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Travel is more than just a simple diversion—it’s an investment that enriches your life. And like any other investment, such as a house or car, you should have your travel plans insured. Not all of your travel plans though, such as a weekend at the beach.
But the trips you typically book through our agency—the long, extensive, life-changing journeys that transport you around the world—should be covered. Why? Because if a natural disaster or sudden illness ruined your travel plans, you’d lose your hard-earned money. And we don’t want that to happen!
While all plans differ, in general, travel insurance protects you and your family in case you get sick or become injured right before your trip. It can also cover medical and hospital expenses, which can add up quickly in foreign destinations, and emergency evacuation to a more-suitable hospital.
A good travel insurance policy doesn’t stop there. It can also assist you if you have to cancel a flight due to a personal emergency, or cover your expenses if your train is delayed due to severe weather. It even lends a hand if your luggage is lost or stolen, or if your pocket is picked.
Most of the insurance plans we offer include free worldwide telephone assistance, available 24/7, just in case an emergency arises or you need directions to the nearest pharmacy. And some even cover preexisting conditions.
We’ll gladly go over all the options with you the next time you book your trip of a lifetime!
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It’s a wild, wild, wild, wild world out there, and you really should see just how wild for yourself. Nothing compares to watching a grizzly bear hunting in a stream or a herd of elephants ambling past your tent. Here are five destinations we highly recommend for getting up close and personal with captivating creatures big and small.
Yellowstone National Park
One of the easiest to travel to for many North Americans, Yellowstone has the largest concentration of watchable wildlife in the lower 48 states. Animals are seen throughout, but each section of the park has a particular highlight. A herd of elk roam the Mammoth area, black bears bustle around Washburn Pass, free-ranging bison range freely in Hayden Valley and wolves prowl in Lamar Valley.
Alaska
Boasting 15 National Parks—which make up the largest park system in America—Alaska is an unspoiled haven for wildlife to flourish. And even though it contains a wild and wondrous mix of both land and sea creatures, it’s easy to experience both in one trip through a cruise vacation. Each port on an Alaska cruise will have many wildlife-spotting excursions to take you further inland to see grizzlies, moose and caribou, or out at sea to experience breaching whales and swift sea lions. For deeper exploration, a cruise-tour extension will take you to Denali by rail car for an eye-popping journey you won’t forget.
Kruger National Park
There are many options in Africa to view the big five—elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos—and yet Kruger National Park stands out. Located in eastern South Africa along the Zimbabwe and Mozambique borders, Kruger encloses an outstanding variety of wildlife, thanks to its diverse ecosystems, from woodlands and savannahs to grasslands and forests.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is more than just 3,000 individual reefs; it’s an ever-changing work of art where little wrasse fish and whale sharks paint colorful streaks next to sea turtles and crustaceans. The artistic view doesn’t disappear once you surface, for nearly two million seabirds fill the expansive sky with feathery brushstrokes.
Costa Rica
Even though this Central American country is roughly the size of West Virginia, it still is one of the world’s most bio-diverse regions. This is due to the wide range of habitats you’ll find, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, both Atlantic and Pacific coastlines and more, providing homes to a one-of-a-kind collection of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds.
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Vacations can and should be enhanced when you take them with a large group, be it your multi-generational family or a social group. With more like-minded people to have fun with, your group vacation should be time well spent strengthening the ties that bind you together.
But often they’re not, simply because numerous people have numerous expectations to deal with. Thankfully, there’s a way to exceed those numerous expectations: by taking a cruise vacation.
On cruise ships, there is plenty of space to spread out and enjoy a diverse range of activities, from zip-lining and ice skating to wine tasting and cooking classes. Most of these activities are included in the price of your fare—as is the food and nightly entertainment, like movies and Broadway shows—making a cruise vacation an incredible value. You may also get a group discount when you book multiple cabins, making the value even greater.
Your group can easily enjoy activities together, such as a dinner party in a private space to celebrate an anniversary, or a group excursion at one of the dazzling locales your ship visits. And if you plan far enough in advance, your cabins can be placed near one another, with connected cabins specially designed for families. |
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Let’s face it: as we march to our coach seat in the back of the plane, we stare enviously at those in first class, with their fancy drinks and endless legroom, wishing we could be in their shoes…or at least in their seats.
But if you properly prepare, you can have a first-class experience in your economy seat. All they have that you don’t is more room, better food, more entertainment options and a better chance to sleep.
For more room, get a seat in the bulkhead or exit row. Now, this is a seating assignment that many times we cannot book for you ahead of time; you’ll need to ask the desk agent when you check in. Sometimes these seats offer so much additional legroom, you can put your carry-on bag in front of you after takeoff for a leg rest.
For better food, simply bring your own on board. There are many choices beyond the gate, so aim for something fresh, like a hearty salad and some fruit, which will make the airplane food look lackluster in comparison.
For more entertainment options, pack your laptop or tablet with all of the movies and television shows you’ve been dying to watch. A long plane ride is the perfect place to binge-watch a new TV show like “Game of Thrones” or “Breaking Bad” – just make sure no children can see your screen.
For a better chance at sleeping, bring a neck pillow, eye-mask, noise-cancelling headphones, and a light sweater or jacket. You’d be amazed at how much easier it is to rest in flight when properly and comfortably detached from the cabin’s cacophony of sensory perceptions. |
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Panda Travel
13422 N Cave Creek Rd. Ste 4
Phoenix, AZ 85022
602-943-3383 or 800 447-2632
vacations@pandatravel.com
www.pandatravel.com
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