Our expert guide to the best destinations in November, no matter how hot you like it
November can be a glorious month to go in search of sun. With no school holidays in the diary, beaches, hotels and aircraft are likely to be calm – while many destinations offer tempting discounts in what is traditionally a quiet window ahead of the Christmas rush.
The weather is also behaving itself. The monsoon period which afflicts India and theFar East has generally rained itself out by the end of September. And if the hurricane season in the Atlantic is still in gust – it is generally deemed to last until the end of November – then the risky months (September and October) have already passed.
Looking beyond November travel ideas? Look no further...
19-24C
1. Malta
Max temp: 20C
Flight time from UK: 2 hours
Time difference: +1 hour
Sometimes dismissed as one of the Mediterranean’s less imaginative destinations, Malta has a capacity to surprise. There are comfortable hotels in St Julian’s and Sliema – but there is history galore in Valletta, whose huge walls have let it retain a sense of medieval grandeur.
The best hotels in Malta
Kuoni offers packages to the five-star Palace Hotel in Sliema (0800 044 8623, kuoni.co.uk); or go it alone -BA, Ryanair, easyJet and Air Malta all fly direct, with return fares starting at about £65.
2. Tenerife
Max temp: 21C
Flight time from UK: 4.5 hours
Time difference: +0 hour
The Canary Islands are Europe’s most reliable options for winter sun, rarely dipping below 20C. Tenerife, the largest member of the archipelago, is famed for the beach hotels of the Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas. But it also deals in volcanic majesty and wonderful hiking trails on its vast central peak, Mount Teide – as well as superb restaurants in its capital, Santa Cruz.
The best hotels in Tenerife
Soverign Luxury Travel sells packages to the Sheraton La Caleta resort, on the Costa Adeje flank of Tenerife (01293 831 462, sovereign.com);BA, Ryanair, Jet2, and Iberia fly direct from about £100 return.
3. Los Angeles
Max temp: 22C
Flight time from UK: 11 hours
Time difference: -8 hours
America’s second biggest city is an act that never needs refining – at least in terms of its weather, with the mercury rarely straying from around mid-20C. Los Angeles, of course, is a metropolis of attractions. Hollywood is abuzz with bars and stars, the Museum of Contemporary Art dazzles, and Santa Monica is heaven for beach-breakers.
The best hotels in Los Angeles
Virgin Holidays offers packages to the five-star Mondrian LA (020 3668 8011,virginholidays.co.uk); airlines fly direct from about £295 return.
4. Marrakesh
Max temp: 22C
Flight time from UK: 4 hours
Time difference: +0 hours
You do not need a beach to enjoy winter sun. Marrakesh is proof of that. This fabled citadel on the edge of Saharan sand is a mix of swirling souks, relaxed riads and epic Islamic architecture, all wrapped up in north African mythology. That it rarely drops below 20C between October and March is almost incidental.
The best hotels in Marrakesh
Kirker Holidaysoffers breaks at the boutique Riad Farnatchi, in the Marrakesh medina (020 7593 1899,kirkerholidays.com); fly with Ryanair, BA or easyJet from around £115 return.
5. South Australia
Max temp: 24C
Flight time from UK: 21 hours
Time difference: +8.5 hours
Sometimes lost in the glare that emanates from New South Wales and Western Australia, the southern state has more than enough attractions to fill a holiday. Adelaide, its capital, is a city of art and culture, Kangaroo Island is a wildlife haven, and wonderful wines are produced in the Barossa Valley.
The best hotels in Adelaide
The Ultimate Travel Company offers an 11-day Kangaroo Island & Murray River tour which spends five days in Adelaide (020 3131 7249,theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk); flights with Qantas, the national flag carrier, start at around £780 return, other airlines serving the route include Qatar, Singapore and Cathay Pacific.
25-29C
6. Buenos Aires
Max temp: 25C
Flight time from UK: 14 hours
Time difference: -4 hours
In some senses, Argentina’s capital is a place out of context. There it sits, towards the lower reaches of South America, pinned to that broadest of Latin rivers, the Rio de la Plata. Yet Buenos Aires stands out as a hive of cosmopolitan allure on a continent of rainforest and mountains – brimming with culture and cool in the museums of Puerto Madero, the bars of Palermo, the parrilla eateries of San Telmo and Recoleta, and the urban mystique of Boca.
The best hotels in Buenos Aires
Journey Latin America offers a 13-day "Signature Argentina" tour which spends three days in Buenos Aires, before forging on to Patagonia and Iguacu Falls(020 3553 1773,journeylatinamerica.co.uk);BA and Norwegian Air are among the airlines to fly direct, from around £580 return.
7. Florida
Max temp: 27C
Flight time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: -5 hours
The nickname says it all. The “Sunshine State” basks in warmth in the 20s C throughout the year, making for a destination where life looks towards the beach. To be exact, Florida boasts 1,350 miles of coastline (more than any US state other than Alaska), with its key cities (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville) clinging to this sandy edge. Of course, the interior also pleases. Orlando and its theme parks sit at the heart of the matter.
British Airways Holidays sells packages to the four-star Ramada Plaza Resort in central Orlando (0344 493 0787, ba.com/holidays); air fares start at around £290 return.
The best hotels in Orlando
8. Cuba
Max temp: 28C
Flight time from UK: 9 hours
Time difference: -5 hours
The end of the Castro era has not immediately trasnformed Cuba into a country unrecognisable from its classic image of crumbling architecture and faded grandeur. This is a good thing. The Caribbean's largest island has long been a solid option for a winter escape – thanks in part to the broad beaches on its north coast, within easy reach of Havana (a city which, full of romantic Hispanic buildings, lives up to its mythology). Varadero needs little introduction, and works well for families.
