Increasing numbers of people are now taking a year off to go and do something completely different with their lives. Typically and traditionally this has been students taking time off before they go to university but now we are seeing older people deciding to get out of the rat race or the rat race choosing it for them when they are made redundant.

What is a gap year?

Traditionally, (well off) youth have always taken time out to prepare themselves for the wider world or good society. In the eighteenth century, the Grand Tour saw upper middle-class men of means taking off through France and Italy in search of art and culture and Western civilisation. The modern day equivalent is the gap year. Although not limited to the English gentry, these days people “of means” will take time off to work, study or volunteer in search of challenges, fulfilment and memorable experiences well beyond the search for civilisation and the muses.

Gapadvice estimates that 230,000 young people, 90,000 career breakers and 200,000 retired people are taking time off every year and the biggest increases are currently in the mature travellers and career breaker groups. Last year, American Express Insurance reported that sales of year-long travel insurance doubled for the 30 to 50 age groups.

Why go on a gap year?

Common perception is that young people take gap years to improve their CVs. However, it seems that “taking a year out” is no longer enough to help you stand out for prospective employers. According to Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com “What matters more than what you do is what you get out of it. Did you do what you did on your own initiative and did you raise the money to do it yourself?”. So it’s fine to go and sit on a beach, but get there by your own means. He thinks that employers will take a much better view of that than worthy work in a Chinese orphanage funded by Mummy and Daddy. So hey, where’s the beach?

The fastest growing sector in the gap year industry is career breakers. Economic downturns and a seeming willingness of companies to get rid of expensive 40 and 50somethings has created a glut of early retirees taking off and doing something completely different with their lives.

A  number of organisations are now placing people on overseas projects helping them to extend their working lives and use their skills in places where they can do some good. All the more so because they are living longer and healthier lives.

Whatever people do, it’s almost guaranteed to be a life changing experience

Where should I go and what should I do?

There’s plenty of advice out there to help with this one. Planning is of course essential to stay organised and stay healthy. The previously mentioned Gapyear.com, Gapadvice and Gogapyear.com are good places to start.

Ask yourself what is the purpose of the trip and what do want to get out of it. Especially if you’re a student and you want it to look good on your CV. Do something that’s out of your comfort zone, give yourself a challenge, if everyone is canoeing up the Amazon, do it backwards. Show initiative and make bold decisions. Or if you want to find your inner self, go lie on a beach, but go under your own steam and preferably take the long route.

Get insurance

Ah the insurance question! Well, we would be talking about insurance, wouldn’t we? It’s a travel insurance web site after all. depending on where you go and what you do, there are a number of things you should consider insuring against.

Travel problems: Losing your tickets and your passport, cash or your luggage. Airlines won’t just issue a new ticket if you lose yours and the Embassy won’t do the same with your passport just because you look honest. these things take time and money.

Extreme sports: Thinking of jumping off a mountain or just sliding down it in a slightly dangerous way? Or maybe you’d just like to do something more sedate like riding a horse or playing some golf. A specialist insurer will cover you for exactly what you do and not try to wiggle out of paying up because the contract is written in such general terms that they can say your not covered for what happened to you.

Medical problems: If you do fall of a mountain, do you have any idea how much it would cost to a) get a helicopter to come and collect you? b) repatriate you if you did some serious damage? Think tens of thousands. Minimum. With  proper medical travel insurance, all that will be paid for. What’s more, if you have a pre-existing medical condition, you’ll get cover for that. What more can I say?

Related posts:

1. How to plan a gap year – a few tips
2. An easy guide to getting a gap year right

So Friday Night with Jonathan Ross has finally come to an end. He says it’s time for him to move on to pastures new. Did he jump or was he pushed? That’s a question to which we’ll probably never know the response but his own answer to the “what do I do next” question is – a gap year!

At almost 50, he won’t be the first middle-ager to take a break. Increasing numbers of people of all ages are taking time out because of a desire for a change, redundancy or just a mid-life crisis.

Never one to do things by half, you can’t imagine dear old Jonathan taking a year to backpack across Australia or anything so conventional. So what could he do to be really different? (note: this is a bit tongue in cheek!)

