In the beginning, the news of Covid-19 infections and deaths were starting to be reported by the media around the world with little to no impact on what was happening in the travel industry. People were still traveling, brushing the news off as a one time thing believing this was no different than the flu. Then reality slowly started to hit. It was very different.
In early March of 2020, my travel plans were still going strong and I actually made it from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (on schedule) to Melbourne, Australia for an amazing 10 days. I had about 10 days remaining that were unscheduled before returning to the states and I was trying to sort out what to do….
Do I stay on in Australia a bit longer OR do a quick 10 day taste test of New Zealand?
The stars aligned and Queenstown, New Zealand it was. (Spoiler alert: Best decision ever!)
Five days into the stay in Queenstown, a COVID-19 world wide lockdown was imminent. I think we all thought this would resolve fairly quickly. I booked an Airbnb where a 7 week Level 4 lockdown ensued….. Thankfully, as my friend Jacqui would say I’d somehow landed with my “bum in the butter” (Apparently a common South African saying…look it up if you’re not sure). On the flip side not as "buttery" as I'd would have liked since the travel industry was the first to go as people stopped moving around..
Thankfully, New Zealand went hard and fast on lockdown and because of that, there was the opportunity to extensively travel both the north and south islands. Exploring this beautiful country, where Covid-19 is managed and life felt somewhat normal in comparison to the rest of the world, was an amazing blessing.
New Zealand’s name inspires pictures of mountains, glaciers, forests, pristine lands, and lots and lots of cows and sheep. Tramping (hiking) New Zealand is one of the most popular activities in the world, with thousands of people making their way there, on their round the world trip.
Once New Zealand opens the borders to international travelers, (hopefully end 2021/early 2022), it won’t let you down. The people are friendly, the country is beyond beautiful and the wine is cheap (always a perk!). You will leave wanting to return.
The country is literally the adventure capital of the world. Road trips by camper van, hiking, skydiving, caving, soaking in natural thermal spas, bungy jumping, skiing, sky gazing, sailing and wine tastings — everything here is geared towards getting you outside and doing something incredible.
If you're looking for culture, New Zealand has plenty. Maori culture is important to understanding life in this country; you’ll find Maori symbols and words throughout the country.
Oh and the stargazing here.....it is magnificent — Aoraki Mount Cook National Park forms the majority of New Zealand’s International Dark Sky Reserve.
While spending over a year in New Zealand, I was always amazed that the next place I went to was even more incredible! It was difficult to say goodbye to this beauty but I look forward to reliving and sharing these glorious snippets with my clients when they want to explore this incredible place.
With world wide Covid-19 vaccines under way and travel beginning to resume, my goal is to make travel easier, safer and more seamless than ever before. We're all ready to get away and get back to enjoying the benefits of travel.
My first recommendation is to get vaccinated. Many countries will require travelers to be fully vaccinated. And now is a good time to get started planning. Get ahead of the wave of eager travelers, before the availability of our favorite properties and services becomes scarce. It's best to get your plans settled now!
Many airlines are currently offering flexibility on flight bookings—even in basic economy. Travelers can use this flexibility to push their travel back with no penalty.
It’s important to keep in mind that some destinations will likely remain off-limits. Countries that either don’t have access to vaccines or have focused on eliminating local spread may continue to be closed to international travelers long after other destinations open up. So, while travel may begin to recover in summer 2021, it might be fall of 2021 or even 2022 before the travel industry recovers worldwide. Contact me about travel restrictions questions.
In a recent study, 97% of survey respondents reported that having a trip planned makes them happier. Let's get happier and get planning!
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