Afaranwide

NEWSLETTER 49: May 2020

Dear , thanks for your interest in the Afaranwide travel blog.

Thanks for Your Support!

Afaranwide is celebrating its first anniversary! And what a year it’s been – at first for those of us who live in Hong Kong as our lives were disrupted by months of protests, and then for the whole world as the coronavirus crisis spread misery and sorrow. We never dreamed when we launched our travel blog in April 2019 that just a year later no one would be travelling.

We hope that the restrictions on flying and the other anti-coronavirus measures will help to keep us safe, and that soon life will return to normal for everyone. And that includes being able to travel. Our love of travel and belief in the importance of meeting different peoples and experiencing  different cultures has increased still further during this time when it has not been possible.

We’d like to say a special thank you to our loyal and valued newsletter subscribers. You’ve been with us during the past year as we’ve published more than 100 pages and posts (if you’re not sure what the difference is, check out our guide to building a website). We’ve attracted many thousands of readers in more than 100 countries. And we’ve written about a large number of places and subjects.

We’ve covered the US, China, the UK, France, Australia, India, Japan, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Macau, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. We’ve visited the world’s best restaurant, super-luxury hotels, and the tallest buildings on Earth – and sampled bugs and grubs at street stalls.

We’ve reported on green travel, wildlife, and iconic movie locations, including Alcatraz, above. We’ve looked at the impact of Hong Kong’s protests on the city’s tourism industry. And, as the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear, we’ve published virtual travels guides for those who're self-isolating at home.

There’s a saying we came across when we lived in Beijing: “May you live in interesting times”. It sounds like a kind thought, but in fact it’s the opposite – an ironic curse, a hope that you experience only disruption and chaos. We’ve all had our share of that, so let’s hope the coming year is a lot brighter.

The Social Distancing Season

A recent post looks at the pandemic’s impact on the great sporting and other events that make up the UK’s traditional summer social season. The likes of Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, Glorious Goodwood and the Lord’s Test normally attract huge crowds, and some date back centuries. Their cancellation or postponement is obviously not significant in the current context, but still, sport plays an important part in many people’s lives.

Here’s what Professor Jonathan Grix of Manchester Metropolitan University has to say about this: “In the unprecedented situation of self-isolation and social distancing brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the loss of sport could add to a decline in the mental health of many fans.” We’re updating our social season post regularly as the situation develops, and we’re suggesting virtual ways to enjoy events that have been cancelled. READ MORE

Let the Games Begin… in October

We’re pleased that one of our favourite events in France is still set to go ahead. The Great Roman Games, a spectacular reenactment of gladiator fights and iconic scenes from ancient history, would normally be happening this weekend. The event – staged in the Arena of Nimes, a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre in the south of the country – has been postponed until October. READ MORE, and WATCH our video about the games.

Stay at Home, Travel the World

Latest Correspondent Magazine

Afaranwide’s Sue Brattle is the editor of The Correspondent, the magazine of Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents' Club. The latest issue looks at the COVID-19 pandemic – from an account by a young journalist locked down in China, to the light-hearted meanderings of someone working from home. For a good read, CLICK HERE.

Time to Hold Steady

There are small signs here in Hong Kong that we may be easing out of COVID-19’s grip. We’ve never had a lockdown, but bars are shut (mostly) and restaurants have cut their capacity by 50 per cent. A few “meal deals” make no sense; we can’t gather in groups of more than four, yet there are discounts for families – which in this culture includes grandma and grandpa.

I can’t imagine who wants to book into a hotel for a staycation right now, however cheap it is, but chains here are advertising them. With an almost 99 per cent drop in tourist arrivals in March, it's not surprising that two new hotel openings have been postponed, and many other hotels are closing off rooms for "renovation" work. Happily, the borders with mainland China are, on the whole, going to remain closed until June 7. Hong Kong has done really well in its fight against the virus and now is the time to hold steady. Bad news for the travel industry, but good news for commonsense. – SB

READ MORE about how the coronavirus is affecting Hong Kong.

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