I was born in Cornwall and grew up there, living in Penzance with my brother Martin (our Managing Director) when Rothwell and Towler began trading in 1973. Even though I now live across the border in Devon, my home county will always be Old Mother Kernow to me.

Martin and I spent a lot of time surfing the beaches of West Cornwall so we thought we should put our heads together and compile a list of a few of our favourite beaches for those of you who will be making the trek down this summer. If you are new to surfing don’t forget that there are lots of great surf schools in Cornwall who will show you the ropes and will keep you safe.

So…

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It’s been a while since our last World First Wander, the regular feature where we take a look around the web and point you in some directions we think you’ll find interesting.

So, with summer finally here, what better way to start it off again than with a Glastonbury Festival special? We thought so. (more…)

An ambition fulfilled for Martin Dorey: The Outer Hebrides.

If we asked you to name your seven wonders, what would they be? Now what if we asked you to give us your best travel advice, the thing you always have to take with you and why or your funniest story? It’s not easy is it? Well, over the coming weeks and months we’re going to be asking the same seven questions to travel bloggers, travelers, customers, celebs and anyone who we think will have something interesting to share with us. Starting with Martin Dorey, a World First customer who is better known for his camping and cooking ‘bible’, ‘The Camper Van Cookbook’ and his BBC2 TV series, ‘One Man and his Campervan’. Read his Campervanliving blog here.

Here goes… (more…)

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it. Tristan is a lucky man. He gets to read the world’s best travel blogs and call it research so we can get a better understanding of what our travelling customers want and need from our policies. Over to you Tristan.

“As World First’s social media specialist I get to spend some of my working day checking out different Travel Websites and blogs from around the globe. It’s important for us as a business to keep up with travel trends and what’s happening in the travel world so we can continue to be one of the UK’s leading providers of travel insurance. To be honest it’s not so bad keeping up with the world’s best travel bloggers and travel sites. I fact it’s a part of my job that I absolutely adore.

So I thought I should share my top 50 with you. Actually, it’s a Top 49. That’s because I’m hoping you’ll share your best sites with me too. If you have a favourite travel site then please leave a comment or tweet your favourite to @wfinsurance and we will complete it.

I didn’t want to list them in any order because it’s not a list, it’s a collection. They are all equal. Besides, everybody does lists.”

Hg2 Magazine – Intelligent, irreverent, inspired
Over Yonderlust – Shaun and Erica Kuschel’s site
The Grumpy Traveller – Moaning about travel’s negatives
TravelDudes – For travellers by travellers
Get in the Hot Spot – Naked travel stories and travel tips
Twenty Something Travel – Why wait to see the world
Travels of Adam – The coolest cultural things to do around the world
Tnooz – Talking travel tech
Gadling – The world’s top travel blog
Smith Travel Blog – Travel tales and hotel reviews from Mr and Mrs Smith
Matador Network – Travel culture worldwide
Grrrl Traveler – The imperfect adventures of a solo traveller
Beer & Beans – In search of the unusual, the mundane, the beautiful and the forgotten
Jaunted – The Conde Nast Traveler Network
Perceptive Travel Blog – Award winning site with a monthly narrative webzine
Brendan’s Adventures – “If travel really is what you want to be do doing then go out and do it.”
Adventurous Kate – Solo female travel blog
Europe a La Carte – Food travel blog
Kirsten Alana – Aviators and a camera
A Luxury Travel Blog – For those who enjoy the finer things in life.
Reclaiming My Future – Great travel blog from Devon
Bald Hiker – The Ramblings of Paul Steele and friends
The Quirky Traveller – One of Britain’s best travel bloggers
Gap Daemon – Need help planning a gap year?
TravMonkey – Great travel site that answers many questions
EuroControl – Essential information for people flying in Europe
The Adventurists – Crazy rickshaw driving people
Velvet Escape – Go explore, experience and be inspired
Backpacker Becki – A solo female travellers rants on the road
Nomadic Samuel – Miles away from ordinary
Budget Traveller – See the world on a shoestring
Leaving Cairo – A travel blog about finding happiness (and a steady job)
Johnny Vagabond – Around the world – slow and low
Mrs O around the World – Love travel – love people – love shoes
My Destination – Handmade by destination – advice that won’t fade
Inside the Travel Lab – Exploring unusual journeys
Pommie Travels – When I’m not travelling, I’m thinking about it.
40 before 30 – Award winning travel blogger
Off Track Planet – Travel for the young, gifted and broke.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – Live to travel, travel to live
Travelocafe – A cultural and luxury travel blog
The Planet D – Canada’s adventure couple
Travel Blissful – Destination ideas and travel advice for blissful trips
Uncornered Market – Measuring the Earth with our feet
Maiden Voyage – Professional women connect globally whilst on business travel
Leave your Daily Hell – How I went from feeling broke, depressed and powerless to travelling
Stop having a boring life – Just like the title says
Got Saga – A community with a passion for travel.

This post was written by Tristan Rothwell who you can follow on Twitter @wftristan. He’s the face of the World First travel blog and keeps travel-lovers up to date on Twitter with breaking news and travel tips.

The annual dash for some holiday sun isn’t far off a national obsession. Good job most people know how important it is to pack good travel insurance. Fresh research from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has found that 90% of over 55 year olds routinely take out cover for overseas sojourns. The trouble is, that still leaves 10% who are putting themselves at risk of losing thousands of pounds through unexpected foreign medical fees. This post explains how.

Which camp do you fall into? (more…)

Deep down there’s a big kid inside everyone. Set it free with these family-friendly cruises. Whether you’re potty for Harry Potter or want to dazzle the kids with Disney magic, these holidays turn the high seas into one giant playground. (more…)

The horse meat scandal has angered and appalled in equal measure. Just be grateful it wasn’t something more sinister that was being surreptitiously shoved into your shepherd’s pie. As these curious culinary creations prove, international cuisine can be pretty darn gruesome at times. (more…)

We hear our fair share of travel insurance horror stories. Yet sometimes the worst examples aren’t from happy-go-lucky holidaymakers who ignore the importance of travel insurance, but from those who thought they had adequate cover only to be caught out when they tried to claim. If you have a travel insurance deal bolted onto a banking package, there’s a chance you could be next.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen…

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Here’s a holiday tip: when you take out travel insurance you really should tell your insurer about any ongoing medical conditions you have. If you don’t you could invalidate your policy. No one needs that.

Trouble is, many insurers seem to favour medical screening that is complex, cumbersome and intrusive. Even worse, you could end up paying through the nose for cover you simply don’t need. No thanks. Our new medical screening makes it faster, easier and cheaper to get travel cover that fits. And yes, your search begins in the kitchen cupboard – or wherever you keep your medication. (more…)

Ah, the thrill of the open ocean. Is there a finer way to travel than racing through the waves on an all-pampering luxury liner? Champagne in hand, of course. For many people it doesn’t get better. But what if you want to travel alone?

Cruise options have traditionally been limited for solo travellers. Many lines have been reluctant to react to the growing number of travel-lovers wishing to travel independently. Not anymore. Solo travellers now have more choice than ever when it comes to finding the perfect voyage.

Anchors aweigh… (more…)