Let me start by saying, our journey began well before anyone really knew the severity of the coronavirus pandemic – but celebrating our wedding and honeymoon during this time certainly made it one to remember! Even though we had some unexpected changes and had to cut our trip short, our honeymoon was still the best adventure ever!
On February 29th, I spent the entire day rushing around trying to finish packing for our wedding and stayed up all night preparing for the trip. We left at the crack of dawn on March 1st to fly to Banff to finalize all of the details before our guests arrived for our wedding the following weekend on March 7th. When we left Dallas, the airport was operating normally. There were no drastic travel measures or social distancing, no hand sanitizing stations, or travelers wearing masks. Traveling seemed completely normal, despite the coronavirus starting to infiltrate the news as cases rose in China.
Note: This is a long one, but our honeymoon started as coronavirus began to escalate and ended with a global travel ban and shelter-in-place, so I wanted to share our experience through this crazy progression, our unique experiences, how we made the most of it, and what led us to cut our trip short.
BANFF, CANADA
When we landed in Banff and went through customs, we were asked if we had recently returned from China, Italy, or South Korea. No to all, proceeded straight through without any concerns or worries.
As soon as we arrived, I reached out to a friend living in Italy to ask how things were and if traveling seemed safe. She said while cases were rising, life was operating as usual and the media was making it out to be worse than it actually was. They were still going to restaurants, grocery stores, and hanging out with friends. I felt confident that if someone who was in the center of it all felt safe, then we shouldn’t have a problem traveling to our honeymoon destinations that had no cases of the virus whatsoever.
Click here to read about our ceremony at The Fairmont Banff Springs + what I gave my bridesmaids
Throughout the week in Banff, the media continued to talk about the rise in coronavirus cases – but there were maybe 5 cases in the entire country at the time, none within a close distance to us. It was never a topic anyone really worried about throughout our wedding week, aside from the concern of us flying through Europe to Asia the following week.
The hotel we were married in typically has a large number of travelers from China, but they had cancelled all incoming conferences from the country for safety precautions. The Fairmont Banff Springs had set up hand-sanitizing stations throughout the property, but it didn’t affect us whatsoever and everything operated as usual. By Friday, we had about 10 guests cancel due to the concern of traveling through airports, but overall coronavirus had not escalated to a serious issue by the time we left for our honeymoon. The wedding was absolute perfection and the best day ever, all of our guests left healthy and happy, and we proceeded on our honeymoon!
While our parents were worried about us traveling, they wanted us to make the decision on our own – after all, we had been counting down for our honeymoon for 11 months! We didn’t feel the need to cancel since Sri Lanka and the Maldives had zero reported cases. They stocked our carry-ons with Clorox wipes, and my stepdad ordered medical-grade hand-sanitizer, so we felt confident and started our adventure!
Similar to Dallas, the Calgary airport operated normally. There were definitely fewer travelers than usual, but that was a perk in our opinion! We boarded our first flight to Amsterdam, and there was nothing unusual. Since there were less travelers, there were lots of empty seats, so we ended up having an entire row to ourselves – win!
Before we landed, we were handed a COVID-19 health screening form to check if we had been to Italy, China, or South Korea, or if we had symptoms such as fever, sneezing, etc. We checked no to all, and went on our way. This form was handed to us on each flight for the rest of our journey.
AMSTERDAM
Arriving in Amsterdam was completely normal. We started to wonder if the media was making this a bigger deal than it actually was, since the airport was PACKED with travelers. We had a long layover, so we took the train to the city and spent the morning exploring. The train was full of locals heading to work as usual, and no one was wearing a mask. This was my second time to Amsterdam, and the city was equally as crowded with bikers and tourists as the last visit.
We had the best time strolling through the colorful streets along the canals, having morning coffee in a local coffee shop, and enjoying life as newlyweds!
We returned to the airport, relaxed in the airport lounge, and that’s when we saw a news article saying coronavirus had started to spread in Amsterdam – and one traveler was actually quarantined in the airport that day. Coronavirus wasn’t really talked about, but you could tell people were starting to feel a bit more on edge.
