Travel Insurance

QBE Insurance Group - Home Page If you can read this your browser does not support javascript or this feature is currently switched off. Please update your browser using one of the following links or enable javascripting via your browser settings. Click here to download Internet Explorer 6 Click here to download Mozilla QBE Insurance Group "QBE Insurance is Australia's leading International General Insurance and Reinsurance groups and one of the to 25 world wide." Core underwriting entities Standard & Poor's Rating = A+ Our Vision internationally recognised as a highly successful general insurance and reinsurance group; a builder of shareholders' wealth; a developer of "can do" people; and an organisation that excels in the continuous delivery of new and proven quality products and services. Our Values increasing the long-term wealth of shareholders; customer satisfaction and retention; employee satisfaction; and integrity. Divisions Group Annual Report Press Releases Shareholder Centre Financial Centre Webcasts Australia "QBE Insurance Australia, protecting people in all walks of life - from the home to the office and beyond" From our humble beginnings as the North Queensland Insurance company we have grown into a sophisticated provider of general insurance products. Our strength is our diversity. We provide over nine broad categories of general insurance. We provide comprehensive protection for peoples' homes, their lifestyles, their work environments. As a group, QBE works together to improve our customer service, our technology and our products. QBE Insurance - Aviation QBE Insurance - Commercial - QBE Mercantile Mutual QBE Insurance - Compulsory Third Party - CTP QBE Insurance - Corporate QBE Insurance - Personal - WQBE - Western QBE QBE Insurance - Professional Liability QBE Insurance - Surety QBE Insurance - Trade Credit QBE Insurance - Travel QBE Insurance - Workers Compensation Application for Credit Limit Endorsement QBE Insurance - Europe QBE Insurance - Asia Pacific QBE Asia Pacific: Our Vision Increasing Accountability Local Knowledge - Specialist Expertise Thriving on Complexity Our Vision - QBE Asia Pacific We aim to be recognised within the Asia Pacific markets as: a highly successful provider of specialist insurance solutions a team of results-oriented entrepreneurs with high levels of expertise and integrity a strong and ethical business partner an organisation that thrives on innovation and excels in the delivery of quality products and services a builder of customer value and shareholder wealth Increasing Accountability & Litigation For Asia Pacific companies to thrive in today's challenging business environment, they must be smarter, quicker and more entrepreneurial. They constantly face new business exposures and challenges arising from government regulation and common law. The margin for error has been squeezed in business today, and managers are confronted by the global trend of increasing accountability and litigation. They need specialist insurance solutions, backed by technical expertise. Equally as important, they need risk management experts with specialist knowledge who can translate the global into practical solutions at the local level - and then provide the on-the-ground resources when they are needed most. QBE Asia Pacific Operations has developed considerable strengths to best serve clients. Our history of commitment to the Asia Pacific markets means that we've developed a wealth of knowledge and experience. Local Knowledge - Specialist Expertise Five of our operations were established in the late 1880s, and four more were established in the early 1890s. Building on this strong foundation, we entered four additional markets in the 1970s and 80s, and five more in the 1990s. We now have over 18 QBE operations in various markets throughout the Asia Pacific region. Each market features different characteristics and dynamics, and local market knowledge can make all the difference for clients. For example, QBE operates in: Mature markets such as Singapore, New Zealand and Japan Emerging markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines Developing markets such as Thailand and Malaysia Small markets characterised by tightly knit communities, such as Vanuatu and Micronesia Markets that are rapidly moving toward more open economies, such as Vietnam and China Markets that have seen new opportunities emerge from the return to their motherland, such as Macau and Hong Kong Markets that operate under French customs and law, such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia Markets that have experienced political and social upheavals, such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands In each of these markets, local knowledge is invaluable. And with the internationalisation of trade and business practice, businesses also need an underwriter with specialist insurance expertise, vast global experience and solid financial strength. Thriving on Complexity Ours is a complex business, and we thrive on that challenge. It is also a dynamic one, with growth driven by an acquisition strategy and a commitment to the professional development of our local teams. We are a grass roots company that is international in every sense of the word. The combination of local knowledge and specialist expertise provides important benefits to clients and intermediaries. In Asia Pacific, it's the QBE difference! QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Specialist Risks Unit QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Marine Risks Network QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Hong Kong QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Indonesia QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Macau QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Mainland China QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Malaysia QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Philippines QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Singapore QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Thailand QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Vietnam QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Fiji QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - French