7 warm countries where you can leave Russia for the New Year

  • by
7 warm countries where you can leave russia for the new year 61b14eb242d3e 2

TURKEY: CLOSED RESTAURANTS & CODE SHOPPING

Despite the closed borders, Russians have the opportunity to fly away into the warmth for the New Year holidays. Together with the analysts of the international real estate broker Tranio, they calculated how much the New Year holidays will cost in Bali, Cuba, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and other countries open for entry, and told where they will have to isolate themselves and where they will not be allowed without an impressive amount in the bank account.

Beach in Turkey

Direct flight to Turkey can be reached from 11 cities of Russia, visa is not required. Pobeda Airlines and 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. Upon arrival in Turkey, there is no quarantine for Russians. A certificate of absence of coronavirus is also not needed to enter the country . At the airport, tourists are measured their temperature, and those who have symptoms of the disease must take a free PCR test. For everyone else, it is optional – the test will have to be done later, upon returning to Russia.

Accommodation. You can book a four-star hotel with three meals a day in 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, so you can save on ordering dishes from public catering.

Entertainment. Many cafes and restaurants work only for takeaway, with the exception of those located on the territory of hotels and working for guests. There is also a curfew throughout Turkey from 21:00 to 5:00, but it does not apply to tourists. Hamams, massage parlors and amusement parks are closed. On weekends, you can also take a guided tour or guide from an accredited agency. It is not necessary to wear masks on site, but the final decision is made by the property.

Tip. To visit shopping centers, we recommend getting a HES-code – “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 to help.

2. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: QR CODE AND SINGING FOUNTAINS

United Arab Emirates

Direct flights of Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and Emirates fly from Moscow to Dubai – travel time takes 5 hours, visa is not 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 pass two PCR tests for coronavirus: one at least 4 days before arrival in the UAE, and the second upon arrival in the Emirates. The test results can be viewed by the QR code, which is pasted on the passport during the procedure. You must have medical insurance – it is checked upon departure from Russia. The tourist quarantine lasts for one day – until the test results are ready.

Accommodation. A standard room in a three- or four-star hotel in Dubai for 7 nights can be rented from 30 thousand rubles. Apartments and apartments start at 40 thousand rubles per week.

Entertainment. Numerous attractions in Dubai are open to tourists. On New Year’s holidays, the city authorities put on various performances at the Burj Khalifa: fireworks, a light show, and singing fountains. Dubai has skyscraper observation decks, Aquaventure and Aqua Fun water parks, the Garden of Miracles flower sculpture park and other entertainment.

3. BRAZIL: EXPENSIVE FLIGHT WITH MINIMUM RESTRICTIONS

Brazil
Photo: marchello74 / Shutterstock.com

Visa to Brazil for tourists from Russia is not required. There is no post-arrival quarantine and no coronavirus test required. You only need to have medical 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.

Accommodation. But on living in Brazil there is an opportunity to save money. A small room in a three-star hotel near the center of São Paulo costs from 10 thousand rubles per week. And in a four-star one – from 17 thousand. Rio de Janeiro will cost about twice as much – prices for apartments start at 30 thousand rubles per week of stay.

Entertainment. New Year’s fireworks and carnival procession were canceled in Rio de Janeiro. However, the Brazilian government does not plan to introduce serious measures. Cafes, restaurants, shops and other public places are open without restrictions.

Note. In Brazil, the situation with the coronavirus is ambiguous: there are practically no restrictions in the country, however, in world statistics, the country ranks third in terms of the number of cases.

4. CUBA: PREPARE CASH

Cuba

Direct flights of Nordwind Airlines fly to Cuba from Moscow, from 100 thousand rubles for a round-trip ticket. Now from Russia you can fly to the Santa Clara airport in the central part of Cuba and the airport on the Cayo Coco island. There are no flights to the airport of Havana, the capital of Cuba, even with a transfer. A visa to Cuba is not required for Russians.

Quarantine and test. You do not need to take a coronavirus test in advance. At the airport in Cuba, all tourists are given a free PCR test. Before departure, you only need to make your health insurance. There is no general quarantine for visitors to Cuba, but if one passenger tests positive, everyone in contact with him must serve at least five days in isolation.

Accommodation. Independent travelers can book an all inclusive hotel on the island of Cayo Coco for 60,000 rubles per week.

