This November, consider relocating the turkey-powered family get-together. There are countless destinations offering a delicious counterpoint to that perennial meal, whether you’d prefer gourmet food on the Caribbean’s fanciest island or the chance to crunch a few sugared skulls in Mexico.
Here are some of the best places to travel in November.
1. Chickasaw Country, Oklahoma
November is great for: celebrating Indigenous American culture
November is Native American Heritage Month, so it’s worthwhile to pause, reflect, and learn about the culture of America before Europeans arrived.
When Indigenous nations were relocated to what was dubbed Indian Territory, one of their last refuges was what’s now known as Oklahoma. The Southeast -based Chickasaw were moved to a Midwest area redubbed Chickasaw Country. Almost two centuries later, it’s an enriching place to visit and learn about Indigenous culture. The Chickasaw Cultural Center is a 109-acre complex that offers several interactive exhibits about the nation’s language, heritage, and traditions. The Chickasaw White House was home to Chickasaw Governor Douglas Henry Johnston and his family until 1971, before becoming a museum.
2. Boca Raton, Florida
November is great for: ditching the drive down I-95
High-speed rail Brightline links the necklace of cities along the eastern coast of Florida’s tip. It has transformed southern Florida, making it easier than ever to zip between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach (one-way prices start at $17). This month, Boca Raton’s station opens, adding another stop on that route, right next to the downtown library and a short walk to Mizner Park, named in honor of the architect whose fondness for an ersatz Mediterranean aesthetic helped shape the look and feel of early modern SoFla.
The new station means you can roam even more easily around all four urban hubs so take your pick of events: Lagoon Fest on November 5 in West Palm Beach, for example, is where food stalls take over downtown Flagler Drive, and families can go on kayak clean-up tours to help spruce up the 20-mile-long estuary.
Alternatively, take Brightline down to its Miami stop, where the annual Book Fair takes place for eight days from November 13; more than 300 authors of fiction and nonfiction host readings and talks centered at the fair’s HQ at Miami Dade College downtown.
3. Baja Peninsula, Mexico
November is great for: spooky stuff of all kinds
Outside Mexico, the Day of the Dead may be little more than a fun chance for grown-ups to indulge in a little face painting, but within the country’s borders, this ancestor-honoring tradition is celebrated with far more gusto and ceremony. La Catrina—we’d call her Death—is honored with ghoulish, delicious sugar sculptures in the shapes of skulls, while families will often head to local cemeteries with music and tequila to fete their missing loved ones. Visitors are welcome to join in the parades and festivities, which energize any Mexican town or city on November 1.
Oaxaca is the spiritual home of this festival, but consider heading to the Baja Peninsula instead: not just for its 70-mile-long stretch of beaches (landlocked Oaxaca can’t compete with that) but also for the Los Cabos Film Festival, which takes place this year November 11–19. It usually brings 15,000 or more visitors—including the likes of Reese Witherspoon and Ewan McGregor—to the program, which features workshops, screenings, and panels; Afterdark celebrates inventive approaches to horror and sci-fi genre films from new filmmakers in Mexico and beyond.
4. St. Helena Island
November is great for: reaching one of the world’s hardest-to-visit islands
This remote volcanic island more than 1,200 miles off the coast of southern Africa remains a British possession today, having pinballed between colonial powers since the Portuguese first commandeered the rock in 1502. Indeed, its isolation was one reason for dispatching Napoleon Bonaparte to live out his final days here after he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo; his home on the island is now a museum.
This holiday season is the perfect occasion to use those vacation days to make the journey to the island. Explore its historic colonial-era capital Jamestown and the subtropical landscape of the 46-square-mile landmass. The best views across the countryside are from Diana’s Peak, an approximately 2.5-hour hike to hit the summit at 2,700 feet. The waters off St. Helena teem with life: Go whale-watching to see humpbacks, which arrive during this time of year to give birth; head along James Bay and Lemon Valley for super snorkeling among fish-filled waters; or go wreck-diving if you’re already scuba certified.
