Are safaris dangerous? What happens if I get eaten by a lion? The chances of that are pretty slim, in fact you’re more likely to get eaten by a shark surfing off the coast of Australia – there are 15 attacks and one death a year apparently – but safaris are classified by underwriters as activities and as such carry their own risk. And when you start talking of risk, insurers (or their underwriters) tend to get twitchy. So are safaris any different to any other holiday? What is actually covered by your travel insurance policy? (more…)

This is a guest post by Patrick Hamilton. He is a specialist in travel to Southern Africa and safaris in particular.

Africa is not the only destination for Safaris, but obviously it has the greatest variety both of accommodation and of animal and bird species available to the traveller.  From the Masai Mara in Kenya to the Okavango Delta in Botswana to the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the choice is bewilderingly wide.  Real luxury is available on safari, if that is what you want, splash pools at every chalet, wine cellars and other trappings which are regarded as necessary by some to make a complete holiday. There are truly magnificent Lodges, but my preference on safari – and I have done a few – is to get a little closer to nature. (more…)

Africa is the home of the safari isn’t it? Lions and tigers…(whoops, there are no tigers in Africa!), elephants and giraffes. The great savannah, open spaces and all that. Maybe its all David Attenborough‘s fault, but the popular psyche now has an image of safaris with open-top jeeps and implausibly long camera lenses in the wide open spaces of Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.  Well no, just a quick enquiry to any search engine you care to use will show you that there are plenty of other destinations right across the world that will give you the safari experience. Just a note though, this list is not an endorsement of the destinations mentioned, the Internet is full of opportunities to compare them and get feedback to see if they’d suit you. (more…)

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. (more…)

The World Cup is finally here and thousands of football fans are packing their bags and planning their trip. Because we’re nice people, World First Travel Insurance is giving you a few helpful hints and tips to make sure you don’t score an own goal when it comes to your holiday. And you won’t need to make a claim. (more…)

The World Cup 2010 is upon us. It seems like 5 minutes since the announcement that South Africa had won the right to hold the event and it’s taking place already. Now we can dare to hope that the (now) 44 years of hurt can be ended, the false profits and the bad pundits will be rolled out and we will yet again be lamenting the fact that England can’t get beyond the quarter finals of a major competition. (more…)

Paris is famous for its romantic springtimes, iconic buildings and grumpy waiters. But it’s far more than just that. Since the Revolution, the French and particularly Paris, have absorbed people and influences from across the world. Today, it’s possible to spend a week in Paris and hardly meet any French people!  (although you might be missing something there).

By the way, the waiters are far less grumpy with tourists if you attempt to speak some bad French – especially if you’re American).

Here’s a quick splash of the non-French things you can find in the French capital. (more…)

USA, Algeria, Slovenia? The World Cup draw has been “kind” lets say. Thousands of people would have started making plans on the evening of 4th December to travel to South Africa in June and July 2010. World Cup fever starts here. So what should you be thinking of before setting off on a trip like that to the other side of the world.

1. Take warm clothes. Just because it’s in June and July, don’t forget it’s in the Southern Hemisphere so it’ll be winter. It could be as cold as it was standing on the terraces at Fulham’s Craven Cottage before they built up the stand to stop the cold air blowing in off the Thames. The effect was that of a wind tunnel. Freezing. (more…)