A veteran Queensland travel agent is warning of a looming “supply crunch” as agents struggle to meet the demand from the high number of people planning an overseas holiday.
Key points:
Main Beach Travel principal Mike Dwyer says one in three agencies have closed their doors since the COVID-19 pandemic hit
Mr Dwyer says half of his incoming calls are from travellers who are stranded overseas
Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills says he’s expecting a trickle and not a flood of international travellers to arrive on the Gold Coast
From 1am today, quarantine-free international travel into Queensland for fully vaccinated people resumed.
Travellers will not have to quarantine, provided they are fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) result within 24 hours of entering the country.
The principal of Main Beach Travel on the Gold Coast, Mike Dwyer, said one in three travel agencies had closed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.
“We’re already struggling to service existing demand which is really just the tip of the iceberg.”
The industry veteran said people who wanted to travel overseas needed to start thinking about it sooner rather than later.
“About half of our incoming calls are from travellers who are stranded overseas needing help to reorganise their flights home,” Mr Dwyer said.
Mike Dwyer is concerned there’s a looming shortage of agents to service overseas travellers.(Supplied: Mike Dwyer)
“I am really concerned about our industry and the lack of travel agencies and the lack of support for the industry.
“As the demand ramps up, we are going to hit a supply crunch, because there’s not enough agents to help people make their plans.”
Mr Dwyer opened his business in 2000 and said his focus is on servicing outbound travellers.
“Aussies have always been great travellers and many people have had their plans cancelled over the last two years.
“There’s lots of people with family in Europe who they haven’t seen for two years.”
The travel business owner said quarantine-free travel would now give more people the confidence to book a holiday.
Mr Dwyer says one in three agencies closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)
“One of the biggest impediments for travelling overseas has been the fear of coming home and quarantining for two weeks,” he said.
“Removing that restriction makes it a lot better for people wanting to get overseas.
“I think people have lost faith in the consistency of the rules so there will be a lot of nervousness still.”
Logistical challenges
Mr Dwyer said COVID-related challenges meant more people were choosing to book through a travel agent rather than handle the bookings themselves.
“Every country has its own set of rules and regulations.
“On top of that, the airlines have specific requirements about being tested either 24 or 48 hours before a flight.”
Chris Mills says it could take months for airlines to restore international connections. (AAP: James Ross)
Inbound travel
When it comes to inbound travel, the chief executive of Queensland Airports, Chris Mills, said he was expecting a trickle, and not a flood, of international travellers to arrive in tourist destinations including the Gold Coast.
“What we’re expecting [is] from February onwards; we’re working with the airlines to get them back on restoring connections with countries that are in pretty good shape.”
Mr Mills said countries including New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and South Korea would be prioritised.
WINNIPEG —
The last of Manitoba’s travel and fire restrictions are being lifted thanks to the recent rainy weather.
In a release on Tuesday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service said the last restrictions which had been in place in Area 4 are being lifted at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 25.
“Manitobans are reminded there are still some areas where the risk of wildfire may still exist even after the rain, therefore caution is required,” the province said in a release.
Manitobans in this area will once again be able to get burning permits through local or regional Manitoba Conservation and Climate offices. The province said campfires are permitted only in approved pits.
All trails in provincial parks have been reopened.
The province said as of Monday, 115 fires were burning in the province. Of these fires, 10 are out of control, four fires are being held, and 11 are under control. There are 81 fires that are being monitored by the province.
The largest of Manitoba’s out-of-control fires is more than 10,800 hectares in size. The fire is burning near the Bloodvein First Nation, and has been since July 16.
Manitobans are reminded to check with local municipal offices for more information about burning restrictions, as many municipalities have implemented their own restrictions. More information can be found online.
Manitobans can report a wildfire by calling 911 or the toll-free tip line at 1-800-782-0076.
See the world without breaking the bank . . .at least too much. Welcome to MojoTravels, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Budget Destinations in 2020.
For this list, we’re looking at a variety of destinations from around the globe that are at least somewhat affordable and offer unique cultural experiences, natural wonders and plenty of opportunities to make memories that will last a lifetime.
We’re obviously aware of and deeply concerned about the global pandemic, and are choosing carefully what to publish as forms of escapism and entertainment to help ease thoughts of anxiety, and provide an alternative from the news. We are obviously NOT encouraging anyone to travel now or discouraging social distancing.
