Category Archives: Publication

A very merry Mickey

by Qin Xie

Published in Travel Weekly on 25th November 2021

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa’s familiar greeting booms out from nowhere,
taking me by surprise. I had just arrived on Main Street, USA, the first destination as you enter Disneyland Paris. And even though Christmas trees and decorations are everywhere, the fact that it’s daytime in mid-November, with fairly mild weather, means the experience is a little more confusing than anything else.

But it doesn’t take long to get into the Christmas spirit – this is the holiday season at Disneyland Paris, after all. Indeed, a light flutter of ‘snow’ appears as if on cue – as it does at least 12 times a day here – and the already excitable children around me start jumping up and down with their hands in the air.

Overhead, fairy lights are twinkling against the shiny baubles on Mickey-shaped garlands all the way from City Hall, where a 24-metre-tall Christmas fir takes pride of place, to Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

Read more at Travel Weekly

Does my Covid vaccine passport expire?

by Qin Xie

Published on The Times digital on 19th November 2021

Having both doses of your vaccine has fast become the norm for bypassing quarantine and even a Covid test before travel. And yet, just as things are beginning to gain a semblance of normality, a handful of countries are now tightening their travel restrictions by putting an expiry date on vaccine validity.

It means that to be recognised as fully vaccinated, you’ll need to have received the required dosage of an accepted vaccine within the last 12 months, or have had a booster jab within a specific time frame.

This new trend began with Croatia, which updated its entry requirements in July 2021. Austria followed suit in August, and now Israel and Switzerland have both introduced similar restrictions. And as more countries weigh up whether their own citizens will require a booster jab, it’s feasible that the trend will continue to snowball. Here’s what you need to know.

Read more at The Times digital

How will Brexit affect my holiday?

by Qin Xie

Published on The Times digital on 5th November 2021

little under four years after the referendum, the UK finally left the EU at 11pm on January 31, 2020 and entered a transition period, during which the final details of Brexit were negotiated. The transition period ended on December 31, 2020, and the UK officially left the EU single market and customs union at 11pm that day.

From that point the UK became what’s known as a “Third Country”, one that’s defined by the EU as “a country that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement”.

There have been wide-ranging implications for travellers as a result of these changes, including updates on passport validity, increased roaming charges and of course how long you can stay in an EU country without a visa.

Read more at The Times digital

Best U.S. cities to visit in winter

by Qin Xie

Published on Staysure on19th October 2021

It’s hard to beat the USA when it comes to a city break in winter. It’s one of a handful of countries in the world where you can pick between a bracing ski trip or a balmy beach holiday in the same month, not to mention the sheer number of cities you can choose from.

From Thanksgiving (25 November) onwards, almost everywhere will be gearing up for Christmas so it’s a great excuse to shop for presents, or just to soak up the cosy, festive atmosphere indoors. And after the new year, you can taste the new season’s maple syrup or join in Mardi Gras celebrations.

So whether you’re looking for something cool and festive or warm and sunny, we’ve rounded up a selection of US cities that are perfect for this winter.

Read more at Staysure

SCUBA OOO! Learn how to scuba dive among the unspoilt Red Sea reefs around Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh

by Qin Xie

Published in The Sun on 16th October 2021

Also published on The Sun digital

DRIFTING through a curtain of bubbles, I spot the Yolanda Reef for the very first time.

The majestic coral cliff is a scene of vibrant orange creatures, green plants and fluorescent yellow bannerfish, which loop around the rocks oblivious to my presence.

I’d only tried diving for the first time just a few days earlier and I’m now inside what feels like the world’s largest tropical aquarium, Ras Mohammed National Park, just outside the resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt.

Read more at The Sun digital