TRAVELLER LOW S E A SON
Issue 2 August-September 2022
M AGA Z INE
SRI LANKA’S GREAT RESET:
A LOCAL GUIDE ON AFRICA:
The chance turn an economic crisis into climate-forward businessoppurtunity
Finding the low season all year around in Africa
THE WORLD IN BLOOM When and where to see to see nature’s finest displays of wildflowers
GOING LOCAL It’s easier than you’d think
FEATURED DESTINATIONS:
RIO OMAN SRI LANKA SEVILLE MELBOURNE AND MUCH MORE..
Featured Destination: Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro A sultry fusion of green mountains, blue skies and golden sand
Low Season Traveller
Low Season: Mid April to November
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Featured Destination: Rio de Janeiro By Claire French
Mystical cone-shaped mounts surround the azure lagoons and sandy beaches of Guanabara Bay. The city centre is filled with stunning Portuguese colonial and modernist Brazilian architecture, world renowned landmarks and the largest urban forest on the planet. It’s a site of breath-taking natural loveliness and that’s before you even consider the sleek bronzed bodies of the beauties who line the Ipanema and Copacabana shores each day. A hugely popular destination, Rio enjoys its most hectic party vibe during huge New Year celebrations and the famed carnival, held annually just prior to Lent. This period
coincides with the tropical South American summer, meaning soaring temperatures and packed beaches as sunseekers hit the water to escape high humidity. A low season option though is to get the party season and Easter holidays out of the way, and take your Rio break from mid-April to November. At this time the humidity breaks and you can expect clear blue skies and more pleasant temperatures of around 20 to 25°C. It’s the perfect time for exploring the city’s culture, hiking the iconic hills, or grabbing an outdoor table at a favourite restaurant, while remaining warm enough for beach days and watersports. Iconic landmarks Rio’s legendary hotspots are best explored under cloudless low season skies when crowds are fewest and the views at their most brilliant. Explore the distinctive Sugar Loaf Mountain and its thrilling cable car; reach the towering Art Deco statue of Christ The Redeemer; or get your perfect profile pic at the Insta-famed Pedra do Telegrafo, the illusionary cliff edge monolith for wannabe adrenaline junkies. In fact, during the high season summer, visitors often find these iconic features to be surrounded by disappointing haze and views full of cloud.
Low Season Traveller
There’s no denying that Rio is special. You can feel it in the throb of the samba beat. You can savour it in the sour sweetness of a late afternoon caipirinha. And if you’re still not buying it at the end of another sun-soaked day, ask the good folks at UNESCO. The World Heritage office found Brazil’s second city so exceptional that, in 2017, they designed a whole new category to encompass the unique combination of natural phenomena and man-made wonders united within one extraordinary urban landscape.
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Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage
under-the-radar cultural heritage icons Cultural heritage is what makes a destination and it’s people unique. And sadly, it is disappearing at an alarming rate. Yet tourism can help protect and preserve our precious cultural heritage so we are proud to work closely with the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage to highlight some icons which you may not be aware of. Join our resident cultural heritage expert and executive chairman of World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage, Chris Flynn, who provides an overview of five amazing cultural and natural heritage places that are just as mysterious as they are beautiful. Add these places to your bucket list and start planning your next trip!
CASTELLFOLLIT DE LA ROCA THE LITTLE TOWN ON THE CLIFF Castellfollit de la Roca is located in the comarca of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Built upon a basalt cliff 50 meters high and less than a kilometre long, the geographical footprint of the township is less than one square kilometre, making Castellfollit de la Roca the smallest municipality in the province and the second smallest in Catalonia. It’s uncertain just how old Castellfollit de la Roca is but the earliest written reference to it dates back to 1110 AD. Castellfollit de la Roca is yet another magnificent example of Spanish heritage.
The caves were discovered by a local farmer in 1992 and at that time were filled with water. It is believed the caves were made in pre-dynastic China, at least 3,000 years ago. Each of the manmade caves has an average floor space of 1000m², which is an unimaginable feat of engineering for the time period it is thought they were created. What makes the Longyou Caves even more remarkable and mysterious are the stone cutting marks, which are all uniform with a set angle of 60 degrees, suggesting the possibility that some form of ancient technology had been used.
Low Season Traveller
THE LONGYOU CAVES OF CHINA Referred to by many as the Chinese 8th Ancient Wonder of the World, the Longyou Caves, also known as the ‘Xiaonanhai Stone Chambers’, are a group of 24 artificial sandstone caverns located on the Qu River, near the village of Shiyan Beicun in Zhejiang Province, China.
