The Insurance Doctor

Tag: vacation

  • Top 5 Places to Visit in the World

    Lonely planet just published their top 25 places to visit in the world. The USA has #21 Yosemite national park and #6 the Grand Canyon. It’s exciting this January to have seen #1 the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Most interesting place I’ve ever seen. Review this list, make your dream vacation plans and enjoy!

    #5. Taj Mahal, India

    Acres of shimmering white marble, a few thousand semiprecious stones carved and inlaid in intricate Islamic patterns, all in perfect symmetry – the breathtaking mausoleum is the essence of architectural perfection.

    #4. The Great Wall of China

    It’s a myth that it can be seen from space, but this awe-inspiring maze of walls and fortifications stretching for an astonishing 5,500 miles across rugged landscape seem both infinite and indestructible.

    #3. Machu Picchu, Peru

    It’s not the outrageously dramatic Andean setting, nor the way that the city clings to impossibly precipitous slopes that makes Machu Picchu so mind-blowing – it’s the fact that no-one really knows what happened here.

    #2. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

    Stretching more than 1,860 miles up the northeastern coast of Australia, it’s home to the world’s largest network of coral reefs and thousands of species of fish and marine life.

    #1. Temples of Angkor, Cambodia

    Earlier this year I had the privilege to visit this magnificent masterpiece. The world’s greatest temple to the Hindu god Vishnu, the magnificent monument of Angkor Wat is the crowning glory in a complex of more than 1,000 temples, shrines and tombs that forms a virtual city of spires in the jungles of northern Cambodia.

    Planning to see the world is one thing but more important is planning your financial future. Contact Robert today for a free financial review today.

    angkor wat
    Happy to have my oil painting framed!

     

  • Summer Travel Tips

    Summer Travel Tips

    Having set foot on five of the world’s seven continents I have learned much. With solid planning I was able to do 3 weeks in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia this January with one carry-on bag and one computer bag.

    summer travel tipsMy top travel tips are:

    1. Call your credit card companies in advance: and tell them where you are going and what dates. I have had cards frozen because companies see a string of out of town charges and they think your cards were stolen.
    2. Think in body sections when packing: I do this in the morning while getting work ready and start from feet to head. It can be stressful the last days before a trip so you don’t want to forget anything so do the same with the kids.
    3. Pack a change of clothes in your carry-on bag: 29 million bags are lost/delayed each year. Be ready when it happens to you!
    4. Buy a guide book if going overseas: I cannot stress this enough. Advanced research prevents issues which can ruin a trip. For example my research told me that in Myanmar and Cambodia they accept US dollars however not with folds or wrinkles. I went to the bank in advance and withdrew $500 of new bills in 1’s, 5’s, 10’s and 20’s. I like “lonely planet” and “rough guides” the best. Look for the most recent edition.
    1. Read negative reviews on hotels: I prefer Trip Advisor and Agoda for international travel.

     

    1. If touring by car get a tune-up and GPS: Nothing worse than getting lost or having your car break down. GPS your destinations in advance for proper time planning.

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  • The Belmont Stakes: 5 Lessons Learned

    Saturday I had the privilege to watch history in the making at the Belmont Stakes. Here are five lessons I learned in the process.

    1. Dress to impress and with comfortable shoes: Lots of walking and fantastic people watching. Best variety of hats and sundresses that you will ever see!Belmont Stakes, leisure, travel tips
    2. Leave the kids at home: It’s a long day, not much for kids to do and because of the heavy foot traffic it’s easy to lose somebody.
    3. If driving get there before 10am: First come first serve with parking and it takes forever to get out. They booked the Goo Goo Dolls to play after the race so people wouldn’t all leave at the same time. Taking the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) is a better option especially if arriving after 10am. Wait an hour before leaving either way.
    4. Walk both inside and outside: Regardless of where your seats are take a walk outside also. Great vibe and more room. You can even bring a blanket and picnic on the lawn while race watching.
    5. Get your tickets either very early or last minute: There was ticket chaos on race day as it was announced that no tickets were being sold at the track and on-line ticket sales ended at 11:30am. That changed to a 4:00pm deadline and $1,000 tickets were available for $250 from noon-3:00pm. At 3:00pm it imploded and the system crashed with so many people using internet on their cell phones at the same time.

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