Dissecting Travelers Insurance

As a travel professional I always recommend travelers insurance to my clients. Not just because it is an extension of our services but because it protects your investment. Most trips that I sell are over $1000 per person based on double occupancy with most if not all components being Non-Refundable. We often get upset when we can't get our money back even if we were advised in advance what the cancellation/change penalties are. Why, because no one likes loosing money and I understand that. On our show, The Traveling Eye, this Friday we're Dissecting Travelers Insurance. What does it cover, What does it cost? and Do you really Need it? Below are the answers we will provide:

What does it cover?
This depends on the policy itself much like any other insurance policy. So, make sure you look at the policy to determine what you're getting. The basics are as follows:

• Trip Cancellation provides reimbursement of non-refundable or unused trip expenses you are prevented from taking as long as the reason for cancellation is covered.
• Trip Interruption provides the same as Trip Cancellation but also reimburses for additional expenses you may incur should you need to depart earlier than expected or take a detour.
• Travel Delay will reimburse your incurred expense because you were delayed in arriving at your destination. The reasons for delay, the type and amount of expenses are described in the policy. For example, your flight was delayed, you missed your cruise and had to stay over. The policy might include reimbursement for accommodations, meals and other transportation. Missed Connections can also be part of this or listed separately.
• Baggage Insurance: There are two types of insurance for baggage. Lost and Delay. The coverage for lost luggage is more than delay because delay will reimburse you for the emergency purchase of necessities and most policies will require that the delay is more than 24 hours. Lost baggage will cover for the loss, theft or damage and your personal effects. Keep in mind that airlines have responsibility and will reimburse up to a certain amount so the insurance company will only cover what the airline has or will not.
• Medical Expenses: Emergency care costs are covered should you require or incur these expenses while you are traveling. This is often overlooked but I have had trips where someone needed to be hospitalized for major surgery and because of this insurance coverage their out of pocket expenses we little to none. Major accidents can happen when you're on vacation! Also, keep in mind that your at home health insurance policy may not adequately cover your medical expenses outside of the U.S.

Travelers Insurance vs. Travel Waiver Plan

• Many companies sell a "Travel Plan". This is not insurance! This is a plan that will allow you to reschedule your travel within the said companies brochure. They may issue you a voucher or certificate that will allow you to use it with that "company only" for future travel and it is usually valid for one year.
• Travelers Insurance is an actual insurance policy provided by an insurance company to reimburse travel expenses due to cancellation or interruption.

Cost of insurance:

The cost of insurance varies and will depend on several factors including but not limited to; the travelers age, cost of trip, inclusions, destination and pre-existing medical conditions. That being said a policy should cost around 7% of your total trip price with the average price in the United States being $200 per person. It can be more to cover a traveler with a pre-existing medical condition and will increase with the age of the traveler.

Travelers Insurance? Is it worth it? I believe so, especially for international and high priced packages.

Ja'Vonne Harley

Co-Host, The Traveling Eye

President, Advantage International

Staying Fit & Healthy While You Travel

Hello Fellow World Travelers,

This Friday on The Traveling Eye, we'll have special guest and health & wellness expert Norma Rixter on. Norma will give us useful tips and information on staying fit and healty while we travel.

How to combat disrupted sleeping

How to combat disrupted elimination

Maintain a healty diet on the road

Exercise eauipment that is travel friendly

Exercises for men & women to do in your room when time is limited

• V.I.T.A.L. Fitness Travel Gym by Norma Rixter
  Now you’ve got your travel gym, (http://www.soarthru.com/), what now? You’ll need to plan a time to work out in your room, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, etc…. you decide. The more time the better the results. Your V.I.T.A.L. Fitness travel gym includes:
  · Fitness DVD, “The Magic is in the Movement”
  · Stretch band for strength training
  · Resistance tubing with handles

I recommend you follow the DVD instructions to ensure proper form and optimum results. The DVD includes a five minute Warm up, which can be used for flexibility training. The DVD also includes a five minute Cool Down great for relaxation and stretching.

I have included a few exercises just in case you have forgotten to bring your DVD travel kit. The exercises listed below include upper and lower body, core and cardio.

Upper Body The push up is the overall upper body workout.