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Featured Destination: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Tropical rainforest, sandy beaches, culture and wildlife on this Indian Ocean pearl.
Low Season Traveller
Low Season: May - September
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Featured Destination: Sri Lanka By Claire French
It’s true that Sri Lanka offers an astonishingly diverse range of experiences crammed into one small teardrop shaped island: gorgeous beaches, breathtaking rainforests, tranquil plains, and no fewer than eight (eight!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites. But what truly sets this destination apart is its people. Their warm smiles, curiosity, way of life, and gentle manner makes the journey all the more worthwhile. Regional monsoons You can have a wonderful experience here at any time with
temperatures fairly constant around 28 degrees on the coast and 18 degrees in the highlands. Low season, when you’ll miss the masses and have real opportunity to connect with the locals, would be May to June and September to October. The crux of the issue is to understand the island’s monsoon pattern. Hot and humid May brings the south-western rains while the north and east remain dry. September can be very hot, and then in October the weather flips with monsoon weather in the north-eastern region. In fact, October can be wet island-wide. Remember that you can plan your itinerary to make the most of the dry areas and that, even during monsoon, it very rarely rains the whole day and that blue sky days are not infrequent. May is an excellent time to cover the Cultural Triangle, Kandy, Yala and the southern beaches. In June we recommend Colombo, Wilpattu, Jaffna and Knuckes. During September and October, you can focus more on the eastern side of the tea country, Wellawaya and then the beaches of the South, ending up in Colombo.
Low Season Traveller
“I honestly cannot understand how it’s even possible”, she said to herself peeking out of her exquisitely decorated luxury en-suite tent set deep within the wild beauty of Udawalawe National Park. “Not only have we seen herds of elephants drinking at a watering hole, wild boar, sambar deer, crocodile and ospreys, we’ve already explored historic caves, picked leaves at a tea plantation, worshipped at the temple of Buddha’s tooth and we still have a week at the beach with a package of Ayurvedic spa treatments and delicious cuisine to look forward to”.
Hikaduwa: Sri Lanka’s Surf Mecca
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Featured Destination: Seville
Seville Have your senses seduced in this vibrant, historic and traditional centre
Low Season Traveller
Low Season: June, July, August
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Featured Destination: Seville By Claire French When it comes to Seville, there really are only two types of people: those who have never been but are dying to go; and those who have been who are already planning their return. Spend a weekend or spend a month, either way this Andalucian capital will capture your mind, soul and taste buds with its characteristic sultry exoticism.
Low Season Traveller
Many people prefer to travel during the winter, spring and autumn and escape the northern European climate. However, to avoid peak crowds and get amazing deals, consider the low season months of June, July and August. Yes, it will be steamy with temperatures reaching the high 30s or more, but with research and planning, you can have an unforgettable experience at this time.
Flamenco in Seville
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Featured Destination: Melbourne
Melbourne Sport, music, art and good vibes all year around
Low Season Traveller
Low Season: June - August
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Featured Destination: Melbourne By Rachel Jacgung
What Melbourne may lack in terms of stunning landmarks (like those in neighbouring Sydney), it more than makes up for with its diverse culture, cool attitude, buzzing nightlife, and all-round good vibes. There are still plenty of iconic and historic buildings to see. Just a few of these include the State Library, Flinders Street Station and the Old Melbourne Gaol, not to mention amazing shopping throughout the city from big brands, small boutiques and up and coming designers.
Despite many thinking that Australia is a sunny destination all year round, down south in Melbourne the winters can be a little chilly! Average daily temperatures range between 6 -16°C during winter, so still warmer than a European or North American winter in most places! In winter many Melburnians escape to sunnier Queensland and overseas visitors are more likely to choose a northern hemisphere destination for their overseas trip, making the winter months the best time to visit to escape the crowds, hang with the locals and soak up the lifestyle. While it’s colder than usual in the winter months, Melbourne’s mood lends itself to the cooler weather, with cosy cafes, big sporting events, and dark and moody bars around every corner.
Low Season Traveller
Melbourne – it’s a place where you’ll never have a bad meal, will leave a coffee snob, can experience four seasons in one day and where spending hours aimlessly wandering through a labyrinth of laneways and boutique shops will make for delightful afternoon!
Cricket at the world famous MCG
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