We are the UK‘s leading Holiday Sickness claims management experts!

Food science is our business. We know what causes food poisoning which makes proving your case a lot easier.

31st October marks Halloween; and what better way to celebrate than to go all out with a trip to one of the numerous Halloween festivals that take place across the globe?

If you’re looking for a spectacularly spooky celebration, why not pay a visit to one of these ten options?

The Day of the Innocents on 1st November is followed by the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) on 2nd November. Many of the traditions are the same as Halloween – the decorations, the costumes and more – but the history is different. The Day of the Dead is held as a celebration to honour the dead – it’s believed that their spirits return to spend time with their families on this day.

The Fete Gede takes place in Haiti throughout November, but the majority of the festivities are at the start of the month. The annual voodoo festival sees people gathering at the main cemetery to honour the spirits (Gede) by bringing gifts, drinking, playing music and doing ritual dances.

This nine day carnival celebrates all things spooky with plenty of activities: a parade, fire dancing, fireworks, haunted houses, horror story telling, ghost tours, scary movies and more.

Taking place from 20th to 31st October, this huge Halloween festival features not only a huge annual Halloween costume party, but plenty of other events, from Halloween makeup workshops to all-night horror movie screenings.

Yue Lan is Hong Kong’s Hungry Ghost Festival; it’s a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival which takes place on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month each year. During this month, restless spirits are said to roam the Earth. The festival sees Chinese people attempting to appease the ghosts. You’ll see roadside fires, the burning of fake money, food left out for the ghosts and plenty of other offerings too.

Taking place on various evenings from September to November, The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze sees the beautiful 18th setting of Van Cortlandt Manor being lit up with 7,000 pumpkins, all of which are individually carved by hand on-site. Different areas have different themes, and the event was completely sold out last year.

Salem is a town known for witch hunting, and the highlight of its Halloween celebrations is its Witches’ Halloween Ball. The town’s Haunted Happenings events have been taking place since 1982, and you’ll find an entire programme of events taking place throughout the month of October.

The West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is the biggest Halloween street party in the world. 500,000 people are expected to descend on Santa Monica Boulevard: there will be live music, food trucks, costumes galore and a great party atmosphere.

28th to 31st October sees Galway’s Latin Quarter taken over by a variety of Halloween events. The annual parade takes place on the 30th, with a different theme every year, while on the 29th, the annual Monster Dash sees participants dress up in their best costumes to roam the streets, with costume prizes in various categories.

Featuring a less scary daytime event for younger visitors and a terrifying night time event for real scares, Frightmare is the place to be in South West England. The highlight is its five live action attractions, all featuring live actors for maximum scares!

So if you feel like enjoying a spectacularly spooky Halloween this year, why not venture out and enjoy the wonderful sights that Mexico, Ireland, Hong Kong or Amsterdam has to offer – scary yet exciting sounds like a great trip to us!

However, you don’t want your stunning Halloween holiday experience to be ruined through being ill abroad, suffering sickness abroad, dealing with food poisoning on holiday, injury or theft.So if anything does happen to you, make sure to file holiday illness claims or holiday accident claims, as soon as you’re back!

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Want to enquire about your claim?

Live Chat

As flying becomes cheaper and long-haul trips become more accessible for the man on the street, it’s becoming increasingly possible for intrepid travellers to follow the paths of our favourite movies. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of the biggest hits of the past decade – and where they were really filmed:

Matamata, New Zealand

Lord Of The Rings

The other-worldly landscapes and hobbit holes of Hobbiton really do exist and they’re easily accessible from New Zealand’s Wellington. Lord of the Rings fans can take a guided tour of the film set and gaze out over verdant countryside, taking in Matamata’s farming heritage and one of the region’s countless hiking routes.

Cambodia

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Cambodia is a country soaring in popularity among international travellers. Home to the spectacular ancient temples of the Indiana Jones movies, much of Cambodia feels like stepping deep into the past. Many of the temples and monasteries are almost 1,000 years old and Angkor Wat, where a number of scenes from Lara Croft were filmed in 2000, remains the biggest religious structure in the world.

Chicago, USA

The Dark Knight

As vast cityscapes go, Chicago is rivalled by few others. It’s no surprise, then, that The Dark Knight’s producers opted for the “windy city” as the perfect representation of Gotham. Both the Gotham National Bank and the Gotham Police Department are in fact the old Chicago Post Office Building, an enormous disused structure which was once the largest building in the world. The film also features Chicago’s Daley plaza (Wayne Enterprises HQ), the Chicago Theater and the Berghoff, West Adams Street.