Go to a Trappist retreat

Trappist monks don’t actually take a vow of silence, just to only speak when it is strictly necessary. Presumably to say, “Pass the salt”. So idle chit-chat is out then. That might be a problem. A good opportunity to write that comic book though. But what about those great beers!

Teach English abroad

Given his fascination with Japan, that would seem like a good place to go. And no jokes about Rs pronounced as Ws and the Japanese pronouncing Ls as Rs please. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is in fact quite difficult. Don’t think that because you can speak it (or any other language) that you can teach it.

Do something useful

If you Google “Gap Year”, you find a whole load of companies that will give you the opportunity to spend twelve months in the Himalayas, sit on a beach in Goa or the old chestnut, backpack across Australia. Then there’s those that will take you across the world to do some volunteer work – for a price. There’s a growing trend to become a “chad” – a charity adventurer where people invent there own trip and raise money for their favourite cause. Go on Jonathan, what are you waiting for?

Learn to cook

There’s a whole load of celeb chefs swanning off across the world cooking the local fare. Rick Stein’s been to France, Italy and Vietnam, Gordon Ramsey’s been to India and it seems like Jamie Oliver’s been to half the countries in the world. But surprisingly no-one’s been to Japan. It seems like there’s an opening there. Or maybe the recently returned Celebrity Masterchef may want a last minute contestant…..

Finally learn something about football

Dear Jonathan, for all your appearances on They Think It’s All Over, getting all pally with Gary Lineker and having David Beckham on your last show, you don’t display a great knowledge of the beautiful game. You’re a good Leytonstone boy, get down the Orient and watch a discreet, well run little club. Barry Hearn’s the Chairman, you’d get on great!

Have a holiday

Just for well-earned break. A year might be a long time for a holiday though.

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There’s bike races and there’s the Tour de France. The world’s greatest cycle race is approximately 3600 km long and runs across France and its neighbours. This year, the itinerary is taking riders from Rotterdam to Paris, via the Alps and Pyrenees – the scenic route. It lasts three weeks and will finish in Paris on 25th July. 22 teams and 219 riders started it on 3rd July. How many will finish?

A bit of history

“Le Tour” as they call it in France was first organised in 1903 by the newly formed newspaper, L’Auto (now l’Equipe). The race started in Paris and stopped off in Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes before returning to Paris. There were no mountains and no difficult stages. Between 60 and 80 entrants were attracted by an overall winner’s prize of 12,000 francs and a “day” prize of 3,000.

Cheating was such that the second race was almost the last with riders being beaten up by rival fans. The stages were so long that participants were required to race at night. The third race in 1905 had 11 stages rather than 6 and was held during the day to make cheating more obvious. By then though, the race had captured the public’s imagination. L’Auto’s circulation trebled and the rest, as they say, is history.

Great riders

The greatest of recent/all riders is Lance Armstrong, a household name almost across the world for having beaten off cancer to win the race 7 times. He has never been popular in France though because, to put it quite bluntly, there have always been rumours that he was cheating. Or may be it’s just because he’s an American.

The last Frenchman to win it was Bernard Hinault (Le Blaireau or the Badger) who won 5 times between 1978 and 1985, as did Jacques Anquetil between 1957 and 1964. Belgium’s Eddy Merckx and Spain’s Miquel Indurain both won it 5 times in the 70s and 90s respectively.

Special mention should also be made of Raymond Poulidor, famous in France for being the greatest rider never to win the race and Tom Simpson. He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1965 and in 1967, although he had never won a stage, felt he could make an impact on the Tour. In those days riders were limited to 2 litres of water and he died of dehydration going up the Mont Ventoux. Oh and the amphetamines probably didn’t help.

Three types of stage

There are three types of stage, mountain, flat and time trials. The race starts with a prologue, increasingly not held in France, which is a time trial. British rider Chris Boardman had a spectacular crash when leading the first stage time trial in 1995 and was forced to withdraw through injury.

Flat stages are for those riders who can sustain extended effort on flat(ish) terrain and they often end in sprints. Although this year the itinerary took them along the route of the Paris-Roubaix race along 13 km of cobblestones. Ouch…There is a reason for it being called L’enter du Nord (Hell of the North).