Click here to read how to spend a layover in Amsterdam
PARIS
Our next stop on the way to the Maldives was Paris (we had a long travel journey!). We had a long layover as well, and initially hoped to visit the city – but the airport was further from the city than Amsterdam and many tourist attractions were closed for social distancing, so we played it safe and stayed in the terminal. Not going to lie, the Paris airport made me a little uneasy. I’ve flown into Paris numerous times, and it’s always crowded and hectic with travelers, but it was completely empty. When we checked our flight status, dozens of flights had been cancelled and flashing in red text. Every single flight to Italy, China, and a few to other countries had been cancelled, but since we were heading to the Maldives, we weren’t concerned.
The normally crowded terminal trains were completely sparse and empty, and most of the travelers were wearing masks. Our terminal was eerily quiet, and as we had lunch at the only open restaurant, we read Paris had become one of the fastest growing cities for coronavirus with thousands of cases being reported and new restrictions enforced daily.
I had been emailing back and forth with an airline contact of mine about upgrading our flights for our return trip and was waiting on final confirmation. Instead, she reached out to let me know there were new coronavirus restrictions being set for flights from Sri Lanka to Qatar on our way back and wanted to let me know to make sure we could get home. This was the first moment we realized flight cancellations were happening all over, not just Italy, South Korea, and China. We had not even started our two week honeymoon, and we were getting news about difficulties getting home. This was getting serious.
When it was finally time to board our flight, they called us up to the ticket counter – then we had unexpected delays for an hour. As we all waited in line (crammed together), people started worrying about the flight being cancelled due to the pandemic – any time someone sneezed you could see panic. An hour later we finally boarded and left for the Maldives. Similar to the first two flights, once again we had our own row – another win.
MALDIVES
After two days of traveling, we made it to the Maldives! By the time we landed, Charley’s allergies were out of control. He was sneezing nonstop and his eyes were red, which was not good since we were heading through a physical health screening in the Maldives. I was terrified we wouldn’t make it through customs and would be quarantined, but he took some allergy pills and pulled himself together, and we made it through. Note: if he didn’t usually have allergies, I would be concerned – but this was normal.
During our shuttle from the airport to the sea plane, our driver talked nonstop about coronavirus and the concerns within the country, and he had hand sanitizer for us to use before getting in the car. Since there were no cases reported in the country at this time, it was more precautionary.
Our stay at the W Maldives was absolute heaven! A lot of travelers had cancelled their trip, so the hotel was only at about 30% occupancy. It felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. We rarely saw other guests, and the restaurants had only a handful of couples each time we dined. Occasionally we would see a few people at the main pool, but it really felt as if we had the resort to ourselves. Ultimate paradise!
On the third day, we learned two resorts had reported cases of coronavirus, and the guests were being quarantined at the hotel, and no one could arrive or depart from the island. Luckily all of the hotels in the Maldives are on their own islands, so we weren’t concerned where we were. We actually had two other friends on their honeymoon in the Maldives at the same time at a different resort, so knowing they were also on their honeymoon made us feel more relaxed. Even though we never saw them, it was nice to know we weren’t the only Americans on vacation and could figure this out together if needed!
The last night of our trip, Charley decided to turn the A/C down really low, and I woke up with a cough. Since I never travel internationally without a medicine kit (can never be too prepared!), I took my temperature and knew I wasn’t sick and just had a scratchy throat. Unfortunately the cough continued for the next few days, making travel really uncomfortable due to the looks I would get when I coughed. #notsick
Each morning of our two week honeymoon, we took our temperatures and took Tylenol. Though we enjoyed our honeymoon to the fullest, we took our health very seriously, and this made me feel confident that we were healthy – and those around us would be healthy throughout our journey too!
Over the week we were there, the Maldives built its own quarantine island to keep all coronavirus patients confined and decrease the spread. It was amazing how quickly they built this facility – another reason why the Maldives are incredible!
