vallierojas: Where to go in November

The cultural calendar is teeming with events in November, so it's the ideal month for a city break ? to Paris, New York or even Durham. Or for culture with some winter sun thrown in, how about Cuba, India or southern Morocco?

Paris

You'll always find something going on in Paris but there are particularly rich pickings for art lovers this November. A bumper crop of blockbuster exhibitions to start with: the Grand Palais is staging a major Matisse, C�zanne, Picasso exhibition, showing works of art collected by the Stein (as in Gertrude) family. Can't get enough of C�zanne? Then head over to the Mus�e de Luxembourg for an exhibition showing how Paris influenced the artist.

Anyone with an interest in photography is spoilt for choice as the 15th annual Paris Photo show celebrates African photography at the Grand Palais (10-13 November), and a host of galleries stage simultaneous exhibitions of some of the best known artists of the medium, including: Diane Arbus at the Jeu de Paume museum (18 October-5 February); Lewis Hine, who famously documented the construction of The Empire State Building, at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson; and Brazilian photojournalist Jos� Medeiros La Maison de l'Am�rique latine.

Once you've gorged on black and white images of bygone eras, bistro Chez Dumonet ? Jospehine (117 rue du Cherche-Midi, 6th, +33 1 45 48 52 40, m�tro Duroc or S�vres-Babylone) provides a suitably vintage setting for lunch or dinner. It's not cheap mind. A more affordable place to digest this feast of arts is Cafes Verlet (256 rue Saint-Honor�, 1st, +33 1 42 60 67 39, cafesverlet.com, m�tro Pyramides), a century-old coffee shop which offers more than 20 varieties of beans and house blends. Both these establishments are listed in our excellent insiders' Paris city guide. Check it out for more places to eat, drink and stay.

Havana

Where better to learn to salsa than the home of the dance? Skyros (01983 865566, skyros.com), a tour operator specialising in alternative holidays, runs an annual trip to Havana every November. Classes are led by Damarys Suarez who's not just a brilliant teacher she's also an expert, with a masters degree in Afro-Cuban dance from Havana University. During lessons you are partnered with experienced local dancers who mentor you through the week, and in the evenings you'll have a chance to practise your moves at the city's salsa clubs. Got two left feet? The same trip also offers a creative writing option, led by playwright, director and actor Steven Berkoff.

The �1,095 package, departing 20 November, includes 10 nights' B&B at the Havana Libre hotel, morning yoga, talks on Cuban history, breakfast, two evening meals and a half day city tour.
? Virgin Atlantic (0844 2092770, virgin-atlantic.com) flies Gatwick-Havana from �613 including tax

New York

Thanksgiving marks the start of the festive season in New York ? the jolliest time of year when the city is bedecked in Christmas lights, but also the busiest when flights and accommodation are at their most expensive. The good news, according to the tourist board, is that it's significantly cheaper to travel the week of Thanksgiving (19-26 November) rather than the week after (26 November-3 December).

One place we guarantee you won't be jostled by fellow tourists is on Context Travel's new tour. The company specialises in small, group walks led by architects, historians, art historians and other brainy guides. Its latest offering in the city is an obscure but fascinating tour along the Old Cofton Aqueduct, the city's first municipal water supply and "a milestone in the urban development and history of the city". Led by a history expert, the three-hour tour takes you along several miles of the structure, even tracing evidence of it in Manhattan. And it is available for just $5pp. After November the tour will be available for the usual price of $65pp.

And if it sounds a little bit like a school history trip, check out alternative New York tours offered by Context (contexttravel.com).
? Three nights in New York with Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3859, virginholidays.co.uk), including flights from Heathrow, accommodation at the 3V Skyline Hotel (room only) and transfers starts from �585 (saving up to �246) for departures from 9-28 November (must be booked by 31 October). Travelbag (0871 7034240, travelbag.co.uk) has three nights at the four-star Mondrian Hotel in SoHo (rooms have panoramic views of Manhattan) and flights from Heathrow with Kuwait Airlines for �589 (valid for travel until 30 November; call to book). Frontier Travel (020-8776 8709, frontier-travel.co.uk) is offering three nights at the Grand Hyatt New York, on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, for �525, including flights with Continental from Heathrow to Newark (must be booked by 24 October). For details of B&Bs, hostels and boutique hotels, and a whole host of brilliant local tips on everything from nightlife to outdoor spaces, take a look at our New York city guide.

