Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on May 26

It is really easy these days to get information on any type of travel – so why not try something completely different! 

Imagine being in the absolute middle of nowhere – places that noone else you know has ever seen. places that aren’t even on your friend’s list of places to see this year – or in the next 10 years – like shark-watching 10,000 miles east of Australia, or watching a hit movie just miles from the Antarctic?

You want this?  If so - you need to get yourself on a cargo ship.  You can find them heading out around the world every day of the year from almost every big port in the world!

Now I know that doesn’t sound appealing to everyone – but the things you see will certainly be ‘once in a lifetime’.  Imagine the adventure of being 3 months at sea! Or sailing through the Panama Canal – and out past remote uninhabited Pacific Islands.

The Ultimate Vacation?
It could really be a vaction like nothing you have ever done before – or are likely to do again!

Of course it doesn’t have to be that long a time away, and you can choose some routes that are a lot closer to land and stop of at some pretty nice looking destinations along the way.   And you don’t need to stay onboard for the entire journey – you can hop off at any port along the way and just see where life takes you.

Those less adventurous might want to know exactly where they are going in advance – but that’s OK too – as the ship’s cargo has to go from A to B – that’s the whole point of them crossing the oceans in the first place – so you can guarantee a definite stopping point at the end – whereas you can’t always guarantee a stopping point in the middle!

Maybe you would prefer a trip from the UK to Australia like in the pioneering days of exploration – thankfully there is luxury these days, and it only takes around 84 days rather than the 6 months it probably took the average passenger a few hundred years ago!

Or maybe the 2 month trip from South America to the Far East, the 35 day trip from the US to the Mediterranean, or even the 7 day voyage around the British Isles checking up on all the lighthouses!

The Result:
Well, rather than telling your travel stories like everyone else – ‘when I was in Mexico…..’ or ‘when my family went to Hawaii’ – you can start your story with how many continents you cruised past, or how many miles you traveled in 1 day!

It will certainly be like nothing you have ever experienced before.  The people you will meet, the countries you will encounter – and the extreme weather you could get to witness first hand!  Imagine writing a travel journal of your voyage – just like Darwin did!

It might be worth trying out a few shorter boat journeys before you settle for something long-haul - as if you get seasick, this might not be the vacation for you!

Of course, check that your travel insurance covers your whole journey, and your passport is valid for the whole time you are away – and your vaccinations are current for all countries you might stop off at on the way.  Bad weather or maintenance could land you at any time in any country – so be prepared!

If you are still interested, then visit GeoCities Freighter for other peoples experiences on Cargo Ships and read their tips before booking your own once-in-a-lifetime ‘mega-cruise’. 

posted by Travel Cat on Feb 24

Before rushing off to book that equine adventure – make your checks!

It’s not so simple to just book yourself onto a week long horse adventure without a care in the world – it’s not like a normal all inclusive, although your food will normally be included here too.

So, here’s a few things to consider before making that booking:

Are You Insured?
Check you holiday insurance details before you make a booking just incase your full trip or part of your intended journey isn’t covered.

A short ride along a beach is probably ok for most; but 4 days trekking through the Andes or wandering across the Sahara for a week might not be a sure thing!

Are They Insured?
And, are you liable for any injuries to the horse or pony while you are riding it? 

And what if the horse you are given for the ride becomes unsuitable for riding – do they have to supply another one for you?  Make sure you know before you go!

The last thing you need is an extra bill at the end of the trip - or a few days riding missed as they have no backup plan!

Are You Ready?
Just because you love horses and riding, is that enough to think that you can sit on one for several hours a day, and for several days in a row?

Sitting in the saddle for a 2 hr trek seems fine – but what about 6 hours at a time – day after day?

And 6 hours of riding can be very tiring for someone who isn’t used to it – and what about all that cantering across huge fields and along beaches.  Can you keep up?

Are You Dressed?
You need to find out what equine equipment is available to you, or whether you should bring your own – or whether you are allowed to bring your own.

For example, it is always advised that you bring your own hat as you cannot guarantee that those supplied (if any) are up to your own countries safety standards, and that they even fit you!  A riding center can’t supply several of every sized riding hat in case you turn up with your very small head!  And a wrong sized hat will not do the best job in terms of your safety.

