What you need to know before your next luxury getaway

With a bit of planning, that upcoming holiday will be memorable for all the right reasons.

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Planning a dream holiday? Adding a few extra steps between hitting that BOOK NOW button and getting on a plane can make all the difference to your luxury holiday experience.

Research is king

In the current landscape, the world of travel—and all the post-Covid-19 rules and regulations that go along with it—is changing daily. Before you book your next getaway, take time to familiarise yourself with the requirements of your destination by first visiting smartraveller.gov.au and also by checking the website of the relevant tourism board or consulate. Some destinations require travellers to be fully vaccinated, for example, while others request evidence of a negative Covid-19 test. Doing your homework means you won’t be caught out.

Purchase top-quality travel insurance

As the old saying goes, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford a holiday and never has this been truer than in recent times. A high-quality travel insurance policy (essentially a safety net) will cover you for unexpected financial costs incurred on your holiday, such as cancellation of your flights, loss of luggage or valuables, or if you suffer a medical episode or accident—particularly important if you’re travelling to a destination which has exorbitant medical fees, such as the United States. Don’t choose the first policy you stumble across; spend some time comparing travel insurance policies to find the one that best meets your needs.

Be prepared for the unexpected

When you’re finalising holiday finances, remember to allow some room in your holiday budget as a buffer to meet unexpected costs arising from potential flight cancellations, illness and/or quarantine. Although your travel insurance policy should kick in as needed, you will usually have to meet initial costs yourself and then get reimbursed by your policy provider once your paperwork is filed. Ideally, you should have enough funds to stay at your destination for at least a further fortnight than planned.

Support the local economy

Tourism-dependent economies such as Fiji and Bali are among those most harmed by the pandemic, and by this, we don’t only mean the resorts, but independent tour operators, drivers, waiters, small business owners, street vendors and the list goes on. In Australia, we’ve been relatively lucky and what better way to express our gratitude to the universe than by paying it forward where possible? As you travel, do your part to support local tourism operators by tipping well for good service, purchasing handicrafts (even if you don’t have any real requirements for a multitude of sarongs) and by frequenting ma and pa businesses.

Rejoice that travel is possible once more

Get all your ducks in a row before you go so you can clear your mind of worries related to prep and planning long before you get on that plane. The world is (largely) open once more and your dream holiday is around the corner. Get out there and enjoy it in a way that will make all previous holidays green with jealousy.

savvy.com.au