What are travel bloggers doing during the pandemic?

HOANG LE GIANG: "WATCHING REINDEER IN THE MORNING, WATCHING SNOWFALL IN THE EVENING"

Travel blogger Hoang Le Giang is perhaps a rare case, having to undergo two consecutive quarantines. The first was in Mongolia, because he had previously transited through South Korea. After completing 14 days of quarantine in Mongolia and being completely healthy, he flew to Norway and continued to self-quarantine a second time, as encouraged by the Norwegian government.

"I live in Finnmark, a province in northern Norway, which is also the northernmost part of Europe. I live in a wooden house high up in the forest, where the average outdoor temperature is -20 degrees Celsius."^o"C" - Hoang Le Giang shared about his current life in isolation. "Up in the mountains, there's no shortage of anything, and the friends are kind. Every day there's dried meat and plenty of bread; if you're thirsty, you go down to the river to get water; if you want to burn firewood, you go and chop it yourself. If you're not busy, you watch reindeer in the mornings and watch the snow fall in the evenings."

“The reindeer herders don’t talk much about this virus either, because they’re too busy worrying about the weather and their herds, thinking about the upcoming summer and next year’s business. Normally they live in isolation, houses 2-3 km apart, so life is no different now, only the TV keeps blaring about the same issue… It’s a strange time indeed.”

QUYEN LE (MISA GJONE): “I TRAVEL THROUGH… SCRAPBOOK”

"Initially, my purpose in making scrapbooks was just to kill time during the coronavirus pandemic, and after finishing them, I would 'show them off' online. But unexpectedly, the more I did it, the more I liked it, and I naturally felt it was very real – more real than just sitting and editing photos and posting them on Facebook," shared travel blogger Quyen Le, currently living in Norway.

“When I started making my scrapbook, I had to look back at old plane tickets, entrance tickets… from back in 2014, which helped me remember so much about my trips. For example, the postcard of the Berlin Wall, with stamps from East and West Germany on the back. The feeling of standing in front of the ruined wall, the feeling of separation, of war… I experienced it all back then, and then I forgot it after a while. But when it was preserved in the scrapbook, the images and feelings of that day came alive again.”

To date, Norway has recorded over 2,000 cases of Covid-19. According to Quyen Le, the panic and chaos among Norwegians have passed, and now everyone around her is going about their normal lives, within the limited scope recommended by the government. "Of course there's an impact, but now everyone is in the same boat, so we'll just get through this together."

NGO TRAN HAI AN: "LEARN TO ADAPT AND FIND NEW OPPORTUNITIES"

During the pandemic, travel blogger Ngo Tran Hai An chose to return to his hometown to rest. There, he continued exploring, taking photos, and spending time with his family – especially his daughter, May U. These seemingly relaxing activities also helped him hone his photo editing and video production skills, improving his overall expertise.

"I recently created the photo series 'Cloudy Girl - The Little Girl of the Green Forest,' primarily for my daughter, and secondly to share a positive message with everyone. Whatever the circumstances, adapt, be comfortable in them, and do things that are appropriate and beneficial for your family, loved ones, and friends. In general, always learn to adapt and seek new opportunities."

Hai An also mentioned that he is planning to open a homestay in the near future.

CORPS - DUC TRAN: "OUR LIVES ARE CURRENTLY AS MINIMALIST AS POSSIBLE"

Like other travel bloggers, the Covid-19 pandemic completely disrupted the travel plans of Quân Đoàn and Đức Trần, two members of Wanderful Dreamers.

"Traveling is a passion, but currently it's a major route for virus transmission, so even domestically we're not going anywhere. We're staying home and focusing on projects that have been pending for a long time. The hardest thing about working from home is overcoming the feeling of laziness every morning. We've even discussed starting to exercise early to be more alert and productive at work."

We're also trying to live a healthier life, cooking our own meals all day, limiting eating out, and temporarily connecting with friends online rather than meeting in person. In general, our lives are now as minimalist as possible. And we're gradually adapting to that."

One of the projects the couple is currently working on is producing eco-friendly products made from bamboo and wood. In addition, Quân and Đức are developing Home of Wanderful Dreamers – an Airbnb property in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

"Thanks to this, we have a quiet place for both of us to work and brainstorm ideas. Currently, we also plan to create a mini studio in this very room to further develop our photography skills. When we have results, we'll 'show them off' to Travellive!" - Quân Đoàn shared.

QUANG VINH: “I am dedicating this time to my family.”

Many of Quang Vinh's projects and trips have been canceled since the Covid-19 pandemic began in Vietnam. However, he quickly adapted to the situation. When asked about his life in recent days, Quang Vinh listed a long list including: going to the gym, watching movies, reading books, cleaning the house, learning to cook… Notably, he also had time to practice his singing and return to his hobby of painting.

"The good thing about this pandemic is that I can use the time to be with my family, and at the same time arrange projects so that they can continue to develop after the pandemic ends," the singer said.

LY THANH CO: “I’m taking a break, temporarily stepping away from the streets.”

"The pandemic has been a difficult time for a travel blogger like me because normally I go on 3-4 trips every month, but now I haven't been able to go anywhere for a whole month," said Ly Thanh Co.

Nevertheless, Li Chengji's life is currently quite busy as he works full-time from home for a multinational advertising company. In the evenings, he has extra time for entertainment programs like Netflix and Nintendo Switch; he also always prepares enough "food" so he doesn't need to go out for several days.

"Overall, life hasn't been disrupted too much, it's just that we have to work and be active from home more and take a break from the streets. But during this time, I'm still planning some trips so I can go as soon as the pandemic is over."

In early March, Ly Thanh Co also had an unforgettable experience during a business trip to Hanoi, when the hotel where he stayed was locked down because two British tourists infected with Covid-19 had stayed there. However, less than a day later, the lockdown was lifted – after all hotel staff tested negative for the coronavirus. “This incident showed how well and quickly the Ministry of Health acted. Upon identifying an F1 case, they immediately traced those at risk (F2 and F3). I feel somewhat more reassured about Vietnam's pandemic prevention efforts,” Ly Thanh Co recounted his experience.

VINH GAU: "I HAVE TIME TO MAKE MY HOUSE MORE BEAUTIFUL"

During the week, travel blogger Vinh Gấu remains an office worker, so his life doesn't change much. But on weekends, because he limits himself to not going far from his neighborhood, he starts dedicating time to taking care of his home.

"I started going to the market more often to buy groceries for cooking, and then I began buying pots, soil, fertilizer, and seeds to create a mini vegetable garden at home. I also took advantage of my free time to beautify my house, buying decorations and adding different plants..."

In addition, he also spends this time practicing the guitar – a hobby that had been "dormant" for quite some time – as well as blogging about the journeys he has taken but never shared before.

NHI DANG: “The time to recharge your health and spirit”

Besides traveling, cooking, yoga, and meditation are also hobbies of travel blogger Nhi Dang, so she now has more time for those hobbies. “I consider this a time to recharge both my health and my spirit. Every day I maintain my exercise routine, practice yoga and meditation, read books, cook, and clean the house... In addition, I've started researching a new subject online; trying my hand at vlogging and editing video clips I've made during my recent trips. At the same time, every day I think about and search for optimistic content to post on social media, aiming to help people be more positive.”

Lan Oanh