Some centres might like you to bring your own gloves and boots, but can you use a crop, spurs or other preferred equipment?  You need to find out the stables policy on anything you like to use when riding to see if it all adds up.

Are You Hungry?
Most all inclusive and full board vacation packages supply vegetarian options or have buffet meals to give you the freedom of choice – but vegans, celiacs and any other allergy sufferers might have trouble unless they plan for this in advance.

By making your food preferences known before booking or as soon as possible afterwards you will find that you will be eating without any problems.  I mean the last thing you need on an active holiday is to go hungry!

Are You Alone?
Many activity holidays share accommodation, rather than give single rooms to everyone.  Some times they are 2-shares but sometimes depending on the age of the group, you may all share bunks in the same room!

If you want your own space in the evenings check that there is the opportunity for this on your trip.  If it is in a remote location this might not be possible – so do this before you book anything!

Are You Still Up For It?  Then get that vacation booked!
 

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 23

How to reduce the risk of getting blood borne infections when traveling.

There is always a risk of illness or infection when you travel away from your normal environment or travel to another country.  Your body is used to things where you are, but when you relocate, there are common infections or conditions that your body is not used to and so you can become ill.

Also, in many countries around the world, you will find that the standards of hygiene are not as high as back home, and so you are exposed to more medical and health risks than you normally would be.

Obviously, there are ways to reduce your exposure to some of these risks, and below are some tipss to avoid blood-borne infections.

What are blood-borne infections?
HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are all in this group, and can be passed on through direct contact with blood from an infected person.  There is a vaccination available for only one of these – Hepatitis B – but the other 2 can only be avoided with suitable precautions. 

There is no cure for these 3 infections, only treatment once you have got them.  So one silly mistake on holiday could be with you for life – and more than likely shorten it too.

Below are some useful tips on avoidance:

1) Before setting out on a vacation or long-term travel, make sure you have read up on the risks of your destinations and are aware of how these illnesses are spread through the population.  Know which groups are most at risk and avoid those if possible. 

2) Make sure that you have all your medications and vaccination several weeks before travel at the latest so that you are protected from known exposures.

3) Ideally you would have a full medical and dental check up before leaving – explaining the length of time you will be away.  This means that your dentist or doctor can estimate the potential problems you may encounter in that time and deal with them before they are an issue.  This way you can avoid any unnecessary treatments while you are away, so avoiding the risks of using their equipment.

4) Purchase your own sterile medical kit depending on your length of travel and the countries you are visiting.  These are available in many types, including basic medical, advanced medical, dental (with temporary fillings) and even blood substitutes and other treatments.  Seek medical advice from a travel clinic to see which are the most suitable for your vacation and for your own needs and concerns. 

5) Avoid unnecessary medical treatments while abroad.  I once had a pharmacy in Egypt offer me an antibiotic injection for my cold.  Not only was it not medically necessary, but it was unprescribed and might not even have been what they claimed.  Why would I risk my life for a simple cold?

If you do need treatment, make sure all equipment is sealed in sterile bags before use.  Having decent travel insurance is essential here, as the clinic or hospital will be paid for their best treatments by your insurance company.  They can afford to crack open the sterile equipment for you, and you can afford to get the best treatment.

6) If you really do need that tattoo, then do the same – but it’s not just the needle that could hold blood.  Same goes for medical beauty treatments, like Botox and acupuncture, etc.

7) And it goes without saying not to have unprotected sex.

Think of your long term health, not just for the short term pleasures.  It could actually save your life.

posted by Travel Cat on Sep 15

If you travel without travel insurance these days – you must be mad…….

Everyone who has been keeping an eye on the travel news lately, must be more than aware of the changing face of the industry.

What Can Go Wrong? 
This season, prices seem to be staying unusually high – even last minute deals aren’t that cheap.   Destinations are disappearing from brochures as flights are re-routed or cancelled altogether.  Freak weather is pummelling coastlines and scaring off holiday makers.  Airline companies are going bust across the globe due to the unstoppable rise in oil prices.

You need to be covered if you are going away, in-case you are affected by one of these many problems – which could affect you at any time after you make the booking until you are safely back home.  And for those people who like to book their vacations in advance – that could be well over a year of waiting.

What’s The Best Cover?
As with anything you purchase, you need to find the policy that suits YOUR needs – and your needs only.  Don’t settle for a policy or company that worked for your friends and their family.  Why?

