Updates, Penguins, Treehouses, an Epic Motorcycle Trip Around the World and Much More...

March 19, 2024

Hey,

I got sucked in again. Naturally, as restrictions around the world started to be lifted, I began researching how this will affect travel for the rest of the year.

And down a rabbit hole I went! From Tanzania's very questionable opening of its borders to Qatar Airways' very flexible new booking policy, from Japan's potential plan to pay for half of your trip to the re-opening goals of Spain, Mexico and Armenia...I've spent a significant amount of time reading about all the new rules, phases and stages put in place in every corner of the world.

Of course, after all the reading, the conclusion is that this is still a mess and there's simply no way to predict, with any accuracy, what the next few months shall bring.

Here in Bali they're talking about opening back up to tourism by October. And without tourism, airlines aren't going to fly here. So, who knows how long my stay on this island will be in the end!

The colors of Bali do continue to put a smile on my face every time I step outside!

Some Things I Did This Week...

I started to use Todoist to keep organized and so far it's the best system I've found for creating and keeping track of online to-do lists.
This beautifully-created virtual journey through the Andes Mountains popped into my inbox and the photos alone had me hooked.
Then I stumbled upon a cool TedX talk by Graham Shaw who claims that anyone can draw...and after 10 minutes of watching, turns out he was right!
I also re-read Kurt Vonnegut's excellent 8 tips for writing a great story.

Here's the rest of this week's travel email...

Swim with Penguins

Boulders Beach, in Cape Town, is one of the only place on Earth where you can effortlessly swim with penguins.

Drive-In Raves

Germans have organized a drive-in rave in order to party while maintaining social distancing rules during this pandemic.

Book a TreeHouse
A booking platform that focuses exclusively on staying in treehouses!

Gilgit, Pakistan
With the help of this detailed guide to Gilgit, I re-lived some amazing memories from my own travels to this spectacular region of Pakistan.

The Inspiring Story of Elsphet Beard
In the early 1980s, Elsphet completed an epic solo motorcycle trip around the world.

Ireland is Paying it Back
The Irish have sent over $600,000 in Covid-19 relief donations to the Navajo and Hopi Nations. It was done in honor of Native American support that was sent to Ireland during the Great Famine way back in the 1840s.

Magadan, Russia
As remote as it gets, this isolated port town in Russia's far east offers a unique experience for adventurous travelers looking to get way off the beaten path.

Be well and if you have a moment, reply and say hello!

Earl
WanderingEarl.com | Facebook

Wandering Earl Tours - Ready to join one of my small-group tours to some really cool destinations around the world once this current global situation has passed?

Travel Insurance - Be sure to check out Safety Wing, my personal favorite for incredibly affordable travel insurance.

Cruise ship jobs - While cruise lines are not hiring right now, they will be hiring thousands of new crew members once they start up again. My popular e-Guide How to Work on a Cruise Ship will help you get a rewarding job on board a cruise ship once the time is right.

Travel resources - My updated Travel Resources with the booking sites, gear, apps and more that I use on my own travels.

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