Where is hot in November? Our top 10 destinations
With November’s cooling temperatures come time-honoured markers: misted breath mixing with bonfire smoke, feet scrunching through leaves in the park. But while Britain is reaching for its scarves, other places are basking, so why not travel into the light? It’s the ideal time to explore a favourite destination off-peak, try out a sunshine lifestyle in California or Australia or go tropical, from the Indian Ocean to the Arabian Sea.
Getty Images1. Crete, Greece
Average November temperature: 20℃
One of the southernmost Greek islands, Crete enjoys a warm climate well into winter. And with peak-season crowds all firmly stuck in term-time, this is an excellent chance to explore an underrated charmer in all-too-rare repose. Admittedly, Crete’s not a secret, but you needn’t travel far from the well-worn track to find unspoiled villages with locals happy to invite you to the party (an evening in a taverna always feels like one). By day, hike the monumental Samaria Gorge, where soaring cliffs shade a rugged, chamomile-scented trail. Or find Elafonisi, the pristine pink beach.
Where to stay: Domes Zeen Chania, where concrete villas dot the hillside towards the sea, and there’s a black-tiled pool surrounded by thatched parasols for snoozing under. Or try Minos Beach Art Hotel, where sleek interiors and inspiring artworks are strung out along a private peninsula in a hidden corner of magical Mirabello Bay. For more, see our pick of the best hotels in Crete.
Getty Images2. Seville, Spain
Average November temperature: 20℃
An easy city destination rich in sunshine, shady courtyards and napkin-strewn tapas bars, Seville has the ability to transport visitors to an instant summer. For old-world kicks, explore the Alcázar, the opulent Mudéjar palace, or flag down a horse-drawn carriage outside the Gothic cathedral. But carve out time, too, for the city’s flipside: to be uncovered at Un Gato en Bicicleta, an unapologetically cool bookshop/café/ceramics studio; or at Delimbo, a gallery that’s home to graffiti and graphic design. Come nightfall, the pavements are busy with people picking at small plates and sipping sherry outdoors. November? Could’ve fooled us.
Where to stay: Hotel Alfonso XIII, the benchmark for grand stays in Seville since 1929 – a neo-Moorish mansion newly refurbished with modern design and an Art Deco American Bar. For something more contemporary, Plácido y Grata has a pared-back, minimalist aesthetic plus a trendy café, a relaxed drinks bar and – across the street – its restaurant serves fresh, modern Spanish cuisine. See our guide to the best hotels in Seville for more.
Getty Images3. Cyprus
Average November temperature: 22℃
Cyprus is so far south into the Mediterranean it feels more Middle Eastern than its EU membership might suggest – and the same goes for its climate. And so, with the sun still warming sand and sea at this time of year, it’s tempting to flop onto a Paphos beach and be done with it. But those who let their gaze wander inland, to the Troodos Mountains, will find grand, painted churches; vineyards sown into flinty hillsides; and boutique suites sprawling through honey-hued stone houses – as at Apokryfo, an elegant, Cyprus-meets-Cotswolds set-up in sleepy Lofou village.
Where to stay: Anassa made our list of the best hotels in Europe for 2022. While it’s an hour from Paphos airport in Latchi, it’s well worth the drive, especially for families – the kids’ club is slicker than most London nurseries and the adult-only spaces are effortlessly chic. For couples, we like Amavi, a glossy adult’s only hotel where lounges enjoy a direct view of the sea and the beach is just a couple steps away. See our guide to the best Cyprus hotels for more.
Getty Images4. Seychelles
Average November temperature: 30℃
When we say this is ‘the most beautiful archipelago in the Indian Ocean’, we don’t say it lightly – the Seychelles is desert-island gorgeous. But these islands are not flat, or two-tone – they’re perfection, but they’re wild. Alongside the brilliant white beaches and neon-blue waters, great black-granite outcrops rise against pounding surf, fringed by Coco de Mer palms. The private islands are immaculate Edens sought by oligarchs and royals. North Island: hand-picked for the honeymoon of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; Six Senses Zil Pasyon, spread over Félicité, a jungly stunner with 30 immense villas, all hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and deep, ocean-facing tubs. It’s not cheap to get here. But paradise always did come at a cost.
Where to stay: In addition to North Island and Six Senses Zil Pasyon, we also love Four Seasons Resort at Desroches Island, where 40 guest villas are set in big, lawned gardens with private pools, from which secret walkways lead to wide beaches where turtles nest. See the best hotels in the Seychelles for more recommendations.
Getty Images5. Adelaide and South Australia
Average November temperature: 23℃
Australia rarely seems a particularly harried sort of place, but its SA region is downright horizontal. For this is the land of wide-open cellar doors (Barossa and Clare Valleys, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills), Limestone Coast beaches (Glen Point is dazzling) and houseboat cruises meandering along the Murray River. If you need an urban fix, Adelaide has Restaurant Orana, with its unhurried 20-course tasting menu, and the most hopping cocktail joint in town, Pink Moon Saloon, for tequilas with smoked lemonade.
