Author Topic: Where/When NOT to travel  (Read 5491 times)

deborah

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 15960
  • Age: 14
  • Location: Australia or another awesome area
Where/When NOT to travel
« on: February 16, 2017, 03:09:51 PM »
There seem to be a lot of travel junkies on this part of the forum, and some of them don't really do their homework about what to do WHEN. So I thought it might be worth while talking about what NOT to do and when NOT to go.

For instance, here in Australia (outside tropical Australia) we have two months I would not like to visit much of Australia. January and February. I love Australia, and it is a great place, but January and February tend to be a bit hot. For instance, this week we had the 15 hottest places on earth http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4216050/Australia-home-15-hottest-places-earth.html - it's a bit unusual, and several were records, but we DO have heatwaves at this time of the year, so going inland at all in these months tends to be hot. And inland is MOST OF AUSTRALIA - everything except the top bit, the eastern coast, Victoria and the little bit from a bit above Perth down on the west coast. If you LOVE heat, come.

And of course, we are known for snakes, which tend to be more active when it is hot (I don't think I have ever seen any outside January and February), and bush fires that cover vast areas - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushfires_in_Australia - the big ones tend to be in January or February.

Tasmania is cooler in these months. Go there instead. Or New Zealand.



And

deborah

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 15960
  • Age: 14
  • Location: Australia or another awesome area
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2017, 03:13:19 PM »
Western Canada in May. The camp grounds are all more-or-less closed. The National Parks are all closed. The campgrounds that ARE open don't have showers or water (because the pipes all froze during winter). The bears are thin after hibernation. The moose have just had their young and are out to get you. Let everything calm down.

Go to Australia instead.

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2017, 03:40:43 PM »
Here are some for India.

Don't go to Bombay (aka Mumbai) during June thru August. The Monsoon(rainy season) is brutal. Again December/January are good times.

Don't go to Rajasthan (a state where the cities Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur are) in summer, March thru June till the Monsoon comes in. This is a desert state, so the rains are not so bad. Best time is December and January.

here in Australia (outside tropical Australia) we have two months I would not like to visit much of Australia. January and February.
Sounds like a good time for India.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2017, 03:44:27 PM by CowboyAndIndian »

SEAKSR

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 124
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Rainy Alaska
  • Great day for water landings!
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2017, 03:48:15 PM »
Southeast Alaska

If you want dry weather, flowers, glaciers and good flying (heli or fixed wing flight seeing) come in May.

If you want Northern Lights, don't come to Southeast. Go further north... Fairbanks has a bubbling tour industry around the Lights. They're too unpredictable on a good year to see this far south.

Fishing is good all summer, but you need to plan your fishing trip around the fish you want to catch, not your schedule. Check with a lodge that has been in business for more than a year, or a guide who has been guiding for more than year to find out when the best runs are.

If you're looking for skiing, more specifically Heli-skiing, make sure you have a couple of days of flexibility in travel. Getting to Haines (where the vast majority of Heli-skiing happens) can be tricky in late February to March. If you're up for such UN-mustachian adventures, remember that if you choose an air taxi, your ski gear might not fit on the plane. Plan for that contingency.

October in Southeast Alaska pretty much sucks regardless of where you are. 33 Degree Fahrenheit (.5 degrees Celsius) and rain is usually the name of the game for nearly the whole month. Even folks who spend most of their lives above the arctic circle have said that over wintering in the dark is easier to deal with than a month of 33 degree rain.

flyingaway

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 464
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2017, 04:13:35 PM »
Last year, I booked a ticket to Dubai in June. Later I was told it was their Ramadan month and I would have difficulty in getting food and drink during the days. So I cancelled my ticket (with penalties).

lthenderson

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2252
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2017, 07:28:14 AM »
As someone who likes to avoid people when traveling, I tend to go when others won't so thanks in advance for all the good suggestions.

mamagoose

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 354
  • Location: FL
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2017, 07:40:51 AM »
Western Canada in May. The camp grounds are all more-or-less closed. The National Parks are all closed. The campgrounds that ARE open don't have showers or water (because the pipes all froze during winter). The bears are thin after hibernation. The moose have just had their young and are out to get you. Let everything calm down.

Go to Australia instead.

Thank you for this - you just helped inform our summer Canadian road trip :)

asauer

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 848
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2017, 11:40:55 AM »
Outerbanks- so many people make the mistake of coming in late June through July.  Just don't.  Other than the fact that you will melt outside (we regularly have 96 degrees, 96% humidity) and sear your feet on the sand, everything is SUPER expensive and crowded and be eaten alive by sand fleas and mosquitos.  Ew.  Come April through mid-June or mid-August through October (you won't be able to swim in October but it's still beautiful).

