Need a winter getaway? Warm yourself vicariously with these sunny, destination music videos

It's January in Canada and, in most parts of this country, that means ice, snow and slush.

With the coziness of the holiday season behind us, the long winter ahead can look pretty bleak. 

But even if an actual warm weather vacation isn't in the cards for you this year, there's an easy, affordable way to escape — music videos. 

"In that three minutes that you watch a music video, you actually forget about how cold you are, or where you are," said video director Meron Gaudet.

She and video editor Jordan Hayles are here to help guide you through a virtual exotic escape, courtesy of their favourite music videos. 

Pimpin' All Over the World by Ludacris

Hayles' first choice is Ludacris's Pimpin' All Over the World, which was shot in Durban, South Africa.

"A lot of people, especially in North American society, when they talk about Africa and how it's depicted ... you don't really see it in its beauty," said Hayles.

This video changes that, he says, with its enticing beach setting.

"It's visually like something you see out of a movie," said Hayles. "The endless landscapes, there's so many beaches, and to see the traditions that were captured there, that's different and I felt like that was something I wanted to experience."

Santorini Greece by Rick Ross

Gaudet goes to Greece first, with Rick Ross's Santorini Greece.

"There's something really refreshing about it," she said.

"Usually with rap music videos you're so used to this grimy city. But it's so clean and fresh, it felt like I could live there."

Beautiful by Snoop Dogg, featuring Pharrell

Next stop: Brazil and Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's video for Beautiful.

"That video is shot in Rio de Janeiro and it's overlooking the city," Hayles explained.

"It's just so wide and so grand and so vast and you see all these houses and favelas ... it's vibrant and the song itself is just electrifying."

"I want to be there," he said. "It's hot, it's humid, there's ocean, there's a beach, there's vibrant music, I need to be part of that."

Losing You by Solange

For the final stop on our tour, Gaudet takes us back to South Africa, this time to Cape Town, with Solange's Losing You.

"If the wrong person were to shoot it, the place would look dirty or run down," Gaudet said. "But the woman who shot it, she had a way of just transforming this place to look so lively."

"You see these fascinating colours, a purple building with a bright blue door, and you see these lime green buildings ... It reminds me of, actually, a hipster's paradise."

To hear more from Meron Gaudet and Jordan Hayles, download our podcast or click the 'Listen' button at the top of this page.