Never mind the cobblestones though, the mountain stages look like hell. Those stages that have riders swanning around the Alps and the Pyrenees are won by specialists and all the flat riders group together with their teams in the middle of the peleton and wait for them to be over.

The most famous is the Col du Tourmalet where the climb starts at Luz Saint-Sauveur and continues for 18.3 km at 7.7%. After Barèges, there’s a 9% slope that lasts for a kilometre. I went up there once in a coach that really struggled to get through the gears. There’s an observatory at the top and it’s a great view, not that the riders care, they have to go straight down again.

What do all those coloured jerseys mean?

We’ve all heard of the “maillot jaune” (yellow jersey). It’s the overall race leader who has the fastest aggregate time. The rider with the maillot jaune at the end of the race is the winner, even if he’s lost in the pack when they all cross the line on the Champs Elysées in Paris on the third Sunday. The maillot vert (green jersey) is awarded to the fastest sprinter and the maillot à pois rouges (the white jersey with red dots) is awarded to the King of the Mountains, the first rider to reach designated spots in the mountain stages.

Lanterne rouge

The expression “lanterne rouge” (the red lantern) has now passed into common usage in French It is awarded to the rider that comes last. In the past there have been fights amongst cyclists to become last simply because no-one remembers the guy that comes second last.

What does it take to win it?

A cynic would say a lot of EPO and other performance enhancing drugs. The race has always had its share of doping allegations right back to 1903. The most (in)famous year was 1998. Willy Voet of the Festina team was arrested with EPO, growth hormones, testosterone and amphetamines in the boot of his car. Following police raids, the riders went on strike finishing one race at a snail’s pace. Richard Virinque, Festina’s King of the Mountains was caricatured on the French satire programme, Les Guignols de l’Info, as having taken the drugs “à l’insu de mon plein gré‘ (against my free will).

A non-cynic would say, apart from a lot of guts, determination and strength, a good team is required. The Tour de France is not a sport where individual riders win races, teams win them. They protect each other, support each other and then the team leader/star rider takes the glory.

Fancy a cycling holiday?

No-one is suggesting it would be a good idea to do that much cycling for a holiday. Although former England international footballer Geoff Thomas might disagree. Diagnosed with leukemia after his career was cut short by injury, he survived and cycled the entire route of the Tour de France in 2005 and then a second time in 2007. All in aid of cancer research.

For the less courageous and more sedate (although slightly sporty nevertheless), a wide variety of cycling holidays are available, and not just in France. And don’t forget (shameless plug), travel insurance will cover any cuts and bruises if you fall off or repatriation if you have a really spectacular accident.

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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office today released their annual British Behaviour Abroad report saying rather wearily that we’re “still” getting into trouble abroad like some kind of exasperated parent. And what’s more, all that trouble is avoidable. Top of the list of reasons why people get into scrapes is the high numbers of drink and drug related arrests. Embassies also helped many people stranded by the problems with volcanic ash. But there are far more quite mundane reasons. Here’s a list of them.

Loose your passport (or get it stolen)

Last year, more than 27,000 British passports were lost or stolen across the world, 6,600 of them in Spain, 3,200 in the USA and 2,400 in France. If that Spanish total seems a lot, 17 million of us visited the country last year, so in fact the proportion is minimal.

Tip 1: Make two copies of your passport before you leave. Take one with you and leave one with the neighbours. If you do get a problem, it’ll make your life so much easier.

Tip 2: Don’t forget to take the number of the local Embassy or Consulate. Take a look at the Foreign Office web site or call 0845-8502829. Report the loss immediately and don’t forget it’ll take a couple of days to replace and it’ll cost you.

Get into a road traffic accident

There were still high numbers of Britons involved in traffic accidents. Is it driving on the wrong side of the road? Three-quarters of the worlds’ cars drive on the right so you do need to be extra vigilant, especially when turning. You don’t want to get in the wrong lane and be faced with a line of traffic! But don’t worry, it does come quickly, I’ve driven on both sides of the road for years and it’s not as difficult as you think.

