Shipwreck discoveries and a crowdfunded country: Travel news this week

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It’s been 731 days since world health officials declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

That’s about 940 flights from New York to Singapore, 650 trips on the Blue Train between Pretoria and Cape Town or five round-the-world cruises.

Keen to make up for lost time? CNN Travel is here with our weekly roundup of news and inspiration.

Shipwreck discoveries

It’s been a good month for shipwreck hunters.

Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship HMS Endurance was discovered more than 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) deep in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, more than a century after it sank in 1915.

Mensun Bound, leader of the recovery mission, called it a “milestone in polar history.”

Meanwhile, the 130-year-old wreckage of the ship Atlanta has finally been discovered at the bottom of Michigan’s Lake Superior, a shipwreck historical society recently announced. The 172-foot (52-meter) schooner barge was carrying a load of coal when it sunk during a storm in May 1891.

Rule changes and reopenings

32 BEAUTIFUL REASONS TO VISIT IRELAND: Poulnaborne is a Neolithic portal tomb in the Burren region of Clare, dating back to as early as 4,200 BC. It attracts around 200,000 visitors each year.

Laytown Races (Meath): Beach volleyball isn't the only sport that can be played on sand. Thirty miles north of Dublin, a full race meeting is held each September on an east coast beach in Meath, with thousands in attendance.

Inishmore (Galway): Inishmore is the largest of Galway's Aran Islands, off Ireland's west coast. The flat karst terrain is limestone crissed-crossed with cracks known as grikes.

Benbulbin (Sligo): In the heart of Yeats Country -- the childhood home and final burial place of the poet W. B. Yeats -- Benbulbin is a jaw-like slab of the Dartry Mountains. It gained its distinctive shape during the Ice Age. It can be found on the northwest coast.

Ballintoy Harbour (Antrim): This fishing village on the north-east coast doubled as the Iron Islands in "Game of Thrones." If it doesn't seem dangerous enough in real life, it's a short drive away from the terrifying Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

Cliffs of Moher (Clare): Perhaps Ireland's most famous attraction, the 214-meter-tall Cliffs of Moher attract around a million visitors each year. It's on the southwest edge of the Burren region.

Mount Errigal (Donegal): Mount Errigal is the tallest peak in Donegal, northwest Ireland. It's renowned for the pinkish glow of its quartzite rock at sunset.

Moll's Gap (Kerry): A pass on the world-famous Ring of Kerry route, Moll's Gap has views towards the Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountains. The rocks here are Old Red Sandstone.

Killiney (Dublin): Stay in the exclusive seaside suburb of Killiney, south Dublin, and you might be lucky enough to spot neighbors Bono and Enya when you pop out for some milk (although they might send their butler for theirs).

Mussenden Temple (Derry): Another "Game of Thrones" filming location, Mussenden Temple is an 18th-century folly -- originally built as a summer library -- perched dramatically on a northwestern clifftop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Connemara (Galway): Connemara, in northwest Galway, is one of the country's official Gaeltacht -- or Irish-speaking -- regions. In 2010, the number of daily Irish speakers in Ireland as a whole was estimated at 83,000, out of a population of around 4.6 million.

Castlegregory (Kerry): Surfers can catch waves straight off the Atlantic at Castlegregory, a village halfway between the lively town of Dingle and Tralee, home to the endearingly outdated "Rose of Tralee" beauty contest.

Tollymore Forest Park (Down): C. S. Lewis is said to have found his inspiration for the fictional land of Narnia in the sweeping mountains and labyrinthine forests of the Mourne region. Tollymore Forest Park -- home to waterfalls, bridges and grottoes -- still feels like somewhere one might encounter a faun or even a wildling. "Game of Thrones" was filmed here too.

Powerscourt Estate (Wicklow): A popular day-trip from Dublin, Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry is noted for its grand country house, landscaped gardens, golf course, and Ireland's highest waterfall.

Strangford (Down): Strangford village sits at the mouth of Strangford Lough, the largest inlet in the UK or Ireland. A ferry connects it with the village of Portaferry, on the southern tip of the Ards Peninsula.

