More Trouble Hotspots

Peaceful...for now...

In the news again this week are the troubles that have beset Egypt, although Sharm El Sheikh, which is far enough away from the problem areas has been assiduously omitted from the bulletin warnings.  With the ongoing Islamist Militant threats, the UK Foreign Office has seen fit, yet again, to warn tourists, tourist operators and Travel Agencies to avoid the Sinai Peninsular. 

It will prevent Britons from travelling to other Red Sea resorts such as Taba, Dahab and Nuweiba - popular destinations under normal circumstances. 

In the Sharm El Sheikh resorts, security has been tightened and the BBC were seen reporting from the shore of the Red Sea with a deserted beach in the background while stoic Brits stood fast with their decision to turn up anyway. 

One of the issues here, though, is the difficulty in obtaining travel insurance policies for holidays to the region. 

We at Holsure would always advise looking at the FO website, the weekend newspapers and news bulletins to ensure that your destination is a safe and secure one, but also check with your travel insurance provider to ensure full cover during your holiday and to ensure your trip is still covered. 

Check our website for further information and quotes for affordable cover. 

Indulge in Chocolate in these Sweet Cities

Let’s face it, chocolate is one of the best guilty pleasures around. Chocolate is a decadent treat loved by many. If you or someone you know is a chocolate lover, consider a trip to one (or all) of these chocolate havens. Your sweet tooth will be supremely satisfied!

Broc, Switzerland

Many famous chocolate brands call Switzerland home: Lindt, Toblerone and Nesquik®, just to name a few. It’s no secret that Switzerland is widely known for their delicious Swiss chocolate, but there are still a few hidden chocolate gems to be found. For instance, take a scenic (and tasty) tour through serene landscape aboard The Swiss Chocolate Train. Stops include a tour of the famous Cailler-Nestlé factory in Broc.

Oaxaca, Mexico

Stroll down Mina Street, or Chocolate Road as it’s known in Oaxaca, and you’ll find yourself in the midst of a street dotted with small chocolate shops. The residents of the area consume significantly more chocolate than other people in Mexico, thanks to the popularity of chocolate in the region.¹ While chocolate bars and sweets are abundant, the most popular way to consume chocolate here is in hot milk or water to make either “chocolate de leche” or “chocolate de agua”. The best hot chocolate is served foamy with a side of sweet bread. Yum!

Brussels, Belgium

Over 172,000 tons of chocolate are produced in Belgium per year and there are more than 2,000 chocolate shops throughout the small country (which is the size of Maryland).² But perhaps the most famous chocolate that Belgium is known for is the praline – a layer of chocolate surrounding a soft fondant center. Belgium is filled with events and museums that pay tribute to its famous chocolate but one of the most interesting is the Chocolate Academy at Zaabär where you can learn insider secrets to chocolate making.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona was the first city in Europe where chocolate was imported from Mexico.³ Ever since, Barcelona has been a chocolate lover’s paradise. A visit to Museu de la Xocolata, The Chocolate Museum, run by local confectionaries, shows just how much this city has been inspired by chocolate. At the Museu de la Xocolata you can see extraordinary chocolate sculptures including a giant chariot with chocolate horses and huge chocolate windmills. The museum also hosts children’s workshops and tastings of local specialties.

San Francisco, California

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is home to one of the oldest and most historic chocolate factories in the country – Ghiradelli.⁴ Each year this famous chocolate company hosts a Chocolate Festival in Ghiradelli Square. The festival is a two day long celebration of chocolate with tastings, live music and ice cream eating contests. Tours of the chocolate factory are available and you can visit the functioning old-school chocolate room in the basement of the factory.

Sources:
1: http://go-oaxaca.com/bestofoaxaca.html
2: http://www.visitbelgium.com/?page=chocolate-lovers
3: http://luxby.co/chocolate-news/top-chocolate-cities-around-the-world/
4: http://gosanfrancisco.about.com/od/dining/a/The-Chocolate-Lovers-Guide-To-San-Francisco.htm

Travel Guard News

Introduction: Umbrella Liability Insurance for Canadian travellers to USA

 




















Personal umbrella liability insurance provides you with an extra layer of protection in addition to the liability coverage you have through your current home and auto insurance. It could be important coverage if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property.

Why needed?

Lawsuits are a growing trend. Many people assume that their auto or home insurance will provide all the liability protection they need. But that’s not necessarily true.

Personal umbrella liability insurance provides you with protection against these risks, which are not covered under your auto, property or other insurance, like (i) libel, slander or defamation of character, (ii) invasion of rights and privacy; (iii) false arrest. Your defense costs are covered from the first dollar on claims involving personal injury.

If you frequently visit the USA

If you regularly travel to the USA, where the claims climate is an even greater concern than in Canada, you might consider having higher liability limits. Personal umbrella liability insurance can provided this extra protection.

