Celebrities have ditched Dubai for Mexico's cartel ravaged Tulum to escape lockdown.
Pop star Dua Lipa, retired footballer Jermaine Pennant and Towie's Chloe Sims are among the famous Brits sharing updates from the popular holiday resort on Mexico's Caribbean coast.
Unlike influencer hotpot, Dubai, the Central American country remains off the UK's current red list for travel meaning boarding an eleven-hour flight is allowed if a passenger's work demands it.
The gorgeous white sands of Tulum however not only attract celebrities on "essential work" trips but often deadly cartels too.
A Tulum Halloween party last year ended in two men killed and three more injured causing a stampede of 1,500 revellers at the sound of gunshots.
An armed attack was launched at 12:30am in the hotel zone of the Vagalume Beach Club on November 1 as a result of what is understood to have been a drug-selling dispute, EDM Tunes reported.
In recent years the Jalisco New Generation Cartel – known for torturing and dismembering its victims – has seized control of Mexico's tourist stretch, known as the Mayan Riviera.
Francisco Rivas, 45, who monitors cartel activity for Mexico’s National Citizen Observatory, told The Sun in 2019: "Years ago, they agreed there were areas they would not fight in because it is bad for business.
"But now the new cartel members, like those from Jalisco New Generation, don’t respect the old rules. Something has changed.
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"They attack rivals in urban areas and murders happen in tourist areas. They are not targeting the tourists, but they may fight a cartel rival if they see them out in the shops or eating and drinking in tourist areas.
"Jalisco New Generation is not only the biggest and the strongest cartel, but it is also the most violent cartel we have in Mexico."
While most Brits need a good reason to so much as step outside their front door, Towie star Chloe Sims shared a clip on social media of her partying with Frankie Essex in Tulum on Saturday night.
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Chloe wrote on Instagram: "I HAVE ARRIVED IN MEXICO.. SO I WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF ANY NEGATIVE STORIES TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS IS FIRST & FOREMOST A WORK RELATED TRIP.
"SOME OPPORTUNITIES HAVE PRESENTED THEMSELVES, THAT I FELT I COULD NOT TURN DOWN & SO AFTER FULLY CONSIDERING THE LATEST GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES. I DECIDED TO TRAVEL.
"OBVIOUSLY I WILL BE QUARANTINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS UPON MY RETURN."
The pair are far from the only ones now updating fans from Tulum instead of Dubai after influencers faced wide-scale backlash for flaunting their UAE trips.
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Chloe's sister, Demi and her reality star girlfriend Francesca Farago are also at the resort and have welcomed the arrival of Francesca's dog on Saturday.
Earlier in January, British singer Dua Lipa shared a series of photos of her with friends and boyfriend, Anwar Hadid, in Mexico, Mail Online reports.
Ex-Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has been sharing beach snaps from Tulum since January 15, with a couple disclosing he was promoting bespoke travel agents, Eccelentia Travel.
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The 38-year-old immediately knocked down any suggestion he was on holiday despite his pictures posing on beautiful sandy beaches.
One of Pennant's 350,000 followers commented on one of his photos: "The hat is banging, facts!! Just let it breathe. And yes I am jealous you’re on holiday."
The former footballer simply replied, "working".
Home Secretary Priti Patel told the Commons last month: "People should simply not be travelling.
"We see plenty of influencers showing off where they are – mainly sunny places."
A deadline of 1pm on January 29 was set by the UK government for Brits to return from Dubai or face flight uncertainty but not all felt the need to rush home.
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