Travel

  • Travel

    Best time to travel to Peru

    When planning travel to Peru you may be wondering when is the best time to book.

    Peru is a large country with three completely different climatic zones so the preferred season to visit one area is not necessarily the best to visit another!

    Peru’s three climatic zones are the coastal desert, the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Rainforest. Please see below for specific information regarding the different areas.

    Please note that weather is very different to climate. Climate is the general weather patterns that an area experiences. We all know that the weather can be changeable and not follow the rules, so it can rain in the dry season or be unseasonably good weather in the wet season.

    There is always an element of luck when it comes to weather but we can at least use climatic averages to put the odds in our favor!

    Andes Mountains

    The Andes Mountains generally experience clear, sunny weather during the dry season of May to September. Days are fairly warm although nights can be very cold due to the altitude. This is the peak tourist season for Peru tours so you can expect more people and slightly higher flight and hotel costs.

    From March to April and October to December there will be some rain although mornings are often clear and the rain generally falls in the afternoon. Please note that the period over Christmas is a very popular time to take tours of Peru and hotels can fill up, so book well in advance.

    January and February are the wettest months in the mountains with rain almost guaranteed every day which can be heavy and consistent. If you are planning on trekking on tours of Peru you should avoid these months. Also note that the famous classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is closed during February.

    Coastal desert

    The best time to visit the coast is actually the worst time for the mountains! Between November and March it is generally sunny and clear, particularly between December and March when it can be very hot.

    Between April and October there is often a sea mist which can leave the southern coastal region overcast and even damp although it very rarely rains.

    The coast however can be visited at any time of year.

    Amazon Jungle

    The jungle is generally hot and humid all year round although it is cooler and drier between May and October which is the best time to go on Peru Amazon tours. This is roughly the same recommended period for the mountain regions. Do please note however that the amazon can experience occasional cold snaps during this period.

    November to April is the wet season when the jungle can experience very heavy rain, particularly from December to March. It is also hotter and more humid during this time.

  • Finance,  Travel

    How travel insurance protects you?

    For a lot of people who purchase travel insurance policies, the benefits they will get from health insurance is the main consideration.

    This is due to the fact that medical benefits include coverage for non-excluded medical treatment for illness or injuries occurring during the period of the insurance. The reimbursement of the covered expenses during the treatment is given according to the reasonable, usual and customary rates in the place where you want to be treated.

    Usually, medical expenses coverage include nursing services, intensive care, physician’s visits, medications, diagnostic testing, professional services, hospital accommodation and ambulance transportation. Some insurance agencies also sometimes allow treatment for pre-existing conditions when there’s a need for immediate care.

    For example, a person suffering from asthma attack needs immediate medical attention of a doctor. Immediate care for pre-existing condition oftentimes has limited benefits that are lesser than those that are given for emergency care not related to pre-existing conditions.

    In order to get the best travel insurance, it is important to conduct some research, understand and check the travel insurance policy exclusions before accepting the coverage. Some insurance agencies also provide supplementary hospital insurance among your benefits, meaning that the agencies will directly pay a fixed daily fee to the insured person for the whole duration of stay in the hospital. This kind of benefit is added to the hospital charges that are also qualified medical costs.

    If you have emergency medical evacuation insurance, the coverage will include the transportation costs when there is a need for you to be evacuated to a facility that can offer you appropriate and sufficient medical assistance and treatment. Usually, it is the travel insurance agencies that determine the facility and not that the insured individual.

    There are also times where you have to be returned to your country to give you proper medical attention. This is called medical repatriation insurance, which can be very expensive. That is why lots of travel insurance agencies provide a separate as well as maximum coverage limit to medical repatriation insurance.

    It is also possible for you to find some supplementary benefits from travel insurance agencies like common carrier accidental death. In case you die during your trip, your beneficiaries listed on the policy will get a particular amount from the travel insurance company. On the other hand, you should also keep in mind that like other life insurance plans, travel insurance offers certain limits in payment of benefits plus, some reasons of death will be barred.

  • Travel

    How to find a good taxi cab service online

    Maybe, you just arrived in Singapore and need to reach a certain address. A professional maxicab service with GPS enabled tracking is the perfect option. Find a good site where they confirm the availability of GPS in the cars. You must be sure of paying the best rates. The site must have a phone number. Such sort of arrangements best happen over phones. Call them up and inquire whether the service can be ready at the airport on assigned time.

    Your flight may be late by half an hour or more than that. You do not decide flight schedules. Check whether the company charges extra for the inadvertent waiting.

    The hand at wheels

    Most importantly, you need a good driver behind the wheels. Literally, passengers need to trust their lives with cab drivers. It should be unwise to neglect this obvious parameter. Make sure to ask whether the Maxi Cab taxi service employs experienced drivers. You can also ask for references, but that may not be necessary when the first interaction is convincing.

    Nevertheless, you may want to talk directly with passengers who availed the cab service before. In most of the appointments, people already contact based on references from a friend. It is a good idea to reverse-check it, as that also ensures the reliability of your reference.

    Other important aspects

    Obviously, the cabs must have credit card processing systems. You may need to arrange cabs for visitors. When you need multiple vehicles, confirm the availability clearly with the taxi operator. If you need four cabs, make sure all of them are ready at the airport in the assigned time.

    Sometimes, you need to book cabs on urgent basis. It all depends on whether a taxi is available when you need. Of course, you must check whether advanced and current bookings have the same rate or are different.

  • Travel

    Points On Australia For The Traveller

    You’ve arrived for your holiday in Australia. What happens now? What should you expect? Australia may in many ways seem quite familiar to you, but in other ways the Land Down Under may be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Here’s what you need to know.

    Australia’s seasons run opposite of the countries located in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer is from December through February, while winter runs from June through August. Still, the seasons themselves are even quite different, with distinct rainy and dry seasons in northern Australia and more temperate conditions reigning throughout the rest of the continent. Summers can get quite hot, while winters are cool but rarely bitter.

    Although there is no national language in Australia, most Australians speak English with their own colourful touch. However, a thriving immigrant population brings plenty of diversity to the table, with Greek, Italian, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Arabic being the most commonly used languages after English. A variety of Aboriginal languages also continue to be spoken across the continent.

    Many Australians are of British or Irish descent, but the country prides itself on its inclusive and multicultural nature. Nearly one-quarter of all Australians were born overseas, and Australia actively participates in humanitarian efforts for those in need of refuge.

    While Australia’s government may reflect certain aspects of both the United Kingdom and North American government systems, it has its own distinctive Australian flair. Its Parliament is popularly elected, and the Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General. Each Australian state has its own executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government subject to the federal government and Constitution. Australian government is built on principles of fairness, equality, and justice. Their currency is the Australian dollar.

    The culture in Australia is less easy to pin down. Australian stereotypes abound, but few could be called entirely accurate. Australians largely live in cosmopolitan cities along the coastline. Strong immigrant societies bring in a multitude of faiths, ideas, and traditions that enrich and build upon the Ango-Protestant backgrounds of the descendants of the first European settlers. Most value their diverse, egalitarian culture.