Polynesia QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Japan QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Micronesia QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - New Caledonia QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - New Zealand QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Papua New Guinea QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Solomon Islands QBE Insurance - QBE Asia Pacific - Vanuatu QBE Insurance - the Americas QBE Insurance Group Limited, is an insurance and reinsurance company publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange. Its history dates back over 116 years when the Company was founded in Australia. Since then the Company has grown to have operations in 47 countries with over $2 billion dollars of capital writing in excess of $3 billion dollars in premium. QBE the Americas operations commenced in 1986 when the QBE Insurance Group established a presence in the U.S. QBE the Americas now conducts business through its five companies, QBE Reinsurance Corporation, QBE Insurance Corporation, QBE Aseguradora de Riesgos del Trabajo S.A.,Argentina, QBE Del Istmo, Panama and QBE Brasil Seguros S.A. Lloyd's The Lloyd's division comprises QBE's share of the Lloyd's syndicates managed by Limit. The 2001 results are the first to contain a full year of activity from the acquisition of Limit in August 2000. Gross written premium for the Lloyd's division was $2,182 million, compared with $547 million last year. Net earned premium was up 273% to $1,365 million. Significant progress was made during 2001 towards achieving the objectives set out in last year's annual report. The rationalisation of the structure of the Lloyd's division continued with the merger of syndicates 79 and 2999, the closure of the under-performing syndicate 456 and the disposal of the property and aviation syndicate 318. This resulted in a significant reallocation of QBE's capital towards its best performing Lloyd's syndicates. Our exposure to poor performing US liability business was significantly reduced. QBE is now the sole capital provider to each of Limit's syndicates, other than syndicate 386 where our share has increased to over 40%. For the 2002 underwriting year, QBE provides 78% of Limit's aggregate capacity compared with 72% in 2001. The tragic events of 11 September overshadowed the year and the World Trade Center (WTC) loss had a significant impact on performance. In addition, upgrades were made to prior year outstanding claims provisions, principally to reflect adverse development on US liability business seen across the market. These upgrades have been substantially mitigated by reinsurance protections and provisions established on acquisition to allow for deterioration. Consequently, the result for the year largely reflects the performance of the 2001 underwriting year. The claims ratio was 72.9%, compared with 59.4% for last year. The combined operating ratio was 108.6%, compared with 101.1% last year. Excluding the WTC loss, the combined operating ratio would have been 101.0%. The movement in the commission ratio from 27.3% to 24.6% reflects the change in the mix of business during 2001. The decrease in the expense ratio from 14.4% to 11.1% reflects the synergies and savings delivered by the integration of QBE's former Lloyd's operations with Limit, partly offset by residual post acquisition integration costs during the year. 2001 was a transitional year in the market cycle with the rate increases anticipated at the start of the year not materialising until at least the middle of the year and, in some cases, not until after the impact of 11 September. We are now seeing substantial increases in premium rates across all classes of business underwritten within the Lloyd's division. These rate increases, together with a high level of business retention, new business opportunities and the reallocation of QBE's capital, should ensure profitability for the 2002 underwriting year. Our objectives for 2002 are to: take advantage of the dramatically improved rating environment and return all areas of underwriting to strong profitability; seek further rationalisation of the underwriting and operating structure in order to improve capital efficiency and our expense ratio; acquire further capacity on syndicate 386 as it becomes available; and be actively involved in the reforms proposed for the Lloyd's market. Our business at Lloyd's remains highly dependent upon the quality and commitment of our underwriters and their business franchise. I thank them for their efforts and achievements, which have ensured that QBE's Lloyd's division is now ideally positioned to take advantage of the hard market conditions now prevailing at Lloyd's. Steven Burns, Managing director, Lloyd's division Global Trade Credit "QBE Trade Credit, World-Wide credit solutions in an increasingly volatile business environment" QBE's Trade Credit underwrites $30bn of domestic and export trade credit from units in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe having extensive experience in assessing risks in over 150 markets. We are a Standard and Poors A+ rated company. Supported by a product range of tailored solutions to your credit needs, QBE is uniquely placed to offer our clients the opportunity to conduct business in a secure environment. Established in 1962, we have in the last four decades risen to become the largest Australian Insurer offering both Domestic and Export trade credit insurance and have expanded offshore to service our clients locally around the world. QBE Re QBE Re is a leading global reinsurer providing treaty and facultative reinsurance, direct insurance, and other financial products to its varied clients. QBE Re conducts business through three Divisions: Australia, Europe, and the Americas. As a global reinsurer, QBE Re underwrites traditional and financial products covering all major lines and classes of business. Through its divisional network of companies, QBE Re excels in providing regional expertise and service tailored to local-market needs. For additional solutions from QBE Re, please visit our local teams: QBE Insurance - Australia QBE Insurance - Europe QBE Insurance - the Americas