If you need a higher limit

If you own a car, house, pool, trampoline, pet, boat or other recreational vehicles, your chances of being legally responsible for injuring another person may be increased. 

The difference between your auto and home insurance liability limits and damages sought in a claim against you could vary by hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. And you would be personally responsible for the difference. Additional personal liability insurance can protect your finances by providing a higher limit.

Example:

Tom was sued for a golf club mishap he had whole playing golf with his girlfriends. One of his girlfriends got hurt really bad and decided to sue Tom. Tom's Home Owners liability policy covered his legal expenses for being sued, but it eventually ran out. He was thankful that he decided to purchase his umbrella liability insurance policy a few years ago because it kicked-in and covered the rest of his legal expenses.

References: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella_insurance

http://www.ama.ab.ca/insurance/personal-umbrella-liability-insurance

For more information on travel advice and insurance, visit us at www.biis.ca, email us at info@biis.ca or call 1-888-267-4461. Our staff would be pleased to answer all your inquiries.

Holidays In The UK - Flooding

The floods at Chertsey affected thousands

Here in Kent we have seen footage of the flooded holiday park, residents homes and shops under metres of water in Yalding and the surrounding areas. In Surrey the Thames has been at its highest level for decades and the Barrier has been used more in the last year than at any time since it was opened in 1982. In Somerset, farms and farmland have been under water for months, and in Cornwall, railway lines have been washed away, obliterated by tide and wind, shingle has been thrown, missile-like into town centres, restaurant windows and high streets by the relentless conditions.

All over the UK people, properties, businesses and schools are affected by the recent storms that have come one after another across the Atlantic to hit our shorelines and islands in a never ending barrage of natural phenomena not seen for centuries. High winds, high tides, high river levels and high insurance claims have led to an unprecedented level of media, political and personal interest in the weather and its affect on our lives.

But what if you have booked a holiday cottage, chalet or caravan in the UK for your summer, Easter or half term holidays? What if the area in which you intended to take your holiday has suffered from the flooding?

The first thing to do is check. Give the company, owner or travel company a call to see if the property you have booked has been affected, you may find that whilst the cottage, caravan or trailer hasn't been physically affected, the surrounding areas are still impassable or difficult to navigate and you may need to make a decision under advice. Give yourself time.

If you have booked through an agency or travel company then they should offer you alternative accommodation, if you have booked with an individual then they should offer alternative dates or a refund of your deposit or payment if the property is not 'fit for purpose'.

The owner is responsible for offering clean, safe accommodation and it should be provided as such. A soggy lawn, a broken fence or a washed out path are not the same as a damp smelling cottage with wet carpets and high tide marks around the inside walls, so there are degrees of problems that may have to be faced.

Remember too that your lack of ability to leave your house due to the flooding of your property or area is not the same as the property you are renting being flooded and you will not be eligible for compensation if that is the case. Also, if the area surrounding your holiday cottage is flooded but the property itself is safe and dry, then that too is a grey area where blame may be difficult to place.

Common sense applies in most cases, but if you experience problems on your arrival then the use of your phone's camera or video facility may come into play to record your dissatisfaction for future reference. Some cottages and parks are rated by holiday companies and agencies and these will not want to see unhappy holidayers posting adverse comments on websites, social media networks or travel rating sites, but give them a call first.

If, after all your calls and conversations you still do not feel you have been adequately compensated then you may have to resort to the small claims court.

Check your Travel Insurance policy too - your deposit may be protected - read the small print.

Or call us at Holsure - we will be happy to advise

Out And About - Madeira, Land Rovers and Levadas

Levada walks in Madeira

With the reputation as one of the prettiest islands as well as the most sedate, Madeira has a few surprises up its sleeve when it comes to exploring the its countryside and history. The Portuguese, very rightly, love this little paradise and treasure its calmness, stillness and solitude. Night clubs are few and far between and the tourists most definitely fit into the older age bracket, but on a recent trip, I was able to explore two aspects of the island that may be less well known, getting well off the beaten track and into the beautiful countryside, making some wonderful discoveries and digging up some gold mines along the way.

Naturally, the very nature of the island lends itself to a diversity of flora, terrain and altitude and the million or so tourists that visit over the course of the year come for a variety of reasons, but as soon as I saw the Levada Walks and the Land Rover Safaris, I knew I would have to get out of the town of Funchal and into the hills.

The views from beyond the towns are quite stunning

Levada Walks

As a way to explore the island in a sedate manner and without too many extreme gradients, this is the best!