Tip 1: Without committing the French or Spanish highway code to memory, make sure you know the basic rules of the road in the country that you’re going to. Don’t forget that in Europe the distance signs are in kilometres. Remember that old old school trick, divide by 8 and multiply by 5 to get miles. 80 kilometres is 50 miles (but you know that, don’t you?).

Tip 2: Be prepared, insurance (make sure it covers you when you’re abroad), breakdown cover and if you are language challenged, a phrase book. You can get loads of electronic ones these days so they’re easy to carry. they’ll even go on your phone. For general and specific advice, go to the Foreign Office driving abroad web site.

Get yourself some big medical bills

3,600 people landed themselves in foreign hospitals last year. That would be fine if we all had proper medical travel insurance. Insurance covers you for almost everything from a bill for some small scratches and bruises because you fell of a motorbike to repatriation in an aeroplane because you fell off a mountain.

If you’re travelling in Europe, be sure to get your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). For those old enough to remember, it replaces the old E111. just a couple of tips to make your travel insurance work for you.

Tip 1: Don’t get drunk and fall out of a hotel window. You will be considered to have been acting “irresponsibly” and your insurance, if you have it, won’t cover you.

Tip 2: Get some travel insurance. See tip 1.

Don’t get any travel insurance

Until I started writing this blog, I didn’t know what travel insurance was. It was just an extra expense that I didn’t need. You know the old saying, insurance is always too expensive until you need it. More by luck than judgement, I’ve never needed it.

Do you know how much it costs to airlift you home in a medicalised plane? You won’t get much change out of £30,000. Travel insurance isn’t expensive. A recent survey found that Britons spend an average of £12 in airports before travelling, more than double the cost of a single trip policy. However, one in five people travel without it.

Tip 1: Only one, buy insurance

Don’t declare your pre-existing medical conditions

It has to be said that the cost of travel insurance does rise if you have some kind of condition or you’ve suffered from it in the past. Just like your car insurance does if you’ve made a claim, you’re considered more of a risk. It would be very tempting just to forget to mention your condition on the form. That’s a good policy if you don’t need to claim.

Just say for example you forget to take your medication you run out of it and something happens. You can guarantee that your insurance company has systems that will flag you up like a beacon and you could find yourself with some very large bills just because you thought you could save a couple of hundred quid on your premium.

A lot of companies won’t cover you at all if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Go to a specialist, you’ll find it’s cheaper than you think.

Be stupid and don’t prepare

Another survey said that people also spend twice as much time cleaning there house before they go away than researching their destination. I do wonder sometimes how these things are calculated! You might remember that case of a British citizen that was arrested and spent a month in a Dubai jail for kissing a woman in public. The woman also got the same sentence. They obviously had no idea that a strict Muslim culture – even in a relatively liberal place like Dubai – takes a very dim view of these things.

Tip 1: Go the the Foreign Office web site travel pages for essential basic travel advice about how to behave in other countries  - even in Western Europe you could come a cropper.

Tip 2: Buy a good travel guide if you’re going to a country you don’t know.

Get yourself arrested

More than 2,000 Britons were arrested just in Spain last year. Almost half of them were for drug related offences and a significant proportion were for having one drink too many and getting into a scrap. As the Foreign Office says so wearily” the worrying fact is that so many of these situations are preventable”.

It is one of their roles to assist Britons abroad, often when they’re in trouble. But they cannot however get you out of jail, they cannot (will not) pay your fare home – although in some conditions they will lend it to you.

The general message is clear. It is very easy to get yourself into trouble when you go abroad. Sometimes it’s just an accident and someone will be there to help you sort it. Sometimes people get into trouble through sheer stupidity. It’s great travelling and having new experiences. But GO PREPARED!

Related posts:

1. What will the embassy do for you if you’re in trouble abroad?
2. Extreme travel – are you insured?
3. Getting married abroad? Read this.

The biggest killer in sub-Saharan Africa and in many other places in the world, way ahead of AIDS or famine, is malaria. Without wanting to be sensationalist, it kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds, Africa accounts for 90% of deaths from it as it is home to the most deadly form and it is responsible for 20% of the deaths of under 5s and 10% of all deaths in Africa. South Africa included football fans.

