I’ve had many readers lately email me with questions referring to travel insurance, what it is and when it is necessary or smart to purchase it. In this day in age there are many important reasons to have insurance. It seems as though you can take out a policy for just about anything. There are so many unknowns especially when you are planning or booking a trip that you just can’t foresee or plan for. This is where it would help to have travel insurance direct.

There are many different types of travel insurance out there. You can pretty much get a policy for anything. Here are some of the most popular types:

Travel medical insurance: Your domestic health insurance probably doesn’t cover you outside of the country of residence. So if you are planning on traveling abroad and are concerned about the possibility of needing medical attention, you should check your policy.

Medical Evacuation insurance: Most often provides medical coverage, air evacuation services, including medical transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility and then home if warranted. This is a good one to consider since the transportation can often be thousands of dollars alone.

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Utah is a great place for those who are interested in outdoor activities. During the winter you have snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow camping, and of course over 13 great ski resorts to choose from (have I mentioned the world’s best snow?), and in the summer there is boating, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, rock-climbing and so much more. There are fantastic National and State parks and so much to do in between.

If you are looking for a great place to get away for the morning or afternoon and maybe want to do some fishing, or take a quick hike with your family, Silver Lake is a great option. It is located just 14 miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon, which is just a short jaunt from downtown Salt Lake City. Near the base of Brighton Ski Resort (or personal favorite) you can take one of the easiest hikes in Northern Utah and catch some beautiful scenery along the way.

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This comes a little late, being as I visited Peru almost a year ago, but enough inquiries of my travel plans in Peru have come my way that I think this post is still appropriate. When I was researching how to get there myself I ran into a lot of dead ends on the internet. So here goes, this is how I got to Machu Picchu.

1. Fly into Lima – Hop on your favorite airline’s website and see what options they have for getting to Peru.

2. Fly to Cusco – If you can get a direct flight there great. I’m honestly not sure how many there are. The Cusco Airport doesn’t have runway lights and occasionally has strong winds, so flights only land during specific daytime hours. We took an early flight from Lima and arrived around 9 am. You can catch a bus from Lima to Cusco, but unless you have a few days and nerves of steel (Peruvian driving is nothing like it is in the States), I wouldn’t recommend it.

4. Take the Train or Take a Tour – When I visited Peru the trains weren’t running from Cusco (heavy rain had damaged some of the track, so repairs were being made). Because of that fact, we had to find another way to a town called Ollantaytambo (try pronouncing that one fast), the furthest the train was running at the time. At the airport we were able to find a tour company that offered a day trip sight seeing through the Sacred Valley of Peru stopping along the way to see various ruins and take in a traditional Peruvian lunch. The stops made along the way as well as the ruins in Ollantaytambo were spectacular. Something that we would have totally missed had the train been running the whole way. If you have the time, I would recommend a tour to take in as much as possible. If you don’t have the time  you can book a direct ticket from Cusco to Aguas Calientes at www.perurail.com. Looking at their site, it has definitely been updated in the last year. We went their site wasn’t nearly as helpful.

5. Spend the Night in Aguas Calientes – The majority of places to stay in Aguas Calientes are hostels. We booked a decent place that was clean on hostels.com. Luckily we met some nice folks on the train that were familiar with the town and pointed us the right direction. If it wasn’t for them we might have spent all night searching for our hostel. Information about Aguas Calientes and a decent map of the place seemed hard to come by on the web. Its a small town, but there are so many hostels that it becomes tough to find the right place. There are a few nicer hotels in town but you’ll have to research those on your own.

7. Get Your Tickets – Get your bus and entrance tickets to Machu Picchu the day before you go. The ticket office doesn’t open very early and if you plan on being one of the first ones up to the ruins you won’t make it. Also they don’t sell entrance tickets at the gates. You have to do that back in town. We met many people that didn’t know that and had to ride the bus all the way up the mountain just to get back on the bus because they weren’t able to get in.

8. Enjoy Machu Picchu – Wake up early and catch the bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. If you want to save on the bus fare, there is a hiking trail, but the mountain is steep and the trail looked treacherous. I say wake up early because the views of Machu Picchu are amazing in the morning light as the fog lifts off of the mountain. Also, if you arrive early there aren’t as many people around in your photos and along the paths. Arriving early is also the only way to get the chance to hike up Waina Picchu, they only grant a certain number that privilege so you have to be there early.

And that my friends is how I got to Machu Picchu. It is one of my all time favorite destinations. The mystery and beauty that surround the ancient ruins is more than I could ever explain on this blog. You’ll have to visit it for yourself…and now at least you know how to get there.

Make sure to check out the visiting Machu Picchu wiki for anything I may have missed.

www.fiveintraining.com

I met Reid six years ago at college. Summer love really is what it was- although it quickly blossomed into more. Then he left. He left me dazed and confused stuck in a world of college textbooks, crazy roommates, and sad feelings. But, we soon discovered why he was meant to leave me alone for a few semesters. He left me to be with her. And although he worked crazy long hours and saw very little of her, I know in some way it helped.  He couldn’t take away the pain and sickness associated with the treatments, or unsurety of it all, but he could just be there. I was glad to sacrifice because it was scary and even though I had just met all of them- I quickly loved them as my own.

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thebabytravels touching the cavern wall

If you find yourself in Virginia trying to decide on an activity to take your family to on a Saturday, especially one that is educational yet exciting enough that your kids won’t realize it, something that your oldest to your littlest and even in between will enjoy, then you really should look into a trip to the Luray Caverns. The caverns are just a few minutes off the scenic Skyline Drive- a breathtaking drive through Shenandoah National Park with amazing views. Read the rest of this entry »