“Every gap year student should have some skills training to help them travel in a more sensible and informed way. There are very few things in life that we expect to go off and do with no training, so why do we assume that travelling in the developing world can be achieved without preparation?”

Charlotte Hindle – author of Lonely Planet’s ‘Gap Year Guide’

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Don’t let the problems snowball if your ski holiday hits the skids


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Title – Don’t let the problems snowball if your ski holiday hits the skidsSource – The Independent
Date – 14th January 2009

With 1 in 4 Britons who take a winter sports holiday doing so without travel insurance, many people are going to have very expensive travel stories to tell.

The fundamentals of travel insurance are very similar whether you are going skiing, diving, taking a week’s holiday or going on a volunteering gap year; make sure you are covered for ALL the activities and countries you travel to and for the whole duration of your trip.

Repatriation after an accident, be that a ski accident as mentioned in this article or following a moped crash in Sri Lanka, can be very expensive. The example given in this article of £35,000 in repatriation and emergency rescue cost is no exaggeration. Never assume that the status quo at home, applies abroad.

We are used to the excellent social welfare system we have in the UK, when you get ill the NHS looks after you; you don’t call an ambulance thinking about the cost and if you can afford it. This is simply not the case in most countries; in some the ambulance crew will first ask for proof you can pay and then treat you.

There are many stories about those who failed to get any insurance suffering not just the anguish of illness, accident or financial loss while travelling, but we also hear regular stories of insurance policies that are barely worth the paper they are written on. You must do your research; with insurance the cheapest is certainly not necessarily the best.

The ‘small print’ is all important and before you buy your insurance check that the activities, duration and destinations of your intended travel are suitably covered. For example if you are intending to go diving on your trip; are you required to take out additional cover, if not how many days diving will the policy cover and is the depth you can dive to limited? Does an annual travel insurance policy actually cover a whole year’s travel? Often annual multi trip policies allow a limited duration for each trip through the year.

There are a lot of questions and you need to get the answers before you leave. Remember limits on insurance policies are usually there for a good reason; for example the insurance company knows that the risks involved in off-piste skiing are much greater than with on-piste skiing, hence why they will not insure it or will charge a premium. When you are considering risks involved in your trip it is worth noting not just what you are insured for, but if the additional risks that your insurance company will not insure are worth taking… those are the risks you should avoid.

At
Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Insurance and what questions you should ask when you a sourcing insurance and the limits within which you should stay to Travel Safely.

Please visit our website at
www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or
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Tuesday 13 January 2009

I tried to gouge its eyes: surfer battles to drag girl from jaws of 16ft shark


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Title – I tried to gouge its eyes: surfer battles to drag girl from jaws of 16ft shark
Source – The Times
Date – 13th January 2009

After a spate of shark attacks in Australia this winter (UK winter that is) some people will hear the classic Jaws music in their heads as they enter the water off the coast of Australia. Should they worry?

Australia does have a reputation as a country full of dangerous and deadly animals both on land and in the water, but it is also a country that understands these dangers and where they manage these risks through information and preventative measures.

Snakes although being some of the world’s deadliest kill very few people in Australia and in comparison with South East Asia; the numbers of fatalities is so low as to be insignificant. Why? The answer is that people in Australia generally wear footwear which those working the fields in South East Asia don’t.

What I am getting at is that we need to have perspective, the fear from shark attack is completely disproportionate to the threat they pose. In Australia the far greater threat comes from your vehicle breaking down in the outback.

Understanding risk goes a long way to reducing it. Should you swim off the coast of Australia? Absolutely, but be careful and listen to local advice about the safest place to swim; the rip tides and currents are dangerous in Australia and are responsible for some 15 tourists fatalities a year; make sure that you are a capable enough swimmer and physically fit enough for the conditions. Lifeguards in Australia rightly complain about the number of ‘poms’ they have to drag from the water because they are drunk, have a hangover or generally do not pay attention to the warning signs. Ask a lifeguard on Bondi Beach around Christmas time what they look out for most and the answer of a ‘pasty pom’ will be near the top of their list.

These stories of the great courage shown by those attacked and those who helped save them, tell of punching sharks when attacked or gauging at the eyes. In the case of attack you should try anything you can, but it still remains the case that prevention is so much better than the cure. Humans are not natural prey for sharks, many bite and ‘spit’ people out; avoiding those places they are known to frequent is the best way of preventing an attack and the Aussies know where most of those high risk places are. Being afraid of sharks is natural if a little disproportionate; being afraid to ask for advice and to take it is actually quite dangerous.

