It’s the burning question of the moment! There are many travel campaigns advertised everywhere, inspiring people to provide much needed support to the travel industry and for you? -a well-deserved break from the craziness of 2020! We’re only halfway Peeps!!

So, I ask the question -

“Travelling in 2020 – are you really ‘Good to Go?’

If I had to give you a one-word answer in my humble opinion – it would be simple…..

‘ABSOLUTELY!!’

I am a travel lover though, so maybe that is easy for me to feel that way. I understand that for some though, there is hesitation, questions about whether it’s wise, consideration to even if it is reckless and perhaps even a sense of anxiety about venturing out? I’d like to think I am an upfront person, so I am going to just share with you what I think.

The Good, The Bad and The Downright Ugly!

Same, Same but different!

Have you ever travelled to Thailand and heard this expression? Makes me smile – love the people of Thailand! Check out the pic below of Gav and I at the markets in Bangkok – “Looks like Ray-bans, Feels like Ray-bans, but price was much lighter on the wallet than the real Ray-bans!” – The world, including travel will be more like that….…..”Same, Same….. but different”.

Things are just going to be that way for the now – it is what it is.

I am itching to walk down the aisle again….the plane aisle! “Here comes the crazy blogger….”

Take a Walk on the Wild Side – Support Local.

Travel need not be about getting on a plane and jetting off to some remote or exotic destination, as much as Insta might have you believe that! Sometimes though I get caught up into that world! I must say though, I am itching to walk down the aisle again – the plane aisle!! I think I will literally melt when the Captain’s dreamy voice announces “This is your Captain speaking!” Perhaps even wanting to let out a little cheer!

Maybe this is just a time to re-think, re-set and re-charge. Find your way back to nature, get out and explore more. A Stay-cation can be just as invigorating and exciting as anywhere else. Explore your own backyard, whether that is lounging about at a luxury appointed hotel or hiking through majestic rainforests.

Laze about at a luxury appointed hotel - an ultimate Stay-cation - (Pictured- Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort).

Do what feels right for you at this moment - a day trip, an overnighter, a long weekend, a week, a month or more. I am feeling like 2+ years holiday would be good! Maybe I should start a Go Fund Me Page to go walkabout! LOL!

Lamington National Park - Feel the serenity!……

Many travel bloggers I follow on Insta are hunting out new spots in their own terrain, discovering hidden gems they didn’t even know existed. It is quite exciting as puts the focus back on local travel.

Lose yourself in a rainforest - well don’t exactly lose yourself - that wouldn't be great!

Hit the road Jack!

Getting on a plane might not be in your comfort zone right now……I get it. There are plenty of wide-open spaces to explore and may be just a case of getting in the car and driving off into the sunset.

Cedar Creek Falls - Mt Tamborine, Gold Coast Hinterland

Maybe even hiring a caravan, a RV or camper van for a unique (or regular) holiday! Rounding up the family or a couple of families and planning an off the beaten track escape. Exploring regional townships and giving much needed support for them to get back on their feet, plus finding somewhere new to roam.

If flying is off the cards, maybe think about changing it up - hiring a RV or Campervan - Play out National Lampoons Vacation Movies!

Injection of Vitamin D and Salt Therapy

Did you know that if you live in certain countries with low levels of sunlight that people can develop a condition called S.A.D. – Seasonal Affective Disorder. I kid you not! It saps your energy and makes you fatigued/moody. Doctors often additionally prescribe a holiday – really! They recommend a nice sunny location to get an injection of Vitamin D into the skin. Talk to people who have had S.A.D, they say a daily dose of Vitamin D can work wonders.

A good excuse to venture out and get an uptake of rays…….Burleigh Head National Park, Gold Coast.

Find ways to get out – hike, bike, walk, shuffle – whatever it takes to get you moving and getting some rays onto that bod. Of course, I love to balance Salt Therapy with that…...earthing! There is such a thing. Walking barefoot along stretches of sand or swimming in the ocean. Find yourself some remote stretches to wander. Fills your soul.

Remember to make time for earthing…. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches…one of them is bound to have your name on it :)

Fly me to the Moon!

Well maybe not to the moon, but let’s talk about flights. Seeing such highs and lows in this space (no pun intended). We are always bound by whatever the cost is for school holidays and that is never ideal to be honest. Always errs on the higher side. There have been some amazing discounted flights of late though… signing up for airline memberships (paid or unpaid subscriptions) may just see you get ahead of the pack for deals as they are published, however, must say I rarely see anything during the peak periods for very low prices. Of course, currently, there are also a limited number of services and lack of current competition to select destinations, so that is determining the pricing.

Flying over the majestic shores of the Australian Coastline.

If you are lucky enough to jag a great price, good for you. Do check a couple of days either side of the intended days of travel to see what the price drops to. It can make a big difference. I just booked a flight to Cairns, return from Townsville as going to take a road trip in between. As people are becoming more comfortable with the idea of flying again, it will continue to change the pricing. I checked the costs and waited until a travel agent could book our trip (and it ended up changing overnight by an extra $180 – ‘not happy Jan!’ however doing our best to support the travel industry).

What’s likely to have changed for the flight experience? What can you expect?

Longer timeframes for check in – some now requiring you to front up 2 hours prior for domestic travel – check your tickets for info and get there earlier (the bonus? time to spare for a cappuccino or vino!)
You are likely to be asked to complete a health-questionnaire
Make sure you have your cards with you – airports definitely going cashless
Online check-in is encouraged to reduce face to face encounters
Boarding and disembarkation will be staggered.
You may find that the catering selection has significantly reduced.
No unnecessary moving around the cabin will be allowed.

