A different WORLD
There's still plenty to look forward to in the world of travel, perhaps even more so after being locked down for so long – you just have to know where to look. Here's a snapshot of what's currently available
In the time it took for this article to be written, the world changed. Somewhere, a government changed a rule, opened a border, or alleviated an element of the Covid-19 lockdown. The evolving nature of the global pandemic has made it impossible to write anything with any level of certainty or a guarantee of 100 per cent accuracy by the time it's read.
What we do know is that countries that have handled the lockdown better than others will be open for business sooner, and so stealing a march on your fellow travellers to book trips to those destinations makes sense. The likes of Vietnam, Korea and New Zealand are on many of our wish lists anyway, so take advantage of offers to make that trip. For instance, Wendy Wu Tours is offering savings of £550pp on all of their 2021 tours, including Vietnam, and Responsible Travel's Asia Experience, which covers Cambodia, too, has had £650pp cut from the price, with a May 2021 departure now costing £1,326pp (excluding flights). Others will be following suit, so expect more good-value packages from the experienced tour operators.
Closer to home, the frontrunners for European destinations are the likes of Austria, Germany, Switzerland and, in particular, Greece, which, despite having been hit by Covid-19 at the same time as the UK, has had only 156 reported deaths and is now planning to carefully open its doors again to tourism, with Ryanair set to resume two out of five flights from July. Book one of them now – or two, three or four of them – and you'll have plenty to look forward to. European travel is taking longer to take shape due to uncertainty, but already you'll find Trailfinders offering early-booking discounts on seven-night stays in Santorini, while Sunvil is offering up to 20 per cent off holidays to the Pelion on mainland Greece, including flights.
Being starved of travel will also fuel desire to go big when you next pack your bags, making the most of every experience. So, if you've been inspired by bucket-list round-ups, including ours (page 74), get in early to get the best deal. Once-in-a-lifetime trips could become twice-in-a-lifetime, and, in some instances, you can also make a huge difference to the communities you're visiting into the bargain. In Africa, tourism plays a huge role in funding conservation and the lack of revenue has hit many of the safari parks. With the safari guides also a key weapon in spotting poachers, this has resulted in an increase in poaching. There's never been a more important time to join the fight to save some of the world's most endangered species. As we go to print, the higher end of the market is offering some big discounts. For instance, there's 50 per cent off Time + Tide Chinzombo, Chongwe House and King Lewanika, which might cost you £163,540 a month, fully inclusive, but it sleeps 12, working out at a more palatable £3,407pp per week. And while it is the big end of the ‘big ticket', it does include a conservation contribution of £27,892. Great Plains Conservation is offering four nights for the price of three for camps in Kenya and Botswana for 2021, which, for four nights at Mara Plains
Camp in a luxury tent, will cost from £2,616pp, saving £1,635.
One thing we do know for certain is that how you travel is going to change. For instance, before booking any flight, you'll need to check the requirements for before you board as well as for when you arrive. Do they require medical records or digital health passports – as is being trialled in the Canary Islands this July – and if they do, how recent do those records have to be? Some will require a Covid-19 test to have been taken just four days or fewer beforehand. You'll also need to double-check all Ts and Cs for cancellation policy, as there have already been reports of some firms not changing theirs to include pandemics, despite the obvious threat of a new wave forcing cancellations.
Either way, don't let this stop you. Your world has never been smaller than it has in recent months, so be sure to make the most of the freedom when it next comes your way.