Tropical Sky sells twin-centre holidays which combine Havana and Varadero(01342 886 229,tropicalsky.co.uk);Virgin Atlantic flies direct from about £672 return.
The best hotels in Cuba
9. Mozambique
Max temp: 29C
Flight time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: +1 hour
Fast emerging from a 20th century of colonial woes and civil war, Mozambique is a rising star of southern African tourism. It offers discoveries in its busy capital, Maputo, and the safari zones of the interior (notably Gorongosa National Park) – but is rapidly becoming known for its 1,430 miles of Indian Ocean coastline, where chic resorts are putting down roots. The high-20Cs is the least you can expect during the European winter.
The best hotels in Mozambique
Steppes Traveloffers a 10-day Mozambique Island Hopping Dhow Safari, which meanders through the Quirimbas archipelago(01258 787508,steppestravel.co.uk);No direct routes currently exist from the UK, but Tap Air Portugal is generally cheapest with fares starting at about £440 return.
10. Yucatan Peninsula
Max temp: 29C
Flight time from UK: 10 hours
Time difference: -6 hours
A country of epic history and geography, with shorelines on two vast bodies of water, Mexico is at its most accessible on the eastern edge of its Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun, purpose-built here as a hotspot of luxury resorts and beach hotels, attracts endless streams of holidaymakers who want to doze on the edge of the Caribbean Sea. But the past awaits in thrilling fashion, not least in the iconic Mayan sites of Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba.
The best hotels on the Yucatan Peninsula
Last Frontiers sells a 13-day "Classic Mexico" tour which covers the country's Mayan heritage in detail, while also spending time in Mexico City(01296 653 000,lastfrontiers.com);TUI Airways flies direct from £329 return.
30C+
11. Antigua
Max temp: 30C
Flight time from UK: 9 hours
Time difference: -5 hours
Flat and low-slung where plenty of its Caribbean colleagues are craggy and volcanic, Antigua is a dream of a destination, equipped – according to local folklore – with 365 beaches, one for every day of the year. The hotels dotted on the fringes of these sandy stretches are happy havens for escapes from the European winter. The island basks in temperatures of 30C during Britain’s cold months, and in a dry season of December-May.
The best hotels in Antigua
Kuoni offers packages to the five-star Carlisle Bay in Antigua (0800 140 4781,kuoni.co.uk);BA flies direct from about £418 return.
12. Cambodia
Max temp: 30C
Flight time from UK: 14 hours
Time difference: +6 hours
Torn apart by conflict in the Seventies, Cambodia has a dark history that cannot be avoided in Phnom Penh. But if the actions of the Khmer Rouge still cast a shadow, there is plenty of light too in a country of fine sights – the palaces and statues that also shape the capital, the towers and spires of the incomparable Angkor temple complex, the beach resorts that are appearing around Sihanoukville. Acknowledge the past, admire the future.
The best hotels in Cambodia
Inside Asia Tourssells an 11-night "Into The Heart Of Cambodia" tour, which ticks off Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat (0117 244 3380,insideasiatours.com);No direct flights from the UK to Phnom Penh, but airlines that operate the route include Thai, Emirates and Vietnam Airlines, from about £510 return.
13. Dubai
Max temp: 31C
Flight time from UK: 7 hours
Time difference: +3 hours
There are several reasons that the most glitzy of the United Arab Emirates has become such a haven from the European winter – the architectural ambition of hotels such as the Burj Al Arab, the warm sands of Jumeirah Beach, the trendy bars and eateries that dot the cityscape, the retail joys on offer in vast shopping temples such as the Mall of the Emirates. But mainly it is to do with the daytime heat, which pins itself resolutely to the 30C mark.
The best hotels in Dubai
Destinology sells packages to the five-star Grand Hyatt in Dubai(01204 823 807, destinology.co.uk);Airlines that fly direct include BA and Emirates, from about £314 return.
14. Koh Samui
Max temp: 32C
Flight time from UK: 12 hours
Time difference: +6 hours
Long seen as the Far East country most reliable for winter sun, Thailand has vast appeal, with some 2,000 miles of shoreline along the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Samui sits on the west side of the latter, an island (Thailand’s second largest, after phu*ket) fringed by sandy crescents – not least Chaweng and Lamai Beaches, on the east coast. No longer the undiscovered gem it once was, this is none the less a holiday paradise.
The best hotels in Koh Samui
Selective Asia offers a 12-day "Simply Thailand" tour which spends five nights on Koh Samui as part of a wider tour of the country (01273 670 001, selectiveasia.com);no direct flights currently operate, but airlines that serve the destination include BA, Qatar and Bangkok Airways, from about £536 return.
15. Myanmar (Burma)
Max temp: 32C
Flight time from UK: 15 hours
Time difference: +5.5 hours
The Far East is a region still full of mystery – and nowhere more so than Myanmar. Of course, this is partly down to a bleakness of history – the country spent five decades under military rule before the elections of 2010 saw it begin to tiptoe towards democracy. It has opened to tourism subsequently – and if it is now better known than it was, there is still much to discover in a state that lays claim to 1,200 miles of shore.
The best hotels in Burma
Cox & Kingssells a 19-day "Burma Explorer" break which charts the country in detail (020 34111707,coxandkings.co.uk);non direct flights are available from airlines including Qatar, Emirates, Thai and Cathay Pacific from about £515 return.
Note that the Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to some parts of Burma. For more information, see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/burma.
