Tunnelling Towards Hope

Heading out on our long-awaited vacations, the bunch of us here at What’s On thought it might be interesting to find out what a few of our local celebrities were up to this summer.
About a year ago all that seemed to be on the lips of the star-struck elite were far off places like Maldives or Bali. But the oft-uttered ‘crisis’ word has meant that many of us have had to readjust some of our spending habits and so with that in mind, we wondered if those who have a little bit more cash than the rest of us too, have had to curb the monetary flow.

It seems that that may just be the case because today, most people are flocking to Turkey and Egypt. And while they all tell us it’s because of the culture and historical intrigue these different states offer, perhaps we’ll leave it up to you to decide who’s still the prince and who’s become the pauper.

Yana Klochkova
Olympic Gold Medal Winner
When I was serious into sports, I was completely deprived of any kind of vacation. Now that I’ve hung up my swim cap, I’m trying to make up for lost time. I’ve already been to Shatsky Lake as well as Turkey this summer and I’m heading to Italy in a week to host a television programme produced by Novy Channel. Typically I spend two or three thousand dollars on a trip and I book ahead – it’s the only way I see to making a trip successful, otherwise you run the risk of unexpected problems. But this year, regardless of the crisis, I’m ready to spend a fortune, so I’m really hoping it will be interesting. And with a bunch of friends by my side there’s no way it couldn’t be! That said, I’m not sure anything could measure up to my most memorable vacation which was back in 2001 where I had an absolutely unforgettable romantic affair in Turkey.

Kishe
Ukrainian Pop Singer
I keep myself busy with a bunch of work that needs doing in the summer and yet I still find time combine the things I need to do with the things I want to do. Very recently for example, I was in Spain where I was hosting a show that focused on European travel. I had my wife with me as well and while the TV channel paid for my expenses, we had to fork up another $2600 - a fairly substantial sum for only a five-day period. For that amount we probably could have stayed in any up-market hotel in Turkey or Egypt right in high season. But it wasn’t so bad being in Madrid; my wife was able to spend a few Euros in the shops while I was working and then we moved onto Valencia together. We can’t really say that the crisis has affected our vacation plans very much; it’s the birth of our little girl who’s changed things. Now we’re simply unable to travel too far and so Turkey or Bodrum especially, sounds pretty good. Hope our little one will be okay on the plane.

Sasha Pedan
TV Host
I often spend my summers working and so while I travel throughout Ukraine and abroad quite a lot on business – already Cyprus, Greece and the Crimea, I try to keep August to get away just for me. I don’t feel as though the crisis has affected my plans, vice versa in fact; I feel as though I have quite a lot of work these days. And as far as money is concerned, I really don’t worry about it; I buy the things I want. That goes for my vacation plans too as I certainly don’t like to economise when it comes to my holidays. This year I’m still at odds as to where to go. I was thinking about Montenegro or maybe Thailand. Whatever I decide, it will be a fabulous trip.



Andre Tan
Fashion Designer
As a rule, I try to travel somewhere at least twice a year. And because I stay away from these way far off destinations like Maldives or Hawaii, the crisis really hasn’t affected me the way it has other celebrities. Not only that, but I never travel to beaches in the summer because they are always overcrowded with tourists. No, I made my travel plans long ago which happen to be in the direction of Munich this year to visit my brother. The city has a lot to offer and I’d like to do a lot of sight-seeing. I get a real kick out of going around to the different baroque-style museums and churches and as a designer, I also like to see how people dress. I remember being in London once where I saw a girl walking around with a Chanel purse in her hand and wellies on her feet and then a 100% fashionista in sandals in the winter! I’m also planning a trip to the Alps. The mountains there are simply amazing and as it’s summer, there are hardly any tourists there at all. The best thing about being away however is being able to buy little gifts for my friends. German beer and clocks are on the top of my list.

Band XS
Pop Music Group
Anya: I totally love Europe, especially in the winter and the spring. And especially, when I get the time to shop! But I find that, when it comes to the summer, island living is the way to go and then it’s the Caribbean islands all the way. Because the best part about going on holiday is being able to choose my swim suit, I stay far away from nudist beaches. How else would I be able to show off my new suit and how good I look in it? And so with regard to this topic, I can say that the crisis certainly hasn’t affected where I am going. Have you already guessed? It’s the Caribbean! Where I will stay far away from getting myself involved with any summer romances, but will gladly listen to anyone else’s story.
Zhenya: I recently took a month and half long vacation and it was amazing! Turkey was my first stop and then Istanbul where there is such an immense historical background. From there I headed on to Montenegro where I relaxed in Budva in a 5star hotel and enjoyed a few nights on a yacht with some friends. But I found that Croatia was in fact the best stop. As it is ranked third by UNESCO as the most beautiful city only after Venice and Amsterdam, Dubrovnik is simply a remarkable place to visit. One of my favourite things to do before my trips is also to get my swimming gear ready and I like to buy them in numerous quantities!
Lera: My last vacation was last October in Tunisia, which tells you how much I work! And while I have been working this summer, sometime this month I would like to be able to get away to an island somewhere where there is no civilisation around at all. I’ll switch off my phone, I’ll relax and I’ll pay little attention to affairs of the heart. I can’t really say that the crisis has affected my plans but then I guess I haven’t made my choice about where to go either. What I do want to find is an abandoned beach where I can just be myself.

Ksenia Karpenko