Bangkok, Thailand

The Hangover Part II

One of the biggest movies of 2011, the hit comedy was set in the hedonistic red light district of the Thai capital. Many of the scenes were actually shot in LA, using either CGI or mock-up interior sets, but it’s still possible to retrace the guys’ footsteps in Phulay Bay Resort, Soi Plaeng Nam and the Ancient City.

Glencoe, Scotland

Skyfall

There aren’t many locations more fitting to Bond’s darkened past than the dramatic hilltops of Glencoe. According to the BBC, the crew were “absolutely blown away” by the scenery when shooting the movie and that’s no surprise, given the Scottish Highlands’ rugged peaks, epic cliffs and often moody skyline.

Grand Hotel Pupp, Czech Republic

Casino Royale

You’ll find the majestic five-star set of Casino Royale in the Czech town of Karlovy Vary, Western Bohemia. The building itself is over 300 years old and it’s enormous, spanning an entire block and several stories. It’s memorable as the place Bond first sets eyes on his brand- new Aston Martin DBS before heading into Casino Royale.

Tribeca Fire Station, New York City, USA

Ghostbusters

Hook and Ladder 8, or Ghostbusters HQ, has been around for more than a century. It’s still in full use, although visitors who ask nicely might be allowed to take a peak inside by the station’s firemen. The interior of the station, though, is actually an entirely different location in real life – these scenes were shot in Los Angeles.

Christchurch College, Oxford, UK

Harry Potter

The mythical chambers of Hogwarts can’t be found in some distant corner of Scotland as the books suggest – the movies were actually filmed around the historic University of Oxford. Dating as far back as the 16th century, many of the College buildings remain essentially unchanged and they capture the magic of the Great Hall, the Hospital Wing and the Grand Staircase perfectly.

Petra, Jordan

Indiana Jones

The movie’s fictional Canyon of the Crescent Moon is based on the eastern entrance to the ancient Middle Eastern city – although what lies beyond the entrance is confined to Hollywood fiction. The real thing is just a facade with only a small hall inside. It’s still a jaw-dropping spectacle though, and the recent discovery of a massive monument “hiding in plain sight” for centuries does nothing to quell the location’s sense of mystery.

Kauai, Hawaii

Jurassic Park

The smallest of the four major Hawaiian islands was the setting for Jurassic Park, with locations all over the island featuring heavily in the hit blockbuster. Spectacular waterfalls, striking volcanos, deep valleys and vast reservoirs can all be found on the island, which was battered by the most powerful hurricane ever to strike Hawaii during filming.

Phuket, Thailand

The Man with the Golden Gun

“James Bond Island”, off the coast of Phuket, is one of over a hundred rocky islands in Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay. It was relatively unknown before the movie, but it’s been a major tourist attraction ever since, and its unusual towering profile makes for an absolutely stunning view from across the bay on Phuket.

Martha’s Vineyard

Jaws

The cult classic was set almost exclusively on Martha’s Vineyard, located just off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Despite being a relatively tiny island jutting into the Atlantic, it now attracts visitors from all over the world, with a vibrant culture, fisheries to die for and boundless natural beauty attracting the international traveller.

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

The Rock

The world-famous US penitentiary, now disused and accessible to visitors by ferry, was the perfect setting for the high-octane thriller. Its former military fortifications and remote location makes it one of the most formidable-looking prisons in the world. Notorious for being “inescapable”, Alcatraz closed in 1963 after many years in operation.

Cleveland, USA

The Avengers

NASA’s Space Power Facility, about 65 miles west of Cleveland, was the real location of the movie’s vast laboratory, while the ‘Stuttgart’ square where Loki wreaked havoc, is in fact Cleveland’s Public Square. What appeared to be the ‘Manhattan’ battle was actually filmed in Cleveland too.

Las Vegas, USA

Ocean’s Eleven

Iconic and instantly recognisable, America’s “Sin City” has been home to dozens of hit movies over the years. Ocean’s Eleven is no exception as the group plots an elaborate heist involving the (entirely real) Bellagio, Mirage and MGM Grand casinos.

Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Argo

Istanbul’s most frentic marketplace played host to Ben Affleck’s thriller, standing in for 1970s Tehran. Located deep in the Old City-Sultanahmet quarter of the city, the Bazaar is always packed with traders and locals and the tmosphere is intense; filming was only possible on a major holiday. Both the nearby blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia can also be seen in the movie.

