LonelyPlanet asked:

Lonely Planet author Michael Kohn recommends Mongolia as the kind of country where you can just turn up and be guaranteed adventure. Not a surprise when nomad culture is alive and their hero is Ghengis Khan. Produced by Lonely Planet TV

Eriani Doyel asked:




Have you ever purchased travel insurance? If you have not, you are not alone. Most people never purchase travel insurance and many of those experience few difficulties as a result. But there are some instances where it is definitely in your best interest to purchase insurance to protect you when you travel. This type of insurance can cover lost luggage and valuables, injury and illness, car accidents, and cancelled or interrupted trips among other things. Choose your travel insurance carefully to meet the needs of you and your family.

Before you purchase insurance you will need to evaluate the overall expense of your trip. If you are just taking a quick trip that you found a great deal on, it may not be worth it for you to purchase travel insurance. On the other hand, if you are heading out for a month long trip to the Greek Isles, you should probably consider getting insurance. Think about how it would affect you in the pocketbook if something were to happen.

Many home owner, medical, and auto insurance policies cover travel to some extent or another so you may not need travel insurance for these areas. Your home owner insurance may cover the loss of valuables. Auto insurance often covers damage to rental cars, but you may have to get an endorsement if you are traveling out of the country. Health insurance policies vary greatly on coverage in different localities, so check with your provider for options before you get this additional coverage on travel insurance.

Purchase your travel insurance from an insurance company that is not affiliated with your travel provider. This way, if you lose your trip due to cancellation or bankruptcy of the travel company, you will still be able to get a refund.

If you have children you should take an extra look at insurance for your trip. Children may get sick, break bones, etc. and you will want to have protection.

Make sure that you have read the fine print on any policy before you sign. Every policy has different exclusions and limitations and you will need to be aware of them. If any of the exclusions concern you, you may want to look for another insurance provider or policy.

If you want to have a peace of mind while you travel free from worry about illness, lost luggage, and so on, you should definitely look into insuring your trip.

PatrickBoivin asked:

This is a skit I created with 8 friends of mine for the Phylactère Cola show.

Normandie asked:


Hi guys. I’m planning a trip to los angeles in June 2010 for 3 months and im trying to calculate the amount of money i’ll need.

The problem is, i have no idea how this travel insurance stuff works,so how much would travel insurance cost me for this period?

Any help appreciated, thanks.

sheek Txn asked:


I’m a retired pro photographer and want to travel (with my husband as assistant) and take photos to submit to stock photography companies. Scenics, local cultures, wildlife, etc.
How much of my travel expenses can I legally deduct from my USA income tax? Opinions? Experiences?

Steve Gillman asked:




Not all travel destinations are packed full of tourists. In fact, not all of them are even on the map. I have had an interest in these “secret” places since I first discovered two little lakes high in the hills and cliffs north of Ishpeming, Michigan. No trails even lead to these, and there was a trout on the line ten seconds after the cast.

Other travel destinations are not so isolated, but they are still generally overlooked by most tourists. This was true of Yelapa, Mexico when I went there in 1981. The beaches were uncrowded, you could buy fresh fish for dinner from the fishermen in the afternoon, and a palapa (thatched-roof house) rented for about $100 per month. The surrounding jungle had waterfalls you could swim under. No roads lead there, but there was a daily boat from nearby Puerto Vallarta.

Yelapa, alas, has been discovered and overrun with tourists now. Often being one myself, I have nothing against tourists. But when the crowd gets too thick I prefer the more secret places. Here are some examples of a few of these travel destinations that are still undiscovered.

Storm Lake

Anaconda, Montana is a fun destination by itself. You can rent a room above the Harp and Thistle Pub for $140 for the week (as of August 2007) and be within walking distance of at least ten casinos with nickel slot machines, as well as a new brew pub and restaurant (Rocky Mountain Brewing). Two blocks away, the Washoe Theater, considered one of the most beautiful in the country by the Smithsonian Institute, charges just $4 for a movie, and 90 cents for a small popcorn. A Jack Nicholas-designed golf course (The Old Works Golf Course) is just at the edge of this small town.

