Whether it’s a luxury wellness retreat, a foodie tour of a foreign market, or jetting off to a private island, our travel ideas for 2021 now feel destined for the ‘pipe dream’ pile.
However, amidst new waves of travel hiatuses, restrictions and continued uncertainty, our innate human desire to wander hadn’t been dampened. Indeed, there are so many destinations we can’t wait to visit once this thing is all over, if they’ll have us.
Yep, as soon as the all clear is given, we’re filling up that calendar with flights of fancy and trips far flung, whenever that may be. But one thing that is for certain is this; we’ll never take travel for granted again. If you’re keen to savour every moment, too, then read on; here are 7 IDEAL post lockdown travel resolutions we should all be making.
EXPLORE THE UK’S UNIQUE FOOD SCENE MORE
Disclaimer – we’re not just including this resolution because we can’t travel abroad right now, but rather, because lockdown has illuminated just how much the UK has to offer.
Maybe it was Rick Stein’s Cornwall series that played over lockdown which saw him championing the food and culture of the county. Maybe it was endless episodes of the Hairy Bikers Best of British, where the cheeky chaps explored our woodlands and markets. Or perhaps it was Nadiya’s British Food Adventure, which saw her travel the breadth of the nation, from Wales to the West Country, London to Land’s End and beyond.
Over lockdown, we’ve seen just how much Britain has to offer, particularly the incredible, surprisingly diverse food scene. These food travelogues are all ‘achievable dreams’, and at times almost felt like a government campaign to paint the UK in its best light. It worked!
So, we’re going to use our forthcoming freedom to spend more weekends away in the UK, eating and imbibing, instead of just slopping out on the sofa at home, doing the same old thing.
EXPLORE YOUR CITY
Taking things even more micro, we’re also pledging to really get under the skin of the city we call home. There are so many Londoners who have never enjoyed the canals of Hackney Wick or enjoyed a pastrami bagel on Brick Lane. Brightonions abound who haven’t enjoyed Hove Lagoon or walked to the Marina. We suspect there are Glaswegians out there who haven’t frolicked in Pollok Country Park.
Who needs a flight to experience something exciting, exotic and new? It’s time to be a tourist in our own cities, instead.
WORKCATIONS
Working remotely has become the norm during the pandemic, and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. A knock-on effect, we think, is that people will look to take longer trips in the future that more effectively combine work and pleasure.
And this is a travel trend we’re going to try and embrace. Once the drawbridge is lowered, why not extend your vacation experience by staying an extra few days either side of those weekends away or booking longer vacations abroad, with your laptop packed and primed for some remote working?
This means having time in the morning for an exploratory walk, lunchtime to try a local delicacy and the evening to explore the area and dance at a local bar. Sounds like heaven to us; just mind that hangover for your 9am Zoom conference!
TRAVEL TO SEE & FAMILY & FRIENDS
Once upon a time, we would have given anything to have an undisturbed weekend at home. It gave us joy to see the calendar blank and dormant. Indeed, sometimes travelling felt daunting when there was a house to be cleaned, shirts to iron and batch cooking for the week ahead to get made. However, so much time spent in our own homes and away from our loved ones has given birth to adjusted priorities, and never again will we turn down a trip to the pub, a weekend with the family, or a walk with an old friend. Bring it on, we say!
EMBRACE MINDFUL TRAVEL & ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS
The pandemic has slowed everything down, make no mistake. As we learn to live with the consequences of the pandemic in 2021 and beyond, we’re keen to embrace a new and stripped-back way of experiencing the world.
We’re making it our resolution to carry over this new found slower pace of life into our future travels. Mindful travel is all about being present for the experiences you have while travelling, opening yourself up to novelty without worrying about work or chores lurking back at home. Suitcase magazine writes ‘The most important step for a mindful vacation is to be present, to disconnect and find joy in simple things”, and we couldn’t agree more.
For us, mindful travel is also about learning more about the destinations we’re travelling, too. It’s so easy to jet off for a weekend away or longer and not really get familiar with the country you’re in, but by investing your time in an intimate tour or a class, you give yourself the chance to make lasting friendships with locals along the way. And that’s what it’s all about, right?
TRAVEL WITH SUSTAINABILITY
Since we’ve all been stuck at home, pollution levels have dropped and skies have felt clearer. Although the extent of a planet in bounce-back mode might have been exaggerated – dolphins have not been swimming in Venice’s canals, for instance – we can’t ignore the fact that the natural world felt like it was thriving without our heavy footprint.
Holidays, trips and adventures after COVID all give us the chance to travel better. By this we don’t mean flying first class or floating around the Mediterranean on a luxury yacht. Rather, we mean travelling with a sustainable mindset.
This is all about being mindful about minimising your waste at every step of the journey; everything from downloading your boarding pass instead of printing it, all the way to choosing hotels that are actively trying to reduce their waste.
Go further, and prioritise sustainable travel products and more environmentally friendly modes of transport to offset your carbon footprint. All these small changes make a huge difference to the planet, and to deploy an overused but succinct quote: ’Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints behind’. Or, perhaps ‘love the farm, leave no trace’…hang on, that’s Glastonbury. Anyway…
JUST SAY YES
Do you want to go to on a road trip? Say yes. Do you want to head to a theme park to scream your lungs out on the rides? Say yes. Do you want to hop on the next ferry to, well, anywhere? Just say yes!
COVID has taught us that life is short: it’s time to say yes and do the things you want to do! We’ll see you at the airport? Or rather, we’ll see you on the electric bus.