OPINION: Yes, we do have a while to wait. But eventually, the option will be there for us to travel internationally again.
Lately I've been speaking to people about where they think they will go on their first big proper overseas holiday. Most people have come to the same crossroads as me.
There are three options:
Visit the family
If your family are across the Tasman, then it's most likely you'll meet up either here or there not long after the borders open. But for those with family on the other side of the world, there's a much bigger decision to be made.
I have a friend who since COVID-19 has had a baby here in New Zealand. For her, the decision is easy - she will travel back home to Scotland as soon as she can.
I know my mum will be keen to head back to the UK to see her parents also, and her visits to the UK have become somewhat of a mother-son bonding tradition, so it's highly likely I'll travel with her. We usually stopover somewhere like Singapore and have a couple of days to break up the long flights and to do touristy things.
For those who are less keen on racing to a family reunion straight away, there's still two other options to choose from.
Somewhere old
Many of us had cities or places that we would go back to regularly. It could be because we have friends there or we simply enjoy spending time there.
For me, there's one spot I'll find it hard to resist booking almost instantly. The rooftop bar at Mama Shelter in Hollywood is one of my favourite places to just sit and watch the world go by. There's always interesting people there, the staff are awesome, the view is great, as are the cocktails. Plus, I think a lot of people underrate Los Angeles.
There's some really cool spots such as Hermosa Beach. Despite being ten minutes from LAX, you would barely know you're in LA if it wasn't for the beach.
Just stay away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame area and you'll be fine.
Somewhere new
The other option is to go somewhere completely new. It could be somewhere that you've been researching during lockdown, or a place you've always wanted to visit. Perhaps it's time to just do it, you never know it could be your only chance.
For me, there are lists of places I'd like to visit. I wouldn't know where to start. If you also have a long list of places to go and people to see, my tip is to add one or two of them as stopovers, or additions to your final destination.
For example, when I head to the UK to see family, I'll likely do what I've done on previous trips and add on a couple of cities in Europe to the itinerary. It can often make the trip cheaper, too.
Flying in and out of Heathrow Airport adds hundreds of dollars to your airfare, so you could look at flying in and out of other major airports such as Birmingham, Manchester or some of those in mainland Europe.
Let Newshub Travel know where you will be going for your first overseas trip, and which of these categories it fits into by heading to the Newshub Travel Facebook Group.
Dan Lake is Newshub's Travel Editor.
