3 Exotic Destinations for a True Travel Adventure
The road less travelled – those words can strike fear into the hearts of some travel protection companies. But not here at InsureMore! Our world travel insurance has been designed to cover all four corners of the world, and then some. Our experts not only know insurance, they know the world – from personal experience. No matter whether you’re the adventurous type or prefer to stay closer to home, these three exotic destinations they’ve come up with can’t help but intrigue.
The Mendenhall Ice Caves, Alaska
The frozen landscape of Alaska is, for many, the final frontier and a place of unimaginable beauty and adventure. One slightly more accessible location to experience a taste of this spectacular landscape is the Medenhall Ice Caves. Reached by kayak, then a strenuous climb over a glacier, within the belly of a partially hollow glacial cave is a surreal, haunting and undeniably captivating “other world”. Unfortunately, the caves have a finite lifespan, with global warming and creeping ice melts contributing to their inevitable demise. Get ’em while they’re cold folks.
Mount Roraima, South America
If you’ve seen Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, you’ve seen Mount Roraima – or at least a manifestation of it. In a landscape of truly epic proportions, Roraima is the highest mountain in the Tepui Plateau in South America, and marks the axis point of Guyana, Brazil and Venezuela. Attributed as some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, this two billion year old landscape reveals few of its ancient secrets to those who make the pilgrimage, yet continues to enthrall.
Rainbow Mountains, China
Pack your paints and head to Rainbow Mountains, but no palette could ever do justice to this candy coloured landscape in Gansu Province, China. Acclaimed as the Chinese version of the Grand Canyon, in fact this site is far more impressive, and the surreal colours of the strata layered mountainscape offset against the brilliant blue of the sky as far as the eye can see is a truly awesome sight. Millions of years of mineral deposits have transformed the layers of sandstone into a veritable rainbow of purples, reds and burnt citrus hues.
Not all your adventures need to be to such exotic destinations, our worldwide travel insurance gives you the option to spread your wings and explore. This could be your year to saddle up with a world travel policy and find your very own Utopia. Send us a postcard when you find it.
The World's Top Three Most Spectacular Drives
Whether you travel by train, plane or automobile, InsureMore has you covered with our comprehensive worldwide travel insurance. Our worldwide travel insurance experts have all been around the world themselves, and they love sharing their experiences. Here, after a bit of debate, they’ve put together their top three most spectacular drives around the world.
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Straight out of a 1950’s Fellini movie, the winding roads that cling to the cliff sides of Italy’s most picture perfect coastline certainly deserve a place on the list. Sheer terraced hillsides dotted with orange and olive groves plunge down into the Mediterranean, defying gravity and inspiring awe in even the most hardened traveller. Taking in the three most famous towns of the Amalfi Coast – Ravello, Positano and Amalfi – you’ll need to keep your nerve (and contend with the challenge of local Italian boy racers) as you navigate the narrow, snaking roads of this jaw droppingly beautiful drive.
Pacific Coast Highway, California
Taking in the rugged coastline from Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur and down to Morro Bay, the five-hour drive along the Pacific Coast Highway is a visual feast of windswept granite cliffs, dramatic ocean vistas and picturesque groves of redwoods and cypress trees. With narrow to non-existent shoulders and terrifying drops, the drive is not for the faint hearted – but it definitely rewards the challenge with spectacular views, quaint arty towns and unique flora and fauna along the way.
North Island, New Zealand
While the Land of the Long White Cloud can lay claim to some of the most diverse landscape in the world, the drive between Auckland and Wellington, along the coastline of the North Island, must come in as the most deserving of its place on this list – taking in volcanic landscapes, verdant and vibrant rainforests, rich fertile farmland and craggy soaring mountains. You’ll pass through Rotorua, with its hot springs and volcanic landscape; pristine and picturesque Lake Taupo, with its backdrop of snow capped mountains; and through the unspoilt wilderness of Kaimanawa Forest Park down to windswept Wellington.
If these three, or any of the myriad other breathtaking scenic drives around the world take your fancy, it’s even more important to ensure you cover yourself with a good worldwide travel insurance policy. If you’re going to be driving abroad, our travel insurance experts know more than just which policy to sell you. As you can see…
3 Top Budget Destinations That Won't Break the Bank
At InsureMore, we know the average traveller isn’t made of money. It’s why we make our worldwide travel insurance so affordable. But it’s not always easy to know the destinations that will give you the best bang for your buck. As seasoned travellers (and excellent budgeters), our team of experts have sniffed out these three places that won’t break your bank. And they’ll also sniff out the best worldwide travel insurance policy to cover you while you’re there!
Puglia, Italy
While the fashionable regions of Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and the Italian Riviera are an enduring magnet to well-heeled tourists and international celebrities, far less attention is paid to Italy’s “heel of the boot”, down south in Puglia. This gorgeous region has it all and then some: fabulous beaches, picturesque hilltop towns, a wealth of history and a unique culture. But perhaps the biggest draw card – besides the fact that it is less crowded and more cost effective than other Italian superstar destinations – is its mouth-watering cuisine. It is the home of the original “cucina povera”, which is characterised by traditionally hearty, wholesome food created from the extensive cache of local produce.
