"The beach is taped off like a crime scene"

Friday 17 April 2020

A Jersey couple holed up in Vietnam have shared how their year-long dream trip took a darker turn amid the virus crisis, turning their paradise into an "eerie ghost town."

Nat and Markus Parker, who were both ‘born and bred’ in Jersey, quit their jobs and set off on their ‘year of adventure’ in October 2019.

They spent time in Goa, Nepal and Tibet, before arriving in Sri Lanka in January.

Pictured: A wild turtle in Sri Lanka.

During their travels, the pair experienced "fantastic food, people and sunsets", "breathtaking" mountain views, and "unbelievable monasteries" filled with the "hypnotic" chanting of monks - but it wouldn't be long before the atmosphere changed.

In Sri Lanka, where they enjoyed "pure white sand, crystal clear water, with wild turtles majestically swimming around our knees feeding of the seaweed," the couple heard the first news about covid-19.

At that time, the virus was contained in China, so they “still had nothing to worry about – apart from where to do laundry."

Pictured: The couple swam with whale sharks in the Philippines. (Nat Parker/Markus Parker) 

By February, however, the travellers were becoming more concerned.

"Travelling to our next destination, the Philippines, we wore masks and used hand sanitiser at every opportunity."

It wasn't long before countries started to ban travel.

"We landed in Vietnam on 13 February," the couple recall. "Shortly after, they closed the borders."

Pictured: The Golden Bridge in Bà Nà Hills in Vietnam, which is usually filled with hundreds of tourists (Nat Parker/Markus Parker) 

All attractions are now closed and tours have been cancelled.

"It's an eerie ghost town compared to our previous trip seven years ago. The beach is taped off like a crime scene. In each convenience shop, masks are mandatory, [and] there are free hand sanitisers everywhere to use."

Despite advice from the British Embassy to return home, the couple decided to extend their visa and remain in Vietnam.

They say that to date, the number of coronavirus cases is relatively low in Vietnam and they wanted to avoid the risk of travelling through airports.

Beaches are blocked off and Vietnam remains in lockdown until at least the 22 April. (Nat Parker/Markus Parker)

"The rest of our six months of planned dreams and destinations are obviously impossible," the couple say, "but we are grateful for our trip so far, and for the safety of our family, friends and previous colleagues."

Pictured top: The couple in Tibet, with Mount Everest in the background.