Despite the closed borders, Russians have the opportunity to fly to the warmth for the New Year holidays. Together with analysts from the international real estate broker Tranio, we calculated how much the New Year holidays in Bali, Cuba, Thailand, the UAE and other countries open to entry will cost, and told us where we will have to self-isolate and where we will not be allowed to go without an impressive amount in our bank account.
1. TURKEY: CLOSED RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING BY CODE
You can get to Turkey by direct flight from 11 Russian cities, no visa required. Pobeda Airlines and the Turkish low-cost airline Pegasus Airlines fly from Moscow to Antalya. For example, on December 30 you can fly to Antalya for 14 thousand rubles, and from December 31 to January 4 – for 12 thousand. In general, round trip tickets for one person during the New Year holidays will cost from 11 to 20 thousand rubles.
Quarantine and test.There is no quarantine for Russians upon arrival in Turkey. A certificate of absence of coronavirus is also not needed to enter the country. Tourists have their temperature taken at the airport, and those with symptoms must take a free PCR test. For everyone else it is not is mandatory – the test will need to be done later, upon returning to Russia.
Housing. You can book a four-star hotel with three meals a day at popular resorts from 25 thousand rubles for 7 nights. You can rent an apartment in Istanbul for a week for 10 thousand rubles. We recommend looking for an option with a kitchen, this way you can save on ordering dishes from catering establishments.
Entertainment.Many cafes and restaurants operate only for takeaway, with the exception of those located on hotel premises and open for guests. There is also a curfew from 21:00 to 5:00 throughout Turkey, but it does not apply to tourists. Hamams, massage parlors and amusement parks are closed. On weekends, you can also take a tour or guide from an accredited agency. Masks are not required to be worn on hotel property, but the final decision is made by the property management.
Advice. To visit shopping centers, we recommend obtaining a HES code – a “health code” with information about the places visited by the tourist. To do this you need to have a Turkish SIM card. It is not necessary to buy it for this; you can ask the hotel staff for help.
2. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: QR CODE AND SINGING FOUNTAINS
Direct flights from Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and Emirates fly from Moscow to Dubai – the travel time takes 5 hours, no visa is needed. Such a flight will cost at least 70 thousand rubles in both directions per person. There are also cheaper options – from 30 thousand one way, but with long transfers.
Quarantine and test. Russians must take two PCR tests for coronavirus: one at least 4 days before arriving in the UAE, the second upon arrival in the Emirates. The test results can be viewed using the QR code that is pasted on the passport during the procedure. It is necessary to have medical insurance – it is checked upon departure from Russia. Quarantine for tourists lasts one day until the test results are ready.
Housing. A standard room in a three- or four-star hotel in Dubai for 7 nights can be rented from 30 thousand rubles. Apartments start from 40 thousand rubles per week.
Entertainment. Numerous attractions in Dubai are open to tourists. On New Year’s holidays, the city authorities organize various performances at the Burj Khalifa tower: fireworks, light shows, singing fountains. Dubai has skyscraper observation decks, Aquaventure and Aqua Fun water parks, the Garden of Wonders flower sculpture park and other entertainment.
3. BRAZIL: EXPENSIVE FLIGHT, MINIMUM RESTRICTIONS
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A visa to Brazil is not required for tourists from Russia. There is no quarantine after arrival and no coronavirus test required. You just need to have health insurance.
You can fly to the capital from Moscow with two transfers for 90 thousand rubles, a flight from Moscow to Sao Paulo and back with one transfer in Zurich will cost about 100,000 rubles, and in Istanbul – a little more. You can get to Rio de Janeiro with at least two transfers.
Housing. But there is an opportunity to save money on accommodation in Brazil. A small room in a three-star hotel near the center of Sao Paulo costs from 10 thousand rubles per week. And in a four-star hotel – from 17 thousand. Rio de Janeiro will cost about twice as much – prices for apartments start from 30 thousand rubles per week of stay.
Entertainment. In Rio de Janeiro, the New Year’s fireworks display and carnival procession were canceled. However, the Brazilian government does not plan to introduce serious measures. Cafes, restaurants, shops and other public establishments are open without restrictions.
Note. In Brazil, the situation with coronavirus is ambiguous: there are practically no restrictions in the country, but in world statistics the country ranks third in the number of cases.
4. CUBA: PREPARE CASH
Nordwind Airlines flies direct flights to Cuba from Moscow, starting from 100 thousand rubles for a round-trip ticket. Now you can fly from Russia to Santa Clara Airport in central Cuba and the airport on the island of Cayo Coco. There are no flights to the airport of Havana, the capital of Cuba, yet, even with a transfer. Russians do not need a visa to Cuba.
Quarantine and test. There is no need to take a coronavirus test in advance. At the Cuban airport, all tourists are given a free PCR test. Before departure, you only need to get medical insurance. There is no general quarantine for travelers to Cuba, but if one passenger tests positive, everyone in contact with him must serve at least five days in isolation.
