Best Countries to Visit in November

Kyoto and Tokyo reach their autumn colour peak from mid to late November, which is the clearest reason to fly to Japan this month rather than in October. Kyoto averages 17C by day and 8C at night, cool enough for long walking days around Arashiyama and the temple gardens. This is high season, so book Kyoto hotels and shinkansen seats well ahead. Packages average around Rs 137,000 per person.

November closes out the typhoon season on the central coast, so Hoi An and Da Nang finally settle into dry, sunny days after months of storms. Hanoi and Sapa turn cool and crisp at around 20C, good for walking and terrace views. Halong Bay cruises run with far better visibility than in the summer haze. Packages average around Rs 68,000 per person.

The Andaman coast is fully out of the monsoon by November, so Phuket, Krabi and the Phi Phi islands get calm seas and clear water for diving. Bangkok and Chiang Mai are cool and dry, and Loy Krathong falls on the November full moon. One caveat worth planning around: Koh Samui and the Gulf islands run on the opposite cycle and November is their wettest month. Packages average around Rs 35,000 per person.

The wet season ends in October, so November is when Angkor Wat becomes comfortable to walk again: around 31C by day and only about 50mm of rain across the whole month. The moats and barays are still full from the rains, which is when the temple reflections are at their best. Five or six days covers Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and it adds on easily to a Vietnam or Thailand trip.

November is when the Gulf heat finally breaks and Dubai and Abu Dhabi move outdoors again, with days near 30C and cool desert evenings. Desert camps, dhow dinners and the beach clubs are all back in season. It is a short flight and three or four days is enough, which makes it the easiest break on this list. Packages average around Rs 45,000 per person.

Post-monsoon skies are at their clearest in November, which is why Annapurna and Everest Base Camp trekkers aim for it. Days stay mild at around 15C in the hills with hard frost higher up. Worth knowing: October and November are Nepal's busiest trekking months, so teahouses on the main routes fill early. Packages average around Rs 22,000 per person.

The Black-Necked Crane Festival at Gangtey in the Phobjikha valley falls on 12 November, soon after the cranes arrive from Tibet, and it is the single best reason to time a Bhutan trip to this month. Skies stay clear after the monsoon, with Paro and Thimphu between 5C and 20C. Autumn is Bhutan's high season, so book permits and hotels ahead. Packages average around Rs 37,000 per person.

Oman becomes comfortable again in November after a long, hard summer, with Muscat near 30C by day and cool nights in the Wahiba Sands. This is the season for desert camping, the Jebel Akhdar mountains and the wadis around Nizwa. It is quieter and less built up than the UAE next door, and easy to combine with it.

November is the sweet spot for Egypt. Luxor and Aswan settle near 27C, warm enough for the Nile and the Red Sea but no longer punishing at the temples, and Cairo evenings turn cool enough for a jacket. It is a busy month at the Pyramids and on Nile cruises, so book the cruise leg early. The Egyptian pound is weak against the rupee, so food and local travel cost little once the flights and the cruise are paid for.

Petra averages 18C by day in November with barely 15mm of rain for the month, which is close to ideal for the long walk in through the Siq and the climb up to the Monastery. Nights drop to about 7C, so Wadi Rum desert camps need warm layers. Ten days covers Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.

Known For : Stay in an Overwater Bungalow Ithaa Undersea Restaurant Scuba Diving in Maldives

The southwest monsoon runs to the end of November, so the first half of the month can still bring squalls and the seas settle only in the last week or two. That is also why late November is the last stretch of softer resort rates before the December peak. The water stays near 28C and visibility improves through the month. Packages average around Rs 89,000 per person.

Best Time: December to April

102 Maldives Attractions

Late spring turns into early summer in November, with Sydney and Melbourne in the low twenties and long light evenings. Two things to plan around: the tropical north is in its hot, humid build-up to the wet season, and stinger season on the Queensland coast starts on 1 November, so reef swims need a suit. It is a long and costly flight from India, so November suits a two week trip rather than a short break.

November is the start of the dry season in Laos. Luang Prabang gets around 27mm of rain for the month with days near 30C, which is when the Mekong slow boat and the Kuang Si waterfalls are at their best. It is a slow five to seven day trip and one of the quietest countries on this list, usually done alongside Thailand or Vietnam.