Before we left, I checked Twitter to see if there were any updates regarding the Colombo airport in Sri Lanka. Someone had started a live series of tweets about landing in Sri Lanka from the Maldives earlier that day. Military officials invaded the plane upon arrival and escorted all travelers that had visited any of the 3 countries of concern and placed them in a mandatory 14-day military quarantine facility outside Colombo. The person continued to tweet about all of the chaos that followed, and we were really nervous about the journey.
The Maldives airport had the strictest regulations we had been through thus far, but luckily our driver escorted us through the airport and check-in to make sure we wouldn’t have any problems with our visas. Everyone was wearing masks, and we passed through an officer before proceeding through security who was doing preliminary health screenings. In addition to my cough, I had gotten a terrible sunburn since I forgot my face SPF one day, and I looked red and my under eyelids were insanely puffy (just what every girl wants to look like on her honeymoon!). He stopped and questioned me, but we didn’t have any issues.
The most anxious we were on the entire trip was at the Maldives airport waiting to get to Sri Lanka. We knew that once we landed in Colombo and cleared customs, we wouldn’t have any problems for the remainder of our stay. Colombo was getting strict with their travel restrictions, and we didn’t want to get quarantined for traveling internationally if things kept escalating before we landed.
SRI LANKA
ARRIVAL
As soon as the wheels lifted from the Maldives to Colombo, an announcement was made that any travelers who had visited Italy, South Korea, or China would have a mandatory 14 day quarantine at a government facility upon arrival. Though we knew about this since we followed the previous flight on Twitter, this was shocking to passengers. I still don’t know why they waited to tell travelers after take off.
Every passenger (except us) was wearing a mask, and the flight attendants announced they would be doing a series of desanitizing methods, and we needed to cover our faces and hold our breath as they passed. It was so weird to see all the flight attendants in masks and gloves spraying disinfecting chemicals as they walked down the aisles. Check out the video below:
When we landed in Colombo, we waited in a super long line for our health screening with dozens of armed guards around, and this time our forms were checked by doctors who stamped them before we could proceed to customs to exit. I definitely felt uncomfortable in the airport and was ready to leave. The good news was, we made it!
After getting our bags, we met our driver, Pramondh, at the exit and learned he will be accompanying us for the rest of the trip – such a relief knowing we had someone local who was accountable for keeping our journey smooth and would keep us updated on any travel restrictions. He was very concerned about coronavirus and never once came in physical contact with us. He never shook our hands and when Charley went for a high five, he just stared back. No contact.
Pramondh was the absolute sweetest, and we loved having him with us throughout the journey. It was really interesting to have a local’s perspective on coronavirus and staying updated on regulations, and it was definitely evident Sri Lanka was taking this more seriously than the other locations we had visited.
I could tell our driver was nervous with us since we had traveled internationally. If we fell asleep in the car, he would always ask if we were feeling ok. We knew we were healthy, but we felt bad that he was so nervous but continued along our journey. When we checked into our hotel, he would check into a nearby hotel and stay inside until we left for our next destination.
We landed in Sri Lanka on March 14. The country banned all international arrivals on March 15.
STOP 1: THE WALLAWA
We stayed our first night at a hotel near Colombo called The Wallawwa, and oddly it was full of American travelers. Everything felt relaxed and normal, and it was the perfect way to start our trip after our day of traveling.
Click here to read our review on The Wallawwa
The next day, we left for our hotel in the Ceylon Tea Trails. The 6 hour car ride was easy, but the only odd part was when we needed to stop for a bathroom break. The first place wouldn’t allow us inside since we were Americans, so we stopped at a small hotel in a tiny town – and it was weird to see the hotel empty with one local watching Trump on the news talking about coronavirus. Coronavirus (referred to by locals as “the problem”) was a nonstop topic for the entire honeymoon.