At
Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety, but how to protect against shark attack is not high on the agenda; understanding risk, evaluating it and putting proactive measures into place to prevent risk are. To do this we take a very rational view and look at the facts not the myths. It is still the case that on average there are about 1.2 fatal shark attacks a year in Australia’; that makes Sharks about 10 times less dangerous than swimming itself.

Please visit our website at
www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or
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Friday 2 January 2009

‘Bug’ could combat dengue fever


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Title – ‘Bug’ could combat dengue fever
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 2nd January 2009

Another step in the fight against Dengue Fever and serious outbreaks such as the 2008 outbreak in Paraguay (
Paraguay put on dengue alert) has been achieved in Australia.

Developments that provide even a partial solution to reducing the number of Dengue Fever ‘victims’ is something to be welcomed, not only by the local communities who suffer badly from this potent virus due to lack of health care facilities, but also by travellers who travel to those areas where it is so prevalent.

But as with every advancement in science, it still has a long way to go and even if it is eventually successful, will take time to implement and will take some time to be effective.

As with all insect borne diseases, prevention should be your primary defence. There is no prophylactic drug to protect you against Dengue Fever as there is with for example Malaria; so it is doubly important to take preventative measures.

To take these measures you first have to be aware of the nature of the carrier. Most people assume that it is at dusk and during the night that mosquitoes are at their most active and take measures to protect themselves at these times. Many travellers who catch Dengue took all reasonable steps at night time, but did nothing during the day. The female Aedes mosquito, which is the Dengue Fever carrier, is however most active during the day…. That is what catches most people out.

When you travel to the tropical region where these mosquitoes thrive you must take proactive preventative measures 24 hours a day. The people who tend to catch Dengue Fever are those who think ‘it won’t happen to me’ and ignore the risks. No one is immune to the risks, no one can claim they don’t get bitten and those who do are either ignorant of those risks or enjoy the ‘game’ of Russian Roulette’; They should take the time to speak with people who have caught Dengue, which although rarely fatal in travellers who have access to medical care, is excruciatingly painful, can be very expensive and has the ability to ruin your ‘once in a lifetime experience’.

At
Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Health; what you need to do before you go, including what Travel Equipment you might consider; protective and preventative measures you can take on your travels; how to recognise the signs and symptoms of diseases so you can seek medical help as soon as possible and thus reduce the consequences to a minimum; and the level of Travel Insurance required.

Please visit our website at
www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or
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Thursday 1 January 2009

Fireworks blamed as 60 are killed at nightclub




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Title – Fireworks blamed as 60 are killed at nightclubSource – The Times
Date – 1st January 2009

Sadly yet another tragedy has struck a nightclub in a popular tourist destination and fire has once again claimed too many lives. The reasons are in hindsight so obvious and so wholly avoidable, but across many parts of the world safety standards in bars, nightclubs, hostels and hotels are low and they remain at risk from devastating fires.

Just a few days before this tragedy another tragedy unfolded in Peru, not fire this time, but the release of what was described as ‘tear gas’ resulting in panic, a stampede and the death of 5 partygoers.

These may seem like very separate incidents, but the causes are unfortunately all too similar, but not inevitable. By having a greater sense of awareness you can make yourself aware of the dangers of frequenting these premises and either avoid going to the most dangerous ones or at the very least reduce the risks.

The cause of the fire may well have been fireworks and sparklers which revellers were allowed to bring into the premises or in the case of Peru the gas thrown into a packed dance floor, but the reason for the high fatalities was more to do with the poor management and safety standards. Lack of exits, closed or locked exits, no separation in the building, lack of emergency lighting, overcrowding, flammable decorations and lack of trained staff.

Taking some simple steps can reduce your risk to some degree. Always look for alternative exits when you arrive, do they look blocked or locked in any way? Does the premises feel uncomfortably full? Can you see any emergency lighting? How will you get to safety and if your primary route is unavailable, how else you can escape? Do the staff look to be in control or overwhelmed? Are there obvious heat sources too close to possible fuel sources?

If you are uncomfortable with any of the answers to these questions then think twice about staying and choose somewhere else to go for your night out or somewhere else to stay. Taking a chance should never be an option.

Consider other steps you can take to reduce the risk. Have a torch to hand, stay near the exit you have identified, stay out of the busiest parts of the venue, look for a safe haven, be prepared to leave if the situation deteriorates.

At
Beyond The Blue (Safe Gap Year) our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness Workshop (GYITSA) considers issues of Travel Safety including fire safety and accommodation choices and ways of reducing the risks you face on your travels.

Please visit our website at
www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or
Contact Us.