READ MORE ABOUT: SAN JUAN

Fascinating murals from local and international artists grace various buildings in this colourful neighbourhood, telling stories of the city’s past and present. Participants can wander beyond the street corners to visit galleries and alternative art spaces—even artists’ studios.

DISCOVERPUERTORICO.COM

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The Dominican Republic had a recent bright idea, offering a recovery plan that includes medical insurance to visitors in a bid to restart its tourism-dependent economy. Promoting “a responsible recovery that prioritizes health,” the tourism board is offering a temporary free travel assistance plan in effect until December 2020 to everyone visiting a hotel, that includes emergency coverage, COVID tests and cost coverage for a long-term stay. As well, proof of a negative test is no longer required upon entry into the country. Instead, random “quick tests” will be performed.

WHERE TO STAY: IN THE D.R.

This new Dominican travel insurance is a big deal and not without a hefty price tag: $28 million in promotion and financing, and $7 million in wooing plans to solidify air routes to and from. Let’s see how long it takes other Caribbean governments to haul a big bale of money down from the attic and follow suit.

GODOMINICANREPUBLIC.COM

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It could only be a coincidence that my friend Marisa subsequently clued me into CanaDream RV. The world is conspiring to get me behind the wheel of a trailer it seems (the jury is still out).

Now that practically everyone is posting Facebook pictures of themselves kayaking and rafting and roaming the roads, it seems only natural to add an RV to the mix. CanaDream is one of the largest RV rental companies in Canada. The fleet is more than 1,000 strong, and you can rent from locations in Vancouver, Whitehorse, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. There are various size categories—sleeping two to six people—from super-manageable like this one in the picture to “driving the living room around” size. Whichever, you’re never more than a few feet away from bed. I could really get into that.

You have the freedom to explore on your own or plug into a pre-made itinerary, such as the Yukon Explorer or the Okanagan Wine Tour. (Seriously, this idea has “wine country” written all over it.) The company also has about 1,000 campsites available to its customers, so you don’t have to fret about packed public camp grounds. (We know how busy those are going to be this year.) There’s a booking app called the CanaDream Club to help navigate all this kind of stuff.

The kicker is that you can rent an RV for just the one way, say, Toronto to Halifax, pick up and drop off. And it works out to something like under $30 a night.

Cheap family fun, quiet interlude, honeymoon, buddy trip—whatever, hit the open road, get back to nature and get out of Dodge.

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Not to be confused with Contiki Tours, the adventure travel company for young people, Kontiki Expeditions is launching this December with what they’re referring to as “neo-luxury” small-ship expeditions for the environmentally conscious. Taking only 18 guests, these wee ships will start with two eight-day itineraries, both wending along the coast of Ecuador starting and/or ending at Guayaquil and Manta, showcasing the country’s flora, food and fauna—think blue-footed boobies, sea lions and howler monkeys.

The Toquilla Expedition and The Spondylus Expedition deliver the “road” less travelled, taking in little towns and historic sites, forest and wetland, beaches and eco-reserves. Both sailings include Machalilla National Park & Beaches and Isla de la Plata.

BIG IDEA: ECUADOR INTERIOR

These 40-metre Kontiki boutique yachts have nine luxury staterooms each, a sundeck, a salon, two outdoor lounges, a bar, a Jacuzzi and a small gym. This is all watched over by 10 crew, including two local experts dedicated to sustainable travel guidelines, a local chef and a wellness professional. Sanitization and health protocols are paramount and elaborate, as you can imagine.

Kontiki Expeditions is touting sustainable, conscious marine travel, supporting the local communities the ships visit, all very authentic and beautiful. The tab is US$7,245 per person, based on double occupancy, everything included (except likely booze). Start planning.

KONTIKIEXPEDITIONS.COM/EN

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1. Pack regular stuff like Gravol for nausea and boat-motion sickness, Benadryl for allergies or colds, acetaminophen and ibuprophen for pain and inflammation. Don’t forget Imodium for diarrhea and Zantac or Nexium for heartburn.

2. Throw in some kind of sinus congestion medicine, cold/flu tablets and a box of throat lozenges. Summer colds are the worst.

3. Add After-Bite, a topical ointment for minor cuts and alcohol-based wipes for disinfecting.

4. Rehydration salts such as Gastrolyte help replenish electrolytes lost from dehydration—too much sun or working in the garden or just plain-old vomiting.

5. Include various sizes of adhesive bandages and scissors and tape.

6. Now for the prescriptions. Vigamox eye drops take care of eye infections in case you’re one of those scratchy eye people. You know the song: Don’t put your fingers in your eyes or in your bum.

7. Fucidin ointment is a topical for cuts, burns, skin infections, that kinda thing. And Keflex is for severe skin infections that do not respond to Fucidin.