Morocco

One of the most common questions put to Lonely Planet's Tom Hall in his fortnightly live Q&A is: "Where can I go for a short winter sun break?" One option is Morocco ? One-off Places claims its latest property in Mirleft, in the south-west, basks in 360 days of sunshine per year, with an average temperature of 25C. Kasbah Tabelkoukt is a seven-bedroom hotel perched on a cliff with desert on three sides, and the Atlantic on the fourth. Activities including 4x4, quad-biking, donkeys, horse riding, trekking and paragliding can be arranged through the hotel and nearby beaches offer good surfing.

Other companies we recommend for Morocco include Epic Morocco, a British-run, Marrakech-based operation specialising in guided mountain biking and trekking holidays, and i-escape which has a choice of 64 properties.
? Rooms at Kasbah Tabelkoukt from ?140-?200 per night or ?200-?250 for a mini suite (triple room including Jacuzzi). From ?1,500 per night for the whole hotel. BMI flies from Heathrow to Agadir, around 60 miles away, from around �128 return

Durham

Bill Bryson described it as a "perfect little city". Easy to get to, easy to get around with, dotted with hidden gems and dominated by "the best cathedral on planet Earth" (another Bryson seal of approval). Next month (17-20 November) there's even more reason to visit ? the dazzling Lumiere festival. Inspired by Lyon's annual F�te des Lumi�res, the biannual event sees the city's medieval architecture illuminated to spectacular effect. The grand son et lumi�re Crown of Light by Ross Ashton, Robert Ziegler and John Del' Nero is expected to draw the biggest crowds but there are up to 30 artworks created by a raft of international artists as well as local designers.

The Lumiere website features a range of B&Bs and cottages in and around the city, including a package offered by Dowfold House Bed & Breakfast (01388 762473, dowfoldhouse.co.uk, rooms still available for Friday and Sunday night) for �48pp for two people sharing a room, which includes accommodation, taxis to and from the centre of Durham, afternoon tea and a thermos of cocoa (a nice touch given the chilly nighttime sightseeing).

Check out Tony Naylor's brilliant guide of places to eat for under a tenner, and for a taster of the event take a look at our 2009 gallery.
? lumieredurham.co.uk

Rajasthan, India

"We have included the amazing and totally overlooked Chandrabhaga Animal Fair in Jhalawar. This spectacular animal fair coincides with the full moon and springs forth with all the colour and authenticity that Pushkar held 30 years ago." That's the Pushkar camel fair for anyone not up on their Indian livestock events, which, as this quote suggests, has become a popular detour on India itineraries. Leaving aside the backpacker style one-upmanship of its marketing blurb ("Darling, Pushkar is so over"), travel company Wild Frontiers (020-7736 3968, wildfrontiers.co.uk) is known for putting together fantastic, off the beaten track itineraries and this trip, dubbed India in Slow Motion, is no exception. Travelling in open-top "vintage" (we take it this just means old, and not decked out in Cath Kidston bunting) you tour the rural villages of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, staying as the guest of a maharaja, at gorgeous riverside Ahilya Fort hotel and in luxury lakeside tents. As well as the Chandrabhaga Animal Fair, there are temple visits, horse riding and cycling, but also time for swims and massages. Authentic India with a bit of luxury thrown in.
? The 14-day trip, departing 5 November, costs �1,890pp including all transport, services of a tour leader, accommodation, some meals and entrance fees. Excludes flights, into Delhi and out of Mumbai, which can be booked through kayak.co.uk from around �500 for a return from London