If you really want to escape, though, drive 14 miles west on Highway 1. When you see the sign that says “Storm Lake,” turn there. It’s nine miles to the lake (stay left when the road splits), but you may need high clearance for the last mile (although we used to make it there in our Ford Escort). There will usually be a few locals at the lake, but you’ll always find a place to park.

The lake sits at about 8,000 feet, and is known locally for its cutthroat trout. Hike the trail along the right side and on the other side you’ll find the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area. Less than hour up the trail you’ll reach Storm Lake Pass, at the tree line. From here you can continue into the tundra environment of Goat Meadows, or into a seemingly endless wilderness of mountains and lakes. You’ll rarely have any company other than bears, birds and mountain goats.

Alamogordo, New Mexico

This is not at the top of most tourists lists, which is good for those of us that like our travel destinations to be uncrowded. It is a great little town, however, and a great base from which to explore the surrounding area. It is also a nice place to escape the winter, since it rarely snows or gets too cold here.

You can check out the little zoo right in town for a relaxing afternoon. There is also an Imax Theater on the north side of town (watch for the signs), and you probably won’t have any long lines to wait in. On Saturdays from June to October you can visit the Farmers market at the county fairgrounds.

If you want to get up above the desert, drive the thirty minutes or so up to Cloudcroft in the nearby mountains, or go a little further the observatory at Sunspot, or to the Casino in Ruidoso. If you time it right, you can bask in the sun one day in Alamogordo and be skiing the next day at the Cloudcroft Ski Area.

For an unusual destination, you can visit the Trinity Test Site, where the first nuclear bomb was exploded. It is about an hour north of Alomogordo, down possible confusing dirt roads, and it is only open a day or two each year, so you’ll have to do your homework. To the west of town is the White Sands National Monument, with its truly amazing dunes of white sand.

Other Secret Travel Destinations

Here in our hometown of Canon City, Colorado there is an area (Red Canyon Park) just ten miles out of town that has fantastic red rock formations like those in the more famous Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs. The difference? You won’t ever feel crowded in this park, and you can climb on the rocks all you want, and explore slot canyons as well. How do you find out about travel destinations like this? Talk to the locals when you are traveling.

Turner asked:


How can a person travel into the future of their original time line, what might be considered their “present”, given that once in the past, a divergent time line is necessary to preserve continuity? Seems that once a person travels back in time, it may be impossible to go back “home”.

Cynthia Andrews asked:




The main function of any travel agency is to, of course, act as an agent. This includes selling tickets and travel products, reservations, and so on, on behalf of one or several suppliers. Travel agents generally work with no charge to the traveler him or herself. Rather, the travel agent takes a small commission from the overall cost. Again, this isn’t added on top of the sale or anything like that. Rather, their commission is taken out of the advertised price.

So why go through a travel agent? Well, besides the simplicity and convenience, the main draw is that travel agents receive tickets at significant discounts.

This is pretty much how travel agencies work the world over. However, there are a few different types of travel agents…

General Sales Agents for Foreign Travel Companies

A general sales agent is something like a tourism ambassador. A company with its headquarters located in, say, Japan, might set up travel agency offices all around the world to encourage tourism to the country where their headquarters is located. The travel agent will still seek to find better deals for their customers (as, after all, that’s what turns a customer into a return customer), so they are not indebted to any one airline or hotel, but, they do tend to focus strictly on travel to, and within, the country where their headquarters is located.

Business and Commercial Travel Agencies

Most travel agencies have a department of business travel and a department of leisure travel. The needs for one traveler and the other tend to vary in a few significant ways, and so, splitting up the duties amongst a couple of departments can help to allow either department to specialize, finding better deals for business travelers on the one hand, and better deals for leisure travelers on the other. However, there are also travel agencies that specialize strictly in business and commercial travel. Incidentally, there aren’t a whole lot of agencies that restrict themselves solely to leisure travel.

