CHICAGO, IL in Huntington, IN

Directions: Take U.S. 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in the South. He became directly into the South Shore Drive and turn left onto 87th Street and then right on the boulevard Indianapolis, it is once Indiana (the set is clearly marked by signs U.S. 41 South while the route). Take 41 south of the USA USA 30 and turn left to head east. Stay on U.S. 30 is about 110 miles. Turn right onto Indiana 9 and stay on the approximately 20 miles. Bear right on Tipton Street and follow in this city. Turn right onto Warren Street. 166 miles and about 4 hours, 5 minutes.

Alternate Route: Take U.S. 41 (Lake Shore Drive) south of Chicago Skyway (I-90). Exit # 31 is for Chesterton / Valparaiso. Turn right onto Indiana 49 South to Valparaiso. Take the ramp on U.S. 30 East (towards Plymouth) and stay on for about 85 miles. Turn right onto Indiana 9 and stay on the approximately 20 miles. Bear right on Tipton Street and follow in this city. Turn right onto Warren Street. 166 miles and about 3 hours, 35 minutes.

Picking my rental car at the Alamo on Lake Clark and stop the blue line (and under the loop stops), I set the Lake Street Michigan Avenue to Congress Street Lake Shore Drive. ImageChicago my hometown so that I could recommend a dozen scenic roads to get from downtown the city (and a couple really dangerous as those of South State Street).

Still in all my time to leave the city, I could not remember a time that Lake Shore Drive considered more beautiful.

The route that I took is not highly recommended as it passes through the shadow absolutely certain sections of Chicago, but I do recommed taking Lake Shore Drive to where it merges with the Skyway on a tract as the more traditional Kennedy (I-90 / I -94). Lake Shore Drive loops around the beaches and parks of Lake Michigan in a seemingly endless series of view on the lake.

South Shore Drive did the same through Hyde Park and Bronzeville (mainly Chicago, Harlem, but without the urban decay). However, if you take the road to South Shore Drive, there is no leakage and you'll be stuck either along the lake to Indiana (and if you're scared of the city along the wheel and ) Or via Chicago absolute worst neighborhoods to return to the expressway.

ImageIf you stand firm, Indianapolis Boulevard is worth every ounce of concern that you may have.

The Skyway is much faster but it goes above and too far north to see a great hidden secret of Chicagoland that I did not know - the towns of Munster and Highland, IN.

These cities are so near Chicago that people of the shuttle in two things, but caught my eye very quickly. The first is that the first farm, I saw the visit was off the road in Highland the second is that Highland has a spectacular main street that for Indianapolis Boulevard turns into a short stretch.

Beyond that, this road is not very exciting, but there is no way to avoid U.S. 30 (and, believe me, Yahoo and Google Maps once tried to take me to express, no matter how I I am beaten disk). Unlike many sections of U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway) there are not many courses to expand its Indiana. It's basically a big piece of sububan spread across northern Indiana.

This road goes below Valpariso which is supposed to be very pleasant and could be an interesting place to end - but I did not. Warsaw, IN seems it might be an interesting place because of its name, but it is not.

Huntington, on the other hand, is a Norman Rockwell painting with modern characters.

Will it finally be making some adjustments to the regime of the TRIPS Agreement patenting of life as a result of the summit in Cancun, trade? After more than four years of deadlock between the developed and developing countries, there are signs of movement. One comes from discussions at the World Trade Organization as to whether patent applicants must disclose - make public - where they got the genetic material and led to inventions involving TK. The other comes from a parallel debate on whether and how the patent system recognizes traditional knowledge in its own right. The African group of the WTO has added a new dimension to the debate by filing a proposal to set TK under the TRIPS Agreement formally rules.

Submitted to intense pressure from the United States and Europe, developing countries agreed with great reluctance to include a section on intellectual property rights - TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) -- part of the WTO agreement in Marrakech in 1994. Particularly controversial were the provisions on patents on life forms in Article 27.3 (b), which were agreed only on the condition that they would be reviewed prior to their entry into force in developing countries in 2000.