Women – Hold your head in a neutral position. Then stand in front of the dresser with feet hip width apart. You are going to use the dresser to push off. While standing in front of the dresser, place your hands on the dresser about shoulder width apart then lean forward with then lean toward the dresser until your chest almost touches the dresser, then push up, repeat (10 times) , if you have time do 2 sets

Men – You are going to do a full plank push up off the floor. Lie face down on the floor then place your feet just a little wider that hip width apart and your hands just a little wider than shoulder width apart. Then lift your body up keeping your body as flat as a board, then begin to bring your chest down to the floor and push up, repeat (20 times), if you have time do 2 sets

Lower Body The squat is the total lower body exercise that works the glutes, quads and hamstrings.

• Stand in front of a chair and pretend to sit down as soon as you feel the chair stand back up, repeat (10 times), if you have time do 3 sets. Remember do not snap the knees when you stand up keep them soft to protect them.

Abdominals (Core) The core muscles stabilize the entire body, they help to keep many of your major organs in place.

• Lie on your back and cradle your head in your hands, then lift your legs and bring them in and out alternating at a 45 degree angle slowly, repeat (10 times), if you have time do 3 sets, rest between sets

Cardio The must have, must do for heart and lung health!

• I call this the “Ali Shuffle”, stand up and begin to move your feet forward and back alternating, try to get into a rhythm, keep the feet low. Begin to pick up the pace then engage the arms and hands as though you were jumping rope. Continue for 2 to 5 minutes rest then begin again for 2 more sets. This is a very energizing exercise so you may want to save this one for the mornings only.

Staying fit on the road doesn’t have to be hard. Staying active and eating smart will help you enjoy your time away and hit the ground running when you come back!


If you enjoyed these exercises, go to the V.I.T.A.L Fitness website http://www.soarthru.com/ to order the Health Tips Travelers Guide and The Vital Fitness Traveling Gym and other products.

Norma Rixter is a Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. She owns the V.I.T.A.L. Fitness Studio and provides customized workshops for companies and groups. She is a Keynote Speaker and a Conference Workshop Leader.

Please contact us for more information regarding services and products at; http://www.soarthu.com/ or Email us at; Norma@Soarthru.com

Antalya - October 6, 2010

Hello Everyone,

Our last day in Antalya. I'm loving Antalya. We went to the Turkish Museum of Antiquities today. It's a small and unassuming museum and from the outside you don't expect much. Once you go inside you walk through time from pottery and small tools to Hermes and Aprhodities. These antiquities are wonderfully displayed and for a small museum it offers a great deal of art and collection. After the museum we went into town for a little bit of shopping. We meandered down a steep hill lined with kiosks and restaurants. It's amazing how individual shopping is. We each have our own style and eye. I found wonderful silk and Turkish scarves, others found funky dresses and Turkish souvenirs, while others found jewelry.

After our shopping most of us returned to the hotel for lunch. The fruit and vegetables are so fresh and sweet. I took this free time to go to the cove. At the Marmara you take the elevator to zero and walk through a tunnel to arrive at the cove. The cove is a swimming and sunning area at the Mediterranean Sea. From there I had a Turkish massage. Starting with a Turkish Bath, heated stone room with a jacuzzi and areas to bath, a steam room that is the hottest steam room I've ever been in. The Turkish massage is a bit like the Swedish massage but first they start with pressure points and very firm pressure. then they add oil and massage and knead. My masseuse was a small woman with very strong hands. she got out my kinks. I highly recommend a massage here!

We finished our day with dinner at China Garden, a restaurant owned by our host and DMC Pamfilya. It's overlooking the harbor, has very good Chinese food and is one of the best restaurants in Antalya.

First thing in the morning we return to Istanbul for one more night before our journey comes to an end.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page" St. Augustine.
Ja'Vonne Harley

Antalya

It's Tuesday and the weather today is fabulous. We had a light day today. Toured the hotel Marmara Antalya. Kitschy decor. Lobby and entrance is on the 7th floor, restaurant is buffet, library, internet cafe, wine bar & lounge all in one. There are two swings, a graffiti wall, sofas and of course dining tables. The restaurant has an outdoor eating area and is the walkway to the deluxe rooms in the Revolving Loft, where we are staying. It's a cylindrical structure that rotates one full turn every 4 hours or so and your view is constantly changing. The surroundings are beautiful with the sea below and the mountains above. To go to the swimming area you take the elevator to zero and walk through a tunnel, there's a swimming area off the cliffs and while we were touring a sea turtle came to visit. This is a great seaside property.

