Plan ahead and put together a hamper for yourself to upgrade your mandatory hotel stay when you return to Hong Kong
With any luck, Hong Kong will soon be completely quarantine-free for those arriving in the city (hey, hope springs eternal, right?) and travelling will once again be easy for “Asia’s World City”.
To be fair, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that the current three days in hotel quarantine followed by four days of medical surveillance out of quarantine is already significantly better than the previous nightmare- and anxiety-inducing 21 days. Having said that, three days in the same space, alone or with others, is still a struggle and you can’t just work remotely or watch Netflix all day to distract yourself from the confinement.
Read more: How Covid-19 Is Affecting Your Sleep and How You Can Fix It, According to a Sleep Scientist
Instead, use the three days to take good care of your well-being, so when you step out into the bustling city again you’ll be looking and feeling your best.
Before you leave for your trip, put together a self-care kit and pack everything in a small suitcase for a friend or family member to bring to the hotel you’ll be spending quarantine in. When you have to spend upwards of 72 hours in one space, every creature comfort will help elevate your stay.
Things from home
Unless you’re Robert Downey Jr, maybe don’t furnish your temporary digs with your favourite chair. But your everyday mug, a set of your own cutlery, and the shawl you like to be wrapped in while you get lost in a good book can bring personal touches to an otherwise very bland space and make you feel less isolated to have that connection to home.
Also, there’s something very comforting about going to sleep inhaling familiar scents, so pack a couple of pillowcases in your quarantine suitcase and use those instead of the hotel’s own. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, it’s good for avoiding a reaction to the hotel’s detergent as well.