Sharm El Sheikh beaches re-open

Following the spate of shark attacks in Sharm El Sheikh, which saw the death of one tourist and four others injured, the Egyptian authorities have re-opened all of the resort’s beaches.

For holiday makers looking for the unique thrill of diving in clear Egyptian waters this will come as good news. And, with restrictions in place to keep holiday makers safe, the Egyptian authorities are confident that no more attacks will occur.

Swimmers and divers will only be allowed to dive, snorkel and swim is areas that have been designated  by the authorities and that are patrolled by divers and spotter boats. Hotels along the beaches will also be required to man watch towers to scan the seas for possible intruders.

What this means for UK travellers who are heading for Sharm El Sheikh is that it’s business as usual. However, here at World First we have to remind all travellers that, whilst their scuba diving travel insurance will cover them automatically up to 30 metres, it excludes diving outside the designated areas. Likewise with swimming and snorkelling. Should anything happen when you are outside of the patrolled areas then you could face hefty bills for medical care and repatriation. As usual, the word from our insurers is caution.

If there’s one thing that the recent bad weather and Spanish air traffic strikes have proven, it’s that you can never be absolutely sure that you’ll get there – or back again – when you think you will. And let’s not forget the volcanic ash problems earlier this year. The fact is that if you are travelling with a medical condition, you might need a little more than a toothbrush and spare undies to take to the airport. 

If you are travelling with a medical condition and have purchased medical travel insurance then World First recommend that travelling with the medication you plan to use and some extra in case of delays and disasters. Whilst it may not be your fault if you were delayed it is still your responsibility to make sure you have plenty of supplies so you don’t end up creating a medical emergency through a lack of medication. In some instances, especially if you face long delays or are worried about losing your luggage, it could be worth taking twice as much as your normally need and splitting in between your hand luggage and suitcase.  (more…)

Jaws is back. It’s like Amity all over again. Only this time it’s for real. And it really is very frightening. Whilst shark attacks are rare in the Red Sea the last week has seen one death and three injuries involving divers and snorkelers. It’s making headlines all over the world.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism 1,346,724 British Nationals visited Egypt in 2009. Many of them visited Sharm El Sheikh.

The recent attacks have prompted the UK Foreign Office to issue a warning to travellers to check that their travel insurance covers them for scuba diving and snorkelling. They say: “If you are considering diving or snorkelling in any of the Red Sea resorts be aware that safety standards of diving operators can vary considerably. A basic rule is never to dive or snorkel unaccompanied. Where possible make any bookings through your tour representative. Unusually cheap operators may not provide adequate safety and insurance standards. Ensure that your travel insurance covers you fully before you dive. Diving beyond the depth limit of your insurance policy will invalidate your cover.”

Despite the fact that you’d be bonkers to slip on the flippers in Egypt right now (never mind the fact that diving and water sport activities in the Sharm El Sheikh area are suspended) a World First Scuba Diving Travel Insurance policy will automatically cover you for diving to 30 metres as long as you are qualified and with a qualified guide. Should the unimaginable happen then hospital treatment and repatriation can prove very costly – especially if your insurance company refuses to cover the cost because you were diving beyond your ability – and policy.

So it’s Friday afternoon. It’s raining outside. There’s nothing in the diary to keep you excited. Every other shop window is spraying fake snow all over the place. You’re dreaming of far away lands. You’re dreaming of pistes glowing white under a fresh dump of snow. You’re dreaming of schnapps and good times. Why not? But where to first?

If you’re thinking of dropping everything and jumping on a plane for a quick snow plough in the alps it’s going to be a bit of a risk at this time of year. But don’t worry. With your trusty computer at hand you can check out the snow conditions practically anywhere. So. How about a quick overnight dash to Scotland? What’s happening right now? Thankfully you can check out the conditions right here at Ski-Scotland’s website. There’s not much on offer but you might be lucky if you head for the Cairngorms. They plan to open this weekend for snow sports. Yippeeee. (more…)

The world – well, certain sections of the press anyway, are getting all excited about Samantha Cameron and her new baby, Florence Rose Endellion. She was born whilst her parents were on holiday in Cornwall and, although born one month early, you can’t help  suspect that her parents were well prepared for the event or at least someone made pretty sure they were prepared. (more…)

Some women choose to travel abroad to give birth. They have time to put things in place and plan.

But sometimes things just happen. Junior decides it’s time to make a break for the big wide world  just when you were enjoying yourself on holiday or even when you were in a business meeting.

If you do travel abroad when you’re pregnant, you’d be advised to take a certain number of precautions just to make sure things go smoothly. (more…)

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. (more…)

A lot of people fantasise about long-term travel and just giving it all up and going away.  Most of them never manage it,  something or someone always  seems to conspire to prevent it happening. But for the lucky few, gap years can be an incredibly enriching and even life-changing experience.

However much we’d like to just throw everything up in the air on a whim it wouldn’t be a good idea. A minimum amount of planning is required to prevent a dream experience turning into a nightmare. (more…)

The new World First web site is to be launched this weekend. It marks the completion of first stage of a new era for us with a new emphasis on building our reputation across the Internet with a variety of social media outlets, this blog being one of the main ones.

Insurance doesn’t have a very good reputation. Insurers are only about one rung up on the interesting chain from accountants. But there’s more to us than you might think. Travel insurance is part of the travel industry. That’s already more interesting isn’t it? So we’re going to be talking about the travel industry, not just insurance. (more…)

It’s official: 60 is the new 40, 70 is the new 50 and – well you get the picture.  If the silver surfer phenomenon continues, we will all be travelling well into our 90^th year, as long as we can afford it that is.

The opportunities for travel post retirement are so much greater these days, whether it is a short hop for a city break or an extended visit to friends and family on the other side of the world.  Most of us have so much more time to live out our travelling dreams later in our lives.

No kids (unless you are staying with them!), no job to return to, no limits on what we can do. Right? Well, at World First Travel Insurance that’s what we believe. (more…)