Sure….it’s going to take a bit longer to get to your destination…..good things are worth waiting for…..

Take care to stay within carry on limits for Sanitizer – it has alcohol in it, so limited amounts may be taken on board. Am sure your destination point will have some for you to buy. Who isn’t geared up these days!

Be super aware if you are planning to travel into a ‘Hot Spot’ – check with your travel agent or you may need to spend your return from holiday back in quarantine for 14 days…some would say that’s not a bad thing!
Then there is the standard stuff – keep your distance – stay the 1.5m where possible and keep up the good hygiene. This has just become daily life.

Airlines are busting themselves to follow specialised safety protocols and your wellness will be absolute priority. In terms of change – perhaps the process will take a bit longer – that’s do-able.

Be guided by what they need to do in order to keep you safe, to keep everyone safe.

Find your possie – To pay or not pay up front?

Can you imagine this view from your posse?! - Villa Illalangi, Hamilton Island

This one can be a bit contentious. People have asked me, aren’t I concerned about businesses going broke and losing our money. I suppose that is possible and to be honest not even something I had considered. You have some options here…..I generally use booking.com to secure my accommodation. I seek and opt for bookings that can be made without penalty being incurred if circumstances change or truthfully if I find a more appealing deal. Being a ‘Genius’ customer (that is the first time I will ever be considered a genius! I receive this title as I regularly book with them), I often get discounts applied, which can offer considerable savings. (just saved $160 on a hotel booking with Booking.com)

Hotels, home stays and other accom. options are well aware of the Co- Vid Safe requirements as they are required to follow specific plans. On my last travels, I received text instructions on what we needed to do upon arrival. Made it nice and simple. Many places have also increased and changed their cleaning schedules, doing things like placing Co-Vid Safe stickers over doors to show the schedule was completed etc.

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan – Eleanor Roosevelt

My favourite way to travel is to be spontaneous….just let it happen. However, I don’t usually travel that way at all – why? I am a do-er, I don’t sit still (ask Gav - thinks it’s painful!:). I want to squeeze in as much as we can, mostly because we have limited vacation time and want to experience as much as possible. This can be a mindset change for some. Travel operators might only be able to operate at half capacity due to the distancing requirements and cleaning schedules at this point in time.

Book early with operators to ensure you don’t miss out.

Rocking up on the day and booking on a whim, just might not work. It will take more planning and organisation, if you want to be sure you don’t miss out. That could mean planning in advance to attend a favourite restaurant, a trip out to the reef, whale watching, boarding a sky rail or whatever the experience is.

If you have your heart set on doing something special on your trip….book early (Heart Reef - Whitsundays)

Think about what you want to do and map out some kind of plan. It would be a pity to travel considerable distance and not be able to do what you have looked forward to. I still look up Book.me and do a little planning in advance, which also saves some $. Love their site – nice and easy and lots of operators starting back up again.

You may need to book ahead to secure a favourite restaurant or outing. Keep in mind also that some restaurants aren’t serving full menu’s so be a little flexible. We are all in this together.

Want a little Luxe?

Be sure also to look at places you normally might not – for example check out Luxury Escapes. Currently they have some amazing offers (though required to pay up front). Some of these offers include school holiday periods (Such a bonus!) That doesn’t occur often, so we have been snapping up some deals and planning out some holidays in advance. Check out the stunning pics below of the Emporium Hotel - an ultimate stay-cation recently offered on Luxury Escapes.

They have made some changes too……you can pay now, book dates later and allowed to make up to one change of the dates, if for whatever reason it no longer suits, or things just don’t go to plan. They are incredibly flexible and understanding during this period of time. I love taking screen dives into their daily emails!

So far so good??

Here’s the ugly! Had to be something didn’t there!

Travel Insurance is a billion-dollar industry. I personally would not leave home without it. Not even a question about it. I worked in the finance industry and heard too many real, uninsured traveller horror stories. Equally I have heard great stories, like our friends who were getting ready to head to the airport with my husband and daughter, when they found out all 4 of their passports had been stolen the previous night! No getting home to Australia that day, however their insurance company was wonderful in helping them sort it out.

Look around for an insurer prepared to offer travel insurance at this time - read the fine print to know what you are covered for.

That’s a whole other blog! Things have definitely changed in this space. I have booked a domestic holiday and proceeded to get quotes like I normally would. I do understand that pandemics would not be covered anyway, that would be pretty standard. However, I was just looking for insurance for the other things that might crop up. It seems that many, many insurance companies are now opting out and no longer offering travel insurance. What the!! This is only domestic insurance too.

That doesn’t mean that it isn’t available, however you will need to look harder. I found only 1 out of the 12 that I looked at, offered travel insurance. We were lucky to find a good, reputable company (NRMA) that were still offering domestic travel insurance, so I felt comfortable with the choice.

I am the ‘Genius’, who is likely to cheer when the captain takes off, I will put my energies into a plan, get my shuffle on for an injection of Vitamin D and salt therapy, find my luxe possie and kick into explore zone!

Cheers from Dee :) Enjoy your adventures…..

Hope you enjoyed the read and found some info useful for your planning.

I am most definitely ‘Good to Go for Travelling in 2020’!!

Tell me… are you “Good to Go in 2020”?! - Leave a Comment.

Blogs coming up? - Mt Tamborine and surrounds, Far North Queensland and Fraser Island……make sure you subscribe to the email list to receive updates and new blogs. :) Melbourne was on the travel list (heart goes out to all down south at the moment). Will be back to support when we can. Thanks to Luxury Escapes who allowed us a credit instead (up to 18 months). The Travel Community are being so incredibly supportive during this time.

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Travelling in 2020 – are you really ‘Good to Go?’