These off-season tips promise unforgettable experiences

The perfect time for off-season trips around the world: here are our tips for May and June.

A journey into the heart of the polar night? Days spent in a kind of groundhog mode, with no pressure at all? It sounds tempting. Ideal for this: one of those earthy red-painted fishermen’s cabins in the Lofoten Islands, where jagged peaks rise like shark teeth from the Arctic Ocean and colourful fishing villages cling to the coastline. In summer, it becomes crowded – Scandinavia is increasingly in demand in times of rising heat. In winter, however, when the days are extremely short, calm returns. The weather app predicts: an average of zero hours of sunshine. Or, more poetically: a magical shimmer settles over the islands as sunrise and sunset merge, and the ice becomes a natural stage for violet light. Travelling to the far north in winter follows a clear trend: off-season travel. The reasons are manifold – overcrowded hotspots, low-cost airlines, a persistent travel boom and new, flexible lifestyles. In peak season, it often becomes simply too much. The advantages of the off-season are obvious: lower hotel prices, relaxed restaurant reservations and attractions without the crowds. Locals also switch to a quieter rhythm. At the same time, climate change is shifting ideal travel periods. For off-season travellers, one question remains: when is the best time to go where?

“Shoulder season” is the English term for the off-season. In May, however, you don’t yet need strong shoulders to face the wind in the Caribbean. In destinations such as the Bahamas, the hurricane season officially begins only in June. This brings both risks and opportunities – with the latter clearly prevailing. Discounts on hotels, regional flights and comparatively empty beaches are guaranteed. The small Harbour Island – a tip for honeymooners and famous for its Pink Sand Beach – becomes even more romantic at this time. Grey clouds add an extra layer of drama to the dialogue between turquoise sea and pink sand, the latter created by tiny shells of microorganisms called foraminifera.

When monsoon clouds gather first along the Western Ghats in India and later along the slopes of the Himalayas, rainfall can become serious. The flat atolls of the Maldives, however, lie less steeply across their path. Here, the rain clouds of the annual southwest monsoon – locally known as Hulhangu – pass through largely unhindered. A lightly overcast sky, higher humidity and occasional showers are usually the most to be expected. Dream islands such as the twin islands Chill and Play – among the few Maldivian islands with actual forest cover – appear lush and green. Surfers, meanwhile, welcome good swells, meaning higher waves. And here, too, the rule applies: fewer travellers, more attractive prices. Budget and luxury are no contradiction.

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