Well, there are different types of insurance depending on your age, your health, where you are going, what you plan to do there and how many of you there are for starters.  So always look around for what YOU need and what they offer.

What Do I Need?
One great way is to go to a travel insurance comparison site that shows the breakdown of the policies – and one that has clear explanations of each clause – for example www.money.co.uk and hit the Insurance tab and select travel insurance from the list.

Select any of the options you require – the destinations you require, whether it’s ’annual’ or ‘single trip’ you are after, etc. Then hit ‘Go’.  It will then bring up all the policies it has found for you or your family with general headings of Medical Cover, Cancellation Cover and Baggage Cover – plus the overall cost of each policy.  You then skim down the list looking for the amount of cover for each category and tick the box to their left.

When you have selected 2 or 3 that you are interested in, click COMPARE and it will bring up those policies in much more detail.  Every single detail of the policy is followed by a question mark logo which explains a little about what it is asking for – helping you to see what is being covered – and what could be available to you on another policy.

Spend your time investigating all the options and making a list of the type of things you are hoping for with your policy and then you are more than prepared to make an informed decision about what cover you want and what cover you can’t do without.  It is also possible this way for you to also make sure you are not paying a large amount for a clause that you do actually not need.

That way you will know that everything you had planned cover for is insured and you can enjoy your vacation – even if it is at the end of 2009.

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posted by Travel Cat on Sep 7

Travel With Kids Series – Essential Documents – Part 3

When making arrangements in advance for your vacation, make sure that you get everything in writing either posted to you or printed off of an email – and keep everything important for each journey to hand.

Confirm with hotels, vacation properties or car hire firms, etc, everything you think is important to you. For example if you are departing at a certain time or could be late arriving, make sure that they are aware of this and have made any extra arrangements for that.

If you are not sure of something, make sure you clarify the details in advance and get copies of everything that might cause a delay or confusion.

This is essential when either party is using a language that they are not fluent in. We had problems travelling in Central America, where the hotels claimed to speak English, but appeared to be answering slightly different questions to those that we were actually asking. We had to write them an email in just one line statements to get them to confirm all the details individually, rather than them just assuming our original email was just one single question!

Accommodation Details:
Make sure you call the accommodation or receive a written confirmation in the week leading up to your stay before arriving there.

Careful planning of your journey can all be wasted if your destination is not booked or they offer different rooms or services to that which you had planned for. For example planning for a self-catering location and then arriving at one without a kitchen could be a small disaster depending on the age of your children and their needs.

Make sure that for each separate journey, you have the details of that days destination to hand, checking that you have at least one contact number for that destination (that you have previously used so you know it works).

Directions – either spoken or written – can seem perfect to someone who takes that route every day, but to a stranger – things can seem quite different. You never know when you need to contact them again.

Offering an arrival time can be difficult when journeys and children are involved, but try to offer the accommodation a ‘latest’ arrival time. If you are not there by then – perhaps you could ask them to give you a call if necessary. If they know you are traveling with children, they are usually very helpful.

Financial Details:
If travelling with a credit or debit card, make sure that you keep a separate record of account numbers, etc, and make sure you have the contact number for your bank in-case they are lost or stolen during your trip. Advising the banks of your destination and departure dates can also help reduce fraud during your vacation.

Using the cards for everyday purchases can add up in conversion charges, so watch how often you use them – and obviously be aware of any bills could arrive home while you are still away.

Withdrawing larger sums on your credit card from a bank or bureau de change could save you on multiple charges – but could have a flat out charge for a ‘to cash’ withdrawal. Check with your bank or other account for the best deals when abroad and find out the best method for your needs.

If using travelers cheques, you will need to plan a bit in advance to free up your funds – as you need to visit a bank or alternative foreign currency establishment to get them changed. Looking around for the best exchange rate for them can also use up a bit of valuable time. But – if lost – the money is guaranteed.

Try not to check your bank statements on the Internet while abroad as the Internet cafe pc’s may not be free from viruses or key-loggers (which record your details and keys pressed), or the Wifi connection may not be secure – leaving your accounts open to invasion!!!!

If you plan to use the Internet abroad – then read some suitable materials about Internet security before departure. Not saving any personal details onto the computer, deleting all history and removing ‘cookies’ after use is a great start. You could even run a free online virus check before use to be sure.

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