Hey DDE members!
With the headlines full of confusing travel scenarios, we wanted to let you know we are keeping our finger on the pulse at DDE HQ. It is our main priority that your travels with us are completely seamless and we have taken extra care to adapt to the new situation at that is coming our way, taking particular notice of entry requirements to the Ukraine for our upcoming Chernobyl tours and how to remain within the local regulations once you have arrived.
BEFORE ARRIVAL
The most important takeaways for you at this point are:
Arriving travellers have been divided into two groups, Green and Red. Check out the list of countries to check the status of your origin as of today. https://visitukraine.today/
If arriving from Green approved countries you do not have to self-isolate on arrival.
This list is constantly changing, being updated by the Ministry of Health every week. Travelers are advised to regularly check the Ministry of Health’s website to verify whether their country of departure falls within the Red category.
Passengers transiting through a Red country will be treated as having arrived from a Red country, unless they were there for less than 24 hours.
Passengers arriving from Red labelled countries will have to produce a negative test not older than 48 hours, and if negative you will not have to self-isolate. The other option is testing on arrival to the Ukraine. Read more about this option below.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR NO ISOLATION ON ARRIVAL:
Passengers arriving from a Red countries now have several choices to avoid mandatory self-isolation.
They may now take a PCR test in their country of departure no more than 48 hours before their departure. At the border, they must present an official document detailing their negative PCR test. Passengers presenting a negative PCR test alongside a valid insurance policy which covers expenses relating to COVID-19, will be allowed to enter Ukraine without quarantine or the need to use the “Diy Vdoma” monitoring app.
Unfortunately, private PCR testing is not readily available globally and can be very expensive.
Conveniently, passengers from Red countries now have the possibility of receiving a test at three major Ukrainian airports: Lviv, Boryspil and Kharkiv. The tests costs UAH 1,500 (around $55).
A testing service has also been launched at Kyiv Zhuliany Airport (IEV) by the private company “Verde Clinic.” The cost is reported to be UAH 1,700 (around $60.)
The procedure takes 15 minutes. However, team members may have to stay in isolation at their lodgings until their “Diy Vdoma” app has updated with their negative test result. We highly recommend acquiring the test beforehand if possible to keep Murphy at bay but if you choose this at your entry, make sure to arrive some days before for this procedure!
It is imperative that you have the correct insurance documents with you as you can see in the video above. The insurance policy should be issued by a company registered in Ukraine or a foreign insurance company that has a representative office in Ukraine or a contractual relationship with an insurance company partner in Ukraine. The policy must cover the costs associated with the treatment of COVID-19, observation and the entire duration of stay in Ukraine and you can sign up for insurance policies for your respective dates directly on https://visitukraine.today/
DDE has also been working with our on site legal team to create a policy that will cover you if you want it done in-house.
INSIDE UKRAINE
When in transit and in public the rules are as follows:
Wear a face mask (Children under 6 years old are allowed to go without face mask)
Use antiseptic hand gel regularly when out and about
Avoid crowded places
Always keep your identity documents with you
Keep your distance from others, 1.5m
Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap as often as you can
Mask Advice in the exclusion zone:
Our founder Aron Arngrímsson and the initial research team donned masks for the first time at Chernobyl, approximately six months before we went into lockdown. Nowadays these are common place, and it is recommended that this level of mask is worn as much as possible in the exclusion zone. The special rules you have to follow were a bit unusual at the time as one of our guests Jakub Slama recalls:
“Don’t sit anywhere, don’t touch anything, don’t put anything on the ground and don’t drink or eat outside of the vehicle. You would be surprised how much we are accustomed to be able to do those things in our everyday life. This is all second nature to us but not as easy as you would expect to unlearn while visiting the town of Pripyat. This was one of our first stops in 48 hours spent in The Exclusion zone. “
Surgical masks are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer in the exclusion zone. You will be allocated personal appropriate PPE when you enter the powerplant.
Antti Apunen in the “Golden Corridor” at CHNPP
Arrival at Chernobyl
Once we reach the Exclusion Zone there is more paperwork and checks that need to be completed before we get stuck in to the Zone. This is not an instagram influencers’ day out at the Ferris wheel! The Zone is not an amusement park, it is a place for gathering knowledge. Our expeditions are led by explorers, scientists and previous Pripyat residents and know what to teach us to ensure our absolute safety while exploring the Zone. The Chernobyl Zone is a place where even usual things work completely different comparing to our normal daily life.
Although it is impressive and beautiful, it is, nevertheless, a harsh territory. Our guides are explorers and pay exceptional attention to educating us during the visit. Be ready to learn and build up your knowledge to understand more about the Zone, its nature, and processes behind it.
From the Exclusion Zone to inside the newly opened and infamous Control Room Number 4, you are now able to experience Chernobyl in a whole new way. Check out the atmosphere inside the powerplant and feel the pressure when you watch this video from our last trip inside the control room in Unit #3.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Who are the real stalkers?
Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse is a new documentary series that delves deeply into what the modern day experience is like exploring the zone as an extreme sports aficionado, an artist, a tour company and the people who aren’t allowed to be there, the illegal hikers known as "stalkers."
Watch the documentary in the link below:
Availability Update Alert 2020:
2 spaces available for 10 - 13 September
2 spaces available for 15 - 18 Oct
1 Space left 19-22 Nov
This sums up the updates we have for you about Chernobyl at the time of writing.
We are so excited to start the season soon and sharing this incredible experience with those of you joining us. If you want to join, drop us a line now to discuss how you can join onto one of our excellently curated, and considered expeditions.
As always, we hope you all had a great week and have some fun plans this weekend. If not, or even if you do, don’t forget, if you feel lonely, we are here to chat Dirty.
Love,
Aron Arngrímsson and the DDE Team