6 best value destinations for a pre-Christmas break

November is the most uninspiring month of the year. We’ve still got weeks of work left, the footy’s over, the cricket hasn’t started, there’s no major holidays left for awhile. Winter is well and truly in the rear view mirror and there’s a glorious summer just out of reach. Sigh. Dull.

However, November happens to be one of the best months to travel for all the reasons that make it boring – school is well and truly in session, so the kids are all bleary eyed and imprisoned in their playground tombs and hotels are throwing deals around to lure you in during the traditionally quieter pre-Christmas months. So if you’re lucky enough to have holiday days left and there’s nothing else to do, you may as well enjoy some really cheap flings at some really rad places.

Here are a few ace places to check out with your remaining days…

New Caledonia

Beach bonjour? Sure. New Caledonia is Franco-Pacifico, which is a word that I just made up. New Caledonia is a French colony with great beaches, which if anything, means you can get a tan and eat croissants all at the same time. And let me tell you, nothing says relaxing like pastry flakes sprinkled on your bathing suit. An absolute hidden paradise, New Caledonia has failed to really explode as a tourist destination in part because it’s a tad more expensive than some of its more cost effective neighbours, such as Vanuatu or the rest of Eastern Asia. That’s why November is the perfect time to go – with the down-season, you can get hotels and flights much cheaper than during the summer months.

Fiji

Fiji is renowned for running on “island time”, and after about 14 minutes on the island, you will see why. It’s one of the most majestic places on Earth to literally do nothing. Lie on the beach, drink cocktails, read books – be a cliche. Fiji is becoming insanely popular, and with its palm-lined, sun-drenched beaches, thatched huts and suspiciously friendly people it’s pretty understandable why. Fiji will have you thinking you’ve wandered into some sort of Robinson Crusoe themed Westworld. November is technically wet-season, but don’t let that put you off – it’ll rain at night and be dry in the morning, leaving the rest of the day to bask in the perfect temperature.

See more: 10 ways to enjoy Fiji without breaking the bank

Gold Coast

A weird one to suggest but before you roll your eyes, hear me out – you can usually find bargain hotels and flights in November. With the kiddies being back at school, the beaches are idyllic and refreshing and the nearby theme parks Wet N’ Wild, Dreamworld and Movie World are totally deserted. I can’t stress this enough. Because it’s important and the reason it’s in this list. These theme parks are next level. I’ve been to a lot of them around the world, and nothing compares to these bad boys. They’re huge, diverse and at this time of year, absent of hoards of children polluting the waterslides with their glee. The temperature is also perfect, because Queensland in November is manageable; in December it becomes more like a holiday in Hades.

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory, unlike other states and territories, is divided into wet and dry seasons – the way that a lot of Asian countries are. Some folks can often be hampered by the thought of a “wet season”, as it conjures up notions of holidays ruined by rain and afternoons spent playing Uno indoors with your family. In some instances this might be true, but NT is not that place. When the wet season hits, the sky puts on one of the greatest light shows. The thunderstorms are better than any opera you’ll witness and the atmosphere is electric. Another reason that people avoid the north end is due to high costs – it’s often cheaper to go to Asia – but in the low season, when combined with the wet season, it’s a perfect storm (ha!) that makes NT a goer.

Papua New Guinea

It’s weird how Papua New Guinea, as our closest neighbour, so rarely figures in someone’s travel bucket list. But PNG has culture for days, and is an ideal destination to get away from the humdrum of westernised customs and embrace an entirely new cultural experience. If you’ve never been before, late-October and throughout November is a ripper time to give it a go, because the island is awash with cultural festivals, like the Kenu & Kendu festival, which is all about canoes, but not as you know them.

South Australia

Here’s something you probably didn’t know – Australia gets hot. Yep, I’ve let the cat out of the bag, and you can pick your jaws up off the floor. It’s probably only going to get hotter and South Australia seems to consistently, every year, compete with the River Styx for hottest place on earth. So if you want to visit, try November, when the sun hasn’t quite defrosted yet. There’s less melted plastic on the sidewalks, the AFL’s over and the parents have to pick up their kids from school, so they’re rarely popping out to the Barossa Valley for a quick vino pick-me-up. That means more wine for you! Hooray!

Planning a November getaway? Then why don’t you use Cheapflights’ website as your ultimate travel search tool – where you can find best flight fares, best hotel deals and cheap car hire – all in one place.