8. Nizoral cream is handy if you’re prone to athlete’s foot. Don’t buy the dandruff shampoo by mistake like I did.

9. Tylenol 3 is for extreme pain. There was a rumour they created a Tylenol 4 once, for Elizabeth Taylor, but I think this was just ’80s gossip.

10. Zithromax is also an antibiotic treatment, used for ear-throat-bronchial-sinus-lung infections.

Don’t forget your vitamins!

HOW-TO: MAKE A CASH ACCORDIAN

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GAdventures is introducing Virtual Travel Experiences: live, small-group tours that you sign up for and put on the calendar, like a travel webinar.

Launched in late April, the weekly series sees you and 15 others going on a cross-city or cross-country virtual tour with one of the company’s local CEOs—chief experience officers—hitting five locations in one hour. Using Google Maps and photos, the guides walk participants around the place and share insider intel and travel tips for your #travelbackpocket. Observers are able to follow along on the trip without joining the group.

Florence was April’s first journey. The next stop is Argentina and Chile May 12. Maybe that link will take you somewhere current if you’re clicking through after the fact. Keep an eye out for Antigua, Cape Town and Hanoi. With input from travellers, GAdventures will continue to add elements and destinations to the list.

If pandemic stress is catching up with you, these virtual walking tours can help your mind wander while your partner makes the bucket list.

MORE GADVENTURES: IN ECUADOR

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Keep them handy for the next time you visit. There’s nothing like the feel of foreign money (from your local exchange, never the bank) to get you fired up to go somewhere.

It’s never a bad idea to arrive in another country with a little bit of the local currency already in your pocket, so you’ll have cash for a cab or a coffee or whatever. Searching for an airport bank machine when you’re tired and cranky is never a good idea. What if there isn’t one?

You can buy these at Staples. Feel free to lump cash into groups, like Eastern or Western Caribbean or Non-Euro Europe or however you need. I also throw transit cards like my Oyster card in here. You can also include things like the business card of that taxi driver in Cuba you liked.

Foreign cash also makes a nice present. I’ll throw Australian dollars in a card and give it to someone I know who is going there, and tell them to buy a round on me. It also makes an easy wedding present if the happy couple are actually honeymooning and you know where in advance. I’ve gotten a million kicks out of slipping the best man an envelope at weddings and telling him what’s inside.

Your new accordion will put a big smile on your face when you realize you have £200 in your wallet before you leave for Heathrow. Another day.

HOW TO: BE A BETTER TRAVEL COMPANION

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The lodge turned what was a yoga studio into an extension of their already great spa, creating a nail bar on the main floor without skimping on the bar part. We sat down in our white robes for a chin-wag with the ladies and manicures, popping the baby Moëts, which lasted longer than anticipated. (Not sure why I held back.)

READ MORE ABOUT: NITA LAKE LODGE

With views of the lake and loads of natural wood detail, the nail bar is a stunner. This is also where they’re doing other champagne-forward treatments, not just pedicures but facials, including a hydrafacial. And when you’re done, you pop out to the heated pool and hot tubs for a soak and/or more Moët from the adjacent Cure Lounge. Put this resort and this particular treat on your list for when they open back up. The lodge and Whistler itself, for that matter, is a year-round delight.

I’m sure all the boys at Whistler Pride & Ski  really appreciated our attention to detail.

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Last time I looked (two minutes ago), the Dior and Rimowa cabin spinner with the gradient blue emblem design was still $4,100, but a guy can dream.

HOW TO: MICROCHIP YOUR BAG

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I’m currently advising people not to book anything that doesn’t come with a refund or some kind of financial safety net. The ski people are already being smart about next season, offering free insurance. But winging it or waiting it out or worrying about it, here are a few givens.

Get ready for deals. Prices generally have dropped in the past when things like civil unrest or terrorism or acts of god scare people away. This will be no different. Airlines, hotels and tour companies will need to start making money fast, and will tempt those sitting on the fence with bargain-basement pricing.

Snooze and lose. Said deals won’t last long. In order to gain back all the money travel companies have lost during the pandemic, especially the airlines, they will need to jack prices at some point soon after the big-deal phase. There will be fewer business passengers, who will be Zooming well into 2021 and beyond, now that the boss has seen how efficient and economical the virtual meeting is. And fewer people in seats means heftier prices. One other thing that will most likely drive fares up, especially in Canada, is the lack of competition—some airlines will not survive or will not be flying in or out of Canada as much.

Gas up the car. Motor travel will rise. I see this first-hand already, as magazines I work with are asking for domestic or weekend-away stories, nothing too far-flung. Your own back yard will look better to people for quite some time, literally (in a hammock) and figuratively (a drive to the country manor spa).

Hotels will be cheap. Competition for the people who actually are travelling will be cutthroat, which will keep hotel prices low.

Stay financially safe. As mentioned off the top, refunds or credit notes of some kind will be essential. Should another crisis botch plans before or during a trip, those who booked everything themselves will be at a disadvantage in terms of getting money back—or getting home if stranded.

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