This review has been slow to start and has been languishing for years - with a clear North-South divide producing interesting discussions, but no progress. A bold came at the start of the review by the African Group, said that all patenting of life should be banned throughout the world under the TRIPS Agreement, and that any regime for plant varieties must protect the rights of farmers and communities local. Another bold move came from the United States, which proposed that sort of subject at all should be excluded from patentability, not even plants and animals. In this sense have reached an impasse soon.

In recent months, however, with the Cancun trade summit on the horizon, it seems that some last ditch efforts are being made to try to get something done. In the industrialized countries, the European Union and Switzerland have both indicated their willingness to negotiate some kind of mechanism for disclosure of origin of genetic material or traditional knowledge used in patented inventions. But neither are willing to make it a mandatory requirement, or bind to benefit sharing. Even their concept of origin is limited to a general indication of the "geographical area", in the case of the EU, or simply "source", in the case of Switzerland.

A number of developing countries, on the other hand, are reaffirming and reinforcing their request, a sound mechanism for disclosure of origin, which would require not only detailed information on who provided the materials used or of knowledge, but also proof positive benefit-sharing and prior informed consent.

At the same time, the least developed countries (LDCs) and the Africa Group are reiterating their call for a complete reversal of the TRIPS Agreement on language patenting of life, so patents on life forms would be banned rather than necessary.

But Africa has also tabled a new proposal which aims to integrate traditional knowledge (TK) has formally within the framework of the TRIPS Agreement. Africans want to add to the TRIPS Agreement an entire section on TK. It would be especially specify under what conditions TK can and can not be the subject of intellectual property rights, but would also address how TK should be respected and protected in a more general sense.

In this paper, GRAIN will comment on the proposals regarding the disclosure of origin and on the African proposal on TK. In both cases, developing countries are on the ground politically dangerous. There is a broad consensus on the need to limit the impact of biopiracy by introducing more checks and balances in the system of IPR. But there is also a very real risk that even limited reforms in this direction will serve to legitimize, expand and strengthen intellectual property rights on life. That would leave local communities who depend on biodiversity and traditional knowledge for their livelihood in a worse situation than they are at present.

Disclosure of origin

When companies or research institutes apply for patents relating to biological materials or traditional knowledge, should they be required to disclose where they got the equipment or knowledge?

The answer seems obvious. Unless the applicant provides this information, how a patent office may decide, even if an invention has taken place, and not simply an appropriation of knowledge that already exists, ie biopiracy? Yet, there is absolutely no agreement among governments on this simple principle, and even less about how such a requirement should work.

Developing countries have begun to push for a rule on the disclosure of origin in the TRIPS Agreement due to the increased incidence of patents granted in foreign countries on biopirated materials or knowledge. At present, the only possible remedy is to challenge the patent in court or before the patent office in the country in which it was granted. This is difficult and expensive, and while large countries such as India have sometimes managed to invalidate these patents, the path is not legal in most cases, a practical option. If forced TRIPS patent applicants to say where they got the genetic resources or leads on inventions, it is assumed that fewer biopiracy patents will be granted. That's because the disclosure of origin will demonstrate whether the applicant actually invented what is claimed, or whether the invention is devoid of novelty and inventiveness. Proposals to this measure have come from large number of developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Governments of developing countries have a strong case because the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) clearly recognizes the right of the parties, ie States, controlling access to genetic resources and receive share of the benefits derived from their use or commercial development.

Submissions from developing countries have generally argued for a strong and effective mechanism for disclosure of origin, which must be:

' mandatory: all countries should pursue a condition for granting patents;

' related to patentability itself: no patent should be granted without disclosure, and any patent must be cancelled if it is shown that the information was false;

' linked to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC): it must be demonstrated that the equipment and knowledge have contributed to the development of the invention were acquired with the consent of at least the government agency responsible for granting access to these things;

' related to benefit-sharing: It must be proven that the person who accesses the hardware or knowledge complied with the supplier country of benefit-sharing regulations.

There is little doubt that such a rule would make a real difference in the reduction of biopiracy. This is indirectly confirmed by the counter-put forward by European countries, which have not all four major characteristics. The authors of biopiracy rightly fear multilateral regulation.