Antalya is another historic sight. We visited some of the ruins including the Perge Southern Bath House. Boy the Turks loved their Turkish Baths. Many remains date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC, the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

I'm loving Antayla, with it's warm Mediterranean Seas, mountian background, hisctoric sights, modern hotels and the wonderful food.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page" St. Augustine
Ja'Vonne

Antalya, Turkey

Hello Everyone,


We have headed further south to Antalya. We started at 7:00 this morning for a full day road trip through the mountains. The scenary was beautiful driving along the mountain side and ovelooking the see. By the way we are overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We stopped at ruins in Santos, where Helen of Troy's story spends some time. This is an often overlooked sight in Turkey, yet it holds significant history. It is definitely evident that this sight lacks funding. The excavation looks to be haulted and it concerns me that it does not appear to be very secure from theft and pilferage


We went up the mountain to visit the lovely Berzirgan Village in Kalkan to have lunch. Lunch was with a family for a home cooked lunch. They grow their own vegetables and I must say that it has been the best Turkish meals I've had in Turkey. For the first time I had Yayla Gobasi, a yogurt soup, surprisingly delicious. I've also learned adding yogurt to vegetables is a wonderful way to prepare a dish. Yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and some olive oil to cooked vegetables. I'm going to incorporate that into my cooking. Upon arriving women were in a room with an open fire place preparing a bread dish called Gozleme. The bread is rolled out and fire roasted, then spread with olive oil, garlic, parsely, tomato, and then rolled and sliced. I think I ate an entire roll to myself, although Ling and her husband ate as much as I did. Of course, we finished with desert or Hosmerim as they call it. It's made with semolina, sugar and milk, it's mixed into a paste and shaped with a teaspoon. It tastes a bit like a sweet peanut butter with a graining texture. No, Turkish meal would be complete without the tradional Tea served in the house sitting on the floor in small glasses.

After lunch we did a little walking through the village. Some of us went to the right and others went to the left. Those who went to the left (Terri, Sandy, Marc) encountered a farmer who beckoned them to take a picture with him and his goat. Those of us who went to the right (Blake, Michael, Nancy & Bich-Lien & I) encountered a sweet & lovely older Turkish woman walking towards us who greeted us. First she approached Nancy and wanted to shake he hand, smiling and speaking Turkish all the while. I motioned asking to take her picture and so she struck a pose, still speaking Turkish with a smile. She then approached me with what I think was asking for money, but all I had was 50L and I did not want to pay 50L for a photo. She proceeded to speak Turkish to me, smiling and all of a sudden I heard Bulls&!@t as she waived her hand and turned to walk away. I had to laugh and so did she as we looked back at each other. Such a sweet lady

I'm loving Turkey and driving the country. Beautiful landscape and so much history.

Tomorrow will be in Antayla and I'll share my experience with you once again.

"Remember the world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page" St. Augustine
Ja'Vonne

Bodrum, Turkey

Hello Everyone,


Today is Sunday, October 3, 2010. What a wonderful day I had. We started in the morning on a wooden schooner, which is a lot like a yacht to me. We sailed for a few hours stopping for swimming and lunch. The weather was perfect. Sunny, in the low 80's. I did not go swimming because the water was too cold for me but some of the others did go swimming. I regret not bringing my swimsuit to join them. The Aegean Sea is so clear.

We had a faboulous lunch on board the Gulet, watercress in yogurt, salad, pickeled beets, oasted chicken, carrots and potato. everything was fresh and well made. Our desert was fresh cut fruit. The peaches were sweet like from my childhood.



