We’ve had some really amazing entries for this month’s My World First competition. There have been tales of camel kissing, AK47s, communist countries, ice hotels, the Amazon, a kiss from Olly Murs, stolen underwear and a fling with a diving instructor. And that’s just the start! The best news is that there’s still time to enter and give yourself the chance of winning a Kindle.

As you might have guessed, the theme for our travel writing competition is world firsts. Get it? We want to hear about your first-time travel experiences. It could be anything you like. And judging by the entries we’ve already had, it probably will be! If it’s a first in your world then it’s one of your world firsts. Tell us about it. This blog post explains the rules and reveals just how easy it is to enter.

The winner of this month’s competition will receive a Kindle – or the equivalent value in Waterstone’s vouchers if they prefer. Viveca Koh won a Kindle in a previous World First competition and sent us this amazing photograph of her and her new toy at the ECVB powerstation in Belgium.

You can take a look at more of Viveca’s photography using these links:

Viveca Koh Photography

Viveca Koh Blog

Follow the hashtag #myworldfirst on Twitter. This month’s competition ends at 23:59 on 30th November.

Written by Tristan Rothwell

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July 4th 2011

Busy day today? Too stretched to catch up on the best in travel news and writing? Manic Monday making it impossible to manage those blog feeds? Don’t panic. The World First Weekly Wander is our very own weekly breakdown of the best travel based web content. It’s compiled by our very own Tristan Rothwell ( @WFTristan for all you tweeters). So sit back and let him do all the work.

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If you can’t make up your mind where to go for your summer holidays this year, then I can highly recommend opting for a life of indecision. And by that I mean staying flexible with a holiday in a classic camper. Not only will a beautiful set of retro wheels make you the coolest kids at the camp site but you’ll also be able to go anywhere you want, safe in the knowledge that you’ve got everything you need right there with you.

Taking off in a classic camper van is nothing new. It’s a fine tradition that goes all the way back to the hippy trail and the idealistic days of freedom, peace and love on the road. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Today you don’t even have to own one to enjoy a taste of the outdoor life. There are now hundreds of companies all across the UK who are prepared to entrust you with their vintage wheels so that you too can enjoy the freedom of the open road.

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Yesterday, 4^th January 2011, VAT went up from 17.5% to 20%. It means that everything, from petrol to pyjamas, will become just that little bit more expensive. The same goes for Insurance Premium Tax, in case you hadn’t heard. Like VAT it has gone up from 17.5% to 20% for holiday and travel insurance premiums, which will be a blow to people hoping for a little low cost sunshine or snow this spring.

But not for World First Travel Insurance customers. World First have announced that they are waiving the increase and passing the savings back to you until the end of January. So that means you’ll get the same great value cover at last year’s prices but without having to compromise your trip away by travelling with inadequte or no travel insurance cover.

 Of course if you’ve yet to plan your trip away you can still benefit by taking the opportunity to buy cheap annual travel insurance that will cover you fro the next 12 months. If you take more than one trip abroad this year it could end up saving you a small fortune. And let’s not forget about the savings you could make if you suffer from a medical condition and require medical travel insurance. World First cover thousands of conditions and offer screening online for people up to the age of 100.

 So why wait? Beat the Taxman with World First.

Diving for novices and people with medical conditions

Taking off for a winter sun holiday? No doubt you’ll want to make the most of every opportunity that comes along. And what is a beach holiday without getting in the water? Exactly. If you’re the type of person who can’t lie on a sun bed all day then scuba diving must be the ultimate sea going thrill. It’s not something you’d ever consider in the UK ( for obvious reasons) but on a winter sun holiday, when the air temperature is 28 degrees and the sea temperature is 20 degrees or more, who could resist?

Of course diving can be dangerous so there are going to be a few hoops to jump through before you can swim with the fishes. Firstly – and most important – is your travel insurance. Will yours cover you for diving? Some policies will have exclusions, others will limit the depths to which you can go and some will specify that you always dive with a reputable operator (and why wouldn’t you?). World First Travel Insurance policies will cover you for diving up to 30 metres, providing you dive with an approved and qualified operator.

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Now I’m no economist but even I know that the exchange rate means everything when it comes to booking your holiday. It can mean the difference between eating out and eking out the pennies. And that can make or break your holiday, especially during these (and I quote) ‘tricky economic times’.

So whilst you might be able to get great deals on your travel insurance and super-cheap flights, it may not be a true reflection of the cost of your holiday.  Some of those great holiday deals might look great you when you’re tapping away on the laptop absentmindedly in front of the telly, but don’t forget to think about how much it’s all going to cost when you get there. At the time of writing the GBP (£) was at its lowest against the Euro for almost a year, which means that if I nipped out to the Post Office today I’d get about £140 less for every £1000 worth of Euros I bought this time two years ago. That adds up to more than just a few cervezas.

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Whilst there are far fewer ads on the TV than there used to be, the holiday booking season is upon us. It’s time for our annual flock to the sun in search of a little time out of the rat race. So where are we going? It seems that the Costas are (finally) on the wane and our tastes are increasingly diversified. ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) has just released its report on travel trends for 2010. They make interesting reading and show how fashions have changed in the last 10 years or so. (more…)

Never mind police constables and teachers getting younger by the day, it seems that now the population on the snow slopes is getting older and older. Increased life expectancy and improved pensions have meant that baby boomers that have reached the age of retirement are increasingly unwilling to sit in front of the fire waiting for the grim reaper to come along to tell them there time’s up.

So, do you fancy a slide down the piste for the first time but you’re more enthusiastic about the après-ski than the activity that precedes it? Here’s a few tips to help you: (more…)

Since British regulations on where you could get married were relaxed there’s been a steady growth in people wanting to get hitched in the four corners of the world – and taking there guests with them. The British embassy in the country where you want to get married will be your first port of call for information on tying the knot, but you’d be well-advised to:

• Contact the local authorities in the country for more detailed and practical advice – here’s a list of foreign embassies in the UK
• Find out what specific documents those local authorities require. They may take months to prepare and you really don’t want to turn up at the alter to find you haven’t got your granny’s birth certificate or some other obscure document.
• Check if you need visas to enter the country. British passport holders can go to 152 countries so you’ll probably have most of your ideal destinations covered, but some places such as Australia and the United States require some formalities before you leave. (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…)