“Hunter” trip: there are still places where you can spend a safe and warm children’s holiday

I admit that I am a travel hub

A man calls me a travel madman. And I’m not angry at all because that’s true. Yes, I can admit that I have a great weakness and even addiction to travel. Living without traveling would be really very difficult for me. If I could, I would travel at least once a month. Traveling is never enough for me. There are very few of them.

My friends also got the impression that I go on vacation too often: we went to Crete unplanned this summer, and my old dream of seeing Santorini island unexpectedly came true, and we rested on the Lithuanian coast a few more times.

Personal file photo / Santorini

For everyone who seems to be on vacation too often, I have serious arguments: when a person works hard, they also deserve a good rest so as not to break down and regain strength. And the best rest for me is the sun and the warm sea. I just want to relax, I don’t even need to travel a lot and see new places, which is also lovely by the way.

Stress: there are only a few days left before the holidays

The students’ fall break is just a few days away. Coping with natural stress: what to do? You don’t want to spend ten days with the kids alone at home. I would like to receive compensation instead of travel, any entertainment or spa pleasures.

As in the summer, our family did not plan to travel anywhere, but to rest in Lithuania, as it is now. Of course, you can also have a great rest in our country. But in the fall, no sun and no swimming in the sea and for sure, not necessarily cheaper.

Druskininkai, Birštonas, Anykščiai, Palanga are “experiencing” the golden period of autumn this year, working as hard as in summer. One reason is the state initiative to compensate doctors 200 euros each for rest in Lithuania, the other is that people who were unable to travel anywhere are trying to “recover” at least in this way: regain strength and quench your thirst for travel.

So if you didn’t take care of student vacations a month or at least a week ago, finding a vacancy in sanatoriums or hotels with spas and swimming pools can be a mission impossible.

When the leaders of our state came up with the idea of ​​extending the children’s fall vacation for another week, I immediately felt happy, as if there was a “legal” excuse to fly somewhere again. More time to stay home with young children who need constant attention and work at the same time is not a challenge. The desire to travel somewhere did not change and distance learning was introduced in place of an extra week of vacation. After all, distance learning is also possible by the sea or on the terrace. Combining science and leisure or even working in a warm country is a pleasure.

How to decide: Cyprus or Crete?

As I have not booked any trips for this fall school break yet, my travel hot spots are “tired” again – I travel on dreamy nights and during the day I look for travel options and I “torture” our family travel manager Gintaras Januškevičius from the Baltic Clipper travel agency.

So where else can I catch a blooming summer? As a stubborn travel ‘hunter’, I kept an eye on the situation and learned that just a week ago there was probably only one address left: Cyprus, where our country’s tour operators were flying. Then, in my mind, I could already imagine my family splashing in the warm sea, swimming pools or drinking ice cream. We have already spoken with families of friends who were on vacation together.

123rf.com/Beach in Cyprus

But I was very happy to learn that tour operators were resuming their trips to Crete. It seems like we just rested there, so is it completely illogical to travel there again? But for some reason my heart is more inclined to Crete than to Cyprus. What are the pros and cons of these two attractive vacation spots?

Cypriot charm or confidence in Crete?

I will not hide, I have long dreamed of a romantic Cyprus. Cyprus would be a priority for my choice, as it is also one of my dream countries where I have not been yet. A great advantage of Cyprus is the longer summer season. The flights will continue throughout November. So after the school holidays in the summer, you can get even more out in Cyprus; after all, distance education has been introduced and only a compulsory test is required from the age of 12.

What makes Crete better? There are almost no sick people on this Greek island, and Greece has always been a model country that has perfectly managed the spread of the virus.

Crete I already trust. Although this island was not among my “favorites” before, where I dreamed of traveling and vacationing often, it became a real escape in the summer. I was absolutely impressed with the way Crete protects against the spread of the virus, how it controls every step that is taken to prevent any possibility of spreading the virus.

The staff at the Lyttos Beach Hotel, where we rested, seemed to follow all their careless steps: if a child wanted to grab a plate or an orange, while the staff ran and cleared a bunch of plates, they would take out a whole bowl of oranges so there would be nothing left. . danger.

We feel really safe there. It’s much safer than going back to Lithuania, it’s a shame. In Crete, people behave in a very responsible and careful way, not as relaxed as in Lithuania. When we returned to Lithuania after Crete, we were surprised by many things, even in the restaurants of several star hotels, people used the same tools to eat before the government banned it. Many lacked awareness and caution, so the virus spread.

The virus has changed the habits of travelers

So Crete is the place that I would boldly recommend and would travel alone again, despite my secret love and romantic Cyprus. It is not necessary to take the exam when traveling to Crete, but it can be taken free of charge for selected individuals.

Inga Aukštuolytė, public relations and marketing manager for tour operator Tez Tour, also acknowledged the fact that more families choose a country where they do not need to take an exam for children’s vacations.

I. Aukštuolytė realizes that the virus has also changed the habits of travelers, so last minute deals are back again, when trips are planned and bought just a few days before departure. By the way, next week is the last chance to visit sunny and safe Crete with a tour operator this year.