Money: Pound Signs
ONE in four people will continue working over Christmas. A survey by Corillian International reveals that more people will check their email than tuck into turkey or listen to the Queen’s Speech.
IF you are thinking of going backpacking, then log on to www.screentrade.co.uk where companies like Primary Direct and the Travel Insurance Club offer gap-year travellers cover for a range of activities including bungee-jumping and white-water rafting.
MAKE more of your money with Thomas Cook’s credit card which gives you travel pounds each time you use it, and can be redeemed against a Thomas Cook holiday.
CONTINUATION: Bridging the gap
could affect your deal.
“She adds: “Contact your insurance firms before leaving to make sure you are not invalidating your policy if you travel to a particular area or stay away for a certain length of time.”
Direct Line has found that a third of students planning to take a gap year have not thought about insurance - but comprehensive travel cover is vital for all age groups.
According to the price-comparison service Money-supermarket.com, an extended backpacker policy for six months’ worldwide travel would cost [pound]134 for an 18-year-old with Down-under Insurance. This includes [pound]2m cover for medical expenses, [pound]2m personal liability cover.and up to [pound]1,000 for lost luggage.
If you want to take part in extreme sports such as skydiving or white-water rafting, you must let your insurer know. You may find these activities are not covered, or that you have to pay an additional premium.
You should also check the cover limits of your policy, says Peter Gerrard at Moneysupermarket.
“Make sure your medical expenses cover is a minimum of [pound]2m,” he explains. “If you are travelling to remote places, this should cater for any special arrangements that might need to be made, such as helicopter evacuation in case of an accident.”
CONTINUATION: Bridging the gap
could affect your deal.” She adds: “Contact your insurance firms before leaving to make sure you are not invalidating your policy if you travel to a particular area or stay away for a certain length of time.”
Direct Line has found that a third of students planning to take a gap year have not thought about insurance - but comprehensive travel cover is vital for all age groups.
According to the price-comparison service Money-supermarket.com, an extended backpacker policy for six months’ worldwide travel would cost [pound]134 for an 18-year-old with Down-under Insurance. This includes [pound]2m cover for medical expenses, [pound]2m personal liability cover, and up to [pound]1,000 for lost luggage.
If you want to take part in extreme sports such as skydiving or white-water rafting, you must let your insurer know. You may find these activities are not covered, or that you have to pay an additional premium.
You should also check the cover limits of your policy, says Peter Gerrard at Moneysupermarket.
“Make sure your medical expenses cover is a minimum of [pound]2m,” he explains. “If you are travelling to remote places, this should cater for any special arrangements that might need to be made, such as helicopter evacuation in case of an accident.”
MONEY: pounds signs - It’s a Capital idea
CAPITAL One has entered the savings market with three products: a direct access account, a 30-day notice account and a two-year bond.
ABBEY National has launched an online stakeholder equivalent pension scheme for small businesses. The move promises to cut paperwork by allowing employees to do everything online. Details: 0845 608 0014
INSURER Club Direct is offering 10 per cent off its backpacker travel insurance. The cover starts at pounds 32.40 for two months’ insurance in Europe. Details: 0800 074 4556.
THE Smile, Egg, Bank of Scotland and Halifax Internet banks have said they will refund customers caught out by fraud on the net. It comes after criticism in a report which claimed the banks were putting the onus on customers to prove the fraud.
Money: Something scarier than bungee jumping
Gap-year students planning a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in distant places are unlikely to have insurance cover high on their list of priorities. But for the 33,000 or so student backpackers expected to head overseas this year, failure to buy adequate insurance could turn the experience into the holiday from hell.
Lost tickets, stolen passports, flight cancellations, accidents and illness are just some of the pitfalls awaiting the unwary traveller. A lack of insurance in any of these situations can cause a lot more than just sleepless nights.
The good news is that getting fully covered, even for exotic travel destinations and oddball adventure sports, is not as hard as it once was. The increasing demand for holidays that take in extreme activities, such as bungee jumping and paragliding, means that insurers are beginning to offer policies that can be altered to suit the needs of even the most adventurous traveller.
Direct Line, Direct Travel, Columbus and Primary Travel are just some of the companies offering gap-year-oriented cover for those bitten by the travel bug. Prices for one year’s worldwide travel insurance range from as little as pounds 188 to as much as pounds 364, depending on the level of cover needed. But as Helen Dwyer, director of travel insurance specialists Primary Direct, explains, a greater range of policies does not always bring an increase in the quality of cover. Insurance still needs to be chosen with care.
“Insurance companies are beginning to cater for the backpacker,” she says, “but there are still many travel insurance policies on the market that can do more harm than good if the backpacker is faced with an emergency. Having too little cover, or too much in all the wrong places, can be as disastrous as not having any protection, so it is important that the traveller knows what to look for in a policy.”
