The best magazine
Myanmar is opening its doors slowly to westerners and Africa is drawing more people eager to experience its wildlife and beauty.
Tourists are not limited to exotic locations.
They are finding excitement closer to home making it quite normal to be away from home as much as a month or two out of the year traveling the globe.
The advent of increased travel options has led to a greater need for travel plans and an increased regard for safety on the road.
While attending an event at the Safari Hunters Convention in Las Vegas recently an executive for a prominent outdoor apparel company related a story to me about two adventure travelers who had gone to Africa for the kayaking trip of a lifetime, down the White Nile in the Congo lead by a very experienced South African guide.
To the horror of the two Americans in the blink of an eye their guide was snatched by a crocodile and dragged under never to be seen again.
The guide was widely regarded as one of the best expedition kayakers in Africa and excellent for leading journeys of this type.
Nature has its way of reminding us we are very much a part of it weather we want to acknowledge it or not.
The executive went on to tell how the two Americans were able to paddle safely to shore.
Now what? Lost in the Congo on the White Nile in croc infested waters and shorelines.
Meanwhile half a world away another Safari Convention attendee's father had gone to Baja California to fish and find a little solitude.
One evening while on his way back from a day fishing on the Sea of Cortez he went missing causing a frantic search for him and his car.
The fear was that he had been carjacked and lost.
He and his car were found at the bottom of a cliff where he had run off the road.
His son traveled to Baja only to be told his father's body could not be released.
Government bureaucracy had prevented the family from getting him back in a timely fashion.
Now what? Bureaucracy has stranded a son and his deceased father in a foreign land.
The vast majority of travelers have no plan or minimal coverage in the event that something unforeseen occurs.
Purchasing travel insurance while wise only covers certain parts of your trip and are mostly there to protect against trip cancellation and medical emergencies.
When buying travel insurance always read the fine print and familiarize yourself with the limitations stated within the policy.
Many policies offer caps on the amount of liability and all have "act of god" clauses built into them.
Beyond the travel insurance policy what would your emergency plan be while out having the adventure of your life? When traveling with others always have two rendezvous points one of which should not be the hotel in the event that your hotel is the disaster.
Refer to The American Red Cross to learn more about things you should plan and prepare for before departing on your journey.
Do not count on having technology available wherever you go, have things like maps and important contact information in hard copy form and stowed in a safe dry place.
Also make sure someone back home has contact information for all of the key points on your trip including the expedition company and the local embassy for your country.
Using a travel agent to plan and purchase your trip can also have its advantages in terms of experience and helping you while you are abroad with their considerable contacts and knowledge.
It may cost a little more but it will pay for itself many times over if something unforeseen ever occurs.
What do you do when you find yourself stranded by the side of a croc infested river or trying to repatriate your loved ones remains.
Our kayakers were fortunate enough to happen upon an NGO working in the Congo who took sympathy upon them and assisted in getting them exit visas and out of the country.
This took some time and without the help of the NGO International Rescue Committee http://www.
Rescue.
org who knows how they would have gotten to safety and ultimately home.
Back in Mexico given the thick and slow bureaucracy the son was forced to negotiate with the funeral home to cremate his father's remains so he could drive them across the border and give him a proper burial.
Not only was the whole event heart wrenching but harrowing to say the least.
Negotiating with the authorities, the funeral director and ultimately driving across the border left everyone exhausted.
There are no sure fire ways to avoid accidents and tragedies but there are ways to respond in a way that rescues you and returns you to safety regardless of the situation you find yourself in.
Many companies offer medical jet evacuation which is helpful when you are incapacitated but stable.
Depending on the policy you purchase the medical evacuation company will supply support and in extreme cases provide a private medically equipped jet to airlift you home.
Not all evacuation services are the same and a little due diligence is in order before purchasing a plan.
It would be prudent to purchase a plan that provides security evacuation services and repatriation built in.
For our friends on the White Nile a call to the evacuation team would have led to the immediate dispatch of a team to collect them and return them to safety.
In the event of an immigration or visa issue the security team would be equipped to navigate the process and help their client disembark for home.
Our kayakers were lucky to have an aid agency so close to where they came ashore.
What might have happened otherwise? Repatriation of mortal remains would have helped ease the difficult circumstances of the father dying out of the country.
Here again many plans include repatriation of mortal remains which assist in collecting and transporting remains back to the family.
In the event of this happening on foreign soil the evacuation company will handle all immigration issues ensuring a timely return.
You don't need to travel to far off places to find yourself in need of a medical or security evacuation.
Earthquakes in Los Angeles, hurricanes Miami, tornadoes across the south and tsunamis on the West coast to name a few can happen right in your home country.
It is wise to have a plan to get back home and a service to ensure that this happens in the safest way possible.
Two hundred miles can feel like a world away when something unfortunate happens to us or a loved one.
Check out plans to protect yourself from circumstances that you never anticipated.
It can mean the difference between a grand adventure and utter disaster.
Greg Nassief is the founder and CEO of Medical Concierge a global medical concierge membership company.
Source: ...