NEPAL TRAVELLER
As we approach yet another month of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might be developing a bit of cabin fever. The restrictions have been eased and with that, businesses are beginning to reopen, airlines are beginning to fly and travel agencies are in position to provide the services. So, you might be tempted to book a vacation. Unfortunately, the pandemic is far from over, and the Government of Nepal still suggests to stay home for your own safety as well as for those you may encounter upon leaving the house. However, if you do decide to travel, you may be wondering how much risk you’d face if you booked a stay or thinking it is safe to stay in a hotel.
A hotel is a busy place, where people from different cities come and stay. So,staying in a hotel is a bit risky, and you should look for not only your own vulnerability, but also of all those people you anticipate interacting with.This is all about minimizing risk.You can’t drive that risk down to zero, but you should try to do every little thing to minimize risk. If you do five or six little things, that may be the difference between you getting infected and you not getting infected.
So, if you decide to book a hotel stay, follow these 10 tips, and try to make your stay in a hotel safe.
1. Research about different hotels before booking a stay
Don’t rush.There are thousands of hotels in Nepal and before booking a stay in any specific hotel be sure to find out what a hotel is doing to encourage safety among guests and staff. Are the hotels providing masks for guests who don’t have them? What kind of social distancing measures are in place? Are there signs posted to educate guests on their policies? Are alcohol-based hand sanitizers readily available throughout the hotel? How often are public areas being sanitized? Is there contactless check-in? You can even visit the hotel’s website to check what steps they are taking to protect guests. And if you don’t find your answers online, pick up the phone and ask directly as safe hotels will provide all the answers to your questions.
2. Research about hotel’s plans for the guest who fall ill during their stay
The days are the worst because of Covid-19 and the climate is also changing. In this scenario, there can be a high chance for you to fall ill but if you are in your travel period and staying in a hotel, it will be very difficult for you to book a return ticket to your home town. So, be wise enough to know if there are any hotel’s procedures for it or not. You can ask the hotel if it has a resident physician, or if it has information on the nearest medical facilities.
3. Book or look for the room that has been vacant for a few days
According to news, coronavirus can survive on some surfaces upto 72 hours. It means if the room you chose was in continuous use then there is a high chance for Coronavirus to spread. While booking, look or ask for that room which hasn’t been occupied by others at least for 3 days.
4. Sanitize your room upon your arrival
Even Though hotels are properly sanitizing rooms between guests, it doesn’t hurt you to double sanitize it and do a quick clean yourself, especially on high-touch areas like doorknobs, light switches, TV remotes, the bathroom, and any flat surfaces like tables or countertops. Also, give a careful look on the bedsheet as most of the hotels because of this pandemic are not washing it on a regular basis. So, as soon as you enter your room, change the bedsheet and wash your hands.
5. Keep windows open for ventilation
If your hotel has rules for keeping windows open (many don’t allow it for safety reasons), you should minimize closing it and let the fresh air in. The risk of airborne transmission is higher in indoor spaces with poor ventilation, so it’s a good idea to open windows and doors and increase the fresh air in the room. Good ventilation can help reduce the risk of coronavirus spread.
6. Avoid hotel facilities like the gym and spa
Most of the hotels provide gym and spa facilities along with lodging services. But, you should be sure not to use those services. Talking about gym, there can be other people doing aerobics and other exercises without using the masks and it will create a really problematic scenario as they're going to expel even more respiratory secretions over greater distances. Also in spa, you need to interact with other individuals. So, whenever you enter a situation where you interact with other individuals, just skip that sitaution.
7. Focus on room’s service rather than dining out
Given that you can't eat or drink with a mask on, you're best off staying away from the inn's café and bar and rather requesting room administration. Eating in your room will restrict your contact with others, so room administration would be a more secure option than heading off to a café.
8. Keep mask on and maintain a distance of 6 feet
Regardless of whether your objective requires mask use, social distancing or not, you ought to hold fast to all pandemic wellbeing strategies proposed by the Government of Nepal. All the things that you have been doing to secure yourself actually apply when you are remaining in a lodging, too. We are still amidst a pandemic, and being on an excursion doesn't change that. So, wear a mask when you're out in the open spaces, and remain six feet separated in any event and in lift, too.
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Nepalgunj: Gem of far west region
Tumlingtar: The Gateway to the Mt. Makalu; 5th highest mount peak of the world
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