StetsTerhune

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 462
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2017, 06:59:24 PM »
Definitely, the Outer Banks is absolute hell in July. I rented a place for the month of October a few years ago and it was perfect, no people, perfect weather, even warm enough that I still went out body surfing every day (though that was unusual for October).

In the US and Europe, I'd put July and August on the 'dont go' list for every where. Just too crowded, too expensive. The longer I travel (currently 2.5 years full-time), the more I endeavor to avoid high season every where. Even if the weather is worse, I'd take shit weather over crowds any day.

former player

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8822
  • Location: Avalon
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2017, 07:05:18 PM »
Scotland in September.  Midges.

human

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 787
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2017, 01:06:42 PM »
Western Canada in May. The camp grounds are all more-or-less closed. The National Parks are all closed. The campgrounds that ARE open don't have showers or water (because the pipes all froze during winter). The bears are thin after hibernation. The moose have just had their young and are out to get you. Let everything calm down.

Go to Australia instead.

Thank you for this - you just helped inform our summer Canadian road trip :)

If you'll be hiking in the mountains even June will be too early but for driving around it should be great. You could always check out Haida Gwaii, I went there as part of a long road trip with lots of hiking when the rainbow range was full of snow in june.

marble_faun

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 643
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2017, 01:18:27 PM »
I agree with avoiding July/August travel to tourist hotspots in the US or Europe!  Unless you're headed to the beach and want that classic "crowded beach covered in umbrellas" experience.

I strongly prefer off-season (fall/winter) travel.  A touch of gloom & desolation is just what I want.

GreenSheep

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1072
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2017, 03:49:53 PM »
Phoenix in the summer, for obvious reasons. Northern Arizona is fine in the summer, though, if you're not going to super crowded touristy places like the Grand Canyon. (It's the people, rather than the weather, that could make the trip unpleasant.)

New Orleans at Mardi Gras. Check the schedule online and hit some of the parades in the weeks before, enjoy some king cake, drink a Hurricane or two, then get yourself home before the drunken debauchery begins. Unless that's what you're looking for. Being pressed inside a crowd of people and having 5 types of bodily fluid from other people on me is not my idea of a good time.

Shoulder seasons are generally when I've had the best luck, although now I know that May in Canada is not good idea! Thanks!

Also, having grown up in a university town, if you're going to one, pay attention to when the students will be away for the summer, quarterly breaks, etc. Things are generally less crowded. And of course, avoid football weekends and move-in and graduation weekends! This probably matters most in a small town/big university situation like where I'm from.

Dances With Fire

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 223
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2017, 12:38:01 PM »
Anywhere during Spring Break! (I realize those with kids sometimes don't have a lot of options.) US.

Mexico, DR, Florida, etc. are jam-packed with people of all ages. Airports can be a nightmare with very long lines especially on your return to the US. Making connecting flights that are 50 Gates apart as you get older can be frustrating as hell.

 Trying to find a beach chair or pool side chair can be a challenge unless you are up at sunrise in the morning.

That said, we LOVE Mexico, DR, Jamaica, and the islands. The people in all these places have been awesome! However, we enjoy traveling in the off-season even more.

itchyfeet

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 985
Re: Where/When NOT to travel
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2017, 01:08:23 PM »
Last year, I booked a ticket to Dubai in June. Later I was told it was their Ramadan month and I would have difficulty in getting food and drink during the days. So I cancelled my ticket (with penalties).

I wouldn't recommend Dubai for June, Jully, August or September purely due to the extreme heat, normally 45-48 Celsius every day and not much cooler at night. The weather is great the other 8 months.

Regarding Ramadan, we had been telling our friends not to visit us during Ramadan due to no booze being sold, but last year we had friends come during Ramadan and they had a blast.

In particular, we took them to an Iftar which is a big feast at sunset to break the fast of the day which they loved. Restaurants generally are of course very busy in the evenings, as families eat out a lot during Ramadan.

We have a well stocked bar in our apartment so we did enjoy a few drinks in the evening at home instead of at bars (mustachian compliant).

There are plenty of restaurants and cafes open behind curtains and in hotels for dining during the day.

All of the tourist sites are open per normal.

Conclusion: sure Ramadan is not ideal, but it is totally doable..... unless you are coming to Dubai specifically for the clubbing scene, which is a no go during Ramadan.