South Africa, Kenya and Japan among best-value winter break spots – report

Cape Town in South Africa, Mombasa in Kenya and Tokyo in Japan have been named the best-value destinations for UK travellers seeking a winter break, according to a new report.

Analysis of 24 popular destinations for Post Office Travel Money found Cape Town has the lowest prices for goods commonly bought by tourists, followed by the Japanese capital and the Kenyan coastal city.

The Winter Sun Holiday Costs Barometer is based on prices for items such as an evening meal, drinks, insect repellent and sun cream.

It does not take into account the cost of travel or accommodation.

The analysis included both short and long haul destinations for the first time and only places that can be reached without using a Middle East airport to get there.

Cape Town has claimed the number one spot on several occasions as the best-value winter sun destination and prices have fallen there by 9.7% since March this year, Post Office Travel Money said.

A three-course evening meal there for two people including a bottle of house wine was £39.26, compared with £119.26 in Scarborough, Tobago, which was the most expensive destination surveyed.

For Mombasa, the cost was £42.78 and £48.50 in Tokyo.

The Algarve in Portugal, Costa del Sol in Spain and Tenerife in the Canary Islands were the cheapest among eight European resorts that were surveyed.

Of the overall top ten cheapest destinations, four were in Asia – including Penang in Malaysia, Phuket in Thailand, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Tokyo.

Laura Plunkett, head of Post Office Travel Money, said: “Our research again picked up wide variations in the cost of tourist staples, particularly in areas like the Caribbean and in Europe.

“This means holidaymakers could save themselves money and cut the cost of their winter sun holiday by doing some basic holiday pricing research before booking.”