Meet the Low Season Travellers Ryan: What have been some of your favourite/surprising destinations to visit in the low season? Bella: I often travel during the low season because it’s cheaper and I can avoid the school holidays. Two trips that come to mind are Cyprus in spring and Jasper, Canada in the fall. In Cyprus, the spring flowers were in full bloom, creating a stunning landscape, while Jasper’s autumn colours were simply breathtaking.
Low Season Traveller
One surprising low season destination was Botswana in December. I visited a lodge located on the route of the zebra migration, where they have a waterhole where thousands of zebras congregate during the dry season. The lodge owner warned me that by December, the rains would have started, and the zebras would have dispersed. However, I was fortunate that the rains were late last year. When I arrived, the area was teeming with zebras for two days, until the rain finally came and they all disappeared overnight.
58 A worker arranges a ceremonial sash at a temple in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
The rainy season in Botswana has been nicknamed the ‘green season’, and though it isn’t as popular with tourists, it’s a fantastic time to visit. Everything springs to life, and it’s the season when animals have their babies. During my visit, I saw baby warthogs, vervet monkeys and loads of young impalas. So there are so many things that people get to see in the low seasons that are equally as amazing as the peak season experiences that are more popular. Ryan: As an award-winning travel writer, photographer and filmmaker, what advice would you give to someone starting out in the travel industry? Bella: It’s such a hard question nowadays because the industry is constantly evolving, especially with the impact of AI and changes in how content is consumed. I would never want to discourage anyone from following their dreams, but it’s important to be realistic. Very few people, if any, make a full-time living solely from travel writing.
