TRAVELLING DURING A PANDEMIC – CHOOSING A DESTINATION

When travelling during a pandemic the destination choice is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

In reality, with the world’s current situation, there really aren’t that many destination options.

I can be very indecisive so I know how difficult it can be when it comes to choosing a travel destination. Imagine having to make that choice when travelling during a pandemic. Here are a few things that may help you make a proper informed decision:

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Content:

1. Domestic or International
2. Continent of Choice
3. Country Status
4. Safety
5. Entry Requirements
6. Transportation
7. Interests
8. Accommodation

First and foremost, you need to find out your country’s status from your government website. Can you travel Internationally or is movement restricted to domestic travel or no travel at all?

The next thing you’ll need to consider is your home situation. Do you live alone or with potentially vulnerable people? Make the best decision for everyone involved.

Once you have done this and your choice to travel still remains the same, then you may proceed with plans.

Domestic or International?

Is your trip going to be domestic or international?

A domestic trip will require you to make decisions about the:

• Type of trip: is it an adventurous one, cultural, historical, or purely relaxation?

• Location: how accessible is it? How far is it? How well can it cater to the type of trip you want?

• Transportation: How much will you spend on transportation?

• Accommodation: How much will accommodation be? The type of accommodation; Airbnb, Hotel, Hostel, Couchsurfing? How well has the accommodation been adhering to COVID protocols? You need to make sure your safety is a top priority.
  • Resorts for the best staycations in Lagos

• Activities: How much do they cost? Do they fit your budget? With a group or solo?

*When travelling during a pandemic I won’t recommend couchsurfing or hostel stays as there is a higher possibility of contracting the virus in these types of accommodations.

If you’re planning an International trip continue reading.

Continent of Choice

If you have made the decision to travel internationally, you’ll want to settle on your choice of continent. This can help you narrow down your search to include only countries in your chosen continent.

Country Status

Next, will involve you checking the status of each country in your chosen continent. Are their borders open? Is your country of departure allowed entry into your countries of choice?

Safety

Next, research on the safety of the country. Are they safe to travel to? How well have they handled the pandemic? If you’re travelling solo, are they safe for solo travellers? Are they safe for women? Are black people welcome? Research, Research, Research! Google everything.

Entry Requirements

The next step will be more research! Yes, I know a lot of research is involved but it is important to remain informed in these uncertain times. You’ll need to check the government sites of your countries of choice for their entry requirements.

Will you require a visa to be granted entry? Visa free/ Visa on arrival countries for Nigerians.

Do you need any vaccinations? Do you need to quarantine on arrival? Are there specific forms you need to sign on arrival? How many COVID tests will you be required to take/ pay for at your country of departure and country of arrival (VERY IMPORTANT)?

All this needs to be taken into consideration when choosing a country to travel to.

Transportation

You’ve narrowed down your next possible travel destination by continent, country status, safety, and entry requirements. The next step will be narrowing your choices based on the transportation. Go with the safest choice, the transportation that provides the lowest chance of you contacting the virus.

Once this is decided you can then compare prices of the chosen transportation to each potential destination.

Interests

Let’s narrow down your options some more shall we? Think about the type of holiday you want. Do you want an adventure filled holiday, one that’s chalk full of culture or are you a history buff? Some countries may be ruled out at this point and some may come back into play.

Accommodation

Further narrow down your choices by comparing accommodation options. Which type of accommodation is likely to adhere to COVID protocols? After you’ve narrowed the accommodation types down you can then decide on your country of choice by comparing accommodation prices.

P.s: Although we are in a Pandemic travel has started up and people have started making travel plans.

So, if anyone needs a little help on deciding where their next trip should be, this list should provide a little insight on the current climate and make the decision making process a little easier.

Now, you’ve decided. Get to planning!

Safely of course!