Ms Dwyer says the biggest priority is medical and repatriation insurance, with the Association of British Insurers recommending a minimum level of pounds 2m-worth of cover.
“If the worst comes to the worst and you need to fly home after an accident or an illness, you could be facing a pounds 10,000 air- ambulance bill,” she points out.
“If you have to scrimp on any part of the policy, make sure it is not the medical cover.”
Another priority for the student traveller on a tight budget, Ms Dwyer says, is to avoid insurance policies that have high levels of baggage cover.
“As a backpacker you will want to keep weight down to a minimum, so you want cover that will reflect this. Don’t take anything too valuable with you, such as jewellery or expensive cameras.”
In any case, she warns, most policies limit the amount you can claim on a single item to between pounds 300 and pounds 400.
One further pitfall when choosing a policy is failing to make sure you have insurance for all the activities you plan to do while on holiday. This is especially important for those with a penchant for dangerous sports and exotic locations.
Mark Shaw, partner at Direct Travel Insurance, has seen the problem occur on many occasions. “It sounds like an obvious piece of advice,” he says, “but you’d be staggered how few people check that their policy will properly cover them for all the activities they want to do.” But if you come across something you want to try while you’re on your travels, it’s not too late to get insurance. “If people email or call us from abroad,” Mr Shaw says, “we will put cover in place.”
The upside is that companies such as Direct Travel are now more likely to offer cover for extreme pastimes and out-of-the-way places. Even sports once considered to be insurance no-go areas have had their risk ratings lowered in recent years. “Insurers tend to dislike activities such as skydiving, where you’ve only got one chance to get it wrong,” Mr Shaw says. “But with bungee jumping, insurers are taking a more relaxed attitude as long as it’s properly organised.”
Gap-year insurance guide
t Read the small print - especially if you intend to take part in “extreme” sports such as bungee jumping or parachuting. Unless these are specifically mentioned in the contract, you may find yourself without cover if you take part in them.
t Be aware that some policies have a limit on the amount you can claim back on individual items that are lost or stolen. It is advisable to leave behind anything worth more than that limit.
t Contact your insurance company if you alter your travel plans. One in 10 student travellers ends up staying abroad longer than planned - and will often be left without insurance cover as a result.
t It may be more cost-effective to do without expensive baggage cover if all you’re taking with you are jeans and T-shirts. As a backpacker you should expect to travel with the minimum of valuables.
t Try to get your parents to pay. Their concern for your safety is likely to be much greater than your own and they may be willing to shell out for a higher level of cover than you could afford.
Hostels becoming more like budget hotels
Budget Travel
Hostels becoming more like budget hotels
By ARTHUR FROMMER
Sunday, November 2, 2003
Most people think hostels are bare-bones lodgings — bunk beds and communal showers, suitable only for backpackers and students. And the truth is, they often are.
But the good news is that hostels are changing. Many of them are more like budget hotels, with the only real difference being the price. While dormitory-style rooms always tend to be cheaper, many hostels offer private accommodations at a slightly higher cost.
That said, anyone expecting a mint on his pillow should stop reading now. Hands-on and do-it-yourself, hostels are still far from luxurious. But they can offer something four-star hotels can’t — a great way to meet people and see places not readily seen in the bubble of Western-style hotels. Here are some tips before you go:
Become a member: With literally thousands of hostels worldwide, choosing one can be a daunting task, but membership has its privileges. Most hostels operate much like large hotel chains with international booking networks and membership benefits.
Hosteling International-USA (www.hiayh.org), for one, offers perks like free international travel insurance; discounts at restaurants, retail stores and attractions; as well as access to more than 4,000 hostels in more than 60 countries. Members of the International Youth Hostel Federation (www.iyhf.org) receive commission-free currency exchange, as well as discounts on international calling.
In cooperation with other worldwide associations, HI-USA and IYHF are part of the Hosteling International network — the brand name for more than 90 youth hostel associations worldwide. For the weary budget traveler, HI’s easy-to-spot blue triangle logo is often a sight for sore eyes.
Making reservations: While part of hosteling’s novelty is not knowing where you’ll be headed next, book ahead during peak seasons in popular destinations — Greece in August, for example, or Whistler, British Columbia, in January. It will save you time and money in the long run.
Location is crucial: More so than budget hotels, hostels take you where the action is. They’re often conveniently situated near the city’s cultural center or within walking distance of local night life. Don’t be fooled by a slightly better deal “just minutes away from the city center!” Spend the extra buck or two and stay right where you want.
