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Have you ever taken a trip where it seemed that everything went wrong? What should have been a care free, relaxing vacation or an efficient business trip quickly turns into a stress-filled nightmare. No one likes to dwell on the negative, but the old saying “hope for the best, and plan for the worst” has a lot of truth to it. Many things can go wrong and planning ahead will help you avoid unwanted drama, stress and hassles. Travel delays or accidents, hidden fees and costs, lost or delayed luggage, medical or dental emergencies, travel accidents, rental car damage, potential terrorist attack alerts, emergency assistance problems, identity theft and more are common problems that can, and most likely, will occur on some occasion during trip taking. In hindsight could most of the hassles on that trip have been prevented or made more bearable by planning for the unexpected? Here are some tips for doing just that.

1. Start planning your trip early. Four to six weeks before you depart is not too early to start planning. If you are purchasing a comprehensive or all-inclusive package, make sure you research the agency you are dealing with. Some offer packages that guarantee no surprise up-charges or add-ons. If you don’t understand their policies or package rates, make them explain it to you until you do understand it. Asking the right questions beforehand can eliminate disappointment over unrealized expectations. Know what you are getting for your money. Never assume that what you think you are hearing is factual until it is fully explained and you see it guaranteed in writing. If you are planning a business trip on short notice, use an agency that you trust, or one that you consider reputable.

If short notice trips are normal for you, or if you know that travel could be required on short notice due to an emergency situation, keep a bag packed in your closet with the things you consider basic necessities. Include at least one complete change of clothes, and necessary toiletries. Also include a small amount of your regular medication, if applicable, and important account numbers and phone numbers. If packing space is at a premium, purchase sample size toiletries to keep in your “short notice” bag. Make sure it is of carry-on size for airline travel. This will take some stress off in the event that plans must be made quickly. If your luggage is lost or delayed, you will be glad you took the time to pack your carry-on bag in this manner.

2. Research your trip thoroughly. The Internet is a good choice for doing this. To get the best deals and the best accommodations to suit your preferences, there is no substitute for being informed and fully aware of what is available. In the information age, there are huge amounts of travel information available on the World Wide Web. Tickets, and even permits, in some cases, can be printed on your home computer printer from the Internet. Rental car reservations, hotel reservations are made easy for convenient prices and quality comparisons on-line.

3. Plan for the unexpected: Troubles can occur when you least anticipate them, so take along some peace of mind and protect your trip investment by purchasing travel insurance. Make sure the travel insurance you purchase covers job loss or transfers, uninhabitable accommodations, emergency assistance, travel accidents, delays, lost or delayed luggage, weather-affected cancellation, medical and dental expenses, terrorism, and identity theft. In addition, plans should offer flexible coverage periods for pre-existing medical conditions. Choose a company that answers all calls with a live person, not an automated attendant. Confirm all your purchases and reservations at a later time either on the Web or by phone to ensure no glitches have occurred.

4. Make sure you will have all the arrangements and paperwork you’ll need- airline tickets, passports, visas, maps, rental car and hotel reservations, permits as well as health and travel insurance documentation. Carry enough cash for emergencies, phone calls or unexpected fees. Don’t carry large amounts of cash. Traveler’s checks and credit cards are a better alternative. Make a list of all the pertinent numbers of your credit card, driver’s license, visas, passport, ticket, reservation, prescriptions and any other important documentation. Include any emergency phone numbers to call if any of these items are lost or stolen. Put a copy of this list in your carry-on, and carry the other one on your person.

Have someone you trust watch your home or apartment, or house-sit while you are away. Think about the things that need to be done in your absence- watching and feeding your pets, watering your plants, etc. If you don’t have a house/pet-sitter, have a light left on inside your residence so it would appear that someone is home at night. If you have someone checking up on things periodically, have them rotate the lighting and retrieve your mail and your newspapers. Another option to this is to have your newspaper and mail delivery temporarily suspended. You can also put your lighting on inexpensive timers, which can closely imitate your normal lighting routines.

5. Write out an itinerary- before you head out the door, give someone you know and trust a written copy of your trip plans. This should include: Your estimated time of departure, mode of transportation (flight numbers and/or make, model and license plate numbers), the names, addresses and phone numbers (especially cell phone numbers) of all group members traveling, any relevant medical conditions that may affect you or your travelling companions. Also include your travel insurance policy names, numbers and beneficiary information, your hotels’ phone number and address and expected time of arrival, time of return, and all pertinent return travel information.

Make arrangements to contact the person holding your itinerary at specific intervals during the trip, and then again when your trip is over. Agree with your contact person on a procedure for contacting the authorities if you do not report in by a certain time. This can be especially important when traveling in high-risk areas of the world, or even anywhere outside the United States. In some cases, if you have a pet and choose to hire a reputable pet-sitter or house-sitter, this can be your contact person.

In short, the quality of your trip depends largely on proper planning for the unexpected. Most of us like to think that things will come off without a hitch, but the truth is that even with the best of planning, things can, and will go wrong from time to time. Planning early, thorough research, double checking arrangements, coverage and documentation, and writing out an itinerary may not completely dispel unexpected problems, but it does produce a peace of mind and assurance knowing that there is a plan in place to deal with the unexpected if it does come about.

This article was written by Rita R. Powers with support from CSA Travel Protection, providers of Travel Insurance and travel assistance services. For information on how travel insurance can add to your travel experience, please visit http://www.csatravelprotection.com. Any reproductions of this article must provide a link back to CSA Travel Protection.

