Anguilla’s resort bubbles allow tourists in quarantine to hit the beach and eat out

Tourists in quarantine on the Caribbean island of Anguilla won’t be spending the whole time locked away in their room – in fact, they can hit the beach, go out for dinner at restaurants, or even enjoy some watersports.

Anguilla currently offers a resort bubble where visitors stay in one of the approved hotels, while they wait for the result of their Covid test at the end of a 10-14 day isolation period. (Travellers need to have proof of a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of travel to enter the island at all, and will also receive a Covid test on arrival).

Until now, this resort bubble meant that guests could explore their hotel or the stretch of beach directly in front of the property – but Anguilla is now expanding the offering for visitors.

The new policy means that tourists will be able to not only access their hotel and beach, but they will be able to go exploring the other properties and stretches of beach which are part of the resort bubble programme.

Considering this scheme is in the resorts along Meads Bay Beach, it’s a pretty dreamy setting that comes with a white sand beach, swim-friendly waters and heaps of restaurants.

Tourists will be able to enjoy activities such as golf, kayaking, snorkeling and even boat trips, while also being able to dine at the other hotels’ restaurants.

All activities and restaurants will need to be booked via the hotel they are staying at. (You can find out more on the Anguilla Tourist Board’s website at ivisitanguilla.com/escape ).

Anguilla isn’t the only sun-soaked destination to offer a scheme of this nature for travellers. The Hawaiian island of Kauai offers a similar programme although guests are not allowed to leave their resort and have to agree to being monitored and wear a bracelet with a GPS tracking device during their stay.

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Of course currently international travel is banned for Brits as part of national lockdowns across the UK. Boris Johnson recently unveiled the lockdown roadmap in England, which included that foreign travel may be allowed to resume from May 17, subject to a review in April. Until then, it remains illegal to travel abroad for leisure.

Anyone travelling will need to provide proof that it is for one of the legally permitted reasons (such as work or health) or risk being sent home or fined.

The roll out of Covid-19 vaccinations does offer light at the end of the tunnel. For a start, a number of countries have said they will lift quarantine rules for vaccinated travellers, including hotspots such as Cyprus and Iceland.

For those who really want a change of scenery, some countries – Anguilla included – have also launched new visas for remote workers who want to come and stay for up to a year.

What do you think about the ‘resort bubble’ concept? Let us know in the comments below.