As I write this we are heading into Lockdown 2.0. Hopefully it will only be for 4 weeks, but who knows?
I am not sure about you, but I cannot wait for this year to be over. If ever a year needed a reboot, it would most definitely be 2020. However since there is no option of doing that, the way for me to get through the next month is to remember the amazing travels I have done and to dream about what is to come.
Having not stepped outside the UK since March, which is incredibly rare for me, I am itching to get on a plane and to once again feel the sand between my toes, watch the sunrise over an epic landscape and engage with a culture other than British!
So, over the coming weeks, I will be investing time into thinking about the travels I want to take and starting to make plans for 2021 and beyond.
My first trip will definitely be a beach holiday; a couple of weeks to soak up some vitamin D and to switch off from the “C” word. I will be avoiding large hotels and opting for either a private island retreat maybe in the Maldives or the Caribbean, or a stay at one of my favourite resorts in the Middle East where the accommodation consists of standalone villas with private pools. This is something I will book last minute, depending on which countries have opened up. Flexible booking policies will be key and also staying up to date with travel corridors.
There will also be some sort of family gathering (when the magic number is greater than 6) to celebrate missed birthdays and special anniversaries. This will definitely be in the UK. I have been working closely with some wonderful houses and even a Scottish Estate, which are perfect for hosting large groups. I also know some fabulous hotels for more bijou get-togethers.
Next I will be plotting an epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip. I have a few ideas I am dreaming about doing, but what about you? Is it time for an exotic sabbatical? Or have you always wanted to learn to dance the Tango in Buenos Aires? Or to discover the mystery of the Moai on remote Easter Island? May be your dream is to witness the furore of the Great Migration or to ride the Shinkansen in Japan? Or perhaps you want to get off the beaten track in the remote Himalayas? These trips always take meticulous planning, so doing the ground work early in 2021 for travel in 2022 is a sensible idea, especially since trip postponements and visitor restrictions mean availability for your favourite hotel or the best guides will be more limited than usual.
I know that in 2021 I will do my best to support this wonderful industry that I am part of. An industry that’s been on its knees since the pandemic began. I hope you will be supporting it too. Please do get in touch to discuss any travel plans you have for 2021 and beyond, whether it’s hiring a villa in Europe for the whole of the summer, planning a route to see Santa in December 2021 or cruising around Havana in a vintage Buick.