haul prices and short-haul has decreased and the idea of a new, far-out destination is clearly pulling a lot of Brits, hence why bookings are up.”

So, why not save your pennies and ditch your favourite sunshine spot for somewhere new and maybe even more exotic?

Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of long-haul holidays for short-haul prices . . . 

SAVE around £500, if you swap a £1,200pp holiday on the Greek island of Santorini for a £769pp seven-night adventure at the 4* Radisson Hotel in the mountainous city of Kandy.

Sri Lanka, where coconut palms line the roads and wild elephants roam freely, is often reserved for special occasions, but with prices like this, it doesn’t need to be.

Carved into the hillside, the resort’s modern and simple bedrooms come with lush views of tropical greenery.

Going with a breakfast-only package means you can tuck into plates of fresh fruit piled on top of hot waffles and thick yoghurt before setting off for a day exploring the beautiful country.

Kandy is the cultural capital of the island and is littered with intricately decorated temples.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £769pp including flights from Heathrow on September 8. 2025. See loveholidays.com.

THRILLSEEKERS should look to Florida instead of Europe for their summer break this year.

The Disney parks are just 15 minutes by car from the 3* Sonesta ES Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista, where a week costs less than £800pp with TUI.

But if you were to head to Paris – home to the European Disneyland – at the same time of year, you’d struggle to bag a TUI package for less than £1,000pp.

You can use the cash you have saved on travel costs to pay a visit to Epic Universe, the first new theme park to come to Orlando in 25 years.

When you are not being thrown upside down on a roller-coaster, the palm tree-laden ES Suites is the perfect place to relax with barbecue grills in the gardens, for guests to use.

GO: Seven nights’ self-catering costs from £759pp based on two sharing a one-bedroom apartment and includes flights from Gatwick on 15. See tui.co.uk.

THE glittering skyscrapers of Dubai are easier than ever to reach, and you could save a fair whack by heading here for around £700pp instead of Spain’s Marbella, where a week’s break in July can cost upwards of £1,000pp.

Well positioned – less than a five-minute drive from cultural sites like the Jumeirah Mosque and under ten minutes from glam beach clubs like Nikki Beach – the 4* Jumeira Rotana is an ideal base for first-timers.

Temperatures can reach 40C in summer, but don’t let that put you off, as many of the city’s top attractions are air-conditioned.

Make your way to the top of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper to soak up the best views of the skyline.

Or, if you really need to cool down, head to Ski Dubai, with 22,500 square metres of ski slopes.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £723pp including flights from Manchester on July 2. See travelsupermarket.com.

WHEN it comes to fly-and-flop breaks, you may want to consider opting for the Dominican Republic over the Greek islands.

A 4* break in Mykonos will cost £2,700pp in June, much more than this On The Beach deal to Punta Cana for £739pp.

The chic Sunscape Coco Punta Cana is a sleepy 4* resort on the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, where temperatures reach a balmy 32C towards the end of this month.

Expect white-sand beaches overlooking turquoise waters, cocktails and a cushioned cabana shaded by palms.

This place has everything within easy reach.

There’s an outdoor pool, private beach, casino, poolside bar, watersports centre, a la carte restaurant, beach volleyball, spa and more.

And with an all-inclusive package, the only thing you need to focus on is topping up your tan.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive costs from £739pp including flights from Gatwick on June 21. See onthebeach.co.uk.

IF you are a fan of Dubai, but want somewhere more affordable, the Middle Eastern gem of Oman is the UAE’s laid-back sister.

A 5* luxury holiday at the Sheraton Oman Hotel, will only set you back £669pp.

This price is staggeringly low if you compare it with a stay in a European Sheraton hotel – a package for its Mallorca hotel during the same week is just shy of £1,200pp with British Airways.

Muscat is a great spot for culture vultures – home to winding souks crammed with spices, breathtakingly beautiful mosques that shimmer in the sun and golden sand dunes stretching for miles.

Make sure to take advantage of the hotel’s outdoor Courtyard Oasis, crammed with tropical plants, a restaurant and the spa – which claims to be one of the best in Oman.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £669pp including flights from Heathrow on July 8. See loveholidays.com

WE’VE all got White Lotus fever.

But instead of visiting Sicily (where the second series was filmed), head to Thailand (the location for series three) to bag a proper bargain.

A seven-night TUI package at the 4* The Leaf On The Sands, by Katathani costs just over £800pp, while a holiday in a 4* hotel in Sicily, during the same week, could set you back about £1,000pp or more.

Surrounded by tropical greenery, in the beach resort region of Khao Lak, a little north of Phuket, The Leaf On The Sands offers two swimming pools where you can catch the rays while listening to birdsong.

Do not get too comfy, though, as there is so much adventure waiting – treks through the Lam Ru National Park, trips to the Wat Suwan Khuha Temple or snorkelling around a shipwreck.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B is from £838pp including flights from Heathrow on September 11. See tui.co.uk.