For anyone planning a holiday abroad it is essential that they take out comprehensive and reliable travel insurance. Due to the many cancelled holidays and flights over the last two years it would be foolish to risk losing money if you could not go on the holiday because of illness. Although some holiday companies have been good at offering refunds if they have to cancel the holiday if one of your party falls ill you may need to rely on your own travel insurance to cover the costs.

Some holiday companies offer to sort out travel insurance as part of the holiday package, but it is advisable to arrange your own travel insurance rather than just go with the one offered to you when booking so that you know that the cover is the right one for you and your family. Look at reviews from other holiday makers to find out whether the company deals with claims quickly and supports you if necessary on location.

It is important to check that the activities that you will be participating in during your holiday such as water sports and hiring a car or scooter are covered by your policy and if not that they are added on as an extra. This is not usually too costly when taken out at the time of purchasing your insurance.

Travelling has certainly been put on hold for many at the moment but with next year looking a bit more hopeful it could mean that family holidays are back on the cards.

If you have children then you will probably already of experienced how hard it can be when travelling long distances. Your journey may include car trips, aeroplane rides and even a stint on a boat or ferry. IF you are travelling to places such as South Africa from the UK then you may have to get a number of connecting flights and possibly even smaller flights to your final destination. For a child, all this time where they have to sit still can be hard and they often get bored. This can lead to them playing up of starting to get grumpy. It is important to plan ahead as much as you can when it comes to travel. Make sure tablets or gaming devices are charged and that they have plenty of activities to do. You may also want to pack them a packed lunch o ensure they do not get hungry.

Sometimes, if possible, it is better to travel through the night as they are more likely to sleep then.

If you are an avid traveller or just someone who like to make your travel as easy and enjoyable as possible then you should invest in some of these gadgets and accessories. For many of us, the travelling part of getting to a destination is not something we look forward to. It may be that are travelling with children and need something to keep them entertained, or that you are going to have to wait at the airport in between flights for a number of hours and need something to beat the boredom. Travel games can be perfect for this, They take up little room and can bring hours of entertainment. Some of these games can be played on your own, others will require other people.

A sat nav system is a great investment if you do a lot of travelling. It can save you hours of wasted travel time taking the wrong turn or hitting traffic that could have been avoided with rerouting which is on most sat nav systems. Sat Navs can start from around £40 but if you don’t want to invest in one then Google Maps free app works really well. You do not necessarily have to fork out on an expensive sat nav system as most smart phones are capable of using an app or website such as Google maps as a navigation system.

A holiday should be a time when you can get away, relax and enjoy spending time with loved ones. The last thing you want to worry about is the safety and security of your belongings but unfortunately it is something that we all need to think about.

You should try and think about this when you are packing your case and take as few valuables as possible. The more valuables you have with you the more chance there is of them being lost, stolen or damaged.

It is always nice to be able to take expensive jewellery and gadgets away with you, but think about if they can easily be replaced should they be lost or stolen? If you have a very sentimental piece of jewellery, then you may decide to leave it at home rather than take the risk.  If you do need to take them with you then make sure that you put them somewhere safe for the trip, if flying then probably in your hand luggage (if permitted). This way you can keep an eye on them.  You should also ensure that your holiday or home insurance covers you when taking these items abroad.

Many hotel rooms have a safe in them or allow you to hire a safe from reception. This may cost you extra and be a little inconvenient but is usually money well spent.  

If you are looking to book a holiday to a country that you have never visited before then you may worry about yours and you family’s safety. Going to a new place can make many people feel anxious, especially if the culture and rules and regulations are quite different from what we are used to in the UK. Often you don’t need to worry nearly as much as you might, but instead just make sure you are well prepared.

Egypt is a place of inspiration – it has a wealthy of history and culture just waiting to be discovered, but over the past few decades, it has become less popular with tourists due to the rise in crime and terrorism. Although this may be enough to put many people off, the risks of this kind of thing happening even in our own Capital, London, are extremely high at present so you need to think about the bigger picture. Egypt as a country are aware of the situations and try to help tourists make the right decisions such as where to go when holidaying there. Be sure to speak to a reputable travel agent when booking your holiday as they will be able to advise you where is and isn’t say to travel to an also of any regulations you may need to be aware of when visiting this country.

When visiting South Africa a self-drive is a great way to get around. With the nice weather, beautiful scenery and wide range of cars available to hire, it can make travelling from place to place a great experience.

When hiring a car, you often have the option to pick up from one centre and drop off at another making it easy to visit many locations. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions of the hiring company and make sure that you take out their insurance unless you have valid travel insurance that will cover you.

The rules for driving in South Africa are similar to driving in the UK, they drive on the left, pass on the right and the cars are right hand drive. It is illegal to use a mobile phone when driving unless it is hands free. They have a very strict drink driving limit of allowable blood content of 0.05%.

Whilst on holiday in South Africa you may wish to hire a car so that you have the freedom to drive round at your own leisure and not have to take public transport. There are a few things to consider before hiring a car that will ensure that the process is as easy as possible and that you don’t encounter any problems along the way.

Ask for a car with English-speaking sat nav, this will save any hassle with taking your own and finding that the maps aren’t sufficiently up to date for South Africa.

Always carry your driving licence on you as this is law in South Africa.

Always travel along roads that are well sign posted and not in poor condition as you don’t want to cause damage to the car or end up stranded somewhere unfamiliar.

Ensure that you read the terms and conditions of your hire agreement carefully and your insurance agreement so that you know exactly what your covered for.

With the recent outbreak of the virus Ebola, South Africa have had to tighten their rules on who is allowed in and out of the country. Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. It can be caught from animals and then spread from human to human. The symptoms include fevers and are similar to that of the flu.

Following the outbreak, South Africa confirmed that they would not be allowing non-nationals from West Africa in to the country at present and that any nationals coming from infected areas would be allowed back in but would be subject to strict medical examinations.

South Africa has had two cases recently that they expected was Ebola involving passengers from Liberia and Guinea, but luckily these proved not to be the deadly virus and so far the country not had any confirmed cases reported.

If you are planning to travel to South Africa, then please check with your tour operator as to whether you will still be able to go.

Typically speaking, tourists in Africa will aim to experience the natural beauty there by joining a safari excursion, and aiming to watch all of the big five; Elephants, Lions, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhinoceros, but there are other options which can be just as engaging. There are options for people to join a trek, where you walk through environments which cars are unable to traverse, like forests and mountains. On these, you can see animals which you can’t through any other way, such as Gorillas, and Chimpanzees. Both of these are some of the most interesting animals around, and the experience of seeing large troops of them living in social groups in a natural setting is truly unique. These are opportunities which, while allowing you to experience incredible animals, also allows you to really see what wildlife is like in areas of Africa. This allows you to explore more in-depth, and there are a number of options for you to help with conservation efforts, and reduce the price of such a trip.

Holidaying in South Africa can be a truly wonderful experience. It has a rich culture which you can engage in, with holidays which they celebrate in spectacular style, which you may want to be there for. Upcoming is the South African Workers Day, which is similar to USA’s labour day, and there is also Human rights day, which is celebrated on March 21st. Another big part of South African culture revolves around the wildlife and ecology of the country. Going on a Safari in South Africa presents westerners with a wonderful opportunity to experience animals in their natural habitat, animals which most people in Britain will never see in person, or if they do, it will be in a zoo. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, then South Africa is a great place to visit, with both a rich culture, one which is perhaps the closest to the west in terms of culture in all of Africa, and also with a great natural beauty and diverse wildlife. All of these combine to create perhaps the greatest travel experience available.