So there you have it, 16 of the most incredible movie locations in the world. Whether it’s the bustling cities of Gotham, Cleveland, Las Vegas or the stunning natural landscapes of Hawaii, Thailand or Scotland, each and everyone one of them needs to be visited, so why not start ticking them off your list when you’re on your travels.

However, you don’t want your vastly improved holiday experience to be ruined through being ill abroad, suffering sickness abroad, dealing with food poisoning on holiday, injury or theft. So if anything does happen to you, make sure to file holiday illness claims or holiday accident claims, as soon as you’re back!

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Want to enquire about your claim?

Live Chat

There’s not much worse than looking forward to a holiday all year, only to have it ruined by illness. Holiday sickness is said to affect one in five UK travellers every year, with many needing a hospital trip while ill abroad.

So, how do you treat and beat the most common of holiday illness culprits?

Prevention is the Best Cure

Relax, eat and sleep well before jetting off.

A strong, rested body will be better prepared to fight any bugs if they do stop by.

Throat & Nose Infections

Flying? Be prepared for high altitudes and air-conditioning that can cause unexpected sniffles. Use sprays to keep things lubricated, lessening the chances of your throat & nose drying out. If you do fall ill, try lemon with hot water to soothe, take paracetamol or an anaesthetic throat spray for pain relief.

Sunburn

Even with the best sunscreen, you can’t beat too much sun. During the hottest hours, stay out of the sun, wear a hat, sunglasses and, if you can, a long-sleeved lightweight top for skin protection. Reapply sunscreen frequently, especially if you are in the water. Still burnt? Ibuprofen, aloe vera gels and cool flannels applied to the skin will provide some aftercare relief.

Heat Stroke

In the sun, you may also experience heat stroke. Heat stroke is your core temperature rising above normal level, causing sweating, dizziness, blackouts or nausea. To avoid overheating, stay in the shade, building your tolerance to the heat slowly. Try to stay cool in the water but make sure you drink water for hydration too.

Insect Bites

Although most insect bites are minor, they can, in some instances, lead to something more serious. The best bet is to avoid being bitten. Invest in repellent, using it regularly, especially at dusk. Cover skin where you can, and avoid strong scents as mosquitoes are attracted to these.

Ear Infection

Swimmer’s ear is a common ailment for those venturing into the sea or swimming pool. Wear ear plugs or a cap every time to avoid this painful holiday interruption. Still suffering after three days? Visit your doctor, as you may need antibiotic drops.

Diarrhoea

Avoid by practising excellent hygiene. Wash your hands regularly. Buy antibacterial hand gel and use throughout your travels. Prevention against germs will be the best way to protect you from the worst bugs that cause illnesses abroad.

Food Poisoning

Something you ate? A change in local diet and water is generally the main cause for food poisoning abroad. 5 million UK travellers fall ill abroad each year, afflicted by so-called ‘travellers’ tummy’. Be wary of ice cubes, salads and culprits like under-cooked chicken. If you are so unlucky, collect re-hydration powder sachets and anti-gastroenteritis medication. Only drink bottled water to avoid further infection.

Alcohol Poisoning

It seems unlikely, but it can happen, even if you drink regularly. Take an alcohol-free drink between drinks to stay hydrated. Alcohol poisoning can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, unconsciousness and worse if not managed, so be practical.

Slips & Scrapes

Accidents can happen, especially around wet areas of swimming pools and ocean steps. If you accidentally slip, causing a scrape or cut, make sure you clean it immediately. This will help avoid any nasty infection or scarring. Seek first aid from lifeguards or hotel staff if you can. Use topical ointments or alcohol-based products to clear any lingering germs, and cover the cut. If the cut doesn’t stop bleeding on its own after some pressure, seek further medical aid, as you may need stitches.

So there you have it, the 10 most common holiday illnesses and how to beat and treat them revealed. The last thing you want to deal with is being ill abroad, suffering sickness abroad, dealing with food poisoning on holiday, injury or theft.

So if anything does happen to you while you’re away, make sure to file
holiday illness claims or holiday accident claims, as soon as you’re back!

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Let us advise you

01625 253 020

Start your claim

We’re happy to advise you on the phone

01625 253 020

Start your claim

Want to enquire about your claim?

Live Chat