As summer takes its final bow (or winter, depending on which end of the planet you’re standing), it’s easy to think of the months ahead as a bit of a barren travel wasteland. Please don’t! Not only are off-season holidays far from the madding crowd more relaxed and easier on the wallet, but they take advantage of milder temperatures for outdoor pursuits that can be not all that fun when it’s just too darn hot… or cold! Here we put the ‘off’ season myth to bed with a selection of what to do and where after summer’s curtain call.

The Cook Islands are best known for their pristine beaches and warm lagoons, the kinds of retreats that usually appeal to travellers in the South Pacific Ocean. Most visitors therefore end up on the two most popular and easily reachable islands, Rarotonga and Aitutaki. However, the Cook Islands have so much more to offer