Entertainment. The average winter temperature in Cuba is 22-23 degrees, beaches and swimming 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 is better to exchange money for local currency at the first opportunity – everything is not easy with plastic cards in Cuba. In case of the inevitability of a five-day quarantine upon arrival, it is highly likely to spend it in an observatory with very Spartan conditions.

5. MALDIVES: ISLAND SELF-INSULATION

Maldives
Photo: Myroslava Bozhko / Shutterstock.com

The Maldives is open to tourists. You just need to take a coronavirus test in advance and fill out a special form before departure, in which the test results, information about the countries visited in the last two weeks and other personal data are entered. There is no mandatory quarantine for tourists. A visa for 30 days for Russians is free and is issued upon arrival.

Direct flights of Aeroflot and Azur Air fly 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.

Accommodation. The cheapest option – a double room in a three-star hotel on a residential island – costs from 25 thousand rubles per week, a hotel with four stars will cost at least 40 thousand rubles. It should be understood that in such locations prohibition often operates, and you can sunbathe in a bikini only on special beaches. Prices for resort hotels on the islands for tourists start at $ 200 per night with meals.

Entertainment. Excursions to other islands are prohibited, and to move to another hotel, you will need permission from the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism. However, you can dive and surf on your island if you’re lucky with the waves.

Interesting fact: in November, Russians ranked first in terms of the number of tourists in the Maldives.

6. THAILAND: HOLIDAYS FOR THE PATIENT AND RESISTANT

Thailand

To get to the land of smiles, a tourist must provide a bank 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 the treatment of coronavirus (its cost is from 7 thousand rubles per month).

To apply for a visa to Thailand, you will need proof of payment from a hotel participating in the alternative state or local quarantine program for 15 nights or a certificate of ownership of real estate in Thailand. It is there that you will have to spend the prescribed 14 days of quarantine. You cannot do without a certificate of a negative PCR test for coronavirus, made 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 may be extended for another 30 days.

The average cost of a Moscow-Phuket-Moscow air ticket starts from 100 thousand rubles.

Accommodation. Given the quarantine, it makes no sense to fly to Thailand for less than three weeks. For 20 nights in a four-star hotel in Pattaya, you can pay at least 20 thousand rubles. For a month, a villa in Phuket with two bedrooms can be rented from 70 thousand rubles.

Entertainment. Until January 15, 2021, a state of emergency is in effect in Thailand. Public institutions are not closed, but most of them work with restrictions: they close earlier or work only for take-out. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to enter shops and shopping centers.

7. BALI: $ 330 BUSINESS VISA AND 14 DAYS QUARANTINE

Bali

Indonesia is technically closed to tourists, but for $ 330 you can apply for a business visa through an online agency that will make an invitation. You will also have to pay for the services of the agency itself. Such a visa will be valid for 60 days, but it can be extended up to six months.

You can get to Bali from Russia with the help of Turkish Airlines through Jakarta, and from there by local airlines to the island of Bali itself. A flight from Moscow from December 28 to January 29 will cost a lot – 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 not older than 7 days. At the same time, for example, Turkish Airlines requires, upon landing, to have a certificate for coronavirus, made a maximum of three days before departure. Some airlines may request a medical policy covering COVID-19 for the duration of the trip. Its cost starts from 3 thousand rubles for a month. If you travel through Jakarta, you will need to take a rapid antigen test.

Officially, the first 14 days arriving in Bali must be in quarantine.

Accommodation. Most tourists travel to Bali for several months. Due to quarantine, housing prices fell at least twice, but this does not apply to the period of the New Year holidays. Renting a villa with three bedrooms and cleaning for a month for 15 million Indonesian rupees (78 thousand rubles) will now be problematic, most likely, you will have to pledge from 18 to 25 million rupees (94-130 thousand rubles). A separate room in a villa or in a guest house will cost about 24 thousand rubles per month.

Entertainment. Until January 4, it is officially forbidden to hold New Year’s parties and use firecrackers and fireworks in Bali. Attractions such as Waterbum Kuta and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Park will be available to tourists.

Tranio Tip: Register your phone IMEI on the Indonesian Ministry of Industry website before you travel. Otherwise, if the device was purchased outside the archipelago, it may lose connection with the sim-card.

First photo: Alex Zotov / Shutterstock.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *