November sees the nights draw in and the weather cool as thoughts turn to preparations for Christmas and cosy evenings are spent in front of the fire. For those who are in winter weather denial, though, thoughts turn to winter sun and there are a few great options we can recommend. Closer to home, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands are warm and inviting in the winter, while further afield, the Caribbean, Brazil, Dubai and Oman provide a pleasing dose of colourful culture to complement their perfect sunny weather and powder-soft beaches.
For a bigger adventure, a cultural journey through India is thrilling at this time of the year, as the weather is perfect, while South Africa offers the kind of eclectic, simple charms that are hard to resist, such as incredible landscapes, mesmerising wildlife – including Humpback Whales and African Penguins – stunning food and wine, sandy beaches and cosmopolitan Cape Town, with its iconic Table Mountain and wealth of history and culture.
In the USA, the Deep South is an interesting region to explore, where groundbreaking musical genres and flavoursome Creole cuisine collide with colonial architecture and a past that has been instrumental in shaping the culture of America. New York is another of our top recommendations for travel in November, where the shopping opportunities are many and you can enjoy ice-skating in Central Park, as well as join the Thanksgiving celebrations.
If a quick pre-Christmas luxury break is more appealing, many European cities are bound to tempt you. Mixing culture, cuisine, fashion, architecture and romance, destinations including Florence, Rome and Venice in Italy and Barcelona in Spain have enduring appeal and many have winter markets at their heart by the end of November, providing opportunities to wrap up, peruse and purchase unusual Christmas gifts for friends and family.