Did you miss going to the mountains? WFH becoming painful? Well, there’s a ray of sunlight for all passionate travelers who have been locked inside their homes for a little over 3 months.
Ever since the first major nationwide lockdown was announced on 21st March 2020, avid mountain lovers have had to stay home no matter how desperately they miss traveling to Himachal.
The biggest holiday season that witnesses lakhs of tourists in Himachal in June alone has suffered at the plight of the coronavirus pandemic. And hotels in Himachal have also suffered massive losses due to the loss of traffic in their districts.
This story of a Shimla Hotelier might give you an idea how tough it has been for small hoteliers across the State.
But finally, there’s some good news from the Himachal Tourism department
According to this news published by Hindustan Times, entry of tourists to Himachal from other states is now allowed. Even though the exact date for when traveling is allowed is yet to be confirmed along with other SOPs by CM Jai Ram Thakur on Monday (5th July 2020).
Before you pack your bags and grab the keys, you’ll need to keep the following things in mind:
Conditions For Traveling To Himachal in Unlock 2.0
- Obtaining an E-pass shall remain mandatory for all. You just need to simply register for it here: (https://covid19epass.hp.gov.in/)
- A negative test report from ICMR approved labs proving you’re (and all other travelers with you) are COVID-free
- The test report should be conducted 3 days (72 hours) prior to the check-in date.
- Although not mandated, but at least 5 days of booking is recommended
- Strict following of the guidelines/SOPs given by the health & revenue department of Himachal
- Install Aarogya Setu app (this is yet to be confirmed on Monday)
What Will Staying At A Campsite Like Ours Look Like?
We are happy to announce that our staff members have already undergone extensive training organized by the Himachal Health Department & the Tourism Board.
The SOPs for hotels/camps/resorts are expected to be announced on Monday but we have taken a cue from other State boards like Goa, Kerala & Uttarakhand and compiled our own SOPs that are at par with any other State tourism board.
The SOPs for staying at Camp Roxx will be as follows:
- Mandatory daily temperature checks of all staff members and guests
- Daily Sanitisation of All Rooms & Common Areas
- Contactless check-in
- Vehicle Sanitisation for All Guests Cars
- Daily mechanized cleaning of bed sheets, pillows, pillow covers
- Built for social distancing by default
- All rooms are at least twice the recommended limit of social distancing (12-50 ft.)
- No common corridors or AC
- Order food/snacks etc. via your own mobile
- Delivery of meals to your room or open table
- PPE Kits for all staff members
- Use of gloves and other safety precautions for all kitchen staff
- 90% Open Spaces
- 10 years of safety ethos
- Adventure activities protocol in place
So Is It Safe To Travel To Camp Roxx Once The Lockdown Is Lifted?
To a large extent, the possibility of contracting a virus in an area like ours (7 km of reserve pine forest) is very small. The main reason behind that is all staff members have been housed and quarantined within the premises itself since the day lockdown was announced.
And come to think of it, Kangojodi camps were always open to a select number of people who were looking to spend time closer to nature as opposed to going shopping on mall roads or doing other touristy activities.
You can still enjoy a quiet bonfire under the stars and hiking in the forest, lounging by the natural spring water stream or taking a dip in it. Your experience shall remain as offbeat as we have always promised it but with “the new normal” guidelines in place.
Stay tuned for the next update on July 5th 2020 – Monday!