The Skelligs (Kerry): Skellig Michael is an imposing, windswept hunk of rock and a UNESCO World Heritage Site 12 kilometers off the southwest coast. If it looks familiar, that's because it starred in the ending of "Star Wars: Episode VII -- The Force Awakens."

Trinity College Long Room (Dublin): The 65-meter "Long Room" is the main chamber of the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin. Former students who perhaps took inspiration within these walls include Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker and Samuel Beckett.

Tyrella Beach (Down): An Irish folk song penned in the 19th century by Percy French, and later covered by Don McLean, celebrates the northeast coast "where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea."

The Burren (Clare): The Burren (from the Irish word "boíreann," meaning rocky place) is a 250-kilometer-square area in south-west Ireland. It's a vast karst landscape of broken limestone, cliffs, caves, fossils and rock formations.

Dublin Docklands (Dublin): The regenerated Dublin Docklands have seen plenty of new developments in recent years, including the construction of the Convention Centre Dublin and Samuel Beckett Bridge (pictured).

Ross Castle (Killarney): Ross Castle is a 15-century tower house and keep on the edge of Lough Leane, the largest of Killarney's three lakes.

Blarney Castle (Cork): Blarney Castle -- and the famous Blarney Stone inside it -- are so pretty it's no wonder people have been coming for centuries to kiss it.

Newgrange (Meath): This 5,000-year-old tomb is older than the Egyptian pyramids and is an astonishing feat of Neolithic engineering. It's aligned with the rising sun and on the winter solstice its innermost chamber is filled with light. Tickets for the annual event are only available by lottery.

Giant's Causeway (Antrim): Legend has it that these interlocking basalt columns were formed when Irish giant Finn McCool built a bridge across the Irish Sea so he could go fight a Scottish giant with whom he had beef. The scientific explanation is almost as good, though. The 40,000 pillars are the result of a volcanic eruption some 50 to 60 million years ago.

Hill of Tara (Meath): The Hill of Tara is the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland and has been in use since the Neolithic era. Margaret Mitchell borrowed some of Tara's resonance when she gave its name to Scarlett O'Hara's beloved homestead in "Gone With the Wind."

Glendalough (Wicklow): The glacial valley of Glendalough is home to a sixth-century monastic settlement founded by Saint Kevin. He was an ascetic, with one particularly lurid legend claiming he drowned a woman who tried to seduce him.

Kinsale (Cork): A stop on the Wild Atlantic Way -- a 2,500-kilometer driving route along the west coast -- Kinsale claims to be Ireland's foodie capital.

Dark Hedges (Antrim): You might recognize this avenue of 18th-century beech trees from the second season of "Game of Thrones," when Arya Stark flees King's Landing disguised as a boy. The village of Stranocum is now a regular stop on Northern Ireland's "Game of Thrones" location tours.

Lismore Castle (Waterford): Want to stay in your own private 12th-century castle, complete with 15 bedrooms? The Irish seat of Britain's Duke of Devonshire, Lismore Castle is available for exclusive hire -- at about 50,000 euros a week.

Achill Island (Mayo): Achill is the largest island off the coast of Ireland and is home to a population of fewer than 3,000 people. The land here is mostly peat bog.

Allihies (Cork): The Allihies Copper Mine Trail is a walking route around the wild Beara Peninsula, with spectacular mountain and sea views.

Glenariff Forest Park (Antrim): Hidden from the crowds heading to the nearby Giant's Causeway, Glenariff Forest Park is home to the Waterfall Walkway, featuring a total of three stunning waterfalls along its path.

32 beautiful reasons to visit Ireland

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One of the latest countries to lift all Covid-related travel restrictions is Ireland (just in time for St. Patrick’s Day on March 17).

After being closed for two years, Malaysia will reopen its borders to international visitors on April 1, and fully vaccinated travelers won’t have to quarantine. And on March 27, India will resume regular international commercial flights for the first time since the pandemic began.

US domestic travelers no longer have to take a Covid test or show proof of vaccination to enter Puerto Rico, and Hawaii is dropping those same measures for domestic travelers starting March 26. Hawaii will also lift its mask mandate – the last US state to do so.

The Maldives and Belize have dropped Covid testing for fully vaccinated arrivals, and inside Belize, curfews have ended and masks no longer need to be worn outdoors.