When traveling to Helsinki, Finland, for example, try the ultra- modern EuroHostel. Centrally located and filled with amenities, it’s the perfect stop for a Scandinavian visit. At per-person rates, including linens and a morning sauna, single rooms are 36.5 euros (about $42), while doubles with a harbor view and triples both rent for 22 euros ($25.50) each. The rates drop slightly for HI members. For more information, check out www.euro hostel.fi.
Visa support: Traveling abroad is a thrill; getting a visa is not. For countries like Russia, a letter of invitation is required before a visa can be given. In cases like these, hostels often provide inexpensive and headache-free visa support. At St. Petersburg International Hostel — Russia’s first and only HI property — visa support is offered for $54, including tax and your first night’s stay with breakfast. For details, visit www.ryh.ru.
Get what you pay for: Before making reservations, ensure that the hostel has everything you need for a comfortable stay. Ask if linens, breakfast and baggage lockers are included in the price. Planning to stay awhile? Make sure the hostel has laundry facilities and/or a kitchen if you’re planning to cook.
Ask about rules: Although the majority of guests are between the ages of 18 and 35, more and more people ages 55 and older frequently stay in hostels. Age restrictions used to be commonplace but have become increasingly rare. Nonetheless, call ahead to confirm the hostel’s policy. This is particularly important for families traveling with small children.
Likewise, night owls should always ask if there’s a curfew. A midnight curfew could mean you’ll be sleeping outside if you get home too late; if you think a hostel bed is uncomfortable, just wait until you lie down on the sidewalk.
King Features Syndicate
Copyright 2003 Journal Sentinel Inc. Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
A board room with a view - entrepreneurs who used their love of the outdoors to create Glacier Wilderness Guides and Montana Raft Co. in Montana’s Glacier National Park
Growing businesses share their experiences in creating and marketing new products and services.
When Randy Gayner and his partners go to work each morning, they head for an office located in one of the business world’s most spectacular settings, with Montana’s Glacier National Park right in their back yard. This is, of course, precisely why Gayner and a pair of friends started their two related companies: Glacier Wilderness Guides and Montana Raft Co.
“We were all tired of doing what we were doing,” says the 41-year-old Gayner. “We wanted to stay here and have fun.”
A native of Cleveland, Gayner moved to Big Sky country in 1976 with a bachelor of science degree in zoology. After several seasons as a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service, he wanted a new way to make a living in an area he had grown to love.
His friends Mark O’Keefe, a state government worker, and Dave Ames, an employee of the U.S. Forest Service, felt the same way. In 1983, when the three realized Glacier had no official backpacking guide service, they proposed the idea to park authorities, who gave them the go-ahead. Other popular parks had already allowed concessionaires to lead day hikers and overnight campers on commercial trips.
“This was around the tune James Watt was secretary of the interior, and that helped,” Gayner recalls. “He was pushing for the privatization of services in the national parks so the government wouldn’t have to provide them.”
Success would not come so easily. The three, who initially handled all of the company’s business matters while leading every one of its clients along Glacier’s trails, quickly developed a favorable reputation as the park’s exclusive guide service. But their first three seasons were money-losers, and O’Keefe and Ames decided to move on. With their departure, Gayner took steps that ultimately turned the business around.
First, Gayner and his wife, Cris Coughlin Gayner, now 35, bought out one of the original partners, while longtime area resident John Gray, 48, bought out the other. Then, when one of the few commercial river rafting permits available in the area came up for sale, the company acquired it and began offering guided trips down the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River. Eventually, it started advertising in national magazines like Outside and Backpacker.
And at last, Gayner says, the business became profitable.
“But I think it was the time factor more than anything else,” he adds. “About 2 million people come through Glacier every year, and more and more of them were starting to hear about us. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the whole market for adventure vacations was really on the upswing.”
Today, the two enterprises cater to everyone from celebrities such as actress Jill Clayburgh and “Entertainment Tonight” co-host Mary Hart to families from Nebraska and business leaders from New York. Last year the companies’ umbrella S corporation employed 30 guides during the season running from May to October. It also tallied 4,200 rafting user days and 2,500 hiking user days (one user day equals one person spending one day on the water or trails) en route to grossing $300,000.
Both of these totals are a far cry from the original company’s initial season, when it logged 100 user days on park trails and grossed just $7,000.
Expansion has come at a price, of course; the owners–including longtime employee Doug Niemann, 44, who was recently awarded a 4 percent share in the company–now spend only about 10 percent of their time in the backcountry compared with the 75 to 100 percent originally. Instead, their days are consumed by financial duties, marketing and advertising chores, and insurance matters.
These changes in obligations do not seem to bother them, though, and plans are in the offing for still more enlargement. If they can get the necessary permits, Gayner says, “we’re looking to increase our hiking service by offering guides in Yellowstone National Park and to expand our rafting business by buying a permit for the Salmon River.”
