Where in the world will we go when the Mumbai airport opens to international travel and possibly other airports?…

Our friends in South Africa continue to send us reports that indicate the possibility of the airport opening are very slim in the foreseeable future. Based on a report out yesterday, it could be as long as a year away from now.

Not only does this prevent us from traveling to SA when the airports open in India, but this destroys tourism in a country that desperately needs the billions of dollars generated by international visitors.

We’re frequently touching base with friends in South Africa who are highly frustrated over the severe restrictions imposed on citizens and the lack of encouragement for the future from a failing government and economy.

This is a Blue Kingfisher we spotted on this date in 2016 in Sumbersari, Bali. Click here for the post.

The likelihood of us making it to South Africa in the next 12 months is relatively slim. Perhaps, I’m ahead of myself here on this topic. There’s no word on airports in India opening for international travel, nor are there many countries we may consider staying while we continue to wait it out.

In any case, we’d like to go somewhere we’d particularly enjoy in the interim. Right now, islands in the Indian Ocean seem to pique our interest the most. The thought of an ocean view, the ability to shop and cook our meals, even if we have to stay away from others, is especially appealing at this point.

We never had an opportunity to socialize in many locations. Yet, we still had beautiful experiences, reveling in our surroundings, mainly when we had an ocean view, a must wherever we go next.

If you watched yesterday’s boring video of my walk in the corridors (click the link here) with the view out the window, it’s easy to understand how vital a view will be to us in the future.

Yes, we have creature comforts while in lockdown in this hotel room in Mumbai; air-con; comfortable bed and seating (we now have two comfy chairs); boring, although repetitious, fresh-tasting meals; cleaning service; courteous staff and above all, relatively good safety from COVID-19 if we stay in our room and our cleaners and room service staff stay free of the virus.

With mountains in Java obstructing the final setting of the sun, we relished every sunset scene.

As we all know, one’s state of mind is the essence of our perceived quality of life regardless of our circumstances. And, being in lockdown for us, for you, isn’t necessarily an upbeat set of circumstances.

Here’s a list of the islands in the Indian Ocean at this link. The majority of the islands are too small to visit with limited services, WiFi, access to shopping, etc.

However, among this list, there are a few possibilities;
1. Madagascar (six-month visa)
2. Maldives (30-day visa, extendable to 90-days)
3. Mauritius (60-day visa)
4. Reunion Island (90-day visa)
5. Seychelles (90-day visa, extendable up to one year)

In checking information for each of these locations, it appears Seychelles is out of the question due to the high cost of holiday homes on the luxury island. We couldn’t find any possibilities within our budget other than hotels. After this extended hotel stay in Mumbai, we are not interested in staying in a hotel for any time.

The Maldives, with its 30-day visa and also highly-priced holiday homes with a few exceptions, maybe a short-term possibility. Mauritius may be a possibility with good holiday home options, but with a 60-day visa.

Tom took this distant photo when he spotted this peculiar boat that appears “sunken” in the middle. At the time, we had no idea what type of boat this was.  Later, we discovered it was the design of a typical fishing boat in Bali.

The best option based on the availability of reasonably priced oceanview holiday homes and a lengthy visa allowance leaves us with Madagascar on our minds. Plus, after watching David Attenborough’s story on Madagascar with its abundant and unusual wildlife, the handwriting may be on the wall for this location.

Madagascar is located slightly northeast of South Africa. We could stay there until South Africa reopens their borders, all the while free from crowds, on the beach, and able to prepare our meals in addition to opportunities for a wide array of safaris during our stay.

Well, we can dream, can’t we? We’d love to hear from some of you by commenting at the bottom of any post as to what you are dreaming of at this point. Feel free to comment anonymously if you’d prefer.

May your day be peaceful and filled with dreams for the future.