However, even if the proposals of developing countries have been accepted in full, they would not solve the problem of biopiracy.

A major flaw in the current proposals is that there is no guarantee a fair deal for local communities who are the real suppliers of resources and knowledge. No proof of their consent and benefit sharing with them would be needed, only that government agencies. (This is of course a failure shared with the CBD, which also left to national governments.)

Worse yet, an agreement on the disclosure of origin is likely to be seen as a capitulation on the issue of patents for life - the very heart of the controversy. Civil society organizations from many parts of the world have been quick to point out that the disclosure of origin as a condition of patentability plants and animals in contradiction with the basic principle of "no patents on life "[1].

Traditional knowledge in the TRIPS?

Over the past two years, a number of developing countries, especially Africans and Latin Americans, have called for the creation of a specific legal instrument for the protection of traditional knowledge. This discussion took place as to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization, a United Nations body) and the WTO. At the Doha Ministerial of the WTO in 2001, TK has been officially added to the agenda of the ongoing review on TRIPS in the TRIPS Council.

The Africa Group has now issued a concrete proposal on TK in the TRIPS Council [2]. It tries to do several things contradictory and partly at the same time (see box). On the one hand, he is trying to set limits on the IPR system as it affects traditional knowledge. It does this by proposing amendments to the TRIPS Agreement that:

' make the mere existence of TK reasons for defeat intellectual property rights, given that the novelty, inventiveness and originality will be compromised, and

' preventing intellectual property rights on inventions derived from TK, except PIC, benefit-sharing and access to several other requirements have been satisfied.

At the same time, the proposal defines TK as itself a form of intellectual property. This is in contrast to the widespread understanding between TK holders themselves, who usually regard to traditional knowledge as an integral part of a cultural and spiritual context, and not merely as property to be bought and sold. There is no doubt that elements of TK are sometimes traded, but when that happens many would say that it also loses its nature of this knowledge. In any case, the definition of traditional knowledge as intellectual property and denies undermining its intrinsic value, its complexity and its central role in many societies.

Perhaps as a result of the redefinition of traditional knowledge as intellectual property, the African Group also proposes to give the WTO responsibility for a number of measures to develop the protection of traditional knowledge and respect for rights TK. Most of the measures listed are not related to the protection of intellectual property, but the backup reasonable terms to TK holders to continue to use and develop their cultural heritage and traditional economic activities without interference unwanted commercial.

Framing people's rights to traditional knowledge as intellectual property rights is simply wrong, and entrusting their development to an organization with a focus on trade and intellectual property rights would be a very dangerous step to take. Privatization and commercial appropriation of traditional knowledge through intellectual property rights is one of the main threats to traditional knowledge systems, and not a road to ensure their protection.

Part of the confusion that is inherent in the word "protection", which means something very different in intellectual property law and the regular use. "Protection" of enforcing intellectual property by private vehicles, exclusive economic rights to a specific creation in order to prevent others from using or reproducing it. "Protection" TK, on the other hand, requires all social welfare, economic, cultural and spiritual development of this knowledge so that it continues to be produced and reproduced. The African proposal, unfortunately, uses the word interchangeably in both directions.

There is no doubt necessary to introduce limits and conditions on the use of intellectual property rights on inventions derived from TK. It is something that belongs to the WTO, because the TRIPS Agreement is a major cause of the problems created by the patenting of traditional knowledge holders. And it can be done by an amendment to the TRIPS Agreement.

But it is even more urgent to strengthen the protection of traditional knowledge in the broader perspective, the nonsense, intellectual property rights. Without better safeguards, many traditional knowledge systems are threatened with extinction. But this is not an issue for an organization like the WTO, or a body such as intellectual property in WIPO. Both are really part of the problem, not the solution. This is rather a question for other intergovernmental bodies with different mandates and expertise, such as the Commission on Human Rights UN, UNDP (the United Nations Program for Development); CBD or UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). All these elements have already carried out work on the ground and at least in principle, are in a better position to address the issue in a more holistic way.

More power to TRIPS? Or less?

Governments in developing countries have the right to require adjustments of the TRIPS Agreement to reduce the negative impact on the management of genetic resources and traditional knowledge systems. But they are mistaken if they believe that the WTO is the place to look for "protection" of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in anything other than a sense of private intellectual property. The mandate of the WTO is very closely involved in the promotion of increased international trade. If TK protection means "modernization" of traditional systems by tearing them apart and the transformation of their tradable items in intellectual property, then the WTO is the right place to do it. If not, then TK should be kept outside the WTO.

Developing countries have resisted the TRIPS Agreement from the beginning because they saw it as a threat to sustainable development on their own terms. They were correct, and are now increasingly supported by a critical evaluation of the United Nations and other independent analyses, as well as by growing public opinion in both North and South. In the past few months, several major studies and analyses were conducted by bodies such as the United Kingdom IPR [3], the Royal Society of the United Kingdom [4], [5] UNDP and the Human Genome Organization [6], which uses changes in intellectual property or limitations on its use to end its ill effects on research, innovation and development. It would be a supreme irony if at this very moment, developing countries are turning to more power and performance of the TRIPS Agreement.

The solution remains to be found in the opposite direction. TRIPS Agreement should be amended to reduce the obligations of developing countries to adopt intellectual property regimes full part in all fields of technology and wider to allow for exceptions. At a minimum, biodiversity and traditional knowledge should be excluded from the TRIPS Agreement. Nothing new has come to the conclusion that the change of life patent bring benefits to developing countries, whether in fact to anyone. The Group Africa and LDCs are correct reiterating their resistance to the principle of patenting life.

The positive agenda - to develop better safeguards for traditional knowledge systems and tools by which communities can control the development and use of genetic resources - must be pursued elsewhere. Less power of the TRIPS Agreement in addition to other players who for sustainable development, community rights and cultural diversity are really on the agenda - this is the recipe, and not vice versa .

You can read under Where to Stay on the various areas to consider when choosing a place for you on the basis of Bali, so I will talk more extensively here.

* We learned that raising a family is absolutely central to most adults Balinese life of the people, and so it seemed quite natural that our children are around. Wherever we bumps in the local folks, we would soon be explaining our kids' age and learn something about the family of our interlocutor.

* Most restaurants had something that even picky eaters would tolerate. Many places near hotels had a mixture of Western food, such as steak or sandwcihes, as well as local food, the seafood of persuasion. When all else has failed EVERYWHERE nasi goreng, fried rice at the bottom. In many small places, it would be very difficult to be certain that a flat did not include some shellfish, or peanut oil or egg, so if you or your children have allergies that you need to stick to the most expensive places where dishes can be more easily adapted to your needs.

* No one, even the local people, drink tap water, if bottled water is available at a lower cost, even at the roadside stand the smallest. You need to help children brush their teeth using bottled water to be sure. We drank several brands, and no one had any problems with their tummies because of this.

* Our children are out of diapers, so that you do not care about yours. No, wait, that was not pleasant. Dry Pampers and Huggies are both available not only in department stores such as Macro and Hero, but also to stores like Circle K or K market. However, if you use layers of paper (or your children), you can always make your own with you.

* Good news for baby foods as well: Many different brands including Similac fortified with iron, are available. The wholesale price of a can usually US $ 9-10. It is available at the macro or superheroes to the department store. Gerber Baby Foods is the same price as at home, but the choice is more limited. No organic baby food to be found.

* Milk in restaurants is always made from powder. This may taste funny to some children. Most of milk for sale in shops was UHT milk, which may be unfamiliar to some of us. This milk is used on some high temperature, and then sealed in the box until you open the box of milk does not need to be refrigerated. We have not seen for sale anywhere any non-cow's milk (soy, goat, etc.), or of the variety common in many places (not fat, 2%, whole, etc. .)

* Bring hand wipes and disinfecting that goopy cream. Many places outside hotels have limited services to clean, and many foods are eaten with the hands, whether by design or simply because it happened. You and your children should not eat fruit that you do not peel them and they should carefully salads to eat when you are unsure of how much lettuce was washed. We have quite follow the rules and no one was sick.

