Another Corona year in 2021 before a turn to the better in 2022 – travel as usual in 2023?

While the year of 2021 was still heavily marked by the Corona pandemic, 2022 was the year of change for travel. Whereas there were still some obstacles, international (air) travel became an option again. I would like to look back at these two years, yet without dwelling so much on 2021. It was a difficult year for me, precisely for my husband and me. I do not want to give too many details – this is a travel blog after all – , but the situation we were in affected our traveling too. In 2022, there was definitely a turn to the better! And this was as well as to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic as to personal issues. So, I thought it is high time for a travel update on Swiss Traveler.

Travel year of 2021

The first part of 2021 was still strongly influenced by the Corona pandemic. So, there was more domestic travel for my husband and me. And we were lucky to live in Switzerland because it was always possible to stay and dine at domestic hotels, throughout the COVID-19 time. From late summer on, we were able to travel internationally again, first by car and later by air.

Exploring west Switzerland

I have already announced in my last travel update that we explored the western part of Switzerland, the French speaking one, to a greater extent. This involved the Swiss Jura around Le Noirmont

where you find a great two-star Michelin restaurant

with some guest rooms. We continued towards south to the Lake Geneva. Here we stayed in the beautiful Glion above Montreux

before heading to Lausanne. The latter is not only one of the bigger cities in Switzerland but a nice place too. And it features the possibly best hotel in the country’s French speaking part.

Plus, the latter hosts a great two-star Michelin restaurant.

After exploring Switzerland’s west,  it was up to two more domestic trips before heading to the nearby abroad.

Short stay on Lake Zurich & a journey to Ticino with 2 stops en route

The short stay on Lake Zurich

was a “Corona getaway”, as outlined above. Our choice of destination turned out to be ideal for this purpose as it allowed us to dine not only at the onsite restaurant but also at the one of a sister hotel in the city of Zurich. And we reached the latter by the hotel owned boat!

Next was a journey to Ticino, Switzerland’s sunniest spot, with one stop on the way there

and one on the way back

(now under new managment). In the Ticino, it draw us to Ascona, and this to our favorite hotel

In the area where we had not been for a while.

Venturing abroad to neighboring Italy & France

As first destination for traveling internationally after the worst time of the pandemic, we chose the north Italy and the south of France (itinerary). As to Italy, I did the following posts: hotel No 1,

with great three-star Michelin restaurant,

plus what to do,

hotel No 2

plus things to do

and hotel No 3

plus activities.

With regard to France, here is what I wrote about it: hotel No 1

with two walks,

hotel No 2 including two activities

and hotel No 3,

which features an outstanding two-star Michelin dining-spot.

Having returned from nearby abroad, we chose Madeira as destination for our first air trip. Not only is it quite close to Switzerland but it also features a balmy climate year around.

First international air trip to Madeira & a traveler’s nightmare

Madeira is ideal for travelers in search of mild weather in November. It is also perfect for those into walking such as us. Returning to this island in the Atlantic Ocean had been our bucket list for some time (our last trip to this island dates back to 2007). So, we were very much looking forward to our journey and our first air trip since a while.

We had a good start – see my post about hotel No 1.

Then it happened, something that every traveler fears! My husband developed a kidney stone, for the first time ever. What first seemed to be painful yet not too much cause for concern, got out of control. There were complications and he had to be hospitalized on an emergency basis. The diagnosis was septic shock! In the end, everything turned out fine – Madeira has excellent private healthcare facilities.

Yet, such an health issue is of course every traveler’s nightmare!

Despite all this – my husband had to spend one week at the hospital, from which two days in intensive care – , I managed to produce quite some more content about Madeira: hotel No 2,

general information,

luxury hotels overview,

gourmet dining.

After this mixed year of 2021, my husband and I hoped for a much better 2022. Yet we wanted to be careful before heading further away, both because of the insecurities caused by the pandemic and of the health issue my husband had suffered abroad.

Back to normal in 2022?

Yes, that was the big question at the start of the new year, for travel addicts and also for my husband and me. If you face a serious health incident abroad, you cannot not go on as before. It changes you whether you want it to or not. But there was hope, both with regard to a fast end of the pandemic and to fearlessly traveling again. To be precise as to the latter, that means to go on a trip without checking first whether there is a state-of-the-art health care facility nearby.

The travel year 2022 started with ski vacations in Zuoz

again. We also returned to Lausanne

for another stay at my favorite hotel in town if not in western Switzerland. This time we went with friends and it was again a good experience.

First time ever in Mallorca/Spain

Our first air trip did not go far, you know, in the case of an unexpected health issue. It went to Mallorca, a place we have avoided so far like the plague. Yet we always have been steering away from destinations affected by mass tourism. But, due to the situation at the time, we gave it a try. And we were pleasantly surprised, with some exceptions. It seems that there is always too much of everything on this beautiful island. And in spring, there are definitely too many cyclists (on race bicycles) around.