Where should you travel next year?
#Travel #Top10 #Travel2021
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Few things scream summer more than strawberries and cream – and with DIY picking now in full swing (with social distancing measures in place), we want to hear about your favourite farms for filling your punnet.
Whether it’s strawberries, raspberries, cherries, rhubarb, blackberries – or anything else that’s in season, tell us where you love for a bit of pick-your-own and why. We promise not to tell if you follow the “one for the basket, two for me” technique!
If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judgedfor the competition.
Keep your tip to about 100 words
The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet, will win a £200 voucher to stay at a Sawday’s property – the company has more than 3,000 in the UK and Europe. The best tips will appear on the Guardian Travel website, and maybe in the paper, too.
We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.
Winning tip: A zen Christmas with disco karaoke, Japan
One Christmas, I went to a zen meditation retreat in Oita, on the southernmost Kyushu island, because I was feeling very burned out. The meditation retreat, as you would imagine, was pretty relaxed and the resident monk and I got along very well. Oita is famous for its fugu – the poisonous puffer fish – and for Christmas dinner, I took the only other person at the retreat and the monk into the city for a fugu feast. After a visit to a karaoke bar where we sang I Will Survive, the three of us rounded our Christmas off at a whisky bar before riding the train back to the temple to meditate before bed. Best Christmas ever! Sarah Martin
Festive fireworks on the beach, Bangkok
Beach at Ko Chang, Thailand
In Bangkok over Christmas, we decided to head to the island of Ko Chang. A five-hour drive was livened up by the karaoke machine in the back of the taxi. Our hotel’s attempt at roast turkey – served beachside – was not a great success. Fireworks and dancing at the Sabay Bar on White Sand beach that night were more like it. And splashing out on a speedboat back to the mainland on Boxing Day was a fun end to the trip. David Hall
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Guardian Travel readers’ tips
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage
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The belénes of Granada, Spain
Alhambra, Granada. Photograph: Alamy
Arriving late by bus, still wearing ski gear, we trundled our cabin bags over the cobbles in search of our rented apartment in the heart of medieval Granada. It was Christmas Eve. Everyone was out: drinking cava, sharing tapas or queuing to see the belénes, the nativity scenes set up in all the plazas. We went to midnight mass in the Cathedral, and on Christmas morning, climbed up to the viewpoint at the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter. From there, the Alhambra looked sublime against its backdrop of snow-capped peaks, the same mountains we had skied down just the day before. Helen Barnes
Romance on the 102nd floor, New York
Moonrise in New York City. Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
New York, 2009. Baggage handlers kindly mislaid our luggage, making our engagement more problematic than I’d have liked, but the snow and the scenery and the gasp of “really?” when I popped the question atop the Empire State Building on Christmas morning, followed by a Christmas dinner of burgers in the Diamond District, more than made up for it. There really is no other place like it, certainly not at Christmas. Visiting the Plaza, Radio City Music Hall, taking a horse ride through Central Park – they all sound like cliches but were simply magical moments we’d recommend everyone experience. We spent a lot on phone calls to the airline, but who cares? Jonathan Greenbank
A bushveld feast, South Africa
Olifants River seen from Olifants camp, Kruger national park. Photograph: Alamy
We had a family holiday at Shimuweni, a remote bushveld camp down a small dirt track in the Kruger national park, self-catering. After a day of drizzle we spent an hour trying to extract ourselves from the mud before sundown. No Christmas dinner has ever been quite such fun as a spatchcocked chicken masquerading as a turkey, green peppers (the only greens in the camp shop) as sprouts, baked potatoes cooked direct in the embers and some barbecued pineapple for pudding. Having hidden tinsel and a few tiny gifts in our hand luggage the whole trip, pulling them out to my parents’ utter surprise was entirely worth it. Sophie
Retreading the missionary path, India
For Christmas in 2016, my family and I went on a trip to southern India to see where my mum spent six years of her childhood in the 60s when her dad was a missionary. It was a fascinating trip and surprisingly Christmassy in a weird and wonderful way – a whole cooked turkey with the head and neck still on, anyone? At the Christmas Day church service Mum bumped into a friend who she used to play with when she was a child, and we swam in the sea at Kovalam beach just as she did with her family all those years ago. Alex Robinson
