Safety and Security

As Donald Trump’s re-election prompts deep reflection among many Black Americans. A growing number are exploring life outside the U.S. Over the past few weeks, friends and family have reached out, expressing a genuine interest in relocation. As co-founders of World Footprints, Ian and I have spent decades traveling the world, sharing stories of culturally rich destinations that offer beauty and belonging. For those preparing to take this leap, we’ve created a list of seven welcoming, safe countries for Black Americans, including tips on residency and local considerations to make the transition easier.

Among the picturesque beach towns in Guatemala, El Paredon Buena Vista, situated on the southern Pacific coast within the Escuintla municipality, stands out as the ultimate destination for beach lovers and surf enthusiasts alike.

  Going on an off-grid trip, such as camping, can be both an exciting and stressful experience. Among other things, you must consider food, safety, and entertainment. Another stressful aspect of such trips is the power supply, as you must keep your devices and appliances running. It’s where a portable generator comes in handy; they allow you to enjoy nature while also having fun with your gadgets.  Portable generators provide enough power throughout your trip without taking up much space or being too heavy to carry. Portable generators are not only essential in trips but also in homes during power outages and in construction sites without power supply. This post will explain why you should have a portable generator for your next trip. You Can Use It For Other Activities  One of the significant advantages of investing in a portable generator is that you’ll not only use it on off-grid [...]

My last trip was in February 2020, just a month before the coronavirus pandemic shut much of the world down for months on end.

But for many of us wanderlust-filled souls, there is one major influence on our well-being that the pandemic discourages — and that is travel.

Whether we identify as travellers or not, a lot of us are taking time during the pandemic to connect with nature. Depending on where you live in the world, restaurants, shops, and even parks have been closed, so a lot of us are hitting the trails to enjoy the fresh air.

Travel may never be the same, but that only means that you’ll need to be more prepared for flights in the COVID era. If you must travel, or as lockdowns lift and travel restrictions loosen, if you decide to travel, there are precautionary measures you can take to lessen your risk of infection.

  The travel advisory which had been put in place for 5 months, advising against international travel, has been lifted by the US State Department. In a news release on Thursday, the state agency said it had coordinated the lifting of the travel advisory the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They had issued the Advisory on March 19, 2020, at the highest threat alert level-4. The State Department noted on the revised travel advisory that health and safety conditions had improved in some countries while others had the potential of deteriorating. The state agency has returned to the previous system of having a country-specific travel advisory. They argued that this would provide travelers with more information that was detailed and actionable. To help them make informed travel decisions, the customary travel levels 1 through 4 threat advisories, which were provided for individual countries, provided more detailed information. Croatia [...]

Allianz, which is a financial and travel insurance company, conducted a survey of 4,300 random clients who had purchased a policy between June 19, 2019, and February 29, 2020, with the policy ending by March 1, 2020. The survey’s intention was to ask: “what would make you comfortable enough to travel?” 

The coronavirus pandemic has treated the world to new norms that have never before occurred. The total shutdown of essential services and normal life during the total lockdown directives and a massive meltdown of economies leading to job losses and restructuring of revenue streams are scenarios that have not been witnessed in the recent past. Borders were shut down and airline companies parked their airplanes in airports. However, the pandemic infection rate is receding and most countries are considering a phased return to normalcy including the United States. Flights are reopening their services but Americans have had to adapt to new ways of air travel. Protection Guidelines Some of the major guidelines that have helped bring down coronavirus new infection cases are social distancing and wearing a protective mask. The airline industry is maintaining the same as a precaution against the spread of the virus. For some airlines, passengers are [...]

Anybody out there ready to hear some good news, for once? 2020 seems to be all about the bad news. I see it all the time on Facebook, TV, and even in my inbox. It seems the only thing anybody wants to talk about these days is COVID-19 and why we should all be terrified by what it brings. However, there is some good news out there! In the middle of this storm, people are reaching out to make this season a bit more survivable—particularly for first responders. I had the opportunity to talk with J.J. Bukowski, one of the founders of AZ Face Shields. This organization creates face shields to donate to first responders. In just a few short months, this organization has given away thousands of shields! J.J. told me how the idea for the organization was born and what the group has done to put a dent [...]

In this video, join Kellie Paxian as she shares her experience of traveling internationally from Cape Town to Vancouver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kellie managed to leave South Africa just before the country went into lockdown, and she joins World Footprints to discuss her journey and the contrasting approaches to the pandemic in Cape Town and Vancouver.