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw is not even on the radar of most travellers – budget or not – but it really should be. So we’ve put it on ours! The Polish capital is home to some of Europe’s most exquisite architecture, galleries and museums, with history oozing from every nook and cranny. The fascinating Old Town is a hive of cafes, restaurants and galleries, with a cosmopolitan vibe you might have thought was reserved for cities like Paris and Rome. The best news is that prices for accommodation in Warsaw are around 20% less in 2014 than last year, and you’ll get all the culture, art and pleasures of the aforementioned glamour destinations without the queues.
Las Vegas, Nevada
As long as you don’t lose your proverbial shirt in one of the myriad casinos on “The Strip” (and, no, gambling losses are not covered under our worldwide travel policies), this is one town that caters to the budget traveller in style – well, what it lacks in true glamour it more than makes up for with gaudy glitz! While of course you certainly can live the life of a high roller here, if you’re on a budget you can get anything for a bargain basement price. Everything from cheap meals, discount vouchers, free drinks and transport and cut-price accommodation is geared up to lure in the budget demographic. But don’t worry, if you hit the jackpot at the Golden Nugget there’s plenty of ways to spend your newfound wealth too!
Between these tips and a cheap world travel insurance policy, you might even be able to afford more than one holiday this year. Now that’s priceless!
Around the World or Around the Houses - What’s in a Plane Ticket?
InsureMore’s worldwide travel insurance is, in a nutshell, cheap! And for the amount of cover you get, it’s a tempting option to go that little bit further, for that little bit longer, isn’t it? But our well-travelled team of world travel insurance experts know from experience that when your holiday plans become bigger, so too does the scope of options of how to get to where you’re going. The question of whether to purchase a round the world (RTW) ticket or buy separate “point to point” tickets as you go is a minefield; but here, our experts break it down a little to help you.
Features of a RTW Ticket
Pros
Excellent for long distance routes where demand is low (therefore prices high).
Fairly easy to change dates, although usually with a nominal fee.
Usually flying with more ‘high profile’ airlines, ensuring greater comfort.
Inclusive of baggage fees for every sector.
Benefit of a worldwide network, so if something goes wrong it’s easier to sort out.
You can earn a bundle of frequent flyer points, as it’s booked with the one alliance.
Travel is less stressful as there’ll be no “on the go” research required for travel.
Cons
Locks you in to an itinerary with little or no flexibility of destinations without huge fees.
Can turn out not much cheaper than purchasing separate legs (depending on itinerary).
Often will have an expiration date or a time limit to use the ticket.
You’ll be restricted with your direction of travel.
But Keep Your Options Open
But bear in mind that even if you do decide to go down the RTW route, you still have options. You can use your RTW to create the basis of your itinerary but fly budget airlines or undertake land travel for any bits in between. If you keep an open and adventurous mind, this can allow you some room for flexibility and scope for spontaneity. Just remember that if you do change plans midway, you must ensure that your worldwide travel insurance covers you for any countries you visit that weren’t on your original itinerary.
Of course, in the end, whether a RTW ticket is suitable will be entirely up to your travel plans and personality. But whatever ticket you decide on, make sure your travel policy covers you from the moment you purchase so you’ll be covered for any changes in plans from the get go. Around the world you go!
Hi-Tech Luggage for Stress Free Travel
When is a bag not a bag? When it’s a futuristic, hi-tech piece of luxury luggage, that’s when! Our InsureMore worldwide travel insurance experts want to make your world travel domination plans as simple as possible, and they know how frustrating it can be hauling an ugly, out of date case around the world, which sometimes weighs more than its contents. So if you’ve been dragging Uncle Harry’s bulging old suitcase from the eighties around for long enough, the world travel insurance team has come up with these alternatives.
Compression Obsession
The Briggs and Riley CX case must surely have been designed by a woman. This genius suitcase is equipped with an amazing feature that allows you to pack it to overflowing then, via an internal racheting system, shrink the contents down to size to bring the bag back down to its original dimensions. This is especially brilliant as the bag complies with carry on regulations. It’s even got a built in suit storage compartment to keep the men happy. Typical woman, so unselfish…
Fingerprint Security
While this case is especially popular with business travellers because of its hi-tech polycarbonate good looks, there’s no reason regular travellers can’t get in on the act too. The Heys USA Bio Case’s security locks work on a fingerprint recognition system, so there’s no way for anyone except you (although there is provision for eight fingerprint ‘signatures’) can get in. The lock can be recharged through a USB port.
Trackable Luggage
You’ll never dread the words “lost luggage” again if you invest in a KONAS case. Working in conjunction with your smartphone, the range of luggage – which covers everything from backpacks to the largest rolling case – is fitted with an inbuilt tracking device. If your luggage goes missing in transit or is stolen, it’s a simple matter to track it down via the GPS activated app. In the case of theft, it’s then easy to advise police, and in the case of lost luggage, the device actually works in reverse as well – which means airlines can track you down and you and your errant case can be romantically reunited in no time. (And if it takes too long your worldwide travel insurance will cover the costs for necessities in the meantime.) Once you’ve purchased a piece of luggage you simply need to register online and download a free app (there are no ongoing fees).
Just remember, hi-tech luggage like this doesn’t come cheap, so if you do lash out on any of these, make sure you provide for their loss or damage in your world travel insurance policy.