A wondrous walk, Jordan
Photograph: Andre Pain/EPA
Our twist on Christmas was set in Jordan and began with a sleepless night on Christmas Eve in a wind-battered tent – although “tent” was a loose term for the patchy tarpaulins we used for shelter, and a structural collapse occurred at 3am. Despite the mishaps, Christmas morning began in style with a sip of prosecco and a bite of Mum’s homemade Christmas cake for all. Once clad in festive antlers, we set off on a walk through the mountains to the majestic monastery in Petra. Festive greetings from home and an unusual Christmas dinner, consisting of a cucumber, an orange and flatbread, rounded off a brilliant Christmas Day in one of the wonders of the world. Rhian Thomas
An alternative white Christmas, Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni. Photograph: Aizar Raldes/Getty Images
My most unusual Christmas Day was on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia – white, but salt, not snow. We visited the Salt Hotel, then drove over packed salt to walk on a island with weird cactuses everywhere. Then it was on to a very basic hostel – no electricity (cold showers) and unisex dorms with cast-iron bunk beds – for a dinner of spag bol reheated over a gas cylinder burner and carols by candlelight. After a short night, Boxing Day saw us visiting the amazing Sol de Mañana geysers before heading to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, which was like a wild west film set. Micki Hobbs
Viennese whirlwind, Austria
Photograph: Tolga Ildun/Alamy
With no plans on Christmas morning we searched for an impromptu mini-break and chose three nights in Vienna, departing Stansted at 8pm. No traffic, no queues, last train into the city, and a taxi around the Ringstrasse – illuminated golden bright on a silent night – for chocolate in bed as the clock struck midnight. Cafe Hawelka, Wiener wurst, Christmas markets, ice skating, Belvedere Museum Klimts, the ferris wheel at Prater, feeling giggly after gluhwein, looking for the Third Man aboard a clanking tram … Vienna simply dazzles at Christmas. Sometimes the unexpected presents are the best. Sonia Marshall
Mastering the haka, New Zealand
Piha beach and Lion Rock at sunset, New Zealand Photograph: Andrew Watson/Getty Images
Taking part in a local haka contest – and winning it – on Christmas Day on a New Zealand beach was the last thing I expected to do during my backpacking trip around the world. While sunbathing on Piha beach near Lion Rock, just outside Auckland, I was invited to learn the ceremonial dance so decided to go for it along with several other tourists. My terrific trainer, Ari (whose name apparently means Lion of God), should take all the credit for my prize – a large live sheep and a Māori tattoo on my shoulder. Strictly Come Dancing it certainly wasn’t, but a Christmas with a difference it sure was. Greta Cooper
Summer stories is 9Honey’s latest series where Nine reporters reflect on their favourite holiday memories over the years.
9News Brisbane Reporter Alison Ariotti’s advice for new parents travelling with children is simple: “You have to halve the expectations and double the amount of time it takes to do anything.”
The mum of three learnt the lesson the long way during her first overseas trip to Hawaii.
“You have to halve the expectations and double the amount of time it takes to do anything.” (Supplied)
During a summer holiday in January last year, Ariotti gave her kids the dream holiday of their young lifetime — a stay at the Disney report, filled with entertainment activities, water slides and visits from their favourite cartoon characters.
“It was everything you needed for a family and they had the most beautiful time,” Ariotti tells 9Honey.
“But of course, it wasn’t without it’s disaster moments.”
Ariotti, husband Gerry, and their three children aged five, three and six months during the trip, decided to embark on a half-day long catamaran trip around the coast of Hawaii.
“It was my husband and middle child’s birthday and it sounded so good in theory — turns out, it wasn’t the smartest of ideas.”
Within moments of setting foot onto the vessel, Arriotti discovered her eldest child suffers from severe seasickness, forcing her to remain stationary and curled up below deck during the entire ride.
Between managing one sick child, a baby in a carrier and another child, Ariotti and her husband were surrounded by a crowd that consisted of backpackers and people in bikinis knocking back champagne.
“It probably wasn’t the best moment or idea, but we got some hilarious photos of it.”
When the shores settled and the family were back on land, Ariotti was determined to make sure her husband’s birthday wish of surfing on Waikiki’s spectacular beaches came true.
