Indonesia will temporarily ban domestic and international air and sea travel, with some exceptions, starting this week to prevent a further spread of the coronavirus, the transport ministry said in a statement on Friday. The announcement came as the holy month of Ramadan began in the world’s largest Muslim majority […]
Virtually travel: Your fix to wanderlust during lockdown
With the travel ban being imposed all around the world, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many art and heritage sites in India have resorted to virtual tours. From using 360 degree panoramic views to holding online sessions, it helps viewers enjoy beautiful locations digitally and experience the joy of travelling […]
The Taste with Vir: Pity the poor passenger
Let’s imagine some scenarios. Your cousin is getting married in another town. You know the date so you book air tickets for you and your family early enough. Then, a week before the wedding is supposed to be held, disaster strikes. Your cousin’s father-in-law to-be falls ill. The wedding is postponed to […]
Sixty years ago, Brasilia became Brazil’s capital
On April 21, 1960, Brazil inaugurated to great fanfare its new capital Brasilia, a futuristic city created out of nothing and boasting many architectural masterpieces. Here is an account of its foundation, based on AFP copy from the time. A landmark in the history of town planning, it had sprung […]
With fishing fleets tied up, marine life has a chance to recover
Plummeting global demand for fish and seafood as a result of the coronavirus crisis is likely to create an effect similar to the halt of commercial fishing during World Wars I and II, when the idling of fleets led to the rebound of fish stocks. The closure of restaurants and hotels, the main […]
Montreux Jazz Festival cancelled amid coronavirus pandemic
The iconic Montreux Jazz Festival announced Friday the cancellation of this year’s edition due to the pandemic, marking the first time since 1967 that the show cannot go on. “It is with deep regret that the organisers of the Montreux Jazz Festival must today announce that this year’s event, which […]
Venice creeps back to life after coronavirus lockdown
The Italian city of Venice slowly stirred back to life this week as some shops reopened and residents tentatively ventured outside — all in masks while keeping a safe distance from others. Italy allowed bookshops and stationery and children’s clothing stores to reopen across the country from Tuesday, the first […]
In Syria, online salsa class sidesteps lockdown gloom
Inside her living room in the Syrian capital, Aline Srouji steps forward and backward at a near-dizzying pace, demonstrating to her students locked down at home how to Salsa. Performing to a phone camera across the room, the 35-year-old records a lesson she will share on social media networks, more […]
United Air braces for ‘essentially zero’ travel demand after aid
United Airlines Holdings Inc. is warning employees of bleak times and potential long-term payroll cuts despite billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer assistance, as the outlook for travel demand remains depressed into next year. The carrier will further chop its flight schedule in May to roughly 10% of the capacity it had […]
Fearful of virus return, Beijing turns into virtual fortress
Beijing has virtually walled itself off to outsiders with drastic measures to protect China’s seat of power against the threat of a second wave of coronavirus infections from other regions. After largely getting the outbreak under control, China has banned foreigners from entering the country as authorities fret over an […]
Life in the times of lockdown: Why I want to wander through Brazil’s wild outdoor art museum
Homebound the past few weeks, what I miss is pretty straightforward: I want to see friends again, go to galleries, visit my favourite Mexican restaurant. But every so often I find myself lingering on more grandiose possibilities, topmost of which is a trip to Inhotim, a 250-acre sculpture park about […]
Saudi Arabia quarantine offers temporary lifeline to struggling hotels
Saudi Arabia has quarantined thousands of people in hotels, some in luxury suites, to combat COVID-19, throwing a temporary lifeline to an industry struggling just months after tourist visas were launched. Faced with nearly 4,500 novel coronavirus infections — the highest in the Gulf — the petro-state has halted air […]
Unusual flotsam, jetsam: Look what the tide dragged in
About the only thing I’ve ever wanted to find on the beach is treasure. A chest of cursed pirate escudos ideally; a princess’s heirloom toe ring will do too. I remember looking up ‘flotsam’ and ‘jetsam’ in my youth, hoping they were named for brothers separated by a shipwreck. Turned […]
World tourist trap Italy turns into a coronavirus no-go zone
Tourists from across the world flock daily to Italy to marvel at its art-filled cathedrals and Roman ruins. But the rolling hills of Tuscany and the ancient city of Pompeii have looked almost abandoned since the coronavirus pandemic turned the Mediterranean country into a strict no-go zone. The resulting economic […]
India’s domestic air traffic to fall to 90 mn this fiscal year
Domestic air traffic is expected to drop to 80-90 million passengers in the current fiscal and delivery of more than 200 planes to Indian carriers are likely to be deferred by up to two years, according to a report. “The combination of COVID-related travel restrictions and an economic downturn is […]