* Most places, we have seen sit toilets, but outside the cities that you will find perhaps squatters (tell us more about toilets elsewhere). Many places had no toilet paper available, so bring some or a pack of tissues. Almost nowhere was a way to dry your hands, thus making a face towel for the children.

Special thanks to Paola, and Mark Lucas (pictured right) for their update on Bali.
Guide Books

We always use Lonely Planet guides. They are written by people who have actually spent more than a week in places they write about, and to include a healthy dose of history, culture and briefs as well as the hotel, restaurant and hiking recommendations.

The book on Bali (Lombok is a nearby island) is no exception. He has a wealth of information on the Balinese culture that we have enjoyed reading before our arrival, and then further assessed in terms of the house that we read on the scene and the things we saw.

Bali guide includes a wide range of recommendations than most other books, quite useful when you need to save a few dollars on dinner, or want more out-of-the-way place for a few nights.

Recently, the Travel Channel asked me a question about our top tips for family travel. I compiled this list and figured I share them on the site as follows:

1. Attitude is everything: expect problems, go with the flow and everything will work out great. The journey is hard and travel with children is even more difficult. But if you treat your trip as an adventure, problems, mistakes and mishaps are just small obstacles for your warm band of explorers to overcome. I mean, seriously, do you think that Dora would have left a period of two hours to get her? Indiana Jones would stress because the restaurant had no chicken fingers? This holds true both for parents and for children. If a dog can smell fear, you think your better than seven years can. If you get stressed when you can not find your hotel, your kids get too stressed. When you think of it as "exploring the neighborhood," everybody feels better.

2. Things to bring:

* Remember to drugs. It's always a good idea to travel with some children Tylenol (or whatever you prefer), so that you do not have to worry about tracking down a drug store in a strange neighborhood 11 hours depending on the amount of space you have, you may want to bring small containers of cough syrup or Claritin as well. Finally, some parents swear by it and some parents hate, but Benadryl can go a long way. Especially with long flights, which gives you something of the child to help them sleep everyone can be much happier.

* And certainly not forget the baby wipes. Even if your child was not in diapers during the Clinton administration, baby wipes are invaluable when traveling. As a reader wrote, "You can clean your hands, faces, toilet seats, almost anything with them. On a hot day, you can even wipe your face and neck with them to cool slightly. "

* Other useful items. Become dirty kids, especially when they are traveling. Bring a small container of detergent special travel (tides your garage is not working), then use your hotel sink to eliminate damage to your child meatball accident. Ziplock bags have thousands of uses and resume virtually no space. Bring a variety of formats if you can. Finally, a small, robust and night can help transform a frightening in a hotel room comfortable den.

3. Leave at the right time. If you nap children, the use of their schedules to your advantage. For example, if you have a long journey, see if you can not leave an hour before the scheduled time of their nap. Most children can be entertained for a short time for you to buy some time right there. Once they fall asleep around their normal nap time, you just buy you one or two hours of happiness on the way to your destination. It can work for both flights. If you want to push your luck with this strategy, consider a red-eye flight. Especially if you go to the ocean to the other (at least in the United States), you can try to entertain a kid of 6 hours on a flight of the day or you can have them sleep on a flight that leaves at 11 am . Be advised, however, it is a high-risk, high-return maneuver. When executed to perfection, you get on the plane, give your child and her teddy bear wake up 3000 miles away. When things go wrong, however, you are awake all night sustainable shrapnel from the people sitting near you and the entire family is transformed into zombies cranky the next day.

4. Making the most of your flight.

* Do a bit of advance planning. I always start with SeatGuru.com check the layout of my flight and try to resume the good places. Map alleys, windows and think about where to put your family. Do you want everyone in the same row or would you really rather spread a bit because Johnnie Janie still get under the skin of individuals? You can get creative here.
* Meals. For airlines that continue to serve food, most children have food. They tend to include more kid friendly options and often come with toys or stickers.
* Council separately. Many airlines have dropped special for families with young children. If this is an option for you, think about it, especially if there is only one adult. But for me, I love their parents' separation to minimize the time you spend on the aircraft. Send Daddy Sherpa from the first with the most tricks as he can carry. Keep Mom or Grandpa or anyone else in the boarding area of the door until the officers physically you onto the plane. In this way, your children can run around energy and burn in the boarding area much more spacious than the 672 square inches they will try to occupy for the next four hours.