Golf Vacation

Golf resorts, golf vacation packages Youare here: Home » Golf resorts Property Listing Service Destination Africa Asia Australia Caribbean CentralAmerica Europe MiddleEast NorthAmerica Oceania SouthAmerica WeekendGetaways Backroad CityEscape UniqueStays Castle Hotel Eco Lodge Outdoors Fishing Lodge Hunting Lodge Guest Ranch Resorts Spa Diving Golf Naturist Popular Categories Arts & Crafts Bicycle Tours Boating & Sailing Culture & History Eco & Wildlife Fishing & Hunting Golf & Spa Gourmet & Cooking Schools Hiking & Trekking Language Schools Naturist Paddling & Rafting Railway Trips Scuba Diving Maps Golf Resorts Spending time on an impeccably maintained, beautifully landscaped championship golf course is business as usual at most golf resorts. Whether visiting a small resort nestled in lush countryside, or staying at a legendary destination resort such as Gleneagles in remote Scotland, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy natural beauty, luxurious living, and abundant recreation. And nowadays, many golf resorts also have spas and children's programs to please non-golfing family members and allow the whole family a relaxing, satisfying vacation. Countries Golf resortsin USA Arizona California Colorado Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Massachusetts Montana New Hampshire New Mexico South Carolina Vermont Golf resortsin Canada Alberta British Columbia New Brunswick Ontario Quebec Golf resortsin Africa Egypt South Africa Golf resortsin Asia Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Golf resortsin Australia and Oceania Australia New Zealand Golf resortsin Caribbean Barbados Dominican Republic Grenada Jamaica Tobago US Virgin Islands West Indies Golf resortsin Central America Costa Rica Golf resortsin Europe France Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Portugal Scotland Spain United Kingdom Golf resortsin Middle East Turkey Golf resortsin North America Mexico Golf resortsin South America Argentina To list a hot trip, click here . InfoHub now offersconsumer fraud protection at no cost to you. Please make sureyou read the information about the Fraud Protection Program byclicking the button below. Learnmore Company | Supplier program | Travel agent program | Trip List Service | Affiliate Program | Submit Links | Contact Archive Site map Destination Guide InfoHub

Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels

Vacation Rentals - CafeGetaway Homes, Condos, Villas, Car Rental, Airfare Cafegetaway vacation rentals in every state! Villas, condos, cabins and cottages. Even a castle or two! Santa Cruz, California Big Island, Hawaii Palm Springs, California Home Owners Search Information Travel Resources Contact Us Hot Travel Destinations Disney World - Florida Hawaii (The Big Island) Hawaii - Maui Hawaii - Oahu Hawaii - Kauai Hawaii - Molokai Palm Springs, California Lake Tahoe Las Vegas, Nevada Hilton Head, South Carolina Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Smoky Mountains, North Carolina International Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Aruba Australia Bahamas Bali Barbados Belize Bermuda Brazil Canada Cayman Islands Costa Rica Croatia Dominica Dominican Republic France French Polynesia Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Hungary India Italy Jamaica Martinique Mexico New Zealand Netherlands-Antilles Portugal Puerto Rico Saint-Kitts-Nevis Saint-Lucia South Africa Spain Switzerland Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United Kingdom US Virgin Islands Website Design CafeGetaway is now proud to offer website design services to our valued customers through an alliance with DLConcepts.com . Call 407.656.9955 for details. Select from our lists of available vacation home rentals in every price range by clicking on the interactive map below. Contact the owner directly. We have villas, condos, cabins and cottages. Even a castle or two! USA Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | State of Hawaii | Hawaii - The Big Island | Hawaii - Maui | Hawaii - Oahu | Hawaii - Kauai | Hawaii - Molokai | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Massachusetts | Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | Mississippi | Montana | North Carolina | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | Nevada | New York | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Vermont | Washington | Wisconsin | West Virginia | Wyoming Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels Why would anyone choose a rental home over a hotel room? Click here to find out. Home | Owners | Search | Information | Travel Resources | Contact Us | Site Map Need a break? Florida Vacation Rentals, Villas, condos, and cabins CafeGetaway is an independent website offering cabins, condos, villas and cottages for rent by the owners or their appointed representatives. Please contact each individually. CafeGetaway Po Box 133 Windermere, FL 34786 For questions about the CafeGetaway website call 407.656.9955 For availability of a vacation rental please contact the owner using the phone or email on each listing. Please report any problems with this site to webmaster@cafegetaway.com dlconcepts website design and hosting

South America Travel Go

Travel Planners for South America  You are here: About > Travel > South America for Visitors > Plan Your Trip > Travel Planners for South America Travel Go South America Essentials Plan Your First Trip to South America Photo Gallery Travel Features - Countries and Culture News and Current Events Reader Participation Requested Articles & Resources Most Popular Destinations Countries and Territories Plan Your Trip Getting There Culture Events, Fiestas, Holidays Languages Geography News & Current Events History Archaeology Sports and Recreation Wildlife / Conservation Guides and Gear Cuisine Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Guide and Travel Books History and Culture Books Cookbooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the South America for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search South America for Visitors click for more images Angel Falls, Venezuela Courtney Milne Stay up to date! click for more images Angel Falls, Venezuela Courtney Milne Email to a friend Print this page Traveler's Resources Travel Articles about South America Photo Gallery FAQ More for the Traveler A - Z Site Map Index South America 101 South America: Never Out of Season Recent Discussions Great Vegas Site, Great Discounts Great Vegas Site, Great Discounts Help..traveling to South America..... Most Popular All Stars 9 Empanada Iguazu Falls Pictures of Chile South America Photo Gallery What's Hot Cola de Mono - Monkey's Tail Cuzco Pisco Sour Chilean Style Falkland Islands Photos Virtual Tour Related Topics Caribbean for Visitors Mexico / Central America for Visitors Spanish Language Adventure Travel Budget Travel Travel Planners for South America From Bonnie Hamre , Your Guide to South America for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! First time or experienced traveler, here's the information you need! South America is a huge, spectacular continent, with great rivers, lush rain forests, snow covered mountains and tremendous glaciers, barren deserts and fertile agricultural areas. The countries are unique unto themselves, but can be grouped somewhat geographically. The northern countries face the Caribbean Sea, have mixed populations, a tropical lifestyle and rugged mountains. Here you will find favorite destinations like Angel Falls, the coastal resort of Los Roques and Margarita Island. The Andean heartland contains the area that once was the core of the Inca Empire. Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador are still the most Indian of the South American countries. Here you will find the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, the highest navigable lake in the world in Lake Titicaca, snow-covered peaks and live volcanos, like famous Cotopaxi in Ecuador, plus the dense rain forests of western Amazonia. Brazil is like no other: language, culture, sheer size, superlatives, energy and style, but it does share the Pantanal with its neighbor, landlocked Paraguay where the Chaco is the last grand frontier on the continent. They share also the Parana river, where Friendship Bridge links the two nations near Iguazu Falls. The countries of the "Southern Cone" are the most European in flavor. Argentina and Chile host some of the wildest extremes of climate and geography - pampas and desert, the Andes, Patagonian glaciers and the Straits of Magellan and Beagle Passage. The islands, either territories or possessions, share very few characteristics with the mainland. They are unique and out of the way, yet they reward the traveler with sights and experiences far beyond the norm. But, before you can get to any of these destinations, you have to have a travel plan! Within these pages you'll particularly useful information for the first time visitor to South Anerica, but experienced travelers will also find this information a handy way to refresh their memories or find something new. These pages will take you directly to hundreds more of resources for travel to and around South America. You'll find country facts, plus ways to get there, the documents you'll need for travel, accommodations, sightseeing suggestions, history, geography, culture, the arts, language aids, transportation and practical help, plus wonderful photos and maps Please read these pages: Introduction Major Attractions and Countries Transportation and Tours Practical Information Choose your Destination! 1 2 3 4 5 Next        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Cola de Mono - Monkey's Tail Cuzco Pisco Sour Chilean Style Falkland Islands Photos Virtual Tour

