Travel Corner

I welcome you to link to this article. If you'd like to reproduce it, please keep all attribution and copyright information intact, include a link to my web site (www.judywolf.com) and let me know:

Judy Wolf
315-853-6993 (phone & fax)
pr@judywolf.com

When It Rains, It Rains
by Judy Wolf

Have you ever noticed how every travel article sidebar and guide book includes a section on "best times to visit" the country in question? If you're like many people, this sort of representation may lead you to conclude that it is nigh inconceivable that anyone might want to visit these places in the "off" season.

When it comes down to it, the definition of "off" season usually includes weather outside of a temperate ideal. For instance, people tend to avoid rainy seasons, and conditions that are either hot or cold. Or, in the case of Nepal, where trekking is such an important attraction for the tourist industry, the end of the dry season is considered "off" because dust in the valley air limits visibility.

I'm the first to admit that weather can certainly play a role in "ruining" your image of a perfect vacation. For instance, my sister and I, clad in sundresses, stepped off an airplane in Greece and were met with cold, stinging rains that didn't let up for days. In moments when the sun did peek out, my sister would stop wherever we were, lower the shoulders of her locally acquired cardigan, and raise her face up to the sky, hoping for a fast tan.

Michael Palin in his video series Full Circle expends immense effort -- not to mention the expense of renting helicopters, trucks, jeeps, and guides -- to get to more than one world-famous viewpoint that's at that moment shrouded in fog. Along any well-traveled route, guesthouse dining rooms are bursting with tales of tourists standing, completely disappointed, before the object of their desire (a lesson that, weather-related or not, it's ultimately the journey itself -- not the end goal -- that matters).

Now for a fact that is obvious to us in our own homes, but seems less so when we plan our travels: people live in these places year round. I've been in India and Egypt during their hottest seasons of the year and adjusted quickly to the temperatures by drinking plenty of water, keeping myself covered in loose, flowing garments, staying out of the afternoon sun, and sleeping in non-air-conditioned rooms (I find that my body adjusts better without having to go back and forth between extremes). While hiking the Inca Trail in the rainy season, I was delighted to learn that although the downpours were chilly at altitude, they were also predictable and exchanged places throughout the day with bright blue skies and hot sunshine.

I highly recommend that people consider traveling in the "off" or "shoulder" seasons. Locals are still there going about their lives, tourist traffic isn't as dense, rooms are easier to find (and cheaper!), and -- best of all -- it makes for great stories to tell later! Look up the weather before you leave and pack accordingly. Don't let it stop you from taking advantage of off-peak plane fares and room savings. When it rains, it rains. Bring an umbrella.

Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf

About the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com) is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.

FREE Newsletter

Sign up for my free newsletter
Adventurous Life
and get monthly updates on tips, links, stories & resources to inspire you to lead the life you envy!

Sign up now

home | travels | workshops | college programs | speaking | voice & acting | resources | newsletter
profile | contact & media kit

site map | privacy policy
Copyright © 2001-04 Judy Wolf