Please Go Away Blog

The State Department has raised its global health advisory to Level 4: Do Not Travel.

Last week, the department issued a Level 3 advisory that U.S. citizens reconsider international travel. It now advises that U.S. citizens should not travel abroad, and that any U.S. citizens who reside in the U.S. return home as quickly as possible unless they are prepared to remain abroad indefinitely.
Largay Travel advises our clients and anyone else to comply with State Department’s directive. We are hard at work making arrangements for any remaining clients who are abroad to return home quickly and safely. 
If you are abroad, we advise you to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the State Department can contact you with advice and instructions. 
Any clients planning to travel in the immediate future should contact their advisors regarding rearranging those plans. Many destinations have already shut their borders for various time periods, but if you have not contacted your advisor about…

World festivals we love By Damien Martin
     Mardi Gras has come and gone, with Carnival revelers celebrating the world over, even if festivities were cut short in Venice. There’s a whole host of other festivals that traditionally go on throughout the year, with rich pageantry, tradition and color. While we should follow health officials’ guidance on gathering in crowds for now, we can fantasize about our favorite festivals and getting back out there when life returns to normal.



Holi      The Hindu festival of colors has been around for more than 2,000 years. The latest edition took place last week, and it’s a national holiday in India and Nepal. Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and on the eve of the festival, people burn large pyres signifying the driving away of evil spirits. The next day, they splash each other with water, toss water balloons and colored powder at each other. The day ends with a family meal, with people delivering treats to friends and neighbors.


Montre…

Understandably, there is a lot of confusion about the travel restrictions from Europe that go into effect at 11:59 Eastern on Friday night. The Department of Homeland Security clarified Wednesday night what the presidential proclamation regarding travel from Europe calls for. 

The ban applies to foreign national who have been in the Schengen area of Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) who have been in one or more those countries within 14 days of their scheduled arrival in the U.S. The ban does not apply to: U.S. citizens; legal permanent residents of the U.S.; spouses of U.S. citizens or permanent residents; parents or legal guardians of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who are not married and under 21; siblings of U.S. citizens or legal permanent resi…

Travel & Tourism’s Proactive Response to COVID-19 / Coronavirus
By Damien Martin










Even if you’re perfectly healthy, we know COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, has probably given you a great big headache. It’s certainly given us one. But in a constantly evolving situation, we are fortunate to have great travel partners who are quickly adapting their policies to the situation to ensure that our travelers remain safe and satisfied. 
If you have an upcoming trip, we encourage you to monitor the State Department for travel restrictions at travel.state.gov and check the CDC’s latest reports at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. If you do travel in and around impacted countries, be prepared to follow the CDC recommendations for health screenings and quarantines. As always, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance to protect your investment. 

While we are not medical experts, we are always here to help you navigate the murky situation as it develops. Making th…

A sip of the world’s best national cocktails By Damien Martin
      If you’re like us, you could use a drink right about now. If you have concerns about upcoming travel plans, reach out to your travel advisor for the latest updates and wise counsel. In the meantime, let’s raise a glass together in celebration of our favorite national cocktails, one of our favorite things about travel.

Caipirinha


     Made from fresh sugarcane juice, cachaça is a popular spirit in Brazil, and the main ingredient in Brazil's favorite drink. Add a little lime and a little sugar, serve over ice and you have a great cocktail to cool down on a hot day. The caipirinha can be traced back to the fancy parties of landowners on sugar plantations in the 19th century. Today, it’s ubiquitous in Brazil, and you can find all sorts of variations with different fruits.

Spritz or Negroni



      Because of Italy’s fractured history, a number of regional cocktails sprang up over the centuries and it’s hard to pin down o…

World Wildlife Day: Best Wildlife Trips
By Damien Martin

There’s never a bad time to highlight the amazing flora and fauna you can visit on unique itineraries with our partners. The occasion of World Wildlife Day, though, is the perfect time. This year’s theme is “sustaining all life on Earth.” These are just a few of the myriad ways you can help with that effort while also having an incredible experience.
Tigers & red pandas JungleSutra Wildlife Journeys has an itinerary in India unlike any other. In the eastern Himalayas, you’ll spot red pandas in their only natural habitat. Singalila National Park is also home to many exotic bird species, including blood pheasant and fire-tailed myzornis. In the Kanha Tiger Preserve, you’ll encounter not only Bengal tigers but leopards and Asiatic wild dogs, along with several different exotic birds not found in Singalila. The 13-day journey has departures from March 18 through March 5 of next year.

Whales


Magdalena Bay and the Sea of Cortes in Baja …