Levadas are the concrete waterways or aqueducts constructed over the years to supply the southern half of the island with water. There are over 40 kilometres of tunnels, many of which are still accessible today and over 2000 kilometres of walkable levadas around the island, and much of this is easy to walk, eminently accessible by local transport and many can be booked as an accompanied tour by English speaking guides who will share a wealth of information regarding the history, fauna and flora of the island. 

If you prefer, you can explore them alone and many maps of the walks, in easy sections of from 6 to 26 kilometres are available in the tourists centres. As always, it's a good idea to let someone from your hotel know where you'll be and try to choose walks initially, closer to civilisation in case of mishap. Take appropriate clothing too as the mountain mists can close in quickly, but if you stick to the walkways along the concrete levadas it's difficult to get lost. 

Wild Wood Sorrel - in January

Also take care of recent incidents that may have occurred along the way. Out of necessity these water ways are incredibly well maintained, but overnight tree falls and land slips do occur, so just watch your footing around these areas.

As you walk you will see the mountainous regions in all their glory; the bougainvillea and wild thyme, the cacti, mimosa and banana and the eucalyptus as well as all the other wonderful semi-tropical plants that abound on this wonderful island. The name Madeira means "Wood" in Portuguese. 

Other than birds and the odd feral cat, you won't see much fauna on your walks but you will see the farming layers built, in some cases, on shear cliff edges, the care and attention given to preparing the land for crops all year round is still very evident.

Take care as you go but do give them a try.

Stunning views along the Levadas

Land Rover Safaris

As the proud owner of a Defender myself, I just had to give these trips -  bookable almost anywhere - a go.

We booked two excursions; one was an out and out safari on all the back roads around the island, starting at the top of the highest mountain and hitting every puddle, every pothole and every sharp, wicked bend on the way down with stops for lunch (included) and coffee whenever our bones were too shaken to carry on.

The second was a 6 car trip up through the mountains to a linen factory and a local market, two surprisingly cheap and incongruously non-touristy stops as it was possible to experience. Lunch at the market - almost as much barbecued food as you could eat, washed down with the local beer and wine - cost only a couple of euros a head - wonderful value, and a lively local market to look at into the bargain.

Stuck in a ditch - but still immense fun!

 On this trip we also hit pot holes and ditches and yours truly had to get out with the chain saw to help clear the way when we hit a ditch the hard way and during the afternoon our vehicle suffered not one, but two punctures - great fun!

The tiered fields for crops....

The guides and drivers were friendly, helpful and full of mischief. They were accommodating, high spirited - but safe! They knew the limits of the vehicles and the terrain and we felt comfortable in their hands - as comfortable as you can in a Defender.

So if you want to get out and about, explore the island, meet the locals and see the real Madeiran wildlife - just ask your tour guide, your hotel receptionist or your local Tourist Information Office  - and go explore!

Holsure Travel offers cheap, but comprehensive Travel Insurance and advice HERE.

School Holiday Rates - How To Mitigate Them

Taking the kids? Reducing the costs can help the enjoyment

With half term looming, there have been further discussions in the media regarding the fairness of Holiday rate hiking during school breaks. With parents facing hefty fines if they take their children on term-time holidays and travel companies claiming that school holiday vacations are the only time they can make a profit, the argument seems set to last a while longer yet.

So what can you do to try and mitigate these increased costs for your family breaks? Here are a few ideas, simple, but they may save you some money and help turn an expensive and stressful time into a great family holiday.

Have your Holiday in Britain

It can be important to book early, and your break may well depend on the vagaries of the British weather, but UK holidays can be a viable alternative - ask many who holidayed at home last year in the long, hot summer. It may not be as hot and sunny as Malaga or Tenerife, but it may be cheaper and just as much fun.

Plan and Book Early

If you haven't booked flights for July and August - do so soon. Air Companies like to see seasonal seats filling up early and offer incentives for you to do so.

Package Holidays can be a little more complicated as last minute deals can be very cheap indeed - yet hoping you find one in time can be exceptionally stressful. Always look at the total price when you compare.

Mid-Week Travel

This is almost always cheaper than weekend travel and usually more pleasant as it is quieter. Self-catering holidays are usually Saturday to Saturday - but not always - it pays to look.

Travel late in the Break

Holidays late May in the Whitsun break or late August in the main holiday are often quieter and cheaper. You may only get a week's holiday, but if that's what you're looking for then that's the time to look at. The resorts may well be quieter too.

Popular Destinations

These are cheaper because availability is greatest. Competition is good too, so choose Spain, France or Portugal for popular vacations where these two factors - competition and availability - mean more chance of a cheaper deal.

If you plan well, think ahead and do some research you should be able to save that hard earned money to pay for more excitement, more fun, better food and less stress on the break itself.

And don't forget that by having your Travel Insurance on board when you book you may well save your deposit if it is jeopardised by unseen circumstances - check our website HERE for competitive rates.