Dengue fever is endemic in tropical regions like Singapore. A suitable medical insurance policy should provide you with cover for this medical condition. Below we also mention some of the other ways you can protect yourself against Dengue fever. The pesky mosquito does more than cause itchy bites. In Singapore and many other tropical countries,  Read more »

Japan has a long history of fermenting and distilling beverages and many of its native drinks, like sake, are popular worldwide. Like beer, wine came to Japan with the Meiji Restoration during the second half of the 19th century when the company adopted all things Western. But unlike beer, it has taken a long time  Read more »

In the foodie paradise that is Singapore, those looking to lose weight can still enjoy hawker fare. Here are some tips on choosing healthier low fat food options that still give you a taste of the best local flavours. Singapore’s hawker food isn’t all grease-laden (although many local favourites can be!). If you’re watching your  Read more »

Okinawa is an island chain south of mainland Japan. One of Japan’s 47 prefectures, its name literally means ‘rope in the open sea.’ Nothing could be more appropriate to describe it. It’s a chain of 160 islands that stretches 550 kilometers from Japan to Taiwan, and only about 40 of those islands are inhabited. The  Read more »

The tiny former British colony at the southern point of Europe has been attracting tourists since the days of old, when Phoenician sea-farers would pass through its shores whilst following their trade routes through the Straits. Nowadays, Gibraltar attracts a very different type of tourist. It has become a regular day-stop on Mediterranean cruise itineraries  Read more »

Located never less than two hours from each other, Andalucía’s five largest cities are at the centre of the region’s cultural identity. They are home to a sizeable chunk of Andalucía’s diverse population and house the majority of the region’s must-see visitor attractions, as well as many of its finest restaurants and tapas bars. Whilst  Read more »

 The Summer Music Festival Salzburg was the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austria’s most recognized classical music composer and certainly Salzburg’s most famous son. When in the City, you can visit the Mozart family crypt or Mozart’s childhood home, now a museum dedicated to his life. Another of his former residences holds a collection of  Read more »

Recently described by Forbes magazine as ‘one of the most beautiful cities in the world’, it is no surprise that thousands of students from over 120 different countries worldwide flock to Cambridge to study at its Universities each year. It also helps that the University of Cambridge is one of the finest learning establishments in  Read more »

Rising east of the main highway connecting Johannesburg to Durban, the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg is South Africa’s most extensive and highest mountain range. The imposing nature of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is alluded to in the Zulu name uKhahlamba, which means ‘Barrier of Spears’. The more widely used Afrikaans name Drakensberg, or ‘Dragon’s Mountain’, compares its long  Read more »

Kenya prides itself on being the original home of the safari. And rightly so: straddling the equator, flanked by a stunning Indian Ocean coastline, with habitats ranging from snow-capped mountains to untrammelled savannah, Kenya is one of Africa’s most complete holiday destinations. But over many visits, I’ve discovered that Kenya also boasts a tantalising array of  Read more »

Situated at an altitude of 2,400m, Addis Ababa is Africa’s loftiest capital. Its temperate highland climate often confounds visitors whose expectations of Ethiopia are all heat, dust and desert. Who would have thought, for instance, that the Ethiopian capital typically receives as much rainfall between June and September as London would in an entire year.  Read more »

An essential rite of passage for safarigoers to Africa is to tick off the so-called “Big Five” – lion, leopard, elephant, black rhinoceros and Cape buffalo. The term Big Five dates back to the days of hunting safaris, when these were the animals that trophy seekers regarded to be the most dangerous quarries. But it  Read more »

Lancet Study shows change in Europe is limiting expat health care access to Brits A recent study by the authoritative health care journal The Lancet shows that changes in European national health care systems have altered the way in which expatriates on the continent are able to access health care. The trend has seen access  Read more »

Ten British expatriates are hospitalised every day around the world, according to statistics from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. As officials from that office point out, unless those patients have solid international health insurance policies, they may be asked to pay the full amount of the fees for their treatment up front. Between 2011  Read more »

For expatriates living abroad it can be difficult to know what kind of medical insurance you should have, in order to ensure you (and your family) are adequately protected. Each country has different regulations regarding its public health insurance scheme (if it has one) and navigating the system is usually difficult – especially where there  Read more »