As for spots with high Covid case numbers, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has moved some former Covid success stories to its highest-risk category for travel.

And with the anniversary upon us, we look back at the two weeks when the novel coronavirus brought the world to a standstill.

War in Ukraine

Airbnb hosts in Ukraine have been inundated with bookings from guests around the world – and they have no plans to check in.

It’s all part of a social media campaign to send money to besieged Ukrainians as their country fights against the Russian invasion.

Elsewhere in hospitality, hotel chains Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt are some of the major businesses pulling back from Russia.

Flight sanctions continue to have a big impact. Thailand, a popular vacation destination amongst Russians, found itself dealing with thousands of stranded Russian tourists. And an ideally located little airport that stepped up during the Cold War and Covid could be called upon once again.

Small island, big ambitions

Coffee Caye: This tiny island off the coast of Belize has been acquired by a group of investors who hope to turn it into the world's newest micronation.

Small spot: Measuring just 1.2 acres, there's not much to this tiny island, but investors see big potential.

Land owners: The investors paid $180,000 plus tax for the island and are selling shares in it for $3,250 apiece.

A country called Islandia: The investors want to name their new country Islandia. They've already acquired some trappings of statehood, including a national anthem and a flag.

'Amazing feeling': "That feeling of stepping onto an island that you've invested in, and own," says Marshall Mayer, who co-founded the project to acquire Coffee Caye, "that's an amazing feeling."

Guided tour: In February 2022, a group of investors and would-be investors took a tour of the island to gauge its potential.

'I own an island': "Why wouldn't I invest?" says island shareholder Stephen Rice, who packed quick-drying travel trousers and a suit jacket to look smart for the inaugural tour of Islandia. "I can tell all my friends that I own an island!"

Island campsite: Accommodation on the island is currently only under canvas, but the investors are discussing something more permanent to house potential visitors.

Cheers: Two investors drink rum coconut cocktails to celebrate their arrival on Islandia.

Investment risks: Not everyone's convinced about the project. Some potential investors touring the island expressed concerns about the island's vulnerability to hurricanes or rising sea levels cause by climate change.

At home: Morgan Bourven, a French investor in Islandia, relaxes on his newly acquired land. So far 89 people have invested in the project.

'Mingling place': Co-founder Marshall Mayer wants to regenerate the surrounding coral reef, while also developing a glamping site or turning shipping containers into basic boutique accommodation. He wants the island to become a "mingling place" for investors, visitors and locals.

Do it right: Oscar D. Romero, the Belizean real estate agent who found Coffee Caye for the investors, says the group needs "to balance the environment and economic growth."

A tour of Coffee Caye, earmarked for micronation Islandia (photos)

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A group of investors crowdfunded $250,000 to buy their own Caribbean island.

Coffee Caye is a 1.2-acre, uninhabited island off the coast of Belize, and the group wants to use it to start their own country named Islandia.

While it might be the first crowdfunded island, it’s not the first micronation. Many self-proclaimed kings, presidents and emperors have declared themselves rulers of their own private empires over the years. Here are some of them.

Love and money

Italy’s capital region of Lazio – home to gorgeous hilltop towns and Rome, the Eternal City – has earmarked $11 million of Covid recovery funds to go to couples planning weddings or civil unions in the region this year.

The grants offered are up to roughly $2,200 per couple (€2,000). While it won’t cover your dream destination wedding by any means, the money could certainly cover some outfits and flowers.

For your honeymoon, may we suggest Ischia – the island in the Gulf of Naples made famous by Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels. Or perhaps Sicily, which Anthony Bourdain visited for his “Parts Unknown” series in 2013.

In case you missed it

Cable cars are coming to Paris.

The 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) aerial tramway is set to open in 2025.

A new spherical hotel room in Sweden’s Lapland lets you sleep surrounded by birds.

Make a little birdhouse in your soul.

They said women weren’t strong enough to work in Chinese restaurant kitchens.

These chefs are proving the haters wrong.

Get set, travel

They don’t call them red-eyes for nothing. If you have trouble dropping off to sleep on an overnight flight, our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have put together this roundup of products to help ease your slumber. And during Sleep Week, March 13 through 19, check out other great gadgets for a good night’s rest in the CNN Underscored newsletter.