Travel like a Pro Even in These Uncertain Times
There are currently three types of Singaporeans: those with valid passports, those in the long queue waiting for their passports to be renewed, and those who are holding out instead of joining said queue. Which, pre-pandemic, was rare to even hear about. Singaporeans with expired passports? We love travelling, even if it’s just across the Causeway for a weekend getaway!
With travel lanes opening and mandatory PCR tests slowly being a thing of the past, you might be looking forward to your first trip overseas in at least two years. Whether you’re planning to visit the Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park (which opened recently in February), or skipping over to Turkey (now called Türkiye), here are six quick tips on how you can travel safely, considering that COVID-19 is still circulating in communities worldwide.
1. Seek Clearance from Your Doctor
If you’ve got any medical conditions, speak to your doctor to get the green light before booking your trip. After your trip is confirmed, take additional safety precautions by compiling a list of medical service providers to contact in case of emergencies. Ask your doctor if they know of any doctors, clinics or hospitals whom they trust in your destination city. Being over-prepared is a good thing—you never know when you’ll need this information.
2. Consider Destinations with Robust Health and Safety Protocols
You might think that it’s cool to flex how little your trip cost because of some savvy money-saving choices you made. Extra points if your destination isn’t only cheap, but also fun and exciting!
However, since the coronavirus and its variants are still circulating, now isn’t the time to prioritise low-budget travelling. Instead, it’s worth considering how different countries are managing the outbreak in their communities and what their caseloads are like.
If you don’t feel safe or confident about visiting a city because of their lax measures, you may end up feeling anxious as you go about sightseeing or visiting attractions. Ultimately, this may dampen your holiday experience, which we reckon makes the money and time spent travelling less worth it.
3. Don’t Skip Buying Travel Insurance
Travelling during a pandemic is fraught with risks and what-ifs. What if you test positive for COVID-19 and find yourself having to cancel your pre-paid tour packages and attraction fees? What if it means visiting a foreign doctor and paying extra for accommodation from having to extend your stay until you’re cleared to fly home?
Specific COVID-19 travel insurance policies can cover your expenses should you need to cancel, shorten or extend your trip due to COVID-19 related developments or quarantine requirements. To be safe, definitely buy travel insurance before you depart. Even if COVID-19 weren’t a thing, it pays to be covered, so you aren’t surprised by additional costs brought on by lost luggage, injuries and other emergencies.
4. Continue Observing Safe Distancing and Keep Your Guard Up
Although over 90 percent of Singaporeans have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and over 1 million of us have been infected at some point and gained natural immunity, it doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. As a traveller, continue to observe safety precautions such as:
- Wearing your mask in crowded places
- Bringing hand sanitiser everywhere you go
- Avoiding high traffic areas as much as possible
- Keeping your hands off high contact areas
- Practising good personal hygiene
When deciding which masks to pack into your luggage, leave your fashionable ones at home and go for high-quality, medical-grade masks for your trip. Aim for one with high filtration (at least 99.5 percent) for better protection.
5. Bring ART Kits, a Thermometer and Basic Over-the-Counter Medicines
Other than the basic over-the-counter medicines that travellers typically pack, do also bring along ART kits and a thermometer for your trip.
If you experience symptoms that may signal a COVID-19 infection, it’s best to confirm it through an ART kit immediately. Then you can quickly isolate yourself from other travel companions before accidentally infecting them.
To avoid having to seek out a pharmacy in your destination, be sure to include paracetamol, tablets for a runny nose and lozenges to ease any discomfort.
6. Choose Contactless Payments As Much As Possible
With digital payments on the rise, plan to pay for your bills through contactless payments where available to reduce direct physical contact with cashiers and salespeople. Contactless payment options include Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit Pay, Visa payWave and any other similar services where you simply tap your device, mobile phone or credit card to the shop’s point-of-sale system to complete your payment.
Research in advance the popular payment methods accepted in your destination country so that you can arrive prepared. You should also set up alerts with your bank so that you’re notified each time your card is used, in case of suspicious transactions.
Renew Your Wanderlust with These Top Travel Reads!
If you’re still looking to play it safe, sate your wanderlust or get some travel inspiration from our selection of travel guides on Overdrive and these popular, well-loved travel-related books from the NLB catalogue:
From left to right:
The Digital Nomad Handbook — Lonely Planet | eBook
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide — Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever | Physical Copy, eBook, Audiobook
Nowhere for Very Long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life — Brianna Madia | eBook, Audiobook
Grand Adventures — Alastair Humphreys | eBook
