Since March of 2020, Coronavirus has devastated the world. In just a matter of weeks, entire countries completely locked themselves down and closed their borders to visitors.
For the first time since World War II, travel — an industry that relies on human movement and employs 10% of the global workforce — completely stopped. As the months have rolled on, we’ve seen some countries re-open……and then return to lockdown, while other destinations are doing well and have reopened to (some) tourists.
And that process creates a lot of questions. There are a lot of variables and rules are constantly changing.
India is no exception to this. Our vast country is teeming with beautiful landscapes, incredible adventures and vivid experiences. But everyone is a tad bit worried – How do we travel? What are the protocols?
We are here to help you out with all of your travel queries!
PUGMARKS COVID POLICY:
In its essence, our Covid Policy is simple. Follow the rules and directives of the respective states where our camps/programs are being conducted.
(We do keep an eye out for daily policy updates!)
But it’s not just this much that Pugmarks does in order to have a safe camping experience. So, what do we exactly do? Well, let’s take a look –
1. All Pugmarks field team members would be undergoing a compulsory RT-PCR test before the camp.
While not compulsory, we would highly recommend all participants to have a negative RT-PCR test 48 hours prior to departure.
2. Temperature checks are mandatory for all participants at the camp meeting points. Our team will also conduct temperature checks three times (breakfast, lunch, dinner) to ensure a safe experience for all.
3. Our ground vehicles are operated by our trusted vendors who we have operated with for over a decade. These vehicles would be sanitized for your use.
4. All campers are expected and instructed to wear masks and carry their own sanitizers. (Tip: If you’re coming by flight, don’t throw away the face shield that the airline gives you, reuse it in your vehicle.)
5. All common areas of the campsites or lodges will have extra disinfection and appropriate social distancing will be maintained. In lodges/resorts, daily disinfection of the rooms is mandatory and would be followed stringently.
6. For Trekking camps, numbered gear will be provided for the duration of the camp so as to avoid confusion with other participants. Post use, the gear will be disinfected appropriately for future use.
7. Our teams are trained in First Aid and carry their own first aid kits, which are now also equipped with pulse oximeters, infrared thermometer gun, gloves, sanitizers and masks.
8. If any team member or camper shows any COVID-19 symptoms, then, he/she will be immediately isolated and sent back to the nearest city and kept under observation.
9. In order to reduce the risk, we have avoided village visits as much as possible. Most of our campsites are in remote locations thus eliminating foreign human interaction.
10. We also recommend all participants follow instructions recommended by our field team at all times to have a safe and enjoyable experience.
At Pugmarks, we focus on safe and unique travel experiences. Covid or no Covid, our goal doesn’t change. So, feel free to travel, now with added safety precautions!
Hoping to see you all step out and be the “ghumakkads” that you were born to be.
Born Free, Live Free … Be a Pugmark-er!
Pugmarks was founded 21 years ago in Pune by 3 passionate conservationists including an IITian and a naturalist working for WWF. Our core mission is “To sensitise the youth to the joy of the outdoors and nature conservation while enhancing their personal development”. Each year thousands of youngsters camp with us in their vacations at amazing places like Manali, Andamans, Kanha, Dandeli and more. Pugmarks is led by a dynamic team which has over 20 years of experience in adventure travel and ecotourism. Pugmarks has won many awards over the years, most notably the National Award from ATOAI for excellence in "Community-based adventure"