5. Choose your toys and books wisely. Toys with many small moving parts are bound to end up as empty food. "One-trick" toys also take the express train to boredom city. Things like a good set of portable art supplies with crayons, markers and paper can be turned into hours of fun (or at least distraction). One school of thought is to bring your kids favorites. If you can play daughter at home with her Groovy Girl for four hours, it's probably a pretty good bet that his entertainment in the car too. Another school of thought suggests toys held in reserve for trips. Save a couple of brand new toys to be unveiled dramatically when your child is on the verge of collapse.

One of America's most storied highways, US 1 largely follows the route of the old Boston Post Road, which connects the 13 colonies. Perhaps his greatest stretch is sawtooth to the coast of Maine, where it passes through time wonderfully warped old towns and offers spectacular views of the Atlantic. A necessary step on the road is Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park, which offers hiking and beautiful oceanside some of America's best bird-watching. Another is the Big Chicken Barn in Ellsworth (207-667-7308), Maine's largest antiquarian bookstore, with more than 100000 books and magazines 10000. And what would a road trip without Maine lobster? There are dozens of shacks fine seafood along US 1, including in the Sea Basket Wiscasset (207-882-6581), the Lobster Pound in Ogunquit Ogunquit (207-646-2516) and the classic in the Maine Diner Wells (207-646 - 4441), where the specialty is lobster pie - as a sort of pot of chicken pie, only with lobster.

MINNESOTA 61 Duluth to Grand Portage (150 miles)

People may snicker when you say that you go to Duluth (it seems to work as the punch line to almost any joke), but you have the last laugh because the city is the point of launch of a trip through Minnesota's North Shore, a 150-mile trip with magnificent views of Lake Superior that make America the most beautiful Great Lakes drive. Several dirt roads branch off from the main road and lead in the adjacent Superior National Forest, where the dazzling fir, birch and spruce will help you feel very far from civilization. Back on the main road, stop for a hike and a spectacular view of the cascades at Gooseberry Falls State Park (218-834-3855) and treat yourself to the locally famous Betty's Pies (218-834-3367). Head toward the Canadian border, and you come to Grand Portage National Monument in Grand Marais (218-387-2788), where you will see the restored stockade of the North West Fur Company, a key position in the late 1700's .

ROUTE 66 Arizona and New Mexico (600 miles)

Although most of it was short-circuited by expressways, Route 66 remains the quintessential American road trip, and many of its best sections remaining in the Southwest. Now as a living museum as a work Highway 66, is an unrivalled source of history and Americana, thanks to the pluckiness of different neon-signed mom-and-pop businesses that have managed to hold on despite the decline in use of the road and also thanks to the nostalgia-and history-based preservation movement Route 66 (for an overview, visit www.national66.com). There are literally dozens of great stops on the way, including the eccentric burger and milkshake joint Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In Seligman, Arizona (520-422-3291), the Blue Hole, which is an artesian well Santa Rosa, NM filled with the crystal clear waters of scuba diving that the practice exists, and the beautiful Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM (505-461-9849), once described by Smithsonian Magazine as "the last, best and most sympathetic of the old-time motels. "If possible, time your trip to Albuquerque July 20-22 for the festival of the Route Remember, 66 in honor of his 75th birthday.

Down US 101 Oregon's coast (365 miles)

Running 365 miles from Astoria, Oregon at the border California, USA 101 of the road from the coast of Oregon is among the most beautiful of America drives. Practically every twist and turn in the road brings a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean, and more than three dozen state parks - the highest concentration per thousand in the country - will provide ample opportunities for stretching legs and to tackle the beach. Other useful stops along the way include the small village of Gearhart, the birthplace of retirement and summer of the late James Beard chef, whose culinary heritage is celebrated at the local restaurants as Pacific Way Bakery & Cafe (503-738-0245); the Tillamook Air Museum (503-842-1130), which tells the story of America's coastline of the Second World War-surveillance blimps and is housed in a huge hangar airship, which ranks among the world's largest wooden structures, and the irresistible Sea Lion Caves in Florence (541 -547-3111), a natural sea cave where you can watch sea lions frolicking.

