GMT+1

from hammans; the hypnotic call to prayer echoing from muezzins. Venturing the entire length of the country, a Souks to the Sahara itinerary visits some of Morocco’s more off-thebeaten-track locations. Head south to frontier town Zagora to camp overnight in the desert and afterwards explore the great dunes of the Erg Chigaga. Then travel north to the dategrowing region of Tinzouline, where the sweet fruits are at their very best in November. Once you have reached Marrakech, skip past the popular sights to visit Maison Tiskiwin, a museum set in the home of pioneer ethnographer and collector Bert Flint, where each room represents a caravan along the Sahara-toMarrakech trading route.

An 11-day trip costs from £1,760 per person, excluding international flights (020 8265 3064; millispotter.com)

Tunisia

Every shade of blue decorates clifftop hideaway Sidi Bou Said – from cerulean skies to cobalt doorways and the sapphire seas below. Frequented by 19th-century philosophers, artists and great thinkers, the blinding white settlement is a bohemian sprawl of outdoor cafés and galleries. No matter what month the calendar shows, it is always possible to find a relaxing corner in which to sit and worship the sun. Explore on a day trip from the Residence Tunis, one of several beachfront hotels along Tunisia’s glittering Mediterranean coast, with a thalasso spa and an 18-hole golf course. To grasp the lay of the land, explore the ruins of former Phoenician city Carthage and the medina of capital city Tunis – both much more comfortable to amble through on a cooler day. And lower prices off season make this an even more favourable break.

Five nights cost from £1,017 B&B, excluding flights. Departs Nov 2 (00 216 7191 0101; cenizaro.com/ theresidence/tunis)