Destinations in the unlock down Disclaimer: Before we start, we want to tell you that we are not promoting travel during the pandemic and if you are residing in one of the most affected country it is advisable to stay back home which is the safest thing to do during a pandemic like this. This blog is focused on travel plans & destinations in the unlock down if the cases reduces significantly in your country or the country you are visiting. Or you are planning after the pandemic is almost over.
Pandemic ! Covid-19 ! Lock down !
Are you sick and tired of hearing these terms on a daily basis? Adding to this are you getting irritated with the negativity all around on social media or whenever your switching on your television and start watching a news channel ?
Yes we are irritated, disgusted, bored and tired.
So here comes our role to make you a little bit excited. Lets start with this ! Did you plan as of now which place you want to visit once the lock downs are lifted ?
We can see that cheeky smile on your face and you would surely like to know more about it. Sounds exciting ?
Great, Lets discuss…….
Off late lot of people have approached us regarding this topic and wanted us to provide a solution.
If you are residing in a country where the Covid situation is not well you have to take extra precautions before planning anything at least for the next one year or even more depending on when does a proper Covid-19 vaccine comes out. We have to be really honest that this pandemic will not go all of a sudden and thus we will often get to here this term “We have to adapt to the new normal“. So if you are planning a trip to somewhere once the situation improves you still have to be very cautious.
Now does that mean you will stay back home, well of course not, you can definitely plan a trip to the best beach or the beautiful mountains or a trip to a historical place or a jungle safari if it is allowed in the country you have already targeted to visit.
In this blog we will provide you with a checklist that will be really handy for you if you are planning for your next trip. These are mentioned below :
Testing Norms
This should be the first check that you should do before planning a visit to a different country or within the country.. What are their Covid testing norms ? Suppose you a visit a county and its mandatory to stay in quarantine for 7 days, what should you do then ? How many times you have to get tested in the country ? How many days before you need to get tested in your country so that the negative test result will be valid ? These should be questions you should ask yourself and research about. For example if you are planning a visit to Sri Lanka they would want you to get tested once you arrive, then once again after 4-5 days and once again after 10 days. In general the rule is you have to carry a negative test result 72 hours before the journey. So our advice will be that do read carefully the rules and regulations even if you are moving within the country or outside a new country. Simple reason is that you will of course not like your vacation get ruined with continuous testing process and moving from one hospital to another during the time off.
Population
Population check is also very important if you have any plan to travel somewhere. If you are moving inside the country or outside do check how densely populated the country or the area is. Try to pick a country or state or district which is less populated. To be on safe side you can choose countries which are generally islands with water surrounding all sides. Or you can choose a hilly region which is not densely populated and book a resort in an offbeat location. The lesser the people the lesser is the chance of getting infected simple and straight.
Visa policy
It is advisable to visit the countries which offer free visa or visa on arrival. With the pandemic spread across the world, why would you want to spend those extra bucks on getting a visa done specially when most of the places are already closed. The less complex the process of moving out, the better it is. Also do check the visa regulations as many countries have closed their border for tourist from worst effected countries like India, US, Brazil etc
Transportation
What should be the mode of transport for your visit will be a key area to research. If you have your own car, that is the safest option, For example if you are travelling within US or Europe it is advisable to drive along the way or hire a cab for movement as most of the public mode of transport are closed anyway. If you are travelling on an international destination, flight should be the only mode of transport but then again you can ask your hotel to send the cab for you to pick up and drop and for sight seeing as well
Sightseeing
As we said research thoroughly about a country or a place that you are travelling as most of the frequently visited tourist spots are still closed in all parts of the world. So you definitely should not plan for a place where you can just stay back inside your hotel and not go out to check the famous tourist spots. However if you are travelling in an island country or a famous beach the safest option is getting laid back on the beach with a few minutes of walking distance from the hotel rather than visiting all the crowded places. Maldives Government has clearly mentioned that island hopping cannot be done at this moment, so once again go through the tourism websites very carefully
Hotels
It is worth spending some extra bucks to stay on a proper Government approved hotel in a country than staying in a hostel or a shared room. Do visit the tourism website of the place you are visiting , to check the Government approved safety hotel list and book from that category. All countries website are up to date at this moment.
Luggage
Keep your travel luggage lighter this time around because flexibility will be a key aspect of your travel, like shifting from one place to another or getting tests at different point. So the lighter the luggage the better. Also too many luggage means to many things getting exposed to the virus if it is there at some area also. It is better to wear few clothes which you can quickly wash after you are back at your hotel, if you have moved around through out the day just to be on safe side.
Medical Facilities
Choose a place or a country where you can get quick medical facility if required. The more the country is well equipped with the health system the better.
Food
If you are choosing an AirbnB or a proper hotel it is always safe to have your food from the hotel itself rather than eating out. If you have kitchen facilities, you can quickly wrap some sandwiches along with you if you are going out for a sight seeing. Once again it does not mean you should not eat outside totally, but if the restaurant is renown and have a good safety facility of course you should give it a try.
Conclusion
To sum up, we are not encouraging anyone to travel if the corona situation is not good in the country your residing, but if the situation has improved it is always worth planning for your next trip as we are all exhausted staying back at home for the last few months. Also always wear a mask and sanitize your hands quite frequently if you are out. Do let us know if we have missed out on any key point that you think we should add to this checklist. For more travel blogs, check our Blogs section. Stay safe, stay healthy !!
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