Cheryl Cole (or Tweedy or whatever she’s called these days) and her problems will hopefully place something of a spotlight on malaria and help reduce the incidence of this preventable disease – I know, most diseases are preventable one way or another, but this one can really be prevented cheaply.

So what is malaria?

We know that malaria is caused by a mosquito bite. The parasite enters the blood stream and can be in the liver within 30 minutes. The parasite then starts reproducing and gets into the blood stream and the blood cells where it reproduces again. The infected blood cells then burst which affects the healthy ones….well, you get the picture.

So we’ve established that it can be pretty dangerous and you really don’t want to get it. If you go on a gap year, sabbatical or just on holiday, there are some simple and let’s face it, sensible things you can do to avoid coming a cropper like poor old Cheryl did.

Check where you’re going and get protected

Malaria is endemic across most of Africa and particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America, the Indian sub-continent and South-East Asia. If you’re going to any of those places get down to your doctor’s surgery well before you go and get some malaria pills. Otherwise, there’s plenty of travel centres, clinics or consultancies you could visit. If you’re in Devon for example, go to the Travel Health Consultancy in Exeter.

Take the pills

You should take them before you go AND after you come back, just like antibiotics. The parasite can remain dormant in you for quite a while and could quite easily creep up on you when you expect it the least. You should also take them on time and don’t miss a dose, especially if you’re a child under 16 or pregnant. Your doctor will tell you what to do. If you don’t take your pills, or worse, you don’t even get any, you’ll be considered to be reckless and won’t be covered by your travel insurance.

Use a mosquito net at night

Obviously the best way to avoid malaria is not to get bitten in the first place. And the best way of doing that is to use a mosquito net. They’re cheap and fit into your luggage very easily.

Protect your room and protect yourself

• Mosquitos don’t like insect repellent, there’s a highly popular brand available across Southern Africa called Doom (great brand name!). Spray it liberally.
• You can also put a mosquito coil under your bed, they’re effective for up to eight hours.
• Where you can, stay in rooms with screens on the windows and/or air conditioning and don’t forget to switch off the lights, mosquitos like lights.
• They  like perfume and after-shave as well, so if you have a tendency to splash it all over, don’t. You’ll become a mosquito magnet.
• Wear long sleeves, especially at dawn and dusk.
• If you do fall ill, trust local doctors, they’ve got loads of experience.

Whilst you’re at it, take a few mosquito nets with you

As I said, they’re cheap and easy to put into your luggage. And you might save a life….

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1. How to make it to the World Cup and have a good time – safely
2. Want to avoid the crowds? Don’t go to these places then
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The team at www.justanotherbaby.co.uk give us their top ten travel essentials when travelling with your baby.

Travelling with a child of any age can be stressful and taking a baby away with you for the first time is often a very daunting prospect.  There are some simple things you can do to make travelling with your baby far easier and more enjoyable.

Nappies and Baby Wipes

Take at least three more nappies than you think you will need in your hand luggage if travelling by plane; this will allow for any mishaps or delays.

Change of clothes

Often babies can be out of routine and feed on the run if travelling. Nappies may also have to wait to be changed. Either of these situations may have obvious effects so be prepared with a change of clothes for baby and maybe a spare top for you!

Drinking

If flying, offer your baby a drink from a beaker or bottle, something like the Boon Fluid Toddler Cup.  The swallowing reduces the risk of their ears blocking and discomfort. If your child is old enough offer them a drink from a carton with a straw or a small sugar free lollipop

New toy or book

Something they haven’t seen before will keep them occupied for longer than a toy they are used to. Sticker books are great for older babies/toddlers – less messy than colouring pens and you won’t spend the entire journey picking them up from the floor. Failing that you can’t beat a DVD player or laptop!

Snacks

Pack lots of snacks, like raisins, fruit bars, vacuum-packed purees or meals, pace extra so you’re prepared for any delays or to have on the return journey. You could also try the Boon Squirt feeding spoon – fill this with your baby’s favourite food. If the food can be given cold you can freeze the Squirt Feeding Spoon with the food in it then place it in a cool pack before you leave for your travels. The food will slowly defrost and keep for longer.