5. Dubai, UAE
November is great for: design-hunting and food-crawling
Whenever a city sees a boom in luxury real estate, design stores—and aficionados—follow, aiming to help those wealthy homeowners fill their new crash pads with stylish stuff (see also: Miami and Design Miami). Dubai’s entrant is Downtown Design, which takes place November 9–12 this year, a 20-country showcase of the best furniture and fripperies to kit out your home. Combine some shopping with some sailing with the two-day Sail Grand Prix (November 12–13), which will bring some of the world’s best sailors to the Gulf waters here.
Remember, though, Dubai isn’t just a 1 percenter’s paradise. The construction boom of recent years brought laborers from around the world to build those skyscrapers; their presence birthed a globe-trotting food scene downtown with restaurants opening to offer them a taste of home. Sign up for a tour with Frying Pan Adventures, run by two Dubai-born Indian bloggers, to explore this lesser-known side of the city-state.
6. Cape Verde
November is great for: a breezy, balmy island getaway
The weather in this island nation, barely 300 miles off the coast of West Africa, hits a balmy 82 degree high in November. Even better, the rainy season has just concluded, leaving the landscapes as lush as possible—the best time to explore and trek, or go bird-watching on land or along the coast for seabirds.
The winds pick up this month, too, so you can easily kite surf, windsurf, or sail: Ponta Preta on Sal is the most popular spot, though Monte Leão is impressive and close to the airport, which offers shelter from strong winds.
Otherwise, the barely year-old Mansa Floating Hub, which opened last summer, is a must-see: The floating music center on the north coast of the island of São Vicente is an almost 8,500-square-foot platform for live performers, intended to bring together both African musicians and those from the diaspora.
7. St. Bart’s
November is great for: hungry and thirsty jet-setters
The culinary bona fides of the island has been bolstered since 2013 by the annual Gourmet Festival, which runs November 8–13 this year. This shindig imports a slew of haute cuisine superstars from around the world to bring their Michelin-endorsed expertise to a series of multicourse tasting menus. Last year’s 11-strong roster included fusion champion Pierre Gagnaire and French traditionalist Eric Fréchon.
Come early and the F&B focus is a little more local. More specifically, it’s on one of the Caribbean’s top exports: rum. The first week of November (this year, November 1–6) is when St. Bart’s hosts the Caribbean Rum Awards, the fifth year celebrating what happens to sugarcane when it grows up. The boisterous, party-like atmosphere is a strong contrast to the refined foodie fest that follows—think rum cocktail competitions, rum-cigar pairings, and of course, an expo where visitors can sample a snifter or two of tipples from across the islands.
8. Laos
November is great for: a brand-new Asian train network
The borders of this Southeast Asian nation only reopened to travel in May this year, so tourists have had little chance to try the 260-mile Vientiane-to-Boten railway line, which went into service at the end of last year. The Lane Xang stops at five main cities, including Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, and Luang Namtha. Rather than planning your own route, hop onboard with one of the new, 11-night rail-based tours operated by InsideAsia.
Before you do, though, idle at its terminus, Vientiane, the country’s capital. You can stop at the Laos Handicraft Festival in Vientiane, which usually runs from late October until early in this month. Local artisans sell everything from bamboo and rattan homeware to silver jewelry; there are also product demos and fashion shows. On November 8 in Vientiane, the Boun That Luang Festival also takes place, kicking off with a candlelight procession with elaborate wax castles festooned with flowers, money, and incense, intended as offerings to Buddha.
9. Rovaniemi, Finland
November is great for: expanding Christmas by a few extra weeks
Sure, it isn’t technically Christmas yet, but a trip to the official home of Santa Claus in Finland’s Arctic is a great excuse to kick-start the festive season a little early. Santa’s Village is the ultimate Christmas market, with handmade gifts and an Elf Academy where St. Nick’s full-time helpers will share secrets of their lives and school would-be elves in what it takes to keep Christmas ticking. (Graduates receive a degree certificate.)
Rovaniemi, though, offers far more than a fun riff on all things Christmas. Come to see the Northern Lights, which are visible in Finnish Lapland for around 150 nights per year—the clearer skies in fall make it likelier to spot them now than in darkest winter. For architecture buffs, pause to admire the city itself. Ninety percent of its buildings were destroyed during World War II, so the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto was tasked with rebuilding, and reimagining, the city as a whole. It’s one of his masterpieces and is said to represent the outline of a reindeer’s head: the city roads are its antlers, and the sports stadium its eye.
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