While we're all locked down and dealing with staying within the confines of our homes, we thought we'd send you some ideas and inspiration for when you can spread your wings again.
The current corona-virus outbreak, tough as it is for everyone, won't last forever and there remains an exciting world out there to discover and explore. During the next couple of months we'll be highlighting some of our different destinations. You can also feel relaxed in booking a new holiday with us, with the relaxed new terms and conditions that we have put in place.
We hope that the crisis we're currently in will be a thing of the past very soon and that travellers will begin exploring the world once more in 2021.
If you're a health worker, we're giving you 15% off all our 2021 departures, to say thank you for leading from the front in the fight against COVID-19.
No fee for date changes made up to 14 days prior to departure. 100% of your payment will be credited towards your new booking - you'd just need to cover any difference in the price on the new date. Only deposits retained for cancellations made up to 14 days before departure (instead of 56).
No fee for date changes made up to 28 days prior to departure. 100% of your payment credited to your new booking - again just cover any price difference for the new date. Only deposits retained for cancellations made up to 28 days before departure.
Any re-scheduled bookings would not need to travel until 31st December 2022
If flights are purchased as part of the package, then any changes made will be subject to options and fees available from your airline.
We'll also share some stories and messages from our team, both from those in our sales team who help you before you travel, plus from some of our guides and partners on the ground who will pass on stories of how their local lock-downs are affecting their lives there.
Needless to say they are all looking forward to the situation improving and tourists being able to visit their destinations again. We wish all our past and future traveller's good health and security during these difficult times.
I moved to Portugal last semester to start a Masters in Tourism, but Australia is my home.
Before the lockdown, I came back to Australia to see my fiancé and because travelling overseas became quite hard so suddenly, I decided to stay in Australia until everything calms down in Europe. I have different working hours now, and because of the time difference I tend to work in the evenings which is when my colleagues are working from home in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
My classes are now being held online, so I can still attend them.
I am trying to stay home as much as I can and am following the Australian government advice to stop the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. I go grocery shopping once a week and go for a walk in the park not more than twice a week.
I can't wait to start travelling again once this crisis has passed! I'm looking forward to visiting Egypt, a country with so much history, amazing culture and nice people.
I want to spend some extra time at the Egyptian Museum to be able to see the Mummy Room, I want to visit the fascinating temple of Abu Simbel since I didn't have a chance to during my first time in the country and I'd also like to visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor - this is my favourite destination in the country because there we get to see the underground mausoleums built thousands of years ago but yet so well-conserved.
Egyptian food is delicious! I've been dreaming of a big traditional Egyptian breakfast, with fresh fruit juice, Egyptian falafel (Ta'meya) and some typical flat bread. The best Egyptian dish in my option though is Koshari - a mix of macaroni, rice, lentils, chickpeas, fried onion and tomato sauce.
In Egypt, I would love to watch the sound and light show at the Pyramids in Giza (I am sure it will be amazing to see the Pyramids lit at night), go for a swim in the Nile and spend the afternoon watching the world go by from a felucca sailboat, fly on a hot air balloon at sunrise in Luxor and go snorkelling with hundreds of fish in the Red Sea.
Working from home for me has a lot of benefits, however, the fact that I am not allowed to take a drive after work to a favourite hill nearby, to view the sunset, frustrates me more than I expected it would.
My parents are about 12 kilometers away, yet I can't go to them and phone calls are our means of staying in touch.
I actually had a bucket list trip planned to Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand from the 22nd May to 6th June 2020.
This was of course affected by the travel restrictions and I had (and still have) first hand experience with the exact issues our customers have been experiencing where many airlines offer travel vouchers instead of monetary refunds, and being unable to reach the airline call centre myself.
This trip was planned and beautified two years ago, the internal flights were bought and I was set to pack for a great adventure including an overnight train in Vietnam, the magical Halong Bay, James Bond beach in Thailand and the view of thousands of temples in Myanmar.
I was looking forward to delicious Thai food, vibrant street markets in Hanoi and sweet rice for breakfast in Myanmar.