Chair Harness

The Gro Chair Harness is a must when travelling. Not all places have high chairs and those that do can often run out. This easy to fit harness is compatible with most chairs and is light-weight and compact to carry in “the baby bag”.

Black out blind

Take a Gro Anywhere Black-out Blind. This fabulous piece of size-adjustable black-out material is fitted with suckers so it can be fitted to any size of window. Invaluable if your holiday accommodation is not fitted with the best curtains.

Nursery-rhyme or short story CD

If travelling by car for long periods a short story or nursery rhyme CD should ensure a little quiet time and may even lull your little ones to sleep. It’s also a good idea to try and plan your journey around baby’s normal sleep times.

Car seat harness

The brilliant 5 point harness Travel GROBAG fits to any car seat so your baby can fall asleep and remain cosy and warm while you lift them straight out and into bed with minimum fuss.

Comforter

Whatever you do, don’t forget this, whether it is a dummy, soft toy or muslin. A little bit of home goes a long way when you are in unfamiliar surroundings.

All products are available from Just Another Baby whom wrote this guest post exclusively for World First Travel Insurance.

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Backpackers old and new have always travelled across Europe and the world by train. As relatively characterless and antiseptic high-speed trains gradually take over the travelling landscape, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a wonderful architectural heritage in our train stations (and some pretty rubbish ones as well, but we’ll ignore them).

St Pancras, London

Not so much a train station as a temple to train travel. A triumph of neo-Gothic Victorian architecture, it was almost demolished in the 1960s (thank you John Betjeman) but re-furbished and re-opened in 2008 when it became the London destination for Eurostar. A destination station if ever there was one. Like many a modern station, it has become a shopping centre, but that doesn’t distract from the stunning architecture. And it does have a champagne bar, so it’s not all bad…

Strasbourg

Strangely enough, with one or two exceptions (Marseille St. Charles or the Parisian stations), the French don’t give their stations names like St. Pancras or Estatio de Francia in Barcelona. The boringly named Gare de Strasbourg is also something of an architectural marvel as befits a station located at one of Europe’s rail and political crossroads. Renovated in 2007, a new glass cocoon was added creating an interesting contrast to the 1883-designed original station.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Europe’s largest station with no buffers, it is also Europe’s largest two-level station. Located on the site of the original Lehrter Bahnhof station, every day more than 1100 long-distance, regional and rapid transit trains run through the 14 platforms. Another glass and steel temple (and no shortage of shops), it’s the sign of a confident, reunited nation and a statement. It somehow represents what Berlin was, a collision of two worlds, and what those worlds have become, the triumph of commercialism.

Milano Centrale

The cornerstone was laid by King Victor Emmanuel III as early as 1903, but real building work didn’t start for another 10 years and was hampered by the onset of the First World War. Influenced by Mussolini, it is often seen as representing the power of the fascist regime. It has no definite architectural style except imposing, the current station sees 600 trains a day running through its 24 platforms carrying something in excess of 320,000 people right across Italy and beyond. TGVs now run directly to Paris.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai

Indian Railways is a force of nature in itself. The world’s second largest railway company, it has 7,000 stations, employs 1.6 million people and almost 64,000 meters of track. CST, as it is known for short, is the former Bombay Victoria station and it could be said it dwarfs its not inconsiderable little sister in London. Victorian neo-Gothic in style, it is a superb example of nineteenth century railway architecture and the confidence of that age. If you can’t get to see the real one, it features a lot in the film Slumdog Millionnaire.

Grand Central Station, New York

Actually, the name is Grand Central Terminal, but popular culture knows it as a station, not a terminus. Whatever you call it, it’s the world’s largest with 44 platforms and 67 tracks on two levels. Its focal point is an enormous concourse that is usually filled with crowds. The ticket offices remain although they haven’t really been used since the introduction of ticket machines.  It also gives you “68 shops and 35 places to eat and a ride home” as the web site says. Train stations have definitely changed since my day!

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Holidays are to be remembered and pretty much everyone tries to capture the essence of their holiday on camera to show to family and friends, and to look back on in years to come.