November is late spring in New Zealand rather than summer, which means the Southern Alps still carry snow, the lupins are out around Lake Tekapo, and Queenstown and Milford Sound are busy without January crowds. Days run 15C to 20C with wide regional variation. Allow at least two weeks.

Known For : Seven Coloured Earth of Chamarel Le Morne Brabant Underwater Waterfall

Mauritius sits in warm, settled weather in November at around 25C, ahead of both the cyclone season and the December holiday rush. It is the last month of easier rates on the west coast resorts. Snorkelling at Blue Bay and the drive up to Chamarel both work well now.

Best Time: April to December

147 Mauritius Attractions

Spring runs into early summer in November and the Kruger bush greens up, which brings impala calving and a lot of newborn game, though the thicker cover makes big cats harder to spot. Cape Town warms into the low twenties ahead of its own peak season. Green season rates are lower than in the dry winter months, which is the trade-off for harder game spotting.

Known For : Gardens by the Bay Universal Studios Singapore Marina Bay Sands

November is the start of the northeast monsoon and one of Singapore's wettest months, with heavy afternoon downpours. It still works as a short trip because so much of the city is indoors or covered, from the Gardens by the Bay domes to the museums and the Orchard Road malls. Packages average around Rs 60,000 per person.

Best Time: February to September

273 Singapore Attractions

November is a transition month in Sri Lanka rather than a settled season. The inter-monsoon brings squalls and the occasional cyclone, the east coast is winding down, and the west and south coasts only steady from late November onwards. The hill country and the cultural triangle are the safer choice earlier in the month. Packages average around Rs 32,000 per person.

Malaysia splits in two in November. The northeast monsoon soaks the east coast and the Perhentian and Redang islands largely close, while Langkawi, Penang and the Cameron Highlands on the west side are drying out after a wet October, still with afternoon showers. Kuala Lumpur works year round. Packages average around Rs 54,000 per person.

November is the start of Indonesia's wet season, so expect short heavy afternoon downpours rather than washed-out days, with mornings usually clear. Bali, Yogyakarta and the Gili islands all stay warm at around 28C and rates sit below the December peak. Packages average around Rs 36,000 per person.

The short rains fall in November, usually as brief afternoon storms rather than all-day rain, and the Serengeti and Ngorongoro stay open and green. Lodges are quieter and cheaper in this window, but the migration herds are moving south and sightings are less predictable than in the dry months.

Kenya's short rains run through November, which greens up the Masai Mara and empties the camps. Rain usually comes in short bursts rather than all day. The river crossings are over by now, so come for resident lions, elephants and the flamingos at Lake Nakuru rather than for the migration.

Marrakech and the south sit near 20C by day in November with cold desert nights, which is good weather for the Atlas passes and the Sahara route to Merzouga. The north, including Tangier and Chefchaouen, turns grey and wet. The saffron harvest festival at Taliouine falls in early November.

Day of the Dead runs into the first days of November, and the fortnight after it is the quietest and cheapest stretch of the month before the December wave. The Yucatan and Riviera Maya are just out of hurricane season with sea temperatures still near 28C. Flights from India are long and usually involve two stops.

November is spring in Argentina, not summer. Buenos Aires sits in the low twenties, Mendoza's vineyards are in leaf ahead of the harvest, and southern right whales are still off the Valdes Peninsula before they leave in December. Patagonia is open but windy and colder than at the December to February peak. Allow two weeks for the flying time.

November is Chilean spring and the shoulder before the summer crush. Torres del Paine is open with long daylight and far fewer people than December to February, though the Patagonian wind is constant. The Atacama is dry and clear year round and pairs well with Santiago and the coast at Valparaiso.

November in Turkey is cold and wet. Istanbul hovers near 13C with frequent rain, and Cappadocia sits around 11C by day with nights close to freezing, so hot air balloon flights are cancelled more often than in autumn. Come for the bazaars, hammams and museums at low season prices, not for the coast.

Portugal is the mildest corner of Europe in November, but it is still a winter trip. Lisbon and Porto run near 16C with a lot of rain, and the Algarve beaches are done for the year. It works as a low season city break for the tiles, trams, seafood and port cellars, at the cheapest rates of the year.