STOP 2: CEYLON TEA TRAILS
Ceylon Tea Trails was absolutely magical! Charley rented The Owner’s Cottage at Dunkeld to have our own bungalow and private pool separate from the hotel. However, we arrived to learn we were the ONLY guests in the hotel, since every other traveler cancelled. And no guests were in their sister property across the lake. Aside from the staff, it was just us. It was a little weird feeling like we were so isolated in the middle of this gorgeous valley, but it was incredible!
We really loved getting to know the staff, and since they served all of our daily meals – we had a great time talking to them! Since we were their only guests, we kept them entertained as well.
On our 2nd to last day the staff arrived in masks and gloves – which was the first time we had seen this since we started our honeymoon. The service was still incredible, but since we were the only guests at the hotel, we worried they started this new precaution since we were foreigners.
When we left the next morning, there was a huge truck barreling down the narrow winding roads heading towards our hotel. Our driver told us it was the health department coming to check in on guests and quarantine anyone who could potentially be sick. Since we were the only guests in either of the hotels they would be checking on, it was a little frightening. While we were healthy, I’m thankful we left when we did! If you’ve ever googled the Sri Lankan military quarantine centers, it’s not a place you would feel comfortable being stuck as a traveler.
STOP 3: WILD COAST TENTED LODGE AND SAFARI – CLOSED & CANCELLED
The next stop on our trip was the Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Yala – a super glamorous glamping resort along the coast of a national park. We got a call the day before we arrived, and the government shut down all of the national parks due to coronavirus, therefore our hotel was closed, and our safari and stay was cancelled. This was one of the stops we were most excited about so it was disappointing, but we were grateful this was our only cancellation on our trip so far and we were still on our honeymoon!
(Also, we saw two elephants and lots of monkeys on our drive, so at least we got a little safari fix!)
LAST STOP: CAPE WELIGAMA – CUTTING OUR TRIP SHORT
Since our safari was cancelled, we had an extra two nights at Cape Weligama. We weren’t surprised at this point to learn the hotel was basically empty as well, but it was still amazing! We spent most of the time in our suite, since we had our own pool – but when we did explore the hotel, we rarely saw anyone. The pools were always empty, the bar was typically closed, and we saw two couples each time we had breakfast or dinner. The staff wore masks and gloves the entire time, and we had to use hand sanitizer before entering any restaurant.
Since the resort was pretty empty, we spent a lot of time in town. Weligama reminded me a lot of Seminyak with an international surfer vibe. The town seemed lively, and we loved trying local spots for dinner. Coronavirus precautions were still very prevalent, and we couldn’t enter the grocery store without washing our hands outside while a police officer watched, and we had to do the same (minus the cop) each time we visited our favorite local happy hour spot.
Read our Weligama city guide + Cape Weligama review here
Every morning, the hotel placed printouts of top global news stories and resort events on our door. Needless to say, every morning we woke up to coronavirus updates around the world – so even though we liked to pretend we were disconnected, we were constantly staying updated.
On our 3rd day, we learned most businesses and restaurants were starting to close. Our families had been calling us for days asking us to come home early, but this was the first time we considered cutting the trip short. Charley decided it would be a great idea to rent the movie Outbreak after dinner (not the best movie to rent during a global pandemic ha), and it elevated both of our concerns. He booked return flights in the middle of the night and told me we were leaving the next morning when I woke up.
GETTING HOME
We had been debating cutting our trip short for a while, but wanted to enjoy as much of it as we could before leaving – after all, we were in paradise! March 21st was when we decided it was necessary, since the US had issued a Level 4 Travel Ban and travelers were told if they are not back immediately, they need to plan to seek shelter where they are indefinitely. The US government would not help anyone return. We booked the only two flights back with the help of Charley’s parents, both business class since they were the only seats available – and we are forever grateful!
Originally we had booked a night at the Shangri-La Colombo nearby, so we could enjoy the pool all day and leave for the airport after dinner. The hotel was recently renovated and looked amazing, so we were excited to spend our last day here! However, Sri Lanka set a country-wide curfew that day where no one was allowed outside or on the highway after 6PM, or you would be fined or arrested. This meant we needed to be at the airport before then, so we had to cancel our stay and change plans. Pramondh dropped us off at the airport at 5PM, so he could make it home by 6PM.