Within moments of setting foot onto the vessel, Arriotti discovered her eldest child suffers from severe seasickness. (Supplied)
“We had one night in Waikiki and after all the things we had to deal with, I wanted to make sure he got in at least one surf,” Ariotti explains.
“And right as he was about to head out, one of our kids was ready to vomit in the pool.”
The couple spent the rest of the afternoon on their final night on the tropical island looking after their daughtering and “attempting”, as Ariotti puts it, “to keep the kids entertained.”
“It was a mission to say the least,” she laughs.
“We’re so glad we made those memories, and the kids have not stopped talking about it since.” (Supplied)
While the sun set and Ariotti’s husband wasn’t able to get his single surf in on the trip, the family look back on their first overseas summer together as the “memory of a lifetime.”
“Even though it was a challenge with three children under the age of five, stuck on a plane, sick, and whatever else we dealt with, you do get a sense of real achievement when you manage to have a fun time!” Ariotti shares.
“We’re so glad we made those memories, and the kids have not stopped talking about it since.”
Our all-girls group’s plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve while camping and stargazing in Chile’s eerie Atacama Desert almost went wrong. Thanks to Jesus, it all worked out. Our tight budget led us to rent a Jeep from a backstreet car-hire firm in San Pedro. Result – a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, a friendly group of locals led by the aptly named Jesus, who had some mechanical knowledge, were also heading out to the desert and stopped to help us. Result: a shared trip, wine, food, campfires and songs in English and Spanish under the mystical Atacama skies to see out and welcome in the year in a stunning setting and with great company. Yasmin Cox
Cold night with hot music, New Orleans
‘Overrun with revellers’: the Rock’n’Bowl in New Orleans. Photograph: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
One New Year’s Eve in the early 2000s, my partner and I were housesitting a friend’s shack in New Orleans. The temperature had plunged to -5C, remarkable for Nola. Totally unprepared for this unusual cold, we put on our onesie long johns and walked to Mid-City Lanes Rock‘n’Bowl. We rented a lane, ordered po’ boys (a Louisiana sandwich) and beers, bowled, and wandered downstairs to hear legendary local singer and guitarist Snooks Eaglin (sadly no longer with us). Around 10pm, the Iguanas came onstage and the bowling lanes were overrun with revellers juggling food, drinks and kids while dancing to the Latin-tinged R&B groove music. New Year’s Eve, but just a normal night a Noo Or-lins. Donna J Hall
Out with the old, Bologna
New Year’s Eve in Bologna, when the burning of a large puppet is part of the festivities. Photograph: Getty Images
To see in 2019 we went to beautiful Bologna where there is a traditional burning of a huge effigy of a man – known as the vecchione (the old one) – in the square at midnight. This symbolises the discarding of all the bad things that happened in the old year and the welcoming in of the new. The night starts with dancing and music where people of all ages drink and enjoy life. As the clock struck 12 we hugged and the flames engulfed the wooden figure as confetti fell from the sky and balloons bounced over the crowd. Louisa Guise
A Méri old evening, France
Wooden chalet in the mountains, Méribel. Photograph: Nick Daly/Getty Images
In Méribel forNew Year’s Eve, a couple from our chalet invites us to the local bar. We are a mixed bunch; some of us in snow boots, some dressed very fashionably. The champagne flows, glasses are raised, then raised again as the mellow sounds of a saxophonist flood the room. The fire crackles, while outside the crescent moon hangs amid twinkling stars; this is paradise. Later, we head to the village square where vin chaud is served by chalet staff as we watch expert skiers descend carrying lanterns while fireworks burst above them. The hour is upon us as we gather around a tree and welcome in the new year. Perfect. Jean Broad
Wine and jive, Cape Town
Fireworks over Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. Photograph: Alamy
A sunset picnic on Table Mountain, washed down with silky-smooth Stellenbosch wines, was a great way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Cape Town at the dawn of the new millennium. As the clock ticked towards midnight, I took the cable car down to the V&A Waterfront, looking down as the mountain tops of the 12 Apostles cast their dramatic shadows over the brooding Atlantic Ocean. An all-night open-air disco carried on the fun, welcoming in the new year for a crowd of all ages and races, with the then 81-year-old Nelson Mandela appearing on the big screen from his nearby home, jiving away, to join in the celebrations. Gonca Cox