After yachting, we went into town for shopping and exploring. I did not plan to shop but bought 4 dresses. The town is waterfront with pedestian streets filled with shops. everything from souvenirs to leather jackets and yes, McDonalds. Bodrum makes great leather sandals and everywhere you go you see the evil eye, or what is

Kusadasi - Ephesus

Hello Everyone,


It is Saturday, October 2nd. We left Istanbul very early this morning for Izrim airport. we then drove about 1 hour to the town of Selcuk where the ancient City of Ephesus is located. There is still a lot of excavation to be done but this city is fabulous. The city was also one of the largest Christian communities. Ephesus became the capitol of the province of Asia. One of the highlights is the Celcus Library. Maybe this was the first city with condos? There is evidence of luxury homes and Terraces Houses. The city also had an impressive theatre with the best accoustics. I busted out a few notes to test the accoustics. A verse from Summer Time. One new thing I learned is about Nike, the goddess of Victory! I see why Nike uses that name. When the library @ Celcus was burned down, we lost a great deal of history and knowledge.

after Ephesus we headed to Bulbul, the area where Mary was said to have spent her last days. The House of Mary. A small stone building perched admidst trees. It's a beautiful and peaceful place. Sory, no pictures were aloowed inside. I do have photos of the outside and the prayer wall. People leave notes of prayer on pieces of cloth or even a luggage tag. Plan ahead and take an empty bottle with you to fill with Holy water that comes from the spring and uns through the church.

This is a long and wonderful day traveled mostly by road. We continued onto Bodrum, where our hotel is located and is overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Ja'vonne

Ja'Vonne in Turkey

Hello everyone,

It is day 3 for me in Turkey. Each I'm loving the destination more. I am in Istanbul staying at the Marmara Taksim Hotel. Marmara Hotels are Turkish owned hotels with 5 locations in Turkey and one in Manhattan, NYC. While the hotels cater to executives, it is very comfortable for the leisure traveler. Taksim, which means center of city is exactly that. We are centrally located. Wednesday was our day of arrival and we did a hotel site inspection and then dinner. I missed the hotel tour because of my late arrival. I did join them for dinner at the hotels restaurant Panorama. As its name suggests it offers excellent panoramic views of the city, Bosphorus and Asia. At night, actually around 1am the city police are assisted by dogs to patrol the streets. It's an interesting sight to see. Did I mention that this hotel has Starbucks? You know I'm a Starbucks fan and so I was extremely happy about that.

Thursday, September 30th we had a full day of touring visiting sights significant to the history of Istanbul and Turkey. We started with monuments dating back to the Roman City of Constinapolis. Constantine rules from 330 AD to 1453 until Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror who was 29 years old began to rule. The Roman Empire was a pagan society but Constantine's mother Helena was a believer of Christianity. Sultan Mehmet brought Islam to Turkey. In 1923 came the Foundation of Turkish Republic. During that time Ataturk bought a more secular way of thinking and changed the alphabet to the Latin alphabet. His full name was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. We visited the Hippodrome, the heart of Byzantine Istanbul whee chariot races and other social events were held. We also visited Haghia Sophia, the Great Cathedral of Constantinople, which later became the Imperial Mosque of Ottoman and is now a museum. another historical site the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is rich in color with blue, red and Green Iznik tiles that wee specially produced for the Ottoman Palaces and Mosques.

We had lunch at a sea side restaurant located in the Best Western. A quaint place with good food. We finished our touring of the Topkapi Palace, the first residential and administrative Palace of Ottoman Empire. We finished our day with dinner at Mikla Restaurant at the Marmara Pera hotel. I have to say that I was impressed. The menu was excellent and the Turkish wine was too. The wine was a Cabernet and Merlot. I had the prosciutto with fig and blue cheese. These were fresh figs. For my entree I had the "24 hour Trakya Kivircik" Lamb shoulder with a pomegranate molasses. The most tender and tasty lamb I've ever had.

On Friday, October 1st we visited Esma Sultan, a historical site used for special events.

Later in the afternoon, we went shopping at the Grand Bazaar. 3000 stalls with everything from trinkets to fine jewelry. I have to say it was a bit overwhelming. You should know what you want to buy and have an idea of price you want to pay. There are so many options and often little to decide. I found some wonderful silver jewelry. I suggest you pick a landmark so that you know where to go when you are ready. It's easy to get lost.

This evening after the show, we headed to the Bosphorus to board a private yacht. We cruised through the Bosphorus and had drinks and dinner. The views are gorgeous.

Well, it's 2:15am and I have to get up @ 5am for our 6pm departure to Izmir.

Later...
Ja'Vonne Harley