Digital cameras have made it so much easier to get great shots of one off moments, but with so much choice out there it can be difficult to know what the best option is.

Do you go for a waterproof camera that can also take a knock if accidentally dropped?  A big zoom to capture everything from that rare bird in the tree to getting the whole majestic beach into the photo? Or is the camera you need one that allows you to develop photography as a passion?

All of these questions and many more are common dilemmas facing people when looking for a camera to take on holiday. So where do we start in choosing the best digital camera and what are the best buys?

A waterproof camera is a really useful piece of kit for holidays by the sea, because it allows you capture to an underwater world of photographic opportunities.  And as an added benefit, due to the sealing that these cameras require to make them waterproof, it also makes them dustproof so they are ideal for on the beach and are more robust in general.

The Pentax Optio W90 is an excellent camera both in the water and out. With the ability to survive at depths up to 6 meters and drop-proof to 1.2 meters, the Pentax can cope with everything travelling can throw at it. It also has features for underwater use that put it in a league of its own, with the addition of front-mounted LED’s for illuminating things under the water.

Another option is the waterproof Sony DSC-TX5. Waterproof to 3 meters and drop-proof to 1.5 meters, the camera is very resilient but it also boasts some unique features that make it a valid contender for a great travel camera – the DSC-TX5 has one of the best panorama modes available for photographing huge scenes and making sure that you don’t miss any of it, from the mountains all the way down into the sea. The DSC-TX5 also uses Sony’s Exmor sensor, which is excellent in low light conditions above and below the waves so it will never miss a shot, even at night or in murkier waters

If the water’s not your calling when travelling, then a big zoom is certainly a good way to go. These cameras allow you to get up close and personal with nature and can give you the best chance of capturing a truly inspiring photograph.

The Panasonic TZ10 offers great versatility for travel photography with its 10x optical zoom. This will allow you access to wildlife without disturbing them, getting you nice and close without physically being too close. The TZ10 also boasts a wide-angle lens for the landscape photos as well and a feature that will amaze your friends and relatives when viewing the images back – a GPS. This records exactly where you are in the world when you take the photo, pinpointing that hidden beach you couldn’t quite remember how to get to, or this amazing view over the river that you stumbled upon one evening.

The final camera type that you might be looking for is something that allows you all the control of the SLR but without the bulk that would be impractical for travelling.
The Canon Powershot G11 embodies everything that you could want from an SLR but in the body of a compact camera. It offers a moving screen, which gives you a greater versatility.  With this camera you wont have any trouble taking shots with the camera raised or low down, as you can tilt the screen to see exactly what you’re taking a picture of.

But if a tilting screen won’t help you get the best holiday snaps, then the Powershot G11 might be more up your street. This camera also uses a viewfinder, has a 5x optical zoom and the body is made of magnesium alloy, making it perfect for coping with the wear and tear of travelling.  It also has an image stabiliser for the lens to produce pin-sharp images even if you’re experiencing movement, say on a boat or in a strong wind

It’s always best to seek advice when buying a digital camera.  Although they are much cheaper now than a few years ago, they are still a reasonably big purchase.  It’s worth looking at all the options and getting a camera that will be perfect for this holiday and many more to come.

This was a guest post by by Simon Tushingham Jones and all of these cameras and more can be found in store and online at the Devon Camera Centre whom we would like to thank for their contribution to the World First Travel Insurance blog.

Related posts:

1. 6 things that could land you in jail when you’re on holiday

Apparently it’s national kissing day today (isn’t every day national something day?). It’s a thing the British are notoriously priggish about. The authorities at Warrington Bank Quay station went so far as to set up no kissing zones last year on the pretext that lingering couples were holding up the trains.

That got me thinking. Across the world, we meet and greet each other in many different ways that are governed by our social customs and habits. Train stations and airports tend to bring on uncharacteristic shows of emotion in the British so we’ll discount those situations. How do people greet each other?

In France, everybody shakes hands or kisses cheeks (including kids) every time they see each other. And yes, men do kiss in the street, although it’s generally family members.