Salsa, sea lions and sculptures in San Diego
San Diego: Darth Vader and a host of stormtroopers join the annual Balloon Parade. Photograph: Alamy
The welcome sunshine was not just a bonus for me, but also for the sea lions who were basking on the jetty. The Balloon Parade was a party open to everyone, and it was a friendly family atmosphere along with plenty of salsa moves. At sunset, stunning stone sculptures were silhouetted against the skyline. Standing on the boardwalk in Seaport Village was the perfect viewpoint for the midnight fireworks and their sparkling reflections in the sea. A great way to see in the new year – and all for free. Vanessa Wright
I found Paradise, Ethiopia
Looking out on Lake Abaya from Paradise Lodge. Photograph: Grant Rooney/Alamy
One year I spent 31 December at Paradise Lodge, overlooking Ethiopia’s Lake Chamo in the south-west of the country, where the individual tukuls (round huts) could be described as primitive or charmingly rustic, depending on your take. At the gala dinner we ate berbere-spiced wats (stews) and injera, a flatbread that reminded me of foam rubber in looks and taste. The music ranged from Amy Winehouse to traditional Ethiopian tunes, and a group of Indian visitors proved funky dancers whatever the beat. Midnight arrived, along with a huge cake, poppers, streamers and more dance music. The international partying continued until the early hours when I returned to what seemed like a palatial room. Helen Jackson
Covid willing, we’ll be heading to Kyrgyzstan. It’s at that perfect point where the infrastructure supports a great travel experience, but it’s not become spoiled by tourists. Bishkek is modern and vibrant, and in the stunning rural areas it’s possible to stay with nomads living the traditional life. It’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with delicious locally sourced food. Kyrgyz community-based tourism proved an affordable way to experience the life of horse-riding nomads living in yurts, and the money goes into the community itself. Minnie Martin
Where the map takes us, Wester Ross
Evening sunlight over Achnahaird Bay, Wester Ross. Photograph: Lorraine Yates/Alamy Stock Photo
The west coast of Scotland is our wild goal. During the neverending house tidy of 2020, we found the Gairloch & Ullapool area OS map and pored over it – a bit of geography home learning for my son, who liked the wriggly contour lines and the consonant-heavy names of the lochs and mountains. We’ll take the high road to Gairloch to see orca and minke (Hebridean Whale Cruises, £64 adult, £35 child), stay in a wooden wigwam at Sands campsite (from £52pp), and walk to the beach humming the Skye boat song. Nancy Gladstone
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Island dream, Lundy
The MS Oldenburg landing on Lundy. Photograph: Backyard Production/Getty Images
My son, daughter and I have been making lists of where we want to go since the first lockdown. We’ve booked a few days on Lundy for next August in the hope that it will be safe to travel again by then. It only involves a five-hour drive to Ilfracombe, Devon, and then a couple of hours on HMS Oldenburg (which for my three-year-old boy will be the holiday made before we even get there). We’ll stay in Castle Cottage, in the keep of a castle built by Henry III in 1250. There’s nothing to do but explore cliffs, beaches and lighthouses, and look for the crashed bomber plane in the heather. And there’s no internet. Kate Attrill
All a-Twitter for York
An 800-year-old figure of Christ returned to York last year and on display at the Yorkshire Museum. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA
I’d love to go to York and visit the Yorkshire Museum as their wonderful tweets – mainly about odd or mysterious items in their collection – have kept me entertained and brought history alive this year. A pint or two in the city’s ancient pubs and a wander home to characterful lodgings would just cap a cultural visit off nicely! Liz
Mind-Boggling Whitby, North Yorkshire
Boggle Hole YHA near Robin Hood’s Bay. Photograph: Ian Bottle/Alamy
Low cost and close to home, a stay with the YHA at Boggle Hole is always a welcome relief. A converted watermill with a reception, bar and cosy sitting room complete with a log fire and leather couches, it’s in a pebbled cove overlooking the sea, with wooded cliffs on either side. Go in spring or early autumn and the prices are as low as £29 a night. Walk across the sandy beach to Robin Hoods Bay or over the jagged cliffs to Ravenscar to see the seals. Safiya El-Gindy
Golden Glasgow
Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. Photograph: Black Jake/Getty Images
