Adventurous travelers at risk

A glance at the web shows the enormous range of adventure holidays available; anything from abseiling to scuba diving.  The list of unusual destinations seems to get longer each year with South America and Asia featuring on many itineraries.  People of all ages from gap year students to active pensioners are taking trips of their lifetimes.  These holidays are wonderful, until something goes wrong.  It really pays to do as much research as possible before you go.  For example, the recent disruption caused by volcanic ash has revealed big differences in how different tour operators and carriers have responded to customers’ needs.   Word of mouth is often the best guide to help you decide the best companies to use.

Another essential piece of research for anyone planning a trip to unusual destinations is the Foreign Office website: www.fco.gov.uk.  As of today (5th^th May 2010) the site is carrying a warning against all but essential travel to Thailand because of the volatile political situation.  The site shows literally dozens of countries on its “don’t go” section; graded according to the severity of risk.

Another thing to check is that your travel insurance will cover your destinations and all the activities you are intending to enjoy.

If you are booking a holiday ensure you remember to purchase travel insurance at the same time to protect against the possible reasons the trip could be delayed or cancelled. If you are only travelling once in the year single trip travel insurance may be suitable however if your travel more than once in a year it may be better value to purchase annual travel insurance. This type of travel insurance usually covers you for an unlimited number of trips within the year subject to a maximum duration each trip can last, say 31 days for example.