By Class

In the United States, there are several main types of travel agencies: corporate-owned national chains, national/international franchises, membership associations — such as AAA — and independent, locally owned travel agencies with no brand or corporate affiliation. National chains will have the most consistent policies and pricing not matter where you go, and often the best international “hotline” customer service, but not always. Big-name franchises offer similar perks but different local owners can opt out of certain promotions and pricing specials. Membership-based associations are often less commission-focused since they rely on member fees. Independent agencies tend to cater to niche markets, such as assisting sports teams, church and school groups looking for inexpensive travel, and large group options.

Cargo Travel Agencies

A few travel agencies specialize in shipping cargo. Of course… that’s not entirely relevant if you’re looking to fly for business or personal reasons. Still, this should go to show how many different areas an individual agency can specialize in.

Online Travel Agencies

One of the real boons to the travel agency industry has been the use of the internet to allow travel agents to let their travelers compare a wide variety of options for hotels and airline tickets. Ironically, there was some fear for a period of time that, by selling tickets directly to travellers, the travel agencies would go out of business. However, a handful of travel agencies have proven that, even if you can find good deals yourself, there are still instances where a travel agency can find you an even better one. Many traditional bricks-and-mortar travel agencies now have full-service web sites so that you can get the best of both worlds: convenience of self-serve online booking with the benefit of talking to a real person when you need it.

Multi-Destination and Niche Agencies

If you want to split it up into just two types of travel agency, you have multi-destination and niche. Multi-destination out-bound travel agencies are usually larger, offering flights to just about anywhere. Niche agencies are usually independent, and focus on one specific part of the world. If you’re flying to say, Greece, you might find a niche agent who knows the area very, very well. Most of these niche agencies cater mainly to people with family in that country, or who do business there on a regular basis.

Consider your individual needs, preferences, and trip objectives when choosing your travel agent. Different types of agencies provide different levels and types of services. If you are a frequent globe trotter, you may want to use a large corporate travel agency with many branches in countries all over the world. Or you may view travelling as a treasure hunt or puzzle, where researching and finding the most off-the-map places is half of the fun. If this is the case, a niche operator may be just the right travel partner for you.

Shah Ansari asked:




The number of travelers in the 65-age bracket has increased tremendously. A large number of mature holidaymakers, mostly retirees, are heading overseas on foreign travel trips. Seeing other wonders of the world is exciting in itself, but that also involves making important considerations related to the trip. One such consideration is Travel Insurance.

Healthier lifestyles and medical advancement may urge you to think that you are the least to be affected by any sort of risk factors. Think again! You had saved your hard-earned money to enjoy the second lease of life to the fullest. Hence, buying a travel insurance policy is a wise idea. However, most travel insurance companies hesitate to offer insurance and marginalize senior citizens for the simple reason that senior citizens are more likely to make claims that are relatively expensive. Besides, they are charged higher premiums.

Comprehensive travel insurance policy specifically meant for elderly travelers between 71 to 85 years. Senior Citizen Travel Insurance Plan covers unexpected and unplanned medical expenses due to illnesses or accidents, including outpatient & inpatient medical expenses, medical aid, therapies and diagnostic test. Pay Per Day plan of travel insurance policies, is wherein you pay for the exact number of days traveled (and not the usual slab rate) i.e. if you travel for 24 days you’ll pay only for 24 days and not 25 days as in the slab system.

Some travel insurance providers in the market also cover people traveling with a pre-existing medical condition in case of life threatening situation. Besides, you can avail Senior Citizen Plan instantly with no medical check up with a claim benefit of $15,000 per illness or injury.

Furthermore, to ensure quality health care, some popular General Insurance company tied-up with United Health Group, the best, and the most diverse health care company in the US which serves more than 70 millions Americans. More than 86% of all acute care hospitals and huge number of physician and OPD facilities are in their network. What’s more, you can also avail the policy 24X7 from website to Buy Online facility which gives you instant digitally signed policy. It’s straight-forward and hassle-free.

So the next time you plan a foreign trip abroad buy Overseas Travel Insurance Senior Citizen Plan and make your old age jaunt a fulfilling and memorable experience.

Prashant Raut asked:


I am planning to travel with my baby from mumbai to london and my baby is of 8 weeks. Is it safe to travel on such long distance flight and what precautions i should take if it is ok to travel.