Since our flight was at 3 AM, we waited at the airport for 10 hours. Waiting at any airport for 10 hours is always a little rough, but this time all of the shops were closed, there one crowded cafeteria, and a tiny grocery store. The airport wasn’t allowing passengers to go through security like usual, so hundreds of travelers sat outside security on the floor waiting to be called. Pramondh had given us face masks to wear for our journey back, which made us feel so much better while we were surrounded by so many people.
Outlets were hard to find, and there were no chairs in the airport outside security. We were only allowed one hour of wifi per day, but luckily between two phones and an overnight flight, we were able to connect from time to time to check in or occupy ourselves with YouTube while we sat on our luggage waiting to be called.
Flight after flight was cancelled while we waited, and we were seriously concerned we wouldn’t make it out. These 10 hours felt so incredibly long! While the airport is large, they would only allow one flight to go through security at a time due to travel restrictions, so no one knew when or if they would be allowed through.
Eventually we made it through and caught our flight from Colombo to Doha to Dallas, and the journey back was smooth and easy! Whether it was because we felt relieved that we able to (almost) finish this incredible honeymoon with limited hiccups under the circumstances OR maybe it was because Qatar Airways business class was so incredible, but the flight back was oddly a highlight and we had so much fun!
I will say it was weird when we landed in Dallas, because we didn’t have any health screenings like all of the other airports we visited – but we were thrilled we made it home! Even though we knew we weren’t sick, we self-isolated ourselves for a full 14 days and never left the house – which wasn’t hard, since everyone else was under the shelter-in-place. Our families stocked our house with groceries and necessities while we were gone, which was SO helpful since we arrived around the same time stores were running low on everything. Our families are the best, and we felt so bad for making them worry!
LOOKING BACK
While it may seem like we were oblivious to the severity of the world as we snorkeled through the Maldives and toured tea plantations in Sri Lanka, we spent everyday checking in, reading the news, and staying updated on safety and travel information. While staying this connected may not sound ideal for a honeymoon, we had the trip of a lifetime and loved every minute of it!
We had our US travel agent from 6 Degrees, local travel agent, and local driver keeping us updated on everything and helping us navigate this crazy time. We never felt unsafe or at risk, and we were overly cautious to make sure we kept those around us safe as well. As crazy as it was to be abroad during this time, the countries we were in had substantially less cases than the US. We were generally the only guests in each hotel, and we felt as if we were on our own social distancing plan. It was hard to relate and understand the severity of what was happening in the US, but as the restrictions were rapidly growing where we were, we are relieved we cut the trip short and left when we did.
It’s weird to think I was in London during the swine flu outbreak, planned my wedding initially around zika (hence another reason why it wasn’t in Mexico), was in Dallas during the ebola outbreak, and honeymooning half way across the world during the coronavirus pandemic – but life happens and it’s important to stay calm, take care of our health, and do our best to make the most of it. It seems like each place we left or arrived, our timing was incredibly lucky. If our trip hadn’t begun when it did or if we hadn’t been half way across the world by the time things starting escalating, I don’t the trip would’ve happened. When I hear stories like the couple getting stuck for weeks in the Maldives following our return, I am so lucky our timing worked out as well as it did!
The Maldives economy relies heavily on tourism, as well as Sri Lanka. We heard so many times how tough it was for the economy in Sri Lanka to recover after the 2019 bombing in Colombo, and their excitement for a new year and tourism boom – just to decline immediately again with this pandemic. Our experience visiting was so incredible, and we can’t wait to plan a trip back in the future!
We had a trip of a lifetime and an absolute blast, and I will never forget this amazing honeymoon! I’ll be sharing our hotel reviews and our honeymoon travel guide in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned to hear why we loved these destinations so much, and why I highly recommend planning a trip in the future.