Travel Guide

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A producer from Dubai360 explains how to bring virtual museums and experiences to life.

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(CNN) — Most of the country is sheltering in place and air traffic has slowed dramatically but there are still people who must fly.With most rest stops, fast-food dining rooms, and other normal travel accommodations closed or limited, flying may seem like a better option for those trying to get home or traveling due to an emergency.The number of people traveling by plane has hit a 10-year low as the aviation industry reels from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Transportation Security Administration. But the main question on everyone’s mind: Is it safe to take to the skies?Changes that have been made on board Many airlines have been taking precautions to keep passengers safe since social distancing started. Almost all major airlines are holding or limiting their in-flight refreshments to cut down on contact. Customers are encouraged to bring their own food and beverages on board. Delta Air Lines is serving refreshments depending on the length of the flight and beverages on all flights are limited to bottled water. Other major airlines are also limiting what refreshments are served.Some airlines take in-flight social distancing to a new level by limiting where you can sit on the airplane. American Airlines and United Airlines are creating distance where available by not seating customers in middle seats and allowing seat changes once everyone is on the plane if someone feels like they are uncomfortable. Alaska Airlines takes it one step further by offering the chance to cancel or reschedule a flight if they cannot put you in a seat within a proper social distance from other customers.All airlines have been practicing increased sanitation and onboard cleaning. Many encourage customers to bring their own cleaning products as well to make them feel more comfortable and at ease. So if this calms your fears if you must fly, what about before you even step on the plane? Changes made in the airportsUS airports are encouraging travelers to follow the safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including practicing social distancing when it comes to security and other lines. Official travel tips include wearing a face mask, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds frequently, and staying home if you are feeling ill. Many airports have shut down most of their security checkpoints, so make sure you check to see which ones are available. Both Delta and American have closed their sky lounges, so if you were planning to social distance there before a flight, you will need to sit in the main terminal area. Most airport restaurants are closed or running on a limited schedule. Many major airports like Dallas-Fort Worth Airport have provided a list of the open establishments and at what times they are available to customers on their websites. The CDC cautions against traveling at all during this time, but if it’s needed, be safe by following guidelines and looking up all needed information before you go.

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Tai O, Hong Kong (CNN) — Lantau is Hong Kong’s largest island, home to three of its busiest spots — Hong Kong Disneyland, the Tian Tan Buddha and Chep Lak Kok Airport. But on the island’s western tip, on a spit of land that curls into the South China Sea, is a fishing village called Tai O that feels like it has been frozen in time. There are still old-fashioned wooden houses built on stilts, narrow shops selling handwoven baskets and strips of dried seafood, and a complete lack of car traffic. The famous stilt houses of Tai O, on Lantau Island.Lilit Marcus/CNNDespite the faraway feeling, Tai O still isn’t immune from the coronavirus concerns plaguing the world. But the village — which so far has not had a single diagnosed case of the virus — has found a way to stay safe while also giving their fellow Hongkongers a respite from the world. On the northern tip of Tai O is a former police station that was converted into the upscale nine-room Tai O Heritage Hotel. Though it could have closed down amid the downturn in tourism, the hotel opted to stay open — and became a haven not for tourists, but instead for locals seeking an escape from their claustrophobic city apartments. Part of the decision to stay open wasn’t a decision at all. The hotel is a city landmark with protection under Hong Kong’s development bureau, which requires that the hotel be open to the public year-round for people to appreciate the conservation work up-close. While hotel management did opt to cancel the three daily property tours that are usually available for visitors, the hotel and its glassed-in rooftop restaurant, The Tai O Lookout, remain open for bookings.What’s changed, though, are the demographics of the people making the bookings. In a typical year, about 75% of the hotel’s guests are local. Since February 2020, that number has hovered between 92 and 99%.Since Hong Kong’s “second wave” of coronavirus cases began, the city has restricted movement even further, with businesses like karaoke bars, restaurants and hair salons feeling the crunch. The Tai O Lookout’s menu features dishes with local ingredients like shrimp paste and preserved eggs.Courtesy Tai O Heritage Hotel”The hotel has fortunately been running close to full or full during weekends in recent two months, and higher than expected occupancy during weekdays at an average over 70 – 80%,” a representative for the Tai O Heritage Hotel, tells CNN Travel. Some weekends have even been so popular that the hotel has had to place would-be guests on a wait list.And the booming business isn’t just good for the economy — it’s good for the community.”Tai O Heritage Hotel is operated as a non-profit social enterprise,” the representative explains. “All proceeds and revenue will be fully contributed to hotel maintenance, community engagement and commitment to Tai O village, to promote heritage conservation, tourism and green living.”That includes paying to repair the historic stilt houses and sponsoring art projects like a 3-D mural about local history and landmarks.The same hygiene regulations that are in effect throughout Hong Kong are in place in Tai O as well: everyone wears masks, guests must fill out health declaration forms before being allowed to check into their rooms and bottles of hand sanitizer are placed on nearly every available surface.Guests who arrive for meals at the Tai O Lookout — breakfast is for hotel guests only, while dinner is open to the public — must have their temperatures taken, use hand sanitizer upon arrival, sit no more than four to a table and have their tables placed at least one and a half meters apart.Still, though, Tai O manages to retain its feeling of peacefulness. Guests can watch the sunset from the restaurant, and on clear days the Hong Kong – Macao – Zhuhai Bridge is visible in the distance. There’s no TV blaring the news, just soft, tinkling music playing overhead.Even with masks on, it’s a rare place where stressed Hongkongers — many of whom have been cooped up in their apartments for nearly three months — can breathe freely.

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People who live in vans and RVs are facing hardships during the coronavirus pandemic, but they’ve also got some advantages. Read more here.

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Sheryl Prado got a special shout-out from flight attendants as the only person riding on a Washington to Boston flight.

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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — The provincial government of Jeju Island, South Korea, is suing two women who visited the island on vacation despite the younger one having symptoms of coronavirus.The pair have been identified as a mother, age 52, and her 19-year-old daughter, who had recently returned to her native South Korea from studying abroad in Boston.The Seoul-based mother and daughter arrived on Jeju, which is a popular holiday destination for Koreans, on March 20 despite the fact that the daughter had been advised to self-quarantine upon her return to the country five days earlier, according to press release from the Jeju Provincial office.The daughter began showing symptoms of coronavirus on March 21, the release said, but she and her mother remained on the island for four more days, having contact with an estimated 47 people at 20 locations.Both mother and daughter tested positive for coronavirus at a public clinic after returning to their home in the Gangnam district of Seoul, according to the Gangnam-gu health office.Jeju Province has filed a civil suit against the pair at Jeju District Court seeking damages of 132 million won ($107,000 USD). In addition to the municipal government, plaintiffs include two Jeju residents who have had to quarantine since interacting with the women and two businesses on the island that were forced to close.”I hope to send a strong warning against actions that threaten the deadly struggle of the medical workers, the endeavor of the disease prevention workers, and the participation of our people in their fight against coronavirus,” Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong said in a statement.In the submitted complaint, Jeju province wrote that the daughter “had failed to uphold her duty as a member of the community.”It also emphasized that the mother had “actively joined her daughter’s illegal activity, including providing funds for travel,” which is why she is also culpable. As of April 5, the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC) reported 94 new cases in South Korea, bringing the total number of cases to 10,156. There have been 177 deaths since the outbreak, and 6,325 people have recovered.

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