What you need to know before booking that getaway.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re in a reverie about what foods you\u2019ll relish on holiday, what rare animals you might see on safari or the bliss of a rejuvenating spa experience, the last thing you\u2019re thinking about is something going wrong on your holiday. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when it comes to planning, travel insurance and spotting fake accommodation listings.<\/p>\n
Diligent booking\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s important to be mindful of common scams targeting holidaymakers.\u00a0Scammers frequently create fake accommodation listings with enticingly low prices on booking websites. Once the deposit or full payment is made, victims discover that the accommodation they booked does not exist at the listed address, or that the scammers impersonated a business that has no record of the payment or booking.<\/p>\n The best rule of thumb is that if the accommodation deal looks too good to be true, then it probably is, says Anton Gillis, CEO of Kruger Gate Hotel. When booking holiday accommodation, it\u2019s a good idea to compare hotel listings of similar properties in that area to get an estimate of general pricing. Scammers also often use images from multiple properties in one listing, so scroll through each photo to see if the listing imagery looks cohesive. Also be aware of listings that require payments outside of the booking platform, properties that only communicate on Whatsapp, and listings with multiple spelling mistakes.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother useful tip is to check whether your hotel or bed and breakfast has excellent reviews across different platforms,\u201d advises Anton.<\/p>\n Fake websites<\/strong><\/p>\n Scammers are becoming more adept at creating official-looking websites that mimic originals you might be familiar with. Signs that a website could be fake include low resolution logos, spelling mistakes in the domain name or email address and no padlock icon next to the site name.<\/p>\n Make sure that you don\u2019t inadvertently land on a fake website by clicking on random email links or website pop-ups. For example, if you receive an email from a company you\u2019ve never heard about offering you a fantastic travel deal, clicking on their link may take you to a fake website designed to impersonate a brand you\u2019re familiar with. Once there, you could be sold non-existent flights and accommodation. If you\u2019re still keen to see what the deal is all about, avoid clicking on the link in the email sent to you – rather go to the trusted brand\u2019s website by typing their name into your search engine.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether you\u2019re booking a stay or a flight, it\u2019s good advice to do so via a reputable brand\u2019s website. If you\u2019re still unsure, call the hotel, property owner or agent directly,\u201d says Anton. Another tip to verify a property\u2019s legitimacy is to ask for the full address, and search for it on Google Maps. And, if you are searching for accommodation via a booking platform, stay with trusted names as they will have vetting processes in place to ensure that all listings are verified and authenticated. Finally, when paying, make sure you\u2019re using a secure payment system.<\/p>\n Travel insurance\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve saved up for big holidays, particularly international ones, you might be hesitant to add an additional expense to your travel budget. After covering the costs of airfare, accommodation and budgeting for meals and activities it can seem daunting to allocate more money for travel insurance, but it is a smart investment to safeguard the non-refundable money you\u2019ve spent for your holiday.<\/p>\n Travel insurance is not typically recommended for short local holidays, like a few days in a bush lodge, but if you\u2019re travelling abroad your trip would inevitably require a larger budget.<\/p>\n \u201cMany travellers might skip out on travel insurance thinking they won\u2019t need it, but trip cancellations, lost luggage in between flights and emergency medical expenses happen when you least expect it and can be costly if you\u2019re not prepared. Having a travel insurance plan will be worthwhile if your non-refundable holiday expenses exceed more than you can afford to lose; if you are holidaying in a remote destination with limited health care resources; travelling through connecting flights to various locations or if you would like to be partially reimbursed should you need to cancel the holiday or depart early because of unforeseen circumstances,\u201d explains Anton.<\/p>\n Stay secure online<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you\u2019re on holiday, stay safe when connecting to public WiFi, especially when you\u2019re in an airport or a hotel. Always check the security of your connection and take heed of pop-up warnings that you may be connecting to an unsecured network. Look out for network security features such as being asked to register an account or type in a password before connecting. If you have to use an unsecured network, avoid sharing any sensitive data or bank details that scammers could steal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What you need to know before booking that getaway. When you\u2019re in a reverie about what foods you\u2019ll relish on holiday, what rare animals you might see on safari or the bliss of a rejuvenating spa experience, the last thing you\u2019re thinking about is something going wrong on your holiday. Here are some useful tips […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":35914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[547,445,10029,735,10030],"class_list":{"0":"post-35912","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel","8":"tag-getaway","9":"tag-holiday","10":"tag-kruger-gate-hotel","11":"tag-travel","12":"tag-travel-insurance"},"yoast_head":"\n