In Greece, back slapping replaces hand shaking in many cases (sounds a bit theatrical…)

In Moldova some men might greet a woman by kissing her hand while saying, “I kiss your hand”. Well, you would…

In Japan, bowing is the norm so don’t go trying to kiss someone who’s bowing, you’ll miss and look stupid. Cross-cultural misunderstanding in it’s essence.

In Mongolia, you may be expected to exchange a pipe.

In Niger, the Kanouri people shake their fists at head level and say “Wooshay! Wooshay!” (“Hello! Hello!”). The last time someone shook their fist at me it wasn’t to say hello!

In Taiwan — the traditional greeting is (apparently), “Have you eaten?”. Nope…

Canadian Inuits rub noses. Well, it’s cold…

In Tibet, poke your tongue out at someone. It shows you have no evil thoughts. Now that’s cool.

Who’d have thought just saying hello could cause such confusion? Generally, you can plead innocence and look the stupid foreigner in cultural situations that are completely outside your own. People may think you’re quaint. However, in Europe for example and France in particular, in certain social and business situations there are different ways of shaking hands and different ways of kissing. Limp shake or hard shake? Do you do two, three or four, is it full on or air kissing (mouah!). That is probably the subject of another post.

No related posts.

Yesterday, I wrote about ways to burn off the steam and anger after the disastrous World Cup campaign and suggested a few, lets say extreme, holidays that you could take to get the adrenalin going. But you don’t need to go to the other side of the world to find thrills and spills, to do something different or just to find a bit of peace. Just take the example of Newquay. An ancient fishing village on the Cornish coast, famous for surfing, wind and the cold water. But much more. And by the way, this isn’t an informercial, I’m not supported by the Cornish Office of Tourism or whatever its called, I just like it.

Find your inner child, go climb a tree

Yes, you can really go on holiday and climb trees just like in Enid Blyton or Just William. The Mighty Oak Climbing Company lets you have tree climbing birthday parties, stag or hen nights (how cool is that!) or will organise corporate (I presume team building) events, camps schools and festivals. You can even do some “tree camping” if you want to get really close to nature and by sleeping in the trees.

Surfin’ USA

If you’re a bit too cool for tree climbing, have a go at Surfing is Therapy. These “surf safaris” go beyond the traditional Beech Boys without the weather. You’ll learn about a “surfing lifestyle” well beyond standing up straight on a board including why not all wet suits are the same and how to design your own board. Corporate solutions are also available. But its still not Hawaii.

Shark fishing anyone?

Yes there are sharks in Cornwall. Perhaps not Great Whites, but sharks nevertheless. Fish Newquay has a fully-fitted angling boat that will take you fishing not just for sharks but all the other types of fish found off the North Cornwall coast. And they’ve got a kettle on board, so if you fancy a cuppa, you’ll be OK.

Fish-free boat trips

If you like the sea but don’t fancy all that fish, the Newquay Harbour Boatman’s Association will take you out for a leisurely pleasure boat ride or a more invigorating speed boat ride cutting through the waves. You might even see some dolphins (yes, they have them too in Cornwall).

A bit of adventure

It has to be said that Lusty Glaze has a bit of everything, water adventure, surfing (again), coasteering, jet skis, “cliff-based adventure” (a bit scary) or more “sedate” land based stuff involving kites (not flying them) or bikes. They’ll also teach you First Aid in case you get into trouble.

If all that adventure’s a bit too much, how about a spa?

The Fistral Spa does have a gym, but I reckon you’ll be more interested in the spa. You’ll have all the usual spa treatments, aromatherapy body stuff, but also treatments with hot stones, specialist pregnancy massage and specific treatments for men because less face it guys, we’re still a bit squeamish about these things. Then, for an extra tenner, you get champagne and chocolates! Can’t say much to that!

Today’s the first football free day for a fortnight (unless you include the early qualifiers for next seasons’ Champions’ League, that is). You’ve perhaps had time to put things into perspective, I know I have. If not, you don’t need to go to the other side of the world for your thrills and spills, there’s quite a lot just on your door step.

Related posts:

1. My life in travel – Martin Rothwell – Managing Partner at World First
2. Not enough thrills with the World Cup? Time to go on a real holiday.
3. How to make it to the World Cup and have a good time – safely