Making a Travel Insurance Claim - Questions to Ask Yourself

Many single trip travel insurance providers walk the extra mile just to give their clients a hassle-free experience as far as making a claim is concerned - in fact, most claims are dealt with quickly and efficiently. However, as the client, you also have certain responsibilities to make sure you do have the right to make a claim and your situation is actually included in the terms and conditions stated in your policy. The following are just some of the important questions you should be asking yourself.

Define 'Close Relative'

It is common in many single trip travel insurance policies to provide cover in case you have to cancel your trip or you have to cut it short because a close relative has taken ill or has died. But there's the rub: 'close relative' may not include that beloved aunt or uncle simply because they are removed from you by a few degrees, regardless of how emotionally close you feel you are to them. That's why you should carefully check the terms of the insurer concerning what it considers among your 'close relatives'. Moreover, you may also have to declare any pre-existing medical condition that any of your close relatives have.

Top Tips for Safer Hikes and Long Walks

Walks in New Zealand can be a great way to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the islands - and an especially attractive treat for the 'outdoorsy' tourist visiting for the first time. Safety must always come first, however, especially for long walks and hikes. While travelling with a group and experienced guide is your best bet to explore the Land of the Long White Cloud, it still pays to be prepared in case of any eventuality. These tips will help you out without hampering your experience:

Create an equipment and food checklist

The very first thing you may want to do to prepare for your hikes or walks in New Zealand, is to write up a checklist. This checklist will vary depending on the duration of your planned walks and whether you will be camping or lodging. Whatever your plans are, check with your tour leader or guide to make sure you have basics like maps, water, high-energy bars, first aid kits, raincoats, emergency blankets and waterproof matches. You may want to bring a satellite phone as well if you plan to trek deeper into the heart of the mountains and rainforests.

Take note of prominent landmarks

Many walks in New Zealand have directions along common paths, but it is still important for you to keep an eye out for major landmarks along the way - even while travelling with a guide. Mountains, rock formations, unique trees and other natural or geological features will be of immense help. Yes, you may have maps or GPS navigators but taking note of local landmarks will help reorient you should these tools fail you when you need them the most. This is especially important to remember when hiking through thick foliage.

5 Reasons Why Study Abroad Brings Growth for a Lifetime

It takes a leap of faith to move to another country. The new country, though full of exquisite newness and exotic experiences, will always find you a stranger in its midst. You bring your own particular expectations and neuroses, and these can jar with the new world around you no matter how flexible you try to be. If you're young and inexperienced, this can be magnified. So why do students keep taking this brave leap? Because when, in the end, they land on their feet and return home, they have invariably flourished in a way they had never thought possible.

Deep friendships

Some people seek out good friends others have good friends thrust upon them. When you choose to study abroad, you will be at a stage in your life when most people around you have already solidified their close circle of friends, from school or from their youth. It can be hard, in your spare time, to find people truly open to making a new and deep connection. But the expatriate life puts you in a pool of strangers looking for support and locals looking to help out, and this relational cocktail is often an ideal brew to forge new, adult and lifelong friendships.