Organize comprehensive travel insurance before you go should be an essential part of the preparation for your holiday and can save you the sake of unforeseen medical expenses. Regardless of how healthy and fit you - if you can not afford travel insurance, you can not afford to travel.

When you organize your insurance, without disclosing any pre-existing medical conditions in writing. If the insurance company refuses to cover your pre-existing medical condition, be sure to take out insurance to cover health and other travel-related issues, which are not related to your pre-existing condition. In cases where full coverage is not provided for passengers should consider the possibility of financial risks very carefully before deciding whether to proceed with the planned trip overseas.

It is a good idea to take a walk when choosing an insurance policy and ensure the coverage is adequate for your needs and cover all the time, you will be away. You should check the fine print of your insurance contract very carefully to see if the exclusions may apply, and that your policy includes coverage of emergency care, hospitalization and repatriation to Australia where need.

Cruise are strongly encouraged to take out travel insurance, appropriate to their circumstances.

If you plan to participate in the adventure tourism or sports like diving or parasailing, be upfront about your plans with your insurance provider and make sure your policy covers these activities.

If you plan to rely on the travel insurance offered by your credit card, you must, before traveling to obtain written confirmation of what exactly insurance, the length of time you will be covered and what are the conditions attached. Do not just assume your application has been accepted and that treaties or simply having a credit card you are entitled to immediate coverage once you leave the country. You do not want to know if you are in trouble that your travel insurance does not cover everything you thought it was, or that your insurance was not activated. If you are not sure whether you are covered for any of the above, you should check with your insurer.

Do not base your decision to take out insurance on the assumption that "it will not happen to me." Accidents do happen. Medical standards vary from country to country. Hospitalization, medical evacuations, or the return of a deceased person remains in Australia, can be very expensive. Be aware when arranging your assurance that the uninsured passengers (or their families) are personally liable medical and covers all the costs they incur. Overseas medical expenses not covered by Medicare. Some families were in bankruptcy, forced to sell assets such as houses, the outflow of pension fund or bring loved ones back in Australia for treatment.

If you extend your stay overseas, be sure to contact your insurer at the time to extend your coverage.

Some examples of why you need travel insurance:

* Daily hospitalisation costs in Southeast Asia regularly exceed $ 800
* One night in Noumea at the main hospital cost a minimum of $ 1500 - 4000
* The ministry has handled medical evacuations near Bali, in which costs exceeded $ 60000
* The return of a deceased person rest of Europe can cost in excess of $ 10000
* The cost of medical evacuations from the United States regularly range from $ 75000 to $ 95000 and sometimes up to $ 300000.

It is important for all Australians to remember that a lot of problems overseas can be avoided if certain precautions are taken. Follow our tips for travellers overseas to be well on your way to have a hassle-free trip.

1. Check the latest tips for your travel to smartraveller.gov.au before you go. Subscribe to receive e-mail notification whenever travel tips will be updated.
2. Take out travel insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and activities, including adventure sports, in which you plan to participate.
3. Before you can save your trip abroad and coordinates travel online at smartraveller.gov.au or at the local Australian Embassy, High Commission or consulate upon arrival so that we can contact you in an emergency.
4. Obey the law of the country in which you find yourself. Do not expect to be treated differently to the local population simply because it is Australian, although local laws seem harsh or unfair by Australian standards.
5. Make sure you have the right visas for the countries you are visiting or transiting. And remember: A visa does not guarantee entry.
6. Make copies of your passport, insurance, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Bring a copy in a place separate from the original and leave a copy with someone at home.
7. Consult your doctor about all the recommended vaccinations and health precautions to be taken. Also find out about overseas taking medication - certain medications are not permitted in some countries.
8. Make sure your passport has at least six months of validity. Carry extra passport photos in case your passport is lost or stolen and you need to replace it immediately.
9. Stay in touch with your friends and family at home and give them a copy of your itinerary in order to know where you are.
10. Check whether you are considered a national of the country you plan to visit, and if dual citizenship will have implications for all your travel plans.