Housing. Independent travelers can book an all inclusive hotel on the island of Cayo Coco for 60,000 rubles for a week.
Entertainment. The average winter temperature in Cuba is 22–23 degrees, beaches and pools are open. Only hotel staff are required to wear masks. Mass events are prohibited, but tourists can go fishing or boat trips in small groups.
Advice from Tranio. It’s better to exchange money for local currency at the first opportunity—it’s not easy with plastic cards in Cuba. If a five-day quarantine upon arrival is unavoidable, there is a high probability of spending it in an observatory with very spartan conditions.
5.MALDIVES: SELF-ISOLATION ON THE ISLAND
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The Maldives is open to tourists. You just need to take a coronavirus test in advance and fill out a special form before departure, which contains the test results, information about the countries visited in the last two weeks and other personal data. There is no mandatory quarantine for tourists. A 30-day visa for Russians is free and is issued upon arrival.
There are direct flights from Aeroflot and Azur Air from Russia to the Maldives; you can also get through Istanbul or Dubai. The price tag for the flight, of course, is not very humane – from 125,000 rubles round trip per person.
Housing.The cheapest option is a double room in a three-star hotel on a residential island – costs from 25 thousand rubles per week, a four-star hotel will cost at least 40 thousand rubles. It is worth understanding that in such locations there is often a prohibition law, and you can sunbathe in a bikini only on special beaches. Prices for resort hotels on the islands for tourists start from $200 per day with meals.
Entertainment. Excursions to other islands are prohibited, and permission from the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism will be required to move to another hotel. However, on your island you can go diving and surf if you are lucky with the waves.
Interesting fact: in November, Russians took first place in the number of tourists in the Maldives.
6. THAILAND: VACATIONS FOR THE PATIENT AND PERSISTENT
To get to the land of smiles, a tourist must provide a bank account statement in the amount of at least 20 thousand baht per person (53 thousand rubles). The visa fee will be $40. You also need medical insurance with coverage of at least 100 thousand dollars, which includes treatment for coronavirus (its cost is from 7 thousand rubles per month).
To obtain a visa to Thailand, you will need proof of payment for a hotel participating in the alternative state or local quarantine program for 15 nights or a certificate of ownership of real estate in Thailand. This is where you will have to spend the required 14 days of quarantine. You cannot do without a certificate of a negative PCR test for coronavirus, done no earlier than 72 hours in advance. Certificates in Russian must be notarized and translated into English.
Upon arrival in Thailand, the applicant will be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days, and then his stay can be extended for a further 30 days.
The average cost of a Moscow-Phuket-Moscow air ticket starts from 100 thousand rubles.
Housing. Given the quarantine for less than three weeks, it makes no sense to fly to Thailand. For 20 nights in a four-star hotel in Pattaya you can pay a minimum of 20 thousand rubles. You can rent a villa in Phuket with two bedrooms for a month from 70 thousand rubles.
Entertainment. Thailand is in a state of emergency until January 15, 2021. Public establishments are not closed, but most of them operate with restrictions: they close earlier or operate only for takeout. Only a limited number of visitors can be allowed into shops and shopping centers.
7. BALI: BUSINESS VISA FOR $330 AND 14 DAYS OF QUARANTINE
Formally, Indonesia is closed to tourists, but for $330 you can get a business visa through an online agency that will issue an invitation. You will also have to pay for the services of the agency itself. This visa will be valid for 60 days, but it can be extended up to six months.
You can get to Bali from Russia using Turkish Airlines via Jakarta, and from there using local airlines to the island of Bali itself. A flight from Moscow from December 28 to January 29 will be expensive – from 100 thousand rubles.
Quarantine and test. To enter Indonesia, you must present a completed HAC (Health Alert Card) form and the results of a PCR test for coronavirus no older than 7 days. At the same time, for example, Turkish Airlines requires upon boarding to have a coronavirus certificate, made a maximum of three days before departure. Some airlines may request a medical policy that covers COVID-19 for the duration of your trip. Its cost starts from 3 thousand rubles for a month. If traveling via Jakarta, you will need to take a rapid antigen test.
Officially, those arriving in Bali must be in quarantine for the first 14 days.
Accommodation. Most tourists go to Bali for several months. Due to quarantine, housing prices have fallen at least twice, but this does not apply to the New Year holidays. Rent a villa for a month with three bedrooms and cleaning for 15 million Indonesian rupees (78 thousand rubles) will now be problematic; most likely, you will have to lay down from 18 to 25 million rupees (94-130 thousand rubles). A separate room in a villa or guest house will cost approximately 24 thousand rubles per month.
Entertainment. Until January 4, New Year’s parties and the use of firecrackers and fireworks are officially prohibited in Bali. Attractions such as Waterbum Water Park Kuta and Garuda Wisnu Kencana will be available for tourists.
Tranio tip: Before traveling, register your phone’s IMEI on the Indonesian Ministry of Industry website. Otherwise, if the device was not purchased on the archipelago, it may lose connection with the SIM card.
First photo: Alex Zotov/Shutterstock.com
