Colorful flower courtesy of low season downpours in Sarchi, Costa Rica.
As I watch a torrential and gusty downpour here in the mountains of Costa Rica I want to list the pros and cons of low season travel.
We typically choose to travel to tropical hot spots during the low season.
But rainy season trips may not work for individuals.
What is the low season?
Typically, the low season is the rainy season.
Most tropical locations experience lighter or infrequent rains building over months to genuinely torrential downpours, sometimes on a daily basis for a while.
Before ruling out travel during these allegedly less desirable periods you may come to prefer the rainy season over the high season.
Pros
Cheap Lodging
We usually house sit.
But I remember hotel prices dropping 1/3 for our preferred rental in Phuket during the off-peak season.
I preferred to pay $500 per month versus $1500 during the high season.
Flight ticket prices crater at times during rainy stretches.
Budget travelers save a fortune during the off-season.
Most pay a premium to enjoy sun and fun during high season months.
Business owners make most money during these coveted months. Low season rates plummet because owners frame business during this time as being gravy on the rump roast.
Few Tourists
I being a tourist prefer peace and quiet.
Low season travel affords individuals:
- short lines
- empty venues
- significantly less crowded highly popular tourist spots
I visited a gorgeous garden in Costa Rica the other day. Me, my wife and our two expat friends were the only people there at the open. We only saw 6 other people for the next 2 hours.
Bus loads of tourists visit these types of spots during the high season.
During our trip to Kalkan, Turkey during the low season we were often the only tourists – or people – in grocery stores. Expats told us that tourists often form lines onto the street during peak high season.
Lush Surroundings
Far and away, my most eye-popping shots originate during the rainy season.
Impossibly lush surroundings sprout with ridiculous speed after low season deluges like the many inches we’ve received today.
Lime green fields, inviting jungles and impossibly rainbow-colored flowers pop up everywhere (see the featured image for this post).
The wet season outclasses the dry season for Instagram-worthy shots by a mile.
I cannot wait to grab the camera for the next sunny morning.
Sunny Mornings Before the Rain Kicks In
Until one journeys deep into the rainy season you can expect sunny or partially sunny mornings mostly before afternoon showers and storms.
I recall spending a month in Quepos, Costa Rica.
We hit the beach at 9 AM for 2 hours to enjoy the sun and surf. Being inside before 1 PM meant we beat the wicked thunder and lightning storms often besieging the jungle.
Like clockwork, sun appeared until between 1 PM and 3 PM before the heavens opened and the lightning show over the Pacific Ocean commenced.
In most places, you can still enjoy outdoor activities in pleasant weather during the morning before rain sets in.
Cooler Temperatures
I could easily don a sweater here in the mountains of Costa Rica today.
Grecia low season temperatures drop into the mid 60’s during the evening.
Even hot, humid days quickly transition into cool, comfortable affairs after a heavy, gusty thunderstorm graces the region.
High season travel seems vastly overrated in this regard. I have taken a few trips during peak season; sun, heat and dryness form an unrelenting trio more often than you’d assume.
After 3 week’s worth of scorching sun and 100 degree temperatures without a cloud in the sky you pine for cloud cover, high winds and a cleansing thunderstorm.
Most expats I’ve met agree and love the chill of low season storms.
Increased Wildlife Activity
Rain makes wildlife perk up dramatically during the low season.
Deluges set off an alarm clock for fauna.
Look at one of our daily visitors here in Grecia.
Keel-billed toucan.
Birds, lizards and yes big bugs become active during the low season.
Photo opportunities abound.
Typically, you do not see wildlife as frequently during dry high season months.
Everyone gets going once Mother Nature turns on the faucet.
Cons
Increased Cloud Cover and Rainfall
Although one tends to enjoy pleasant, clear or partly cloudy morning weather during the low season there is no guarantee.
Traveling deeper into rainy season months means potential rain outs for a 24 hour period.
One expat here in Grecia noted how September and October yield some pure rain outs during a full day stretch.
Tourists with only 5 to 7 days probably do not find this acceptable. Forget about anyone gambling with a 3 day weekend.
Most do not travel to the tropics to watch torrential downpours from a hotel room window for most of 5 days.
I recall the remnants of a hurricane slamming into Sihanoukville, Cambodia during our 3 day trip to the beach side town.
We saw 3 hours of sun on the last day and enjoyed a few meals at restaurants during dry spells but it was a cloudy trip including many heavy downpours.
High Humidity Levels
Low season travel tends to come with high humidity levels.
Rainy patterns arrive with humid weather systems.
Few deeply enjoy sweating like a filthy pig for the entirety of the day.
I lost pounds of water weight on a daily basis during a trip to impossibly hot and humid Hoi An, Vietnam.
Drinking ample water hydrates you but sweating profusely until returning to the hotel room could mar your trip.
Greater Potential for Travel Delays
Storms create travel delays.
Whether by plane, bus, rail or taxi you normally encounter more – and longer – delays during the low season.
Thunderstorms hold back flights. Roads wash out to muck with bus schedules or taxi rides. Trains encounter delays due to flooding.
In some cases, rough seas suspend ferry travel for months.
We caught one of the last ferries from Koh Lanta to Phuket in Thailand before service ended until the high season.
Rainy season travel throws a monkey wrench into the works at times.
Business Closures in Off the Beaten Path Spots
Expats told us during our trip to Cyprus that some Greek Island close down completely during low season.
Shutting down businesses makes financial sense during these leanest of months.
In less extreme cases, only a few hotels and restaurants remain open during rainy periods.
Holiday goers usually prefer options.
Low season travel tends to lessen options in off the beaten path locales.
The Verdict
I prefer low season travel because inconveniences seem few and far between for a 13 year digital nomad.
However, someone with 3 or 5 days may think twice about rainy season travel.
I respect the fact that few people take a 13 year open-ended trip around the world like myself.
Ironically enough, we left JFK for Bali on May 12th, 2011.
13 years of predominant low season travel goads me to suggest it for low term travelers and to avoid it for the short term crowd.
