The travel industry has exploded and transformed in recent years, thanks largely to the unprecedented growth of the internet and the availability of increasing cheap flights. Intense competition between airlines and tour operators mean that prices have been driven down exponentially, and a tsunami of travel websites makes booking a holiday tailored to your individual requirements just a few clicks away.

Whether you are after a cruise to the Caribbean, a ski holiday in the Swiss or Italian Alps, a weekend break in Paris or a romantic week in Venice or Zagreb, it is a simple matter to find the deals on offer and book your treat from the comfort of your own home.

Renting is becoming more popular due to the flexibility it affords to explore foreign parts at your own pace. Whereas hotels effectively limit your freedom both in terms of physical space and set meal times, not to mention a constant awareness of fellow guests who might not appreciate the charms of your kids as much as you do, renting a villa or apartment is like a home away from home.

Explore an historic city like Paris at your own pace. There’s simply not enough time to hang about till breakfast is served and get back for dinner. Prepare your own picnic and set off to tick off at least the basic list: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Pompidou Centre- the list goes on and on of what there is to see in Paris. Eat out at zillions of small cafes and restaurants, carry the kids home on your back if necessary without incurring the disdain of a concierge, and have a long lie in next morning. Paris is a city that needs more than just a few days to see. Renting a place is a cheap way to lower your costs while getting to see everything this city has to over. It’s cheaper than a long term hotel stay!

The world has opened up to cheap international travel. Gone are the days of being limited to monolithic packages with a handful of travel agents, with all-inclusive hotel accommodation and a holiday camp regime of fixed mealtimes and round-the-clock, often crass entertainment.

Now, thanks to bargain flights and hundreds of travel websites, you can design your own vacation down to the last detail. Many people are moving away from the hotel-centered break and going for rented villa accommodation instead, which allows for complete flexibility and a more relaxed and homely atmosphere. This is definitely the best option if you have kids with you, as you don’t need to worry about troubling other guests, and you can also come and go as you please, staying up all night and lying in all morning if you so choose.

Imagine renting a villa in, say, Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is more than just red lights and coffeeshops. While it is a popular place for young people to be stupid, it is also a place of museums, cafes, and art. Explore the famous canals and many museums and art galleries, the old Dam Square at the heart of the city where Napoleon had his headquarters in 1808, and have lunch is a picturesque tapas bar, or some of the amazing Indonesian food in the city.

Book it a few months in advance via one of the many websites, either through an agency or direct through the owner. Then build your own itinerary and explore this historic city at your own pace, without having to worry about getting back for fixed mealtimes. Preparing your own picnic in the villa using local produce from the market can be a fun part of the holiday. Rent a villa and enjoy the freedom of a great European city. Amsterdam is a city that really reveals itself after a long stay.

The travel company, HBF just wrote a great article on tips to make your travel insurance claim easier, with some very useful information if you ever find yourself in need of making a claim. I thought they made good points with the following:

1. First, you need to be honest and upfront when you take out your policy. Some pre existing conditions can be covered by your insurance company, so check. You don’t want your policy cancelled because you didn’t mention something!
2. Make sure you read your policy. It’s a bit dry, I know, but there’s a lot of important information in there which will come in handy if you have to make a claim.
3. Keep everything! What’s to stop someone from faking an insurance claim? Insurance companies require evidence. Keep original receipts and documents related to your claim. The worst case scenario, you get home safely and make a scrap book of all your sundry expenses.
4. If you have to make a claim, be as detailed as possible. If you answer everything with enough detail, the insurance company might not have to follow up – making the payment come much faster.
5. This is probably the most annoying advice, but you have to be patient. A lot of companies have standards they have to meet, so as long as you claim is being processed within the time they specify (HBF specifies 10 days, but your insurance company might be different), try to wait.

Obviously you never want to find yourself in a situation where you need to make a travel insurance claim, but if you follow these steps your life will be much easier. I also found an article about the five most common travel insurance claims, so hopefully you can try to avoid them.

Medical claims are probably the most annoying to have to deal with. No one wants to get sick while they are on vacation. So the best thing to do is find out as much as you can about the destination before you go. Is it safe to drink the water? Any food you should avoid? Going to your destination with a little bit of research can save you a lot of grief in the long-run.

Lost, damaged, and stolen luggage is another common claim, and there are a few things you can do to help avoid it from happening to you. Some things are pretty much common sense, but you would be surprised how many people forget to put tags on their bags! Make sure you remove old destination stickers, check in your bags early, avoid flights with tight connections, and head straight to the luggage area as soon as you land. And remember, as those announcements echo around the airport “do not leave your bags unattended”.

Lost or Stolen Credit cards and money are a huge problem for travellers, but the only thing you can really do here is use common sense. Keep a photocopy of you credit cards and ID in your bags, but other than that you just need to be careful.

Finally, cancelled flights are travel delays are something that is out of your control but a huge inconvenience. Always check with the airline a few days before and the day of your flight to make sure everything is going forward. Try to fly earlier in the day, midweek, and get to the airport early.

Hopefully you are never in a position where you have to make a claim on your travel insurance, but a little common sense and thinking ahead can save you time and money in the long term!

Sri lanka, most popularly known as “Pearl of Asia” is certainly one of those travel destination which is always filled up with people all over the world. Sri Lanka is a island country and that’s why it has a relatively moderate temperature in comparison to the other countries but due to its central location Equator directly crosses it which increases the temperature of the country. There is so much to do in Sri Lanka that you will never find the things getting exhausted. Why it is so, you will get out here

Colombo, capital of Sri lanka, is a fascinating city, not only for its comfortable blend of East and West, but also for its cosy mixture of past and present. It is the commercial capital of the country. It is one of the classic city I have ever visited.

Another great city to explore is Dambulla. There are various caves in the city that have statues and paintings reflecting the evolution of the city long time back. It is said that the caves of the city was the centre of refuge for king Valgamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradapura kingdom. At that time there were Buddhist monks who protected this king from his enemies. And when king got back his throne in the 1st century BC he built a magnificent rock temple to express his gratitude toward the monks who saved his life.
Apart from this city have other historical sites that are noteworthy. Moreover the city is surrounded with beautiful landscapes that draws tourist throughout the world.

Galle is another exciting city in Sri Lanka. Galle is declared as World Heritage City by the UNESCO. Galle is also known as capital of the Southern Province has a rich and colorful history. With magnificent Dutch fort which is also one of the popular attractions of this place the place reflects the Old Dutch atmosphere in this town. Not only the town is surrounded by beaches and draws tourists throughout the year.People over here are quite friendly and greet every visitor with a warm hospitality. One will be charmed with the natural scenic beauty of this place.

You can start the search for it from now only. It is always better to be first than last.