I long for the wide expansiveness of Glasgow boulevards: west-facing, bathed in the golden glow of light glancing off sandstone. I long for the cobbled alleyways, armpit-piled bookshops, curiosity shops crammed with treasure; and also the glitzy, glassy, high street emporiums filled with unafforded luxuries. I long for views of the university, the Campsie Fells, the high flats, the rivers snaking through. And the tearooms, pubs, gastropubs, curry houses, Asian street food haunts, delis and restaraunts high end and greasy spoon. It’s only two hours away but has been impossibly out of reach. I long for full immersion, to be sated by all its gritty, impossibly romantic, unabashed grandeur. Fiona
Simply sublime, Cotswolds Way
The Cotswold Way at Crickley Hill. Photograph: Alamy
In 2021 I want to carry on enjoying the benefits of the simple pleasures of travelling that 2020 led us to – like walking and talking. I want to walk the Cotswolds Way from Broadway to Bath, breathing in fresh air, wondering at big skies, scanning rolling hills in the distance while getting fitter without going to gyms or swimming in chlorinated pools or using mobile apps. Its 120 miles should take about a week, staying in village pubs along the way. Travel, like life, should be about connecting reality to your imagination by inspiration, which can come in the purest, most simple of forms. Nick
Faroes football
My dream is to fulfil a Covid-delayed bucket-list trip to see the ultimate sporting underdog story, and take my football-crazy nine-year-old on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We will be travelling to see the Faroe Islands play an international match on home turf. They’re due to play Scotland on 12 October in a World Cup qualifier. Fly into the capital, Torshavn, and you can walk to the stadium. Hire a car for the full Faroes experience: it’s the bird-watching capital of Europe. Hotel Streym in Torshavn has Atlantic views and doubles from £90. John Connolly
Harvest festival with a difference, Ukraine
Harvest time on a farm near Lviv, Ukraine. Photograph: Martin Charlesworth
It will take the best part of a day and a half but here’s my plan: a few buses, some trains and a flight from my home in the Ribble valley to Ukraine, crossing the Polish border at Przemyśl. I’m expecting Lviv to be “bruised but not broken” as the Ray Davies song goes, with coffee, cake and varenyky (dumpling) culture still largely intact. I plan to go in August for the Saviour of the Apple feast, an Eastern Orthodox celebration of harvest. The reason for going is not necessarily the destination or the festival but the sweet joy of a long journey to a foreign land and interaction with strangers at long last. Martin Charlesworth
Totally ore-some, Mauritania
The iron ore train, Mauritania
For 2021, I want to travel somewhere that is remote with low population density and gives me an adrenaline rush. After a bit of research, I’ve chosen to go on the iron ore train in Mauritania. The 700km journey on a cargo train from the north of the country to the west coast takes around 34 hours. This train is among the world’s longest and heaviest and riding it is totally free. From time to time, I look at the photos and videos of the journey on the internet and instantly get goosebumps. See for yourself. It’s total madness. Venkata K C Tata
Silk Road: Samarkand to Baku
The Registan place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Photograph: Andrey Vishin/Alamy
As we enter 2021 with unbridled hope and optimism for a better year filled with limitless freedom and a vaccinated global population, never have I wanted more to return to completing my journey of the Silk Road, started in 2019. Beginning in Xi’an and Kashgar, China, I headed west to Almaty, Kazakhstan, before crossing over into Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My trip allowed just enough time to reach dazzling Samarkand in Uzbekistan. My trip ended at the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, a breathtaking marvel from which I hope to restart my adventure in 2021. My aim is to reach Tehran, from where I will return to Baku, one of my favourite cities, for a deserved cup of coffee. Scott Strachan
Mountain overload, Georgia
Kazbegi, Georgia. Photograph: Franka Hummels
I want to be overwhelmed by Georgia’s Kazbegi region again. I want to get so exhausted by marvellous hikes – where I will not meet a soul – that the next day will be spent on a balcony with a book that gets little attention because the mountains take my breath away. I will only leave that balcony to eat terrific vegetarian Georgian food, with the same view. That balcony I left and want to return to is at Rooms Hotel, where doubles go for $100 – steep by Georgian standards but worth it and not as steep as those mountain slopes. Franka Hummels
