accommodation

Pros and Cons: Off Season Travel Part 2

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The battle for the Mona Lisa! Photo by Steve Collier.

The battle for the Mona Lisa! Photo by Steve Collier.

In the first part of our look at off-season travel to major tourist destinations we examined the upsides of visiting a place when the tides of tourists are at their lowest levels and prices, crowds and stress levels allow a degree of extra freedom to our exploration of the planet.

In this post we get real (we’re down with the kids) and talk about the factors concerning off-peak travel that are sure to bum you out and make you wish you travelled a few months earlier or later. Again, these are points which we’ve discovered so if you have a different perspective on the subject don’t hesitate to get in touch as you may put forward points which are of use to us!

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Pros and Cons: Off Season Travel Part 1

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Photo by Nicola Attridge.

Photo by Nicola Attridge.

“You should have waited until summer!”

Here’s a phrase that many travellers have heard too often and usually occurs after a comment about the weather or an attraction being closed until the peak season for maintenance and after the first dozen times hearing it you’ll probably become desensitised, smile and accept that yes, you probably should have arrived during peak season when the weather is perfect, every attraction is open and more facilities are available to you. Sometimes you simply can’t help when you need to arrive at a destination. There may be that month you need to fill before a major event in a different country and the only ways to fill it is to stay later at your current location which may not be possible, travel on tangent to a completely different location or to simply turn up early at the location you’re going to be. Or, you could be that cunning adventurer who looks past the cons of off-season travel and experience the destination in a completely different way. In New Zealand, this is definitely what we did. So, what are the pros and cons of off-peak travel?

In the first part we’ll look at some of the benefits of travelling off-peak…

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Auckland: Stay: Ponsonby

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A winter view from Ponsonby towards Auckland CBD. Photo by Steve Collier

Auckland is residence to the largest percentage of all Kiwis and is also the main port of entry for travellers so it’s no surprise there are a huge number of hotels, hostels and everything inbetween on offer. The main reason for the huge population is the sheer size of Auckland. Outside of the CBD, the city stretches in all directions, swallowing up multiple suburbs, each of them offering a different perspective on life within this melting pot of cultures and lifestyles.

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