In the meantime, the partners and their employees–often vacationing schoolteachers, local college students, and winter employees of the local ski resort–will continue showing visitors a good time on the area’s trails and white water. And, of course, occasionally taking a peek at the stunning natural wonders in their back yard.
Howard Rothman, a writer in Littleton, Cola, is co-author of Companies With A Conscience: Intimate Portraits of Twelve Firms That Make A Difference, recently re-released in paperback by Citadel Press.
Indonesia gets even trickier
Since the Bali bombing 15 months ago, Indonesia has been on the Foreign Office blacklist of countries it warns you not to visit: “There is a continuing risk of harassment of Westerners by fundamentalists,” says the FO’s Travel Advice Unit.
Many British travellers, particularly backpackers, have chosen to disregard this warning - even though most travel insurance policies are invalidated by visits to countries on the blacklist. Now the Indonesian government has brought in an extra disincentive: a requirement for a tourist visa to be bought on arrival. The three- day version, intended mainly for those on brief stopovers in Bali en route to Australia, costs US$10 (pounds 6). The 30-day visa is US$25 (pounds 15). It is not yet clear what currencies are acceptable for payment; carrying US dollars is probably the best way to avoid problems and/or unfavourable rates of exchange.
Note that the visas are available upon arrival only at what are described as “main points of entry”; if you plan any unusual approaches, such as by sea from Singapore, you may need to arrange a visa prior to travel; check your proposed port of entry with the Indonesian Embassy in London (020-7499 7661, www.indonesianembassy.org.uk).
One final hurdle: departure tax when leaving Indonesia is now 100,000 rupiah (pounds 6.50).
Copyright 2004 Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
Backpacker Travel Insurance
Backpackers Travel Insurance
The Travelblog Travel Guide tries to be as unbiased as possible, offering only the best advice and does not normally recommend particular products and companies. One exception is made here: for backpacker insurance, no company has yet offered a product that competes with World Nomads in terms of features and price. They offer travel insurance to all countries - (with sensible exceptions - you aren’t covered for travel to war zones) - and do not leave out the most interesting places, like other insurance companies do. You can also purchase your insurance when you have already left! - Since most backpackers leave travel insurance to the last minute - and beyond - this is a fantastic feature. In addition, should you decide to stay on beyond your original travel dates, you can get a new policy on the Internet without having to be in your country of residence. For these reasons Travelblog Travel Guide unreservedly recommends World Nomads, but you should nevertheless still shop around.
Medicinal Plants For Backpackers
Why learn about medicinal plants? Certainly, backpackers shouldn’t leave the first aid kit home, but it can be useful and interesting to know a few plant medicines too. Whether you are someday in a survival situation, or you just lost your first aid kit and have a terrible headache, wouldn’t it be nice to find relief nearby?
You can. There are many effective medicinal plants. Some are also dangerous, of course, just like synthetic medicines can be. I won’t discuss those here. This is a quick guide to a few safe plant medicines.
plants For Pain Relief
Fill the bottom of a cup with shredded willow bark, and make a cup of tea with it. Let it steep for a few minutes before you drink it. The active ingredient is salicin, closely related to salicylic acid, which is used to make aspirin. You can also try chewing on a few balsam poplar buds.
Antiseptic Plants
Sap from “blisters” on balsam firs is a strong antiseptic. Pop the blisters on the trunks of young trees, and the sap will ooze out. You can spread it over cuts and small wounds to prevent infection. It is very sticky, however, and it will be difficult to wash off (at least it smells nice).
The crushed leaves of Saint John’s Wort can be used as an antiseptic dressing as well. I once put a wad of the mashed leaves on a nasty gash in my foot, replacing it occasionally, and the cut healed faster than I’ve ever seen a cut heal. St. Johnswort has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
medicinal plants For Diarrhea
You can drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their relatives to stop diarrhea. Just fill the bottom of the cup with the cleaned and shredded roots and pour boiling water over them. Let the mix steep for five minutes before drinking.
Oak bark and other barks containing tannin are also effective. I have also used the twigs to stop diarrhea when I was backpacking in Mexico. Make tea with a spoonful of the bark or chopped-up twigs. Tannins can be hard on the kidneys, so drink just one cup of tea, or use oak only if you don’t have other options.
Skin Medications
You can relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant poisoning rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora). I have seen a poison ivy rash cleared up overnight using the juice from jewelweed. It is also said to work on sunburn as well as aloe vera.
Make a tea of witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana), and you can use it for relief from insect bites, and sunburn. Witch Hazel used to be a common astringent that women used as a “tightening” face wash.
There are hundreds of wild medicinal plants that could be useful to hikers and backpackers. You don’t need to become an expert to benefit from them. Just learn to identify and use a few of the most widespread and safest ones.