Russia Travel

Russia Travel St Petersburg Moscow Travel Hotels Tours Russia Travel Specialist since 1967 TRAVEL RUSSIA HOTELS TOURS & CRUISES TRAVEL TO RUSSIA & THE BALTIC STATES HOTELS RUSSIA St. Petersburg Hotels Moscow Hotels Russia - all hotels ESTONIA Tallinn Hotels Parnu Hotels Estonia - all hotels LATVIA Riga Hotels Jurmala Hotels Latvia - all hotels LITHUANIA Vilnius Hotels Kaunas Hotels Klaipeda Hotels Lithuania - all hotels Russia Estonia Latvia Lithuania Chauffeured Car Tour St. Petersburg Russian River Cruises Chauffeured Car Tours Moscow 4 days St. Petersburg 4 days St Petersburg Special Winter City Package 4 days/3 nights chauffeured car tour St. Petersburg Russia In Depth 6 day chauffeured car tour St. Petersburg Novgorod Moscow 7 days by chauffeured car 3 Day Taste of Estonia 3 days from Sweden to Russia by Cruise, Chauffeured Car & Coach Taste of Tallinn Estonia 3 days by ferry to Tallinn from Helsinki Rail Journey Unique 3 days by train Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Helsinki Iron Maiden Express 4 days by train (Escorted) Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Helsinki St Petersburg by Train 4 days by train (Unescorted) Helsinki - St Petersburg - Helsinki Moscow by Train 5 days by train (Unescorted) Helsinki - Moscow - Helsinki Route of the Czars 6 days by Private Coach & Train Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow - Helsinki St. Petersburg & Moscow, Deluxe Package from Helsinki 7 days by Train & Private Car Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow - Helsinki Helsinki St. Petersburg Mosow by Train 7 days by train (Unescorted) Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow - Helsinki Road to St. Petersburg 4 days by Private Coach Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Helsinki The Baltic States 6 & 7 Day Tours Russia-Latvia-Estonia-Lithuania Estonia Info and links FIVE COUNTRIES HIGHLIGHTS TOUR Poland Baltics Russia POLAND - LITHUANIA - LATVIA - ESTONIA - RUSSIA 11 DAYS By Private Coach LUXURY SMALL SHIP CRUISES ABOARD M/S ANDREA Baltic Cruises Elegant & Intimate Cruises St. Petersburg, Baltic & Scandinavia ST. PETERSBURG OPERA & BALLET SEASON TASTE OF KALININGRAD & THE CURONIAN SPIT 7 Days BEST OF RUSSIA, FINLAND, SWEDEN & DENMARK 13 Days St. Petersburg Selection of tours St. Petersburg & Moscow 6 & 9 Day tours by ship, coach and train St. Petersburg Hotels Hotel descriptions and online reservations St. Petersburg Cruises Russia & The Baltics 16 Days Kings Road Imperial Passage through Scandinavia Kings' Road and St. Petersburg 3 Day & 7 Day tours St. Petersburg Sightseeing Full selection of sightseeing tours Moscow Sightseeing Full selection of sightseeing tours Moscow Hotels Hotel Descriptions and online reservations HOTELS RUSSIA St. Petersburg Hotels Moscow Hotels Russia - all hotels ESTONIA Tallinn Hotels Parnu Hotels Estonia - all hotels LATVIA Riga Hotels Jurmala Hotels Latvia - all hotels LITHUANIA Vilnius Hotels Kaunas Hotels Klaipeda Hotels Lithuania - all hotels Baltic States Tours About Scantours General Conditions Travel Insurance Practical Tