Our Editors’ Top Post-Pandemic Travel Goals

This past year has been one of dreaming—of thinking about all the things we want to do, rather than actually doing them. But this time spent in our own homes, cities, and bubbles has also given us an opportunity to pick up new passions and interests, creating a new slate of things to try as we make our way back out into the world. Many of us are also rethinking the ways in which we travel, and how we can be better stewards both of ourselves and the planet going forward. Here, a non-exhaustive list of all the travel goals our editors have set for themselves in the months and years to come.

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Spending more time in nature

“The Great Indoors has made me pay more attention to my interior life. And yet all the Zoom nature backgrounds, meditation apps, herbal teas, and smudging sage cannot replace these pleasures: relaxing on a hot-springs tour in Kurokawa Onsen, a village in the crater of Japan’s largest active volcano, Mount Aso; seeing Varanasi’s Hindu priests perform the flamboyant Ganga aarti with flaming lamps, cymbals and conches, from a small boat on the gentle river; strolling through England’s Arthurian past in Glastonbury, with stops at Glastonbury Abbey, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and Glastonbury Tor, King Arthur’s alleged burial site; and walking among the ancient redwoods of California’s Pacific Coast to reconnect with the earth.” —Saumya Ancheri, India

“I sprouted a green thumb during the past year, growing cherry tomatoes and salad greens as a welcome distraction from the outside world. But this made me realize how much I missed picnicking in gardens with farm-fresh produce. Here are a few experiences I’ve bookmarked for once things open up: the two-week course on permaculture at Peter Fernandes and Rosie Harding’s farm located in Assagao in Goa; the organic certified Titi Eco Farm in Malaysia, with founder Mr. Lim, an organic-farming pioneer; picking porcinis at Ebbio, a 13th-century farm in the middle of an evergreen forest in Tuscany; a visit to La Donaira, a biodynamic farm near Serranía de Ronda in Spain, for feasts full of fresh produce and wine from the cellar.” —Smitha Menon, India

Rethinking the way we travel

“After seeing how the pandemic provided a pause for over-touristed destinations, allowing them to rethink how they open up, I’ve had a travel reset of my own; carbon offsetting my flights and booking properties that prioritize sustainability will be on my trip checklist.” —Rebecca Misner, U.S.

“I’ve always been a fan of serendipity, but with the world off-limits I found myself planning travel more than before. A road trip idea has become a Google map with 47 pins. The best part will surely still result from a wrong turn—but until fate strikes I know I won’t miss a thing.” —Megan Spurrell, U.S.

“I’m plotting all of my future trips around local-run businesses that have worked so hard to survive over the last year—hotels, street-food tours, artisan markets—in an effort to support the little guys.” —Shannon McMahon, U.S.

“On trips past, I spent a lot of time getting the perfect Instagram shot. After a year of screens, I want to go on safari in Kenya and leave my phone in my suitcase.” —Shradha Shahani, India

Putting family and friends first

“My first trip will be to Phuket, Thailand, to visit my family. I can’t wait to wake up and go for a swim and then lunch on pad kra pow before heading over to the Dibuk House in Old Town for cocktails.” —Pallavi Kumar, U.S.

“A night in Seoul’s Itaewon district with my sister. Months into the lockdown, my sister and I went from exchanging notes about our favorite Korean dramas to memorizing phrases and filing away cultural preferences and culinary highlights for a girls' trip to South Korea whenever travel restrictions lift. She is in Australia, and I am in India, so K-dramas have been both a sort of “comfort food” and a way to connect with each other during the worst of times, and we are only two among what seem like a zillion Indians who discovered K-drama during the pandemic and are dreaming of visiting soon.” —Saumya Ancheri, India

“A lazy Bali beach vacation with my girlfriends. Pre-pandemic, we’d planned this trip because two out of the four of us were getting married. The weddings may have happened during the pandemic, but that won’t stop us from having a belated bachelorette party with boozy cocktails and many spa trips.” —Smitha Menon, India

Knocking off a big bucket list item—or embracing the truly familiar

“I can't wait to take a safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. For our December/January issue, which included more than 250 trips to take now, I wrote about 30 splendid safari lodges and camps across India and Africa. Ironically, I’ve never been on a safari before. All that research and writing has got me dreaming of bush breakfasts, sundowners, and after-dark game drives.” —Shradha Shahani, India

“I'm giving more value to what's next door; I don't need to go to the airport to taste the feeling of adventure, even if I do love them (especially the Brian Eno music). I'm also lucky because I live in Italy. Traveling is always good, no matter where you go, but you can have an amazing adventure even in your own city. For me, returning to travel also means adopting a fresh state of mind, and even more than before, showing respect to nature, cities, artistic monuments, the population. Now, I'm wondering if it's worth it to take a long-haul flight for just a few days, and thinking about how to be a more sustainable traveler for the sake of the planet. After this huge collective trauma, we're going to taste adventure and explore with more empathy and a more loving attitude than ever before.” —Maddalena Fossati, Italy

A version of this article appeared in the July/August 2021 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler