Tag: traveling

  • Should Seniors Purchase Travel Insurance?

    As we age, the desire to explore new destinations and enjoy life’s adventures often grows stronger. For kūpuna in Hawai‘i, traveling overseas offers the opportunity to experience different cultures, visit loved ones or simply relax in a new environment. While planning these trips, it’s crucial to consider potential risks and ensure you’re adequately protected. One of the most important steps you can take is purchasing travel insurance, which can safeguard you against unexpected trip cancellations.

    Travel plans can change unexpectedly due to a variety of reasons, including personal health issues, family emergencies or unforeseen global events like natural disasters or pandemics. Without travel insurance, a canceled trip could result in significant financial loss, as airlines, hotels and tour operators may not provide full refunds.

    Travel insurance often includes trip cancellation coverage, which reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip for a qualified reason. This can include anything from a sudden illness to severe weather conditions, giving you the flexibility to cancel your trip without the stress of financial loss.

    Travel insurance is especially important for seniors, since Medicare doesn’t cover medical expenses abroad. If you fall ill or have an accident while traveling overseas, you could be responsible for the full cost of your medical treatment. A simple medical consultation in Asia or on a cruise could set you back several hundred dollars. If you require hospitalization or emergency surgery, expenses could run into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Travel insurance with comprehensive medical coverage ensures these costs are covered.

    When selecting travel insurance, it’s important to choose a policy that meets your specific needs. Consider factors such as your age, health condition and the destination you’re traveling to. Many insurance providers offer plans tailored to seniors, with additional coverage options that address the unique needs of older travelers.

    Read the policy details, paying attention to coverage limits, exclusions and any requirements for pre-existing conditions. It’s also a good idea to compare policies from different providers to find the best coverage at a reasonable price.

    Traveling overseas can be a rewarding and enriching experience, especially for kūpuna who have the time and freedom to explore the world. However, it’s essential to be prepared for the unexpected. Travel insurance can protect you from potential financial burdens related to medical emergencies and trip cancellations, allowing you to travel with confidence and peace of mind.

    FINANCIAL BENEFITS INSURANCE, INC.
    Hawaii National Bank Building
    1311 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 504, Honolulu, HI 96814
    808-792-5194 | tmotosue@fbihi.com
    fbihi.com

    As we age, the desire to explore new destinations and enjoy life’s adventures often grows stronger. For kūpuna in Hawai‘i, traveling overseas offers the opportunity to experience different cultures, visit loved ones or simply relax in a new environment. While planning these trips, it’s crucial to consider potential risks and ensure you’re adequately protected. One…

  • Enrich Retirement With Passion, Exploration

    I am a retired preschool teacher from Bemidji, Minnesota, and I live in Kā‘anapali, Maui, all winter. I am an active volunteer in both communities and my huge appetite for travel has taken me to many of the world’s countries. My method of solo travel affords me opportunities to explore each destination and its culture at my leisure. Often that means viewing and appreciating its art. Exposure to unique and diverse art forms has developed my love of art in all its various forms.

    When my husband was alive, we traveled all over the world. I would have to think of the few countries that we have not visited. Lee was a college professor with a passion for new places and a wonderful sense of humor. After a health problem robbed his ability to walk and talk, we figured out how to keep seeing the world. My daughter, Leeann, was able to share those adventures with us.

    For most of his life, Lee was a cross-trained athlete and served on the Olympic committee. Before the Bejing Olympics, we spent six fabulous weeks exploring China.

    Transitioning to solo travel was not as hard as I thought, because Lee and I were so good at planning itineraries and being flexible on the road.

    I share a passion for seeing the world. If you do too, I recommend travel as a rewarding pastime. I have found that people are much friendlier in real life than they are in the news, books or the movies.

    Every February, I stay home on Maui to assist with the Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational event. This unique event is a tremendous asset to our community by bringing world-class artists here. Our local residents and seasonal guests get a front row seat to watch them paint the beauty of Maui. I live to watch the artists select a subject, set up the easel, create the painting, and frame and hang the finished product. At the art shows I get to greet all the families, visitors and collectors. It’s such a joy to do.

    There is also a free art lecture one evening by a famous art museum curator about “famous art fakes” and a full day of outdoor painting for Maui school children. For all of us who love art and enjoy watching the creative process, being a volunteer is big fun. Feb. 16 through 24, you can find me watching plein air artists on West Maui — and greeting visitors. Here or abroad, art and culture enriches my life.

    I am a retired preschool teacher from Bemidji, Minnesota, and I live in Kā‘anapali, Maui, all winter. I am an active volunteer in both communities and my huge appetite for travel has taken me to many of the world’s countries. My method of solo travel affords me opportunities to explore each destination and its culture…

  • Tips for Traveling With the Grandkids

    Mae and Gil Mendelson invited their grandchildren to join them on vacation, continuing a family tradition started by Mae’s grandparents.
    Mae and Gil Mendelson invited their grandchildren to join them on vacation, continuing a family tradition started by Mae’s grandparents.

    The grandsons, ages 11 and 13, were in agreement: no museum visits on our week-long trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls. Sad words for a grandmother who spends her days as a docent. However, sharing the itinerary with the grandkids before we go is one of the lessons my husband and I learned. After expressing their concerns about being bored, they agreed to visit one natural history museum with us.

    We started taking our grandkids on trips without their parents to create shared memories and to get to know each other in a more personal way. It is somewhat of a tradition in our family. My mother took our children to Japan without us. These trips remain cherished memories. In a way, we are continuing her legacy.

    For the Toronto trip with our grandsons, we designed a shared agenda that included something for everyone — we saw a baseball game and went to an amusement park.

    Traveling also means eating out. Even though I am just as addicted to my devices as my grandsons are, we created one rule for all of us: When we go out for dinner, the electronics stay home.

    Taking our granddaughters to London taught us a different lesson: the value of being flexible. As planned, the girls visited the National Gallery, sketched in Trafalgar Square and went on a scavenger hunt. Our itinerary changed abruptly when the girls discovered that an online video festival was in town. So we skipped our planned trip to St. Paul’s Cathedral and joined a YouTube event in which thousands of young people were queuing for a meet-and-greet with their favorite YouTube celebrities. We had suddenly crossed a generational divide. It was awesome. Letting them lead the way was an extraordinary experience and taught us so much.

    If you are thinking about traveling with your grandkids, it helps to purchase tickets online for your daily activities. And you always want to be prepared. The benefits can include quick entry, access to special exhibits, and discounts to gift shops and cafes. Bringing their passports, medical cards and written parental permission gives you the right to make decisions on their behalf.

    Traveling with your grandkids can be a rewarding experience. Trust your judgement and theirs, and have fun making memories together

    We started taking our grandkids on trips without their parents to create shared memories and to get to know each other in a more personal way. It is somewhat of a tradition in our family. My mother took our children to Japan without us. These trips remain cherished memories. In a way, we are continuing…