The clocks have gone back, Bonfire Night has come and gone, and the Mediterranean season is a distant memory. But if the prospect of a grey, wet November is too grim to contemplate, plenty of places are still basking — and with schools back and peak season over, flights and hotels are at some of their cheapest prices of the year.
For maximum heat, Thailand and India lead the pack. Bangkok averages highs of 32C in November with eight hours of daily sun, marking the end of the monsoon — ideal weather for temple-hopping by day and working through the city's famous night markets after dark. Goa, on India's west coast, matches those 32C highs with nine hours of sunshine, its beaches freshly scrubbed by the retreating monsoon. Travelling in autumn also means you might catch Diwali, and the Portuguese colonial churches and convents of Velha Goa add a Unesco-listed dose of history between beach days.
The Caribbean offers several strong options as the Atlantic hurricane season winds down. Barbados hits 30C with eight hours of sun, and while short heavy showers are still likely, they're a quick break from 82 per cent humidity. Bridgetown's colonial streets, Oistins' fried fish Fridays and snorkelling off the west coast fill the hours in between. The Dominican Republic averages 30C too, with the driest weather in the south of the island — and surf, dune buggies and a lively nightlife for anyone who doesn't want to simply lie flat. Jamaica, at 29C, sits just before its mid-December rush, so November visitors get the reggae, the rum and the beaches without the crowds.
Long-haul fans with more time (and budget) should look to Brisbane. Late spring in Queensland brings 27C highs and nine hours of sunshine, and the city doubles as a springboard to the Great Barrier Reef — with a growing craft beer scene for the evenings.
Prefer something shorter than a ten-hour flight? Cape Verde is only around six hours from the UK, a dry cluster of ten volcanic islands where November highs sit around 28C, blending African and Brazilian influences across resorts in Sal, Boa Vista and Santiago. Tenerife is the closest option of all: not scorching, but a mild 23C with six hours of daily sun, black and white sand beaches beneath Mount Teide, and serious savings on out-of-season accommodation. And Marrakech, at a comfortable 23C, makes medina-wandering, Djemaa El Fna and day trips toward the Sahara far more pleasant than the summer furnace — with cheaper flights and thinner crowds to boot.
Families chasing theme parks rather than beaches can consider Orlando: highs of 26C, low rain risk, and far kinder queue conditions than the mid-30s of August.
Who's this for? Anyone booking a late-October or early-November escape on a shoulder-season budget — from short-haul sun seekers to snowbird-style long haul. Details sourced from The Independent Travel.