Here are my posts about Mallorca: its (excessive) tourism,

itinerary,

staying and dining in style in four places (southwest,

north,

northeast

– here you find also Mallorca’s best restaurant – the two-star Michelin restaurant Voro –

and Palma de Mallorca).

Before going farther – to a place with immaculate health care facilities – , we had one more interesting domestic short stay.

A weekend at a country club in Val Lumnezia/Switzerland

Together with friends we spent a weekend in Val Lumnezia, a valley in the southeastern Alps in the canton of Grisons. Here we stayed not at a conventional hotel but at a country club.

This means that it is not open to the public, only members can dine (a former two-star Michelin chef)

and stay here. My husband and I were lucky enough to join friends of us (who have a membership). And it was a great thing to do, especially if you care for personalized and bespoke services (no post yet).

Our 9th West Coast America journey

Then off we went for our ninth West Coast America stay! We had opted for a place that was familiar to us for our first journey further away from home after the pandemic’s peak. The start and ending point was Los Angeles,

in between were Las Vegas

and some places in Arizona.

Here is an overview post, another one goes into the details, i.e. from place to place.

Next on the agenda was a short stay in the eastern Swiss Alps in Klosters near Davos (no post yet),

before we returned to our favorite city in the world, Paris. We have been here umpteen times, but we still love it! These are my posts about it: luxury boutique hotel in the Marais,

4 Michelin starred restaurants.

After this, we spent a weekend in Zurich with friends at a hotel in the city’s old town (post about restaurant, a two-star Michelin dining-spot,

no post about hotel yet). And then it was up to a bigger trip, our fourth Bali stay. On a side note, you find here probably no health care facilities that live up to Swiss standards but Singapore is not too far away.

Stay No 4 in Bali within 8 years

We love Bali – although it has not been spared from mass tourism. It has so much to offer in terms of natural and men-made attractions. In addition, local people are so nice and hospitable. Plus, we had hoped that fewer travelers should be around than before the pandemic. And we were right! Finally, we knew the place, and that is always favorable if you have some doubts – think of issues in the context of pandemic and health. It turned out to be a great experience again, here are my blogposts: findings after 4 stays in 8 years,

best walks,

best luxury hotels

and best fine dining in Ubud.

Between Christmas and New Year, we spent a week in Madeira. We had a lot of catching up to do – see above. And with this, we already have reached the year 2023!

2023, a special travel year

2023 is not just the first year where travel should be as it used to be before the pandemic, but it is also special to my husband and me, from a personal point of view. This is due to two factors. The first goes back to my husband’s health incident that happened end of 2021. From the start of 2023 on, we have the firm attention to spend our vacations in a more carefree way again. This means no more checking beforehand where you can find a high standard healthcare facility near the place where we are headed.

As far as the second factor is concerned, I will not elaborate further right now. This will probably happen when I do my next travel update. Anyway, we have great plans in terms of trips all over the world for this year. Actually, we have already booked all of them! As you may have noticed, there is a heavy demand for going away. So, we already had to do some amendments!

First to a domestic trip that is already over, our annual skiing respectively winter vacation.

6th or 7th stay at Hotel Waldhaus Sils Maria in Upper Engadine/Switzerland

After two stays in Zuoz – where there was a change of manager too – , we were ready for something new. It should be the Upper Engadine again. And so went to a place we have not visited in 16 years (How could we do that?). It is about Hotel Waldhaus in Sils Maria, and it was still as good as we remembered it. I have done two posts about this vacation, one about the hotel,

the other about 2 top winter walks in the area.

Now to what lies before us.

Does the Bhutan trip finally become true – booked for 2020, realized in 2023?

As already mentioned elsewhere on my blog, we have a trip of a lifetime booked pre-pandemic (for spring 2020) that finally seems to become true in 2023. And this is to Bhutan, a kingdom in the Himalayas between India and China. This country is said to be a mythical place with an unspoiled culture and nature. It has been open to the outside world only since the 1970s. And the government still prioritizes Gross National Happiness (GNH) over Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

My husband and I hope that everything as to our upcoming journey will fall in place. This also because of the fact that we already paid the full price for it back in 2020. To follow-up!

Other plans for 2023

As to other booking arrangements we have made for 2023, I can inform you as follows. In summer, we will spend a few days in Zermatt in the southwestern Alps.

This because a friend of us celebrates a milestone birthday here. I myself have also such a birthday ahead of me this year. On this occasion we have planned a trip to the nearby abroad. The South Tyrol

will be our first destination to go before continuing to Lake Garda (for the first time ever). Our way home will be via Montreux

on Lake Geneva (where we will celebrate with our son and his girlfriend).

Later this year, there is supposed to be another once in a lifetime trip, this time to Chile. After a stopover in Buenos Aires, we will head to the Atacama Desert and to Patagonia

as well as to Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso. And finally, Madeira is again on the agenda for the end of the year.

So, that is it to my travel update on Swiss Traveler. Let us see what happens between now and the end of 2023! Happy traveling to all of you!

The post What has happened in the last two years travel wise? And what is in store for 2023? first appeared on Swiss Traveler