Safarious - Meaningful Safari Experiences

The Underrated Beauty of Low Season Paris: An Insider's Guide with Ged Brown and Jay Swanson

In this episode of Low Season Traveller Insider Guides, host Ged Brown is joined by Jay Swanson, the creator of Paris In My Pocket, to discuss the overlooked allure of low season tourism in Paris. Jay provides unique insights into Paris, revealing the charm of local experiences, under-the-radar spots, and the inviting café culture characteristic of the city. He discusses the importance of integrating oneself into the rhythm of life in Paris, recommending the simple pleasure of people-watching. Jay also touches on the significance of French food and wine as he points out the city's international food scene. He offers tips for first-time travellers, focusing on the balance between tourist attractions and hidden gems, and encourages exploration as the key to a fulfilling Parisian trip.

00:06   Introduction and Welcome
00:30   Getting to Know Jay Swanson
01:21    Jay's Journey to Paris
03:16    Becoming a French Citizen
05:04   The Appeal of Paris
05:33   The Parisian Lifestyle
10:51    Language and Communication in Paris
13:01    Visiting Paris in the Low Season
17:13    Exploring Paris: Must-See and Overrated Attractions
22:27   Hidden Gems in Paris
24:07   Food and Drink Recommendations in Paris
27:11    Final Tips for Visiting Paris

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Claire French who’s the Chief Copywriter of our very own Low Season Traveller Magazine.

In this episode I caught up with Claire on a beautiful Autumn day to find out a little more about life in travel and in particular the background to her wonderful article in this months magazine edition where she endured or enjoyed 9 consecutive days of Ayurvedic massage in Goa. It sounded like heaven to me but as Claire explains, there is a lot more to it than that...

I must admit, I'd be very tempted to go for an experience like this and it may just be what we all need right now…

The latest edition of the magazine is available now in hard and electronic copies on lowseasontraveller.com/magazine and I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s a wonderful edition.

Huge thanks to Claire for all of her contributions to the magazine and for sharing her insights with us today.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Have a great week wherever you are and remember that travel is always better and fairer for the planet, the local communities and you the travellers, when it’s without the crowds…

In this episode, we catch up with Ryan Maley, Editor in Chief of Low Season Traveller Magazine to find out a little more about the stories and features which readers can enjoy in this latest edition as we gain a little insight into how the stories and features came about.

We are talking about Madrid, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Barbados, Sifnos, fascinating Cultural Heritage and much more besides….

If there are any destinations you’d like us to cover for future editions, please reach out to Ryan directly at ryan@lowseasontraveller.com

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Today I’m delighted to be joined by a #1 Best Selling Author and leading Spa and Wellness expert, Sonal Uberoi, to learn more about Spa and Wellness breaks.

I don’t know about you but I’ve always thought of Spa and Wellness as being a luxurious and extravagant pursuit of the relatively wealthy.

In this episode I wanted to learn more about the concept of Wellness, the types of people who engage in Wellness travel, how Spa and Wellness link to a destination’s cultural heritage and of course, whether there are any advantages to this form of travel in the low season months.

I started the conversation mildly sceptical as to whether Spa and Wellness is for people like me, and by the end this delightful conversation I was left questioning why on earth I don’t invest more of my time in the pursuit of mental wellbeing?

 Have a listen to one of the most inspiring people I've met and let me know if your opinion and perception has changed as a result of listening to Sonal.

And if you’d like to learn more about Sonal and her work, you can visit https://spa-balance.com where you will also find links to Sonal on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Have a great week wherever you are and remember that travel is always better and fairer for the planet, the local communities and you the travellers, when it’s without the crowds…

Today we’re heading over to Cape Town to join our good friend and legendary safari guide, Warren Pearson, to learn more about a new venture which Warren and his friends have created called Safarious.

Designing and guiding meticulously crafted journeys to wilderness areas across Africa and beyond and creating extraordinary experiences in extraordinary places, Warren and the team believe that being entrusted with a safari is an honour and a profound responsibility – to both their guests and the natural world into which they venture together.

Safarious harnesses over eight decades of collective guiding experience and industry relationships to create meaningful travel experiences, benefiting local communities, wildlife and conservation initiatives as much as it enriches the traveller.

With this in mind, Warren strives for the adventures they create to be an authentic, layered experience matching the individuality of their clients with the magic of the wild to ultimately foster a deeper connection with nature.

Having recently returned from Kenya where I had no guide to assist me, I certainly intend to be a Safarious client in the future. 

If you haven’t caught them yet, Warren and Rou did an amazing series of videos for us on a host of African destinations during their low season months and you can find them on the “Live Talks” section of lowseasontraveller.com.

And you can learn more about Safarious by visiting https://www.safarious.com

If you are considering a safari in Africa any time soon, you should absolutely reach out to Warren as he is genuinely the most knowledgeable person I know and he is super passionate about the low season experience too.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Have a great week wherever you are and remember that travel is always better and fairer for the planet, the local communities and you the travellers, when it’s without the crowds…

Today we head over to Kenya where I recently provided the keynote talk at the Sustainable Africa Tourism Summit. 

After a week of meetings I took the opportunity to visit Tsavo National Park which is the largest national park in Kenya and also happens to be in its lowe season right now. 

Located just a 2 hour drive from Mombasa, Tsavo in the low season months has everything which you would expect to find of a major national park in East Africa with just one exception – crowds.

In this episode recorded live at Voi Wildlife Lodge in Tsavo East, I talk through my experience of the low season here in Kenya and, as you will hear, got a little too close to the wildlife for my liking, in the process!

 And you can learn more Kenya during the low season months in a forthcoming article in Low Season Traveller Magazine as well as a new guide which we will be producing at a later date.

To learn more about Voi Wildlife Lodge, please visit https://voiwildlifelodge.com

Next time, we head over to Kilifi in Kenya to visit one of the most eco-conscious properties I have ever stayed in, Distant Relatives.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Have a great week wherever you are and remember that travel is always better and fairer for the planet, the local communities and you the travellers, when it’s without the crowds…

Today we’re heading over to Dubai which has it’s low season from May through September. 

I was in Dubai for the Arabian Travel Market, a gathering of the travel industry’s leaders from all across the Middle East and beyond and I was keen to experience one of the newest properties on The Palm, The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa.

Taj have been superb advocates and supporters of low season travel and we have worked closely with many of their properties recently.  The Taj Exotica is different from the other properties we have featured recently, in that it is very clearly a leisure focused property with the same emphasis on incredible customer service or Taj-ness as they put it.

I caught up with Director of Sales and Marketing, Dorsai Khaghani to learn more about this exceptional property.

And you can learn more about this fabulous property by visiting https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-exotica-dubai/

If you are considering Dubai during the low season summer months, I would urge you not to be deterred by the heat.  A stay in the Taj Exotica with it’s climate controlled pool and outstanding facilities coupled with service levels which I have quite honestly rarely experienced before, you are sure to have an incredible experience which will last long in the memory.  And of course, the prices are approximately 40% lower than during the other times of the year – what an opportunity to experience the height of service at a great price!

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Today we head back over to India where I spent some time recently learning more about what the low season experience is like in the heat of the North Indian summer.

Last week we featured the fabulous Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and this week we are in arguably one of the finest hotels in Delhi, The Taj Mahal.

 I’ve had the pleasure of staying in this property many times over the years and I came to think of it as my home in Delhi. The attentiveness of the staff is second to none and I was always amazed how they all remembered my name even if I hadn’t visited for 2 or 3 years!

 The Taj Mahal is perfectly located in the heart of Delhi and whilst it has always attracted a good business clientele, it is fair to say it never really got the tourism market in the past.  Well, after an extensive renovation during the covid years, the Taj Mahal is back open and is now absolutely perfect for tourists eager to experience the best of Delhi in a truly classic and iconic property.

After a tour of the hotel, I sat down with the General Manager, Mr Satyajeet Krishnan to learn more about the property and some of the new initiatives which they have been implementing recently to further enhance the guest experience.

And you can learn more about this fabulous property by visiting https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/taj-mahal-new-delhi/

If you are planning to visit Delhi during the low season summer season, you will be hard pushed to find a finer property with a more welcoming team than the Taj Mahal. And I can confirm that the new pool and spa are absolutely amazing!

Next week, we head over to Dubai to stay in one of the newest Taj properties, The Taj Exotica Resort and Spa on The Palm, where we met the team and found an outstanding property in every way.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Today we’re heading over to India where we’ve spent some time recently in Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Ranthambore to learn more about what the low season experience is like in the heat of the North Indian summer.

India has some incredible palatial hotels and perhaps one of the most iconic of these is the stunning Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur.

There is truly no bad time to experience the Rambagh Palace and arguably, the low season summer months are optimal due to the relaxed and quiet ambiance coupled with the significantly lower prices.

Last week I met up with the General Manager, Mr Ashok Rathore, who kindly gave me a tour of the property and some of the amazing initiatives which they have been implementing recently to further enhance the guest experience.

After our tour, Mr Rathore sat down with me in the lavish Suvarna Mahal dining room so that I could learn more about this incredible property.

And you can learn more about this fabulous property by visiting https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/taj/rambagh-palace-jaipur/

I can say with all honesty that this hotel is one of the very finest we have ever been in and you can only truly “feel” the experience by visiting it for yourself.

Next week, we head over to Delhi to stay in one of the most iconic properties in the city as we meet the General Manager of the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel which has recently undergone an astonishing makeover.

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Today we’re heading back over to Southeast Asia to join our roving reporter Nikki as she travels the world during the low seasons.

What does it mean to be an eco-friendly hotel?

Sadly the tourism business is flooded with green-washing. On major booking sites, many hotels and resorts simply compile a tick list without necessarily giving any proof of their environmental credentials.

As we’ve discussed several times on the Climate Friendly Travel Podcast, being truly green means more than asking guests to re-use their towels.  

This week Nikki meets Duc Bui who is relatively new to the hotel business having spent a decade working as a civil engineer before buying the Amanaki Hotel, a 43 room boutique hotel in the heart of Ho Chi Minh. He's one of a small number of Vietnamese hoteliers trying to make a positive change in Vietnam.

Nikki Morrison has been exploring the Low Seasons for us on her own Low Season Adventure, you can hear the hum of the city as she chats to Duc about the challenges of trying to bring an environmental awareness to a country like Vietnam.

And you can learn more about The Amanaki Hotel by visiting https://www.amanakihotels.com/

But That’s our show for this week. Thanks as always, for your company, and if you enjoyed this podcast, please do leave us a positive rating and review on your podcast app and also don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to be the first to hear our latest low season stories, articles and guides.

Have a great week wherever you are and remember that travel is always better and fairer for the planet, the local communities and you the travellers, when it’s without the crowds…