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COVID considerations
As I was reviewing the mess that is our schedule for the next year or so of Tauck trips, an additional unsettling thought came to mind.
Tauck has been doing a super job handling cancellations (a new update covering August is expected soon), refunds, re-booking, etc., generally, well in advance of our tour dates. Don't get complacent, however, it might not always be possible. The COVID 19 situation and how countries, airlines, cruise ships, tourist sites, etc. etc. handle it could change with little or no warning. Please be prepared for this eventuality and control your expectations.
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Exactly Alan, that’s how we almost got stuck in Borneo, overnight, borders were closed and we were basically told we had to get out of our hotel. It was very frightening.
"Controlling your expectations" is fine, but the prospect of suddenly finding yourself quarantined or trapped in some far-off country is downright terrifying. Having been down this road once, I believe government bureaucrats will now be overly quick to react and over-respond to any real or "perceived" Covid recurrence. The unpleasant reality is that travel for the foreseeable future will be fraught with major challenges and risks.
Of course all this supports Tauck's exercise of caution.
When trips do start going again, it will be interesting to see how they roll out. My guess is that some, like trips in the USA, will begin sooner and some will be canceled for a long time to come. I don't see a trip to Brazil, Russia or India being a good idea any time soon.
I agree, Not only do you have to consider your own health, but also the health care system of the country in which you are traveling.
Agree on both counts, and the travel barriers - masks, temperature checks, social-distancing, limited (or no) access to museums, historical sites, etc, promises an unpleasant experience, at best.
NYT Alert: "COVID Cases are growing faster than ever around the world, driven by emerging outbreaks in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East"......Not great news, especially for "us" Egypt bound travelers. The numbers of cases is Egypt is rising, reaching 27,536 as of Tuesday.