Off Season Again

Statistically, January and February are not wealthy months. In most of the Northern hemisphere, it's the bleakest, dreariest part of winter. Depression sets in and merchants prepare for a long haul as people recover from holiday spending. With no major holiday in sight between New Year's and Easter, many people find these winter months a depressing time of year.

But guess what? This is the PERFECT time for a weekend mini-holiday. That's because it's the off season, meaning that hotels, airfare, and many other travel aspects are ridiculously inexpensive. This is especially true of tourist destinations, because so much of their revenue depends on tourism. They will go to extreme lengths to make their locations popular even during the off season!

Of course, if you're planning to travel someplace warm and tropical on a long weekend, you'll probably find increased prices. But if you're able to take a couple days off in the middle of the week, or create a long weekend of your own, you can find some very good deals at this time of year. And really, what better way to beat the winter blues than a break from the routine?

Some ideas to consider:

-a romantic weekend getaway
-a trip to someplace in the (far) south
-a brief ski holiday
-a visit to a place you've always meant to see, but never found time to include in your holidays

The important thing is, have fun and enjoy the off season!

Sales!

Guess what? We're coming up to the off season! And if you can manage it, this is THE time to travel.

Off season is a fancy way of saying, no one else wants to come here right now, so we've slashed our prices. And there are certain places you really WON'T want to go during off-season. If, for example, your main holiday goal is skiing, you won't want to hit the slopes in the dead of summer. But if you're short on cash and high on enthusiasm and creativity, off-season travel can be the perfect way to go.

First of all, unless you're absolutely determined to spend all your time on the beach, think about hitting a tropical location during rainy season. As long as you don't get actual typhoons or something, everything will be dirt cheap, and you can still do all the indoor type stuff. Not only that, but rainy season doesn't guarantee rain. We went to Thailand during rainy season and spent most of the week lounging on the beach.

Sometimes we're drawn to on-season due to specific events. That's great if you're really determined to see those things, but sometimes they're more trouble than they're worth. The Takayama festival in Japan is a perfect example. Sure, it's neat, and the floats are pretty cool, but is it really worth fighting the crowds? I would say no. Go see the floats at the museum and go during a quieter time when you can actually take a step without tripping over a tourist.

It's up to you when or where you travel. But if you want a deal, and if you haven't set your heart on a specific event, off-season travel can save you a bundle. Besides, there's something charming about exploring any location away from the hordes. Get a group of friends and plan a holiday outside the ordinary.

Winter's Coming!

Feeling that chill in the air? A lot of people think of travel as a summer activity, but that’s just silly. There are so many fun places to go in the winter months, and so many cool things to do, that you can’t limit yourself by eliminating an entire season!

There are three ways to travel in winter. You can do things that are only available in the colder months (things like skiing, snow shoeing, etc.), you can switch hemispheres and get away from the cold, or you can check out off-season activities in other locales.

Personally, I love to travel off-season. The flights and hotels are cheap, the crowds are absent, and you get a very different view of your destination. There’s nothing quite as quaint as a Japanese village under a gently falling snow, or a resort town without the hordes of tourists.

Of course, there are certain activities that are simply off-limits during the winter, but don’t let that stop you. Find out about your destination. You might be surprised what activities you can find to occupy a snowy night. Traveling in the middle of the off-season isn’t for everyone, but it can be an absolute blast -- especially if you take the right company with you!