The Top 5 Places to Travel to Post-COVID-19
2020 was a very unexpected and challenging year for us all. The difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic affected all aspects of life, in particular our ability to travel around the world. Though the world is still facing incredible uncertainty going into 2021, we’re hoping that at some point we can all get back to doing what we love: exploring the world. We’ve written this guide to highlight some of the places that should be on the top of your list during post-COVID travel. All of the destinations on this list have been added with your safety as our number one priority, so that you can travel stress-free and create some incredible memories.
1. Iceland
If you really want to experience the true beauty and power of nature, then look no further than Iceland. Don’t let the name fool you – the country is littered with magnificent volcanoes, powerful geysers and many a geothermal hot spring. Iceland is also one of the safest places to visit in Europe. Bar the capital Reykjavik, the majority of the low population are scattered across small towns and villages, making it quite easy to keep a safe distance from each other. Many of the top attractions are also in outdoor locations, such as whale-watching and the variety of stunning waterfalls available to view. Our top recommendation is the Blue Lagoon hot springs. The geothermal seawater is a gorgeous 38°C and packed full of nutrients to help leave you feeling incredibly revitalised.
2. South Africa
Another one for nature lovers. South Africa, and many other countries in Africa rely heavily on tourism as one of their main sources of income. Naturally, this has meant that their economy has been hit quite badly due to the lack of tourism brought on by the coronavirus. The country is home an abundance of nature reserves and national parks, including the Sabi Sands Game Reserve and the world-famous Kruger National Park. Thankfully, the risk of crime to tourists in the main tourist areas is relatively low. The South African government cite that protecting tourists is one of their main priorities and you can commonly find special tourism police in major towns and cities. Safaris are a great way of seeing wild animals up close and in their natural habitats. If you’re interested and want to learn more, check out our blog post for some first-hand experience.
3. New Zealand
New Zealand have been one of the most successful countries in combating the coronavirus. With only 2222 total cases and a miraculous 2120 recoveries as of January 2021, they have taken COVID-safety very seriously. You can be rest assured that your wellbeing will their highest priority. New Zealand have already taken steps towards promoting travel again by agreeing to a quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia beginning in the first quarter of 2021. New Zealand is adrenaline junkie’s dream, so we recommend heading straight to Queenstown and take your pick from skiing, rafting, bungie jumping and so much more.
4. Canada
On our website we rate Canada as having an overall risk level of 28%, which is relatively low considering the size of the country. In particular, we recommend visiting Vancouver. It is one of the most populated cities in British Columbia, but also has one of the highest qualities of life, according to Teleport. Vancouver is a vastly rich culture-hub and is home to twenty-one different museums, we recommend visiting the Museum of Vancouver and Hill’s Native Art Gallery to learn more about Canada’s rich Native history.
5. California, USA
With all eyes on the coronavirus in 2020, California was subject to a series of devastating wildfires that went significantly under the radar. Unfortunately, these wildfires caused destruction for many people’s livelihoods, particularly in Sierra Nevada where the flames engulfed over 200,000 acres of timber and many buildings and settlements. The levels of damage caused will require a significant amount of time to rebuild, but there are many good things to come that you should be excited about. In particular, the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in Napa Valley. This gorgeous winery, set to open in early 2021, offers guests a luxurious retreat in California’s wine country and its opening is a promise of the exciting things to come as the community bounces back.
We hope this list has provided you with some travel inspiration going into the new year. We’re not sure when travel opportunities will begin to open up again, but when they do, maybe you’ll consider visiting somewhere we have highlighted in this guide. Even if you don’t, our website has destination-specific information for a wide variety of countries, and we are updating it regularly to provide you with the most relevant information.
Written by Joe Corfield.
