When it doesn’t do the job when you really need it!

Every day there are thousands of Google searches for “Cheap Travel Insurance”

Today the Google Keywords Tool is showing 90,000 searches per month, that’s 3,000 per day.

But what is cheap? Does it mean the least amount of money to pay? Is something cheap because it costs less?

Yes, sometimes this is the case. Just like at the sales where something is discounted and costs less than the regular price, and when it’s both what you want and what you need, you have a bargain.

But how often do people buy something because it’s cheap only to find it isn’t quite what they thought, or doesn’t really meet their needs, and in some cases was something they didn’t actually need at all?

This isn’t so much a problem if it’s a coat or a pair of shoes etc. which can be sold (on Ebay?) or given to charity or just left in the cupboard.

But what if it’s something really important, like travel insurance?

It’s no good discovering later that what you bought because it was cheap doesn’t actually do the job when you really need it.

You find out the hard way that it’s no longer cheap but in fact can be very, very expensive.

In the next post we’ll talk about how to distinguish between Cheap Travel Insurance, that may turn out to be very expensive, and Good Value Travel Insurance that gives you exactly what you need at an affordable price.

Until then …. take care

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Ecotourism is full of what educators call teachable moments or, more definitively, unplanned opportunities to explain a concept that has unintentionally captured a child’s interest.  Whether it is touring the rainforests of the Amazon, observing blue footed boobies throughout the Galapagos Islands, or understanding the water issues that surround the Okavango Delta in Botswana, ecotourism is a vacation experience that provides boundless opportunities to teach younger generations about the fragility of ecosystems and the significance of heritage.

Who among us has not witnessed the common occurrence while visiting the local zoo, going hiking through the wilderness or even watching a local artistic exhibit of children looking with absolute wonder and amazement at the spectacle of music, art, flora or fauna?  There is delight followed by an onslaught of illuminating questions about people and the natural world.  And, these teachable moments mark milestones for a child’s personal growth and development.  According to John Bakers of Amazonia Travel, the value system that is at the core of ecotourism can be a positive influence on all age groups, not just the young.  Specifically, children can benefit from an ecotourism vacation because the experience offers an opportunity for:

• Instruction about indigenous wildlife – ecotours are not only small group tours that allow for up-close-and-personal views of nature, but ones that are generally led by a naturalist that have been trained to understand plants, birds, insects and animals and their relationships to ecosystems thereby bringing education alive
• Increased awareness about environmental degradation – an important component of ecotourism is to inform tourists about ways to minimize waste, soil erosion, air and water pollution so as not to disturb the environment – lessons that no doubt will stay with children
• Involvement with conservation efforts – whether it’s helping to record sea turtle activity in Greece or understand the destructive role of invasive plant species in the wilderness, ecotourism allows for deep knowledge of the fragility of the natural world
• Focus on the depletion of natural resources – whether its learning about how an eco-lodge harnessed solar or wind power for their operations or how countries are implementing renewable bio-energy to power engines, ecotourism teaches how other countries are using low-carbon technologies today
• Exposure to cultural experiences – from tasting new foods to learning phrases in a foreign language, ecotourism interprets cultural traditions and experiences that provide long-lasting impressions about the world
• Inspiration for a life’s passion – while snorkeling through a coral reef or observing animals in their natural habitat in Africa, ecotourism sparks the imagination to dream about a career or even find a solution to an environmental problem

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Yes, there’s actually an unwritten backpacker code all backpackers must follow. Whether you follow them or not, determines if you’re a true backpacker. The community is wide spread throughout the world. We share the common interest of travel itself. The code is simple and known by most backpackers without having to think about it.

Here’s the list:

You watch me, I watch you

You watch over me and I’ll watch over you. The idea is that we all look after each other in any given environment. An example of this is if you notice someone mistakenly left their wallet on their bed but the person is not in the room and you’re about to leave. Following the code, unless you know this person and guaranteed to see them again, hand it over to hostel front desk for safety. We as travelers need to work together.

Don’t eat my food

We understand that everyone has a budget and eating for as cheap as possible but at no given time is it ever right to steal food. Most hostels have a free food section provided by other travelers who did not want the food they had. Again we are in this together and surely if you need some salt, ask and it’s yours.

Be respectful to the culture you’re in

This code essentially should be followed by everyone regardless of being a backpacker or not however this definitely deserved a mention. Set a good example to locals of travelers passing by and be respectful to the culture of the country you’re at. A simple example is to take off your shoes entering temples within Thailand. Do a little research before you arrive and talk to fellow travelers on anything you need to know about the place you’re at. If you disagree to the way a culture does things that’s fine however you still need to be respectful. The same as you would with your parents.

Stay Chill

Don’t over heat in a bad situation. Thing’s will go wrong, it’s part of the journey. Learn from it and continue the travels. No matter how much you prepare at home, experience is the best lesson. Of course no one wants to be in a bad situation but it happens even at home. Understand that if someone doesn’t understand your language, they’re still taking the time to try to help you. No one likes to be with a traveler that gets angry. If you want to get angry, do that with your PowerPoint presentation at home, not with people.

Speak In The Same Tongue

Naturally, traveling creates friends from different parts of the world. Especially in a hostel environment where people are coming in from every corner of the globe under one roof.  Usually English is the common language amongst travelers though your native language may be something else. If you happen to meet someone from your country but you’re with a group of only English speakers at the diner table, it’s polite then to speak English. This goes for any common language the group may have. Speak in the language everyone can have a conversation in. It’s rude to leave off other people when there’s a common language everyone can understand and speak.

The Unwritten Backpackers Code Rules by Michael Tieso on January 2, 2010

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We have 13 top holidays to Mongolia in traveljunkies

Just go to www.traveljunkies.com and enter Mongolia in the search box

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traveljunkies – adventure travel & activities directory & search engine.
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