The best islands in November
24 of our 26 island guides rate good or better in November, 19 of them excellent. The highest scores go to Oʻahu (97), Maui (95) and Kawau Island (90).
November is as good as the year gets for Maui. The tropical islands average 83, ahead of New Zealand’s islands at 78.
November at a glance
- Sea temperature
- Warmest off Savaiʻi and Upolu, 29 °C. Coolest off the Chatham Islands and Rakiura, 12 °C.
- Rain
- Driest: Maui, 44 mm in the month. Wettest: Savaiʻi, 205 mm.
- Cyclones
- November is in the South Pacific cyclone season (November to April) and the central Pacific hurricane season around Hawaiʻi (June to November). Most exposed: Bora Bora, 2 cyclones within 200 km in 30 seasons; then Efate, 1 cyclone. 11 of our 18 tropical islands have none on record.
- School holidays
- No NZ school holidays fall in November.
- Since October
- Biggest rise: Kāpiti Island, up 23 to 74. Biggest fall: Upolu, down 12 to 70. 10 islands score higher than in October, 16 lower.
Every island in November, ranked
1. Score 97 out of 100
Oʻahu
Hawaiʻi
Sea Sea 26 °C
Rain Rain 57 mm
Tropical storms: Tropical storms: none in 30 seasons
2. Score 95 out of 100
Maui
Hawaiʻi
Sea Sea 26 °C
Rain Rain 44 mm
Tropical storms: Tropical storms: none in 30 seasons
3. Score 90 out of 100
Kawau Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 17 °C
Rain Rain 59 mm
Outside the tropics
4. Score 90 out of 100
Tahiti
French Polynesia
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 109 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
5. Score 90 out of 100
Moʻorea
French Polynesia
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 109 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
6. Score 89 out of 100
Waiheke Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 17 °C
Rain Rain 65 mm
Outside the tropics
7. Score 89 out of 100
Tiritiri Matangi
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 17 °C
Rain Rain 59 mm
Outside the tropics
8. Score 87 out of 100
Rangitoto Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 17 °C
Rain Rain 65 mm
Outside the tropics
9. Score 86 out of 100
Aitutaki
Cook Islands
Sea Sea 27 °C
Rain Rain 123 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
10. Score 86 out of 100
Aotea Great Barrier Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 17 °C
Rain Rain 62 mm
Outside the tropics
11. Score 85 out of 100
Viti Levu
Fiji
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 126 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
12. Score 84 out of 100
Rarotonga
Cook Islands
Sea Sea 26 °C
Rain Rain 125 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
13. Score 83 out of 100
Mamanuca Islands
Fiji
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 126 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
14. Score 83 out of 100
Tongatapu
Tonga
Sea Sea 25 °C
Rain Rain 118 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
15. Score 82 out of 100
Niue
Niue
Sea Sea 27 °C
Rain Rain 132 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
16. Score 81 out of 100
Yasawa Islands
Fiji
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 138 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
17. Score 81 out of 100
Vavaʻu
Tonga
Sea Sea 27 °C
Rain Rain 140 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
18. Score 81 out of 100
Bora Bora
French Polynesia
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 141 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 2 cyclones in 30 seasons
19. Score 80 out of 100
Bali
Indonesia
Sea Sea 28 °C
Rain Rain 132 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
20. Score 79 out of 100
Taveuni
Fiji
Sea Sea 27 °C
Rain Rain 161 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: none in 30 seasons
21. Score 79 out of 100
Efate
Vanuatu
Sea Sea 27 °C
Rain Rain 189 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
22. Score 74 out of 100
Kāpiti Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 15 °C
Rain Rain 86 mm
Outside the tropics
23. Score 71 out of 100
Savaiʻi
Samoa
Sea Sea 29 °C
Rain Rain 205 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
24. Score 70 out of 100
Upolu
Samoa
Sea Sea 29 °C
Rain Rain 203 mm
Cyclones: Cyclones: 1 cyclone in 30 seasons
25. Score 57 out of 100
Chatham Islands
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 12 °C
Rain Rain 65 mm
Outside the tropics
26. Score 53 out of 100
Rakiura Stewart Island
New Zealand’s islands
Sea Sea 12 °C
Rain Rain 101 mm
Outside the tropics
Scores: Island’s conditions score, from warmth, sea temperature, rain, sunshine and storm records. Sea: NOAA OISST,1991–2020 monthly means, measured offshore. Rain: weather-station normals (Meteostat) or NASA POWER. Storms: IBTrACS tracks within 200 km, 1991–2020. School holidays: Ministry of Education.