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Guam sits like a jewel in the tropical Pacific, a paradise of beauty and contrasts. Roughly shaped like a boot thirty miles long and ten miles wide, the island contains high cliffs, white beaches, and swaying palm trees. Jets spew vapor trails in the bright blue sky as waves topped with white foam break away from the sea, washing ridges in the sand of the beaches. The Pacific lies beyond, a deep blue, untinged by gray or green.

Sometime every day, some part of the island receives rain. One resident may find rain pouring in his backyard while the sun shines in the front. One neighbor may work in his yard while another watches a shower from his window. A short time later, skies clear over all the isle.

Across the road from the outer edges of the housing projects stand the boondocks, a tightly woven mass of vegetation, the island jungle. At night the mating call of the wild bucks can be heard, followed by the pounding of hoofs and antlers as two amorous males fight over one doe. The snort and bellow of the wild boar echoes in the late dark hours of the tropical night.

The beach glistens under the warm winter sun as bodies of different shades of brown, black, white, and sunburn parade in and out of the water. Native Guamanians swim side by side with military and civilian personnel from the military bases. A coral reef nearly one mile toward the ocean separates large waves from the beach. At each end of moon-shaped Tumon Beach, a towering cliff stands guard. Away from the sunny area of the sand, palm trees stir in the gentle breeze. If one looks closely, native huts can be seen far back in the trees.

With little warning, the serene blue skies and calm sea can turn into an inferno of wicked winds, pounding rain, and black skies when a typhoon hits. The rain seems forced through the walls by the fierce winds that whip, that drive the storm. The typhoon, the enemy of the islands, sweeps over and through with extreme destruction, laying waste all that does not yield before its fury.

Guam portrays calm seas and whipping waves; jet trails and wild boar; native huts and housing projects; white sands and military bands. The paradise, a place of beauty, a place of contrast, lies like a jewel in the Pacific.

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught English, composition, and creative writing for twenty-five years, honing her skills as she studied and taught. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/, a site for Writers, and her portfolio is http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel Her books, Hidden Lies and Other Storied and Walking the Earth, can be found through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

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1. Queenstown in the South Island is considered to be the “Adventure Capital of the World”. You can bungy jump or go on a thrilling jet boat ride, go heli-skiing, sky diving, fly-by-wire, and luging to name a few. Both bungy jumping and jet boating were invented in New Zealand. New Zealanders have a saying about Kiwi ingenuity which is borne out in the tourist spots within New Zealand.

2. There is a wide array of different accommodation options to cater for all tastes. At the upper end there are Lodges which are the height of luxury. These lodges are ordinarily located in very scenic and secluded areas and all gourmet meals are included in the price. The price of this type of accommodation reflects the luxury and inclusions.

The next level of accommodation is hotels, from international 5 star down to 2 star for basic accommodation. The hotels will tend to be serviced on a daily basis and usually include one room and a bathroom. Hotel rooms will include tea and coffee making facilities, fridges and most hotels would include a restaurant.

A favored option for families is the ever increasing numbers of apartments. The apartments are generally self catering as opposed to a hotel stay but the advantage is that they provide more space and are self catering which means that you don’t have to eat out all the time thus saving you money to spend on sightseeing.

Then we have motels. Generally speaking motels offer more space than hotels and tend to be serviced daily but do not tend to be as luxurious. Motels often provide a separate bedroom or two and sometimes cooking facilities. You would need to check this out when booking.

There are also an increasing number of Bed and Breakfast’s. These vary dramatically and can vary from 5 star establishments to the fairly basic. If you enjoy “getting to know the locals”, the B & B option could be a good one for you. Generally breakfast will be provided as part of the price. Dinner would be by special arrangement only.

If you are on a budget there are plenty of backpacker hostels to choose from which are centrally located and well priced.

3. New Zealand has a great culinary landscape. Being a small island country surrounded by the sea, there are a multitude of seafood delicacies on offer. The ocean surrounding New Zealand is cold water thanks to Antarctica being relatively close. Cold water fish tend to have a delicate flavor. As well as fish from the sea, there are large lakes which are trout and salmon breeding grounds. Trout can not be caught commercially so there is no danger of supplies running out. New Zealand is also quite big on game and most of the more up-market restaurants will have a game option on the menu. You will find that there are dining options to suit every taste and budget. New Zealand might be quite removed geographically from the rest of the world but it is quick to adopt new types and styles of food and the kiwi ingenuity mentioned earlier in the article is demonstrated in the food served in restaurants. There are coffee bars and cafes, wine bars serving food, pubs with restaurants, family dining options, buffet’s as well as the more up-market al la carte options.

There is also a thriving wine industry in New Zealand. Wherever you go, you will see vines and many of the wines produced are top quality. If wine is your thing, you won’t be disappointed. Marlborough located at the top of the South Island is one of the oldest and best known wine areas, most famous for production of Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand is also becoming very well known for producing excellent Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult wine to produce.

4. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you will know that the recent series of movies was filmed in different parts of New Zealand. New Zealanders are very proud of this and whilst traveling around you will come across many mentions of parts of the movies which may have been filmed in certain spots. There are also tours catering specifically to Lord of the Rings fans.

5. New Zealand has an interesting cultural history. It is thought that the Maoris who came from Polynesia settled in New Zealand about 1000 years ago. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840 after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There are many excellent museums within the cities and towns which offer a great overview of the relatively short and violent history of New Zealand.

Sue and Grant Taylor now travel extensively and they have compiled a number of tips for traveling at their website: http://www.taylortraveltales.com and http://www.newzealandtravelsite.com

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