Where to stay:
Barossa Valley has accommodation on-site including cute cottages and cabins.
Getty Images6. Palm Springs, USA
Average November temperature: 26℃
Without the Coachella crowds, Palm Springs is a laid-back desert stopover and the antithesis of a gloomy British November with its scorching sunshine and abundance of mid-century modernist cool. Take some time, too, to explore bordering dusty desert towns that are being newly transformed by outpriced LA hipsters: Pioneertown saloon Pappy & Harriet’s has hosted impromptu gigs by Paul McCartney and Arctic Monkeys; in Flamingo Heights, those queueing at La Copine wait patiently for spicy melon gazpacho and loaded lavash. Tie on hiking boots and scramble over nearby Joshua Tree’s jumbly boulders – or, better yet, perfect your stroke at the peerlessly on-trend Ace Hotel & Swim Club.
Where to stay: Pioneertown Motel , a pared-back, Wild West single-storey inn that’s dotted with cowhide rugs and woven blankets.
Getty Images7. Baja California, Mexico
Average November temperature: 27℃
Bordering California has seldom done this northern Mexican state many favours, high-schoolers piling into Tijuana for tequila binges being the least of its problems (Mexico’s legal drinking age is 18 to the USA’s 21). But more refined imbibers are now discovering something beyond the bar strip: Valle de Guadeloupe, aka Mexico’s Napa Valley, has lately sharpened its focus on organic and biodynamic bottles. Finca La Carrodilla serves its crisp Chenin Blanc in a pretty rooftop garden; Finca Altozano, one of the valley’s favourite open-air, farm-to-table restaurants, now features funky flourishes such as an Airstream serving tortas. Its sister B&B, Finca La Divina, is a perfect hybrid, with Mexican-colonial architecture and California-cool interior design. Need a beach break? Cabo San Lucas is just a hop, skip and a two-hour flight away.
Where to stay: One&Only Palmilla, where stone floors, intricate fabrics and heavy doors with wrought-iron studs reference Mexico in the smartest possible way. Another option is Paradero Todos Santos, set in front of a palm-tree oasis about 20 minutes from the beach and made up of a series of brutalist-inspired golden-toned structures designed to blend into the sandy natural surrounds. See our pick of the best hotels in Mexico for more.
Getty Images8. Goa, India
Average November temperature: 29℃
Think Goa and you might conjure an unholy trinity of tie-dye, trance and tokers’ fug. But southern India’s beachy bohemia has always had a split personality, known for all-night raves in the north and chilled sunset vibes in the south. Today, there are more Goas still. Inland, you’ll find the relics of Portuguese rule in cool, white-painted churches and colonial villas turned into boutique retreats, tucked between palms. There are rickety beach bungalows and sizzling street stalls, but also five-star resorts and Champagne by the pool. What the Goas all have in common: an escape from everyday shackles, a go-slow refuge of endless sands and churning surf. For proper privacy, Elsewhere, in upmarket Mandrem, is the family compound of Mumbai-based fashion photographer Denzil Sequeira, offering four brightly painted beach houses hidden among dunes.
Where to stay: Leela, a glamorous escape surrounded by lush gardens and blue lagoons.
Getty Images9. Cambodia
Average November temperature: 30℃
Cambodia hasn’t traditionally offered a lazy sunny holiday: its regular circuit – marathon temple-hopping in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh’s brutal history – isn’t quite what you’d call relaxing. But the recent foray of top-tier brands into its untapped coastal beauty is forging something harder to find in its neighbour, Thailand: proper, unplugged peace.
Where to stay: Six Senses Krabey Island is a jungly outcrop scattered with pool villas; Alila’s Koh Russey retreat angles the gaze of Khmer-style pavilions over still emerald waters toward uncharted hills. Over on the mainland, coastal Kep’s barefoot resort, Knai Bang Chatt, serves blue swimmer crabs to tables arranged on a jetty over the sea. And the sunsets are glorious: an unpolluted horizon silhouetted with fishing boats, blushing gold-pink.
Getty Images10. Botswana
Average November temperature: 35℃
Feeling too hot hot hot? Sure, 35℃ is scorching. But Botswana is known for its dry heat: manageable, not muggy. Better yet, the rates for what is increasingly gaining a rep as Africa’s finest safari destination are rather favourable this time of year. Plus, lower visitor numbers help you explore the Okavango Delta in relative isolation, while the game-viewing is exceptional as animals begin birthing their young. Explore the wetland wilderness by dugout canoe and see swimming lions pursue scrambling buffalo; hippos and elephants cooling off in crystal-clear shallows. Of course, luxury camps are not hard to come by. Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge by &Beyond is cool and contemporary: guests stay in pangolin-shaped pods with remote-controlled mosquito nets, and private plunge pools overlook papyrus fringing the lagoons.
Source: cntraveller.com
