Autumn Update

The less developed, less “resort” based destinations will come to the fore, as people seek out smaller hotels with more space and privacy.  

Indian Ocean
Sri Lanka and other Indian Ocean islands, should be in a good position.  Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Seychelles and Mauritius have all had very low infection rates so are well placed to welcome tourists in the Autumn and Winter. There are no guarantees just yet. Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Seychelles are on the corridor list so do not require self isolation on returning to the UK, though as of yet have not opened their borders to the UK, we are optimistic all three will be open by the end of October.  It’s the reverse for the Maldives, with its borders open, but not yet on the travel corridor list!  

Caribbean
The situation in the Caribbean seems to be generally promising,  but still evolving, with a couple of countries recently taken off the corridor list.  The destinations that are open to UK travelers seem to have good procedures in place, requiring a negative PCR test result taken within 48 hours of departure.  There is also talk of limiting stays to one hotel per trip.  Arrival numbers are currently quite low, so it remains to be seen how things will pan out should arrivals increase over the autumn.   

Europe
With the recent setbacks and rising cases throughout Europe nothing can be taken for granted.  Until recently, Italy has been coping well since reopening, but has recently crawled into the Amber Zone.  Iceland have also been very adept at dealing with the situation and have good protocols in place, so should be a good bet over the Autumn and Winter.  This spectacular country, is equally enchanting over the colder months and we have access to some fabulous experiences.  For a bit of warmth, Cyprus is looking to be a good option with negative test results required on entry. 

Africa
Safari Camps and borders are reopening in East and Southern Africa, but there is little indication from our Government as to when FCO restrictions will be lifted.  South Africa is beginning to improve again after a spike at the end of July; we hope travel will be possible by the end of the year for some much needed winter sun.  

Middle East
We have no indication as to when Oman airports will reopen for tourists.  Dubai is currently open with strict testing on arrival and departure, has limited movement outside of hotels and self-isolation requirements on returning to the UK. 

Asia
Sadly many borders in South East Asia are closed to most Foreign Nationals, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.  However on the plus side Vietnam is on the FCO exemption list so is a promising destination for Winter sun and Cambodia’s borders are open, so long as all visitors take a Covid test on arrival and if the results are negative, agree to self-isolate at their accommodation.