Credit crunch, mortgage wobbles, Christmas bills – even before you glance out of the window, January’s looking a bit grim, isn’t it? But there’s a simple solution – ignore the gloom and head off to the sunshine.

The credit cards may be maxed out, but the tour operators know that: there are thousands of winter-sun holidays waiting to be sold, and that’s why they’re slashing prices by as much as 45%.

All prices are per person, based on two sharing, and, unless stated, include flights from London. For regional departure options, ask the operator

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The Red Sea has guaranteed sun, average winter highs of 22C – and plenty of deals.

An all-inclusive week at the four-star Sheraton Sharm Hotel and Resort, in Sharm el Sheikh, departing on January 12 or 13, costs £399 – a saving of £195 – with Mosaic Holidays (020 8574 4000, www.mosaicholidays.co.uk). At the five-star Domina Harem, an all-inclusive week, departing on February 11, is down by £140 to £634 with Planet Holidays (0871 871 2234, www.planet-holidays.co.uk).

You can do it yourself by booking an all-inclusive January week at the five-star Regency Plaza, in Sharm el Sheikh – reduced from £196 to £137 – but, once you add flights with Thomsonfly.com for £284, and £14 transfers with www. transfers4u.com, you’ll struggle to beat discounters such as Lastminute.com, which has a week, half-board, at the five-star Marriott Taba Heights reduced from £549 to £299, departing on January 14 or 21. Or try Sovereign (0871 664 0227, www.sovereign.com).

THE GULF

To find bargains in the Arabian Gulf, you need to look beyond Dubai to one of the less familiar Emirates. In Ras Al Khaimah, a 90-minute drive from Dubai, the new Hilton Resort & Spa is offering low introductory rates. Until March 16, a week, B&B, can be had for £715 with Bushbaby Travel (01252 792984, www.bushbabytravel.com). The operator says that some building work is still going on at the hotel, but “it’s not that intrusive”.

In Oman, CV Travel (020 7384 5891, www.cvtravel.co.uk) has a week, B&B, at the Al Waha hotel, in Muscat, for £1,039, down by £200.

THE CANARIES AND MADEIRA

In the Canaries, the tiny island of La Palma boasts lush mountain scenery and sleepy colonial ports. Thomson (0870 160 4513, www. thomson.co.uk) introduced direct flights there in November, but, although the island is popular with Spanish tourists, it has failed to catch on with Brits. As a result, a week, half-board, at the four-star Hotel Taburiente Playa, departing on January 14, has been reduced from £399 to just £319.

Few destinations are as unfashionable as Madeira – which partly explains why its excellent hotels are such good value in winter. A week, B&B, at the four-star Hotel Baia Azul, in Funchal, departing on January 21, is down from £319 to just £199 with Thomson (0870 160 4513, www.thomson.co.uk). The walking is fab, too.

SRI LANKA AND GOA

The big operators are putting the squeeze on airlines and hoteliers to hammer down low-season prices. Hayes & Jarvis (0871 664 0246, www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk), for instance, has eight nights, B&B, at the charming four-star Mount Lavinia hotel, in Sri Lanka, reduced from £1,114 to £699. This is a case of the package beating the independents hands down – if you tried to do it yourself, you’d pay more than £500 for the flights alone.

In Goa, menawhile, hotel rates tumble after the peak new-year period. At the four-star Club Mahindra hotel, on Varca Beach, a week, B&B, departing on January 12, has been reduced from £840 to £629 by Jewel in the Crown Holidays (0870 067 2352, www.jewelholidays.com). Two-star packages start at £369.

AFRICA

On South Africa’s Garden Route, a week, B&B, at the four-star Emily Moon River Lodge, near Plettenberg Bay, has been reduced from £1,860 to £1,495, including eight days’ car hire, until March 20, by Kirker Holidays (020 7593 2288, www. kirkerholidays.com). Or hop over to Richard Branson’s Ulusaba Private Game Reserve for three all-inclusive nights in January and pay £1,999 – a saving of £500 – with Elegant Resorts (01244 897516, www.elegantresorts. co.uk).

It’s summer in Mauritius and, although you can expect some showers, temperatures are a toasty 30C. Head for the new Club Med resort, La Plantation d’Albion, on the island’s west coast. An all-inclusive week in December would have cost £3,787, but this month the brochure price is £2,202. Go on January 12 and there is a further saving of £393, bringing the price down to £1,809 (0845 367 6767, www.clubmed.co.uk).

Mauritius also features in the British Airways winter sale, allowing BA Holidays (0870 243 3406, www.ba.com/ holidays) to slice £146 off the price of an all-inclusive week at the four-star Veranda Coin De Mire, now £809 between January 16 and March 16. At the five-star Oberoi, a week, B&B, costs £2,225, saving £530, until April 30 with Seasons in Style (01244 202000, www.seasonsinstyle.com).

THE CARIBBEAN

Barbados over Christmas with all the trimmings costs an arm and a leg; in January, however, prices fall off a cliff. A week’s rental of Little Seascape, a beach villa for two with private cook, costs more than £1,400pp in peak season, but is available for £999pp, including flights, on January 11, with Owners’ Syndicate (020 7381 7493, www.ownerssyndicate.comwww.ownerssyndicate.com).

In Grenada, Turtleback Pavilion is a cosy villa for two, reduced by £243pp to £857pp, including flights, on February 3, with CV Travel (020 7381 7494, www.cvtravel.co.uk). In St Lucia, a week, room-only, at the three-star Bay Gardens is down £137 to £699, until March 18, with BA Holidays (0870 243 3406, www.ba.com/holidays).

CRUISES

The credit crunch in America is already hitting cruise bookings, and operators are looking to the UK to get bums on beds. Royal Caribbean International has chartered a flight from Gatwick to the Dominican Republic on January 27 so Brits can join its sevennight cruise on the four-star Legend of the Seas, visiting St Kitts-Nevis, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Barbados and St Lucia.

Because RCI needs to fill both empty berths on the ship and seats on its aircraft, it is cutting fares by 35% – the original price, £2,389, is down to £1,550. Book with Ideal Cruising (0800 977 8561, www.idealcruising.co.uk).

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