{"id":8396,"date":"2016-04-15T12:23:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T11:23:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=8396"},"modified":"2020-12-22T17:15:53","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T17:15:53","slug":"green-season-travel-in-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/green-season-travel-in-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Season Travel in Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Co-founder and MD Sam gives his insights into “green\u00a0season” travel in Asia, providing plenty of tips to make the best of your holiday outside of the peak travel season.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Vietnam<\/p>\n

When I lived in Sri Lanka I could never get a handle on the rainy season. When did it rain?<\/em> People would ask me. When is the monsoon?<\/em>\u00a0One minute I was certain it happened in particular\u00a0months and then, as if to show me up, the weather would follow a completely different pattern.<\/p>\n

What I did know was that the “season” ran from January to March and that was the approved time to visit.<\/strong>\u00a0From my own experience, I knew that it was\u00a0better to avoid times when tourists jostled for position at the major sites\u00a0and when\u00a0finding a tuk tuk in a busy area was a problem. I loved the laid back south with peaceful beaches and safari parks where you’d be the only group\u00a0to see an animal with no other jeeps around. Sri Lanka is busier now, but the same holds true \u2013 in fact the distinction between high and low season travel is much more pronounced.<\/p>\n

For me, travelling in “out of season” months, from May to September, is really worth considering.<\/strong> There might be slightly more chance of rain, but generally different parts of the island have totally different seasons and it rarely rains for too long. The advantage comes in there being far less people in the busy tourist hotspots and \u2018must see\u2019 sites such as Sigiriya and Kandy.<\/p>\n

\"20131030154344-4\"

Hanoi in Autumn<\/p><\/div>\n

Vietnam is another example of a country where there are myths surrounding\u00a0when is best to travel.<\/strong>\u00a0It is such a long and thin country that there is never a perfect time to visit. There is a common misconception that Vietnam is best in January and February. Whilst this is true of the south, with its tropical climate, the north can be quite chilly at this time. Indeed, a cold front coming in from China can make Sapa freezing and Hanoi pretty cold! It can be a shock for people expecting a humid tropical climate.<\/p>\n

Not many people visit Vietnam in May and June and whilst you\u2019re likely to see rain in the south, the central region is perfect at this time, particularly Hoi An and Hue. Hanoians themselves swear the autumn is the time to visit Hanoi. As the heat of the summer wears off a little and trees begin to shed their red\/amber leaves and it’s rather beautiful.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_4533\"<\/p>\n

My final example would be Cambodia which, in my opinion, is best visited during the “green season” from May to July.<\/strong> The reason for this is twofold: firstly, Angkor Wat is one of the world\u2019s great sites, deservedly as it really is quite extraordinary monument to one of the world\u2019s great civilisations. However, it does attract a lot of visitors. And I mean a VAST number at certain times. At Experience Travel Group, we\u00a0work so hard with our signature experiences, to avoid the coach groups and work around them and that makes a big difference. But still, there is only so much we can do. Travelling in May however can mean you have the lesser known temples pretty much to yourselves and even Angkor Wat itself can be quiet.<\/p>\n

Most importantly Cambodia’s “green lung,” or great lake called Tonle Sap, annually fills providing the country\u00a0with its lifeblood. As the water rises, energy and activity\u00a0comes back to the region. The dusty, dry areas\u00a0turns green, the kids jump in and swim and generally the locals seem happier and relieved! There is a celebratory atmosphere that really sets the tone for your holiday. (I would avoid September however as the risk of flooding becomes too high and there is nothing like a flood to ruin a holiday\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, the real joy of travelling in “low season” (apart from the low prices) is exploring regions\u00a0when there is less pressure on the sights. Pictures are better, there are more opportunities\u00a0for interaction with locals and exploring in peace and frankly, who wants to see too many other tourists when on holiday? Generally speaking, another\u00a0benefit is that the locals tend to delighted to see you as seasonal business is always difficult and so the chance for meeting people and making a real connection is so much better.\u00a0Asian societies celebrate the arrival the monsoon and it is a time of joy, as the land responds to the coming of the rain. <\/span>Travelling low season in this respect can be a\u00a0<\/span>really special experience. Don\u2019t rule it out!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Have a look at some low season suggested itineraries for further inspiration:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Boutique and Natural Sri Lanka<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Luxury Vietnam Special<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Laos and Angkor Heritage Special<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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ABOUT OUR HOLIDAYS:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019re experts at creating incredible experiences in Asia for our travellers. Our final quotes are fully inclusive of all transport, hotels and experiences so there are no hidden costs. We also offer\u00a0full financial protection with\u00a0ABTA\/ATOL bonding. We believe that the best way to create holidays of a lifetime is to really listen to your needs, interests and requirements \u2013 only by doing this can we ensure your experience is the best possible.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Request<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Co-founder and MD Sam gives his insights into “green season” travel in Asia, providing plenty of tips to make the best of your holiday outside of the peak travel season. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10976,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1344],"tags":[1333,1390],"coauthors":[924],"class_list":["post-8396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-etg-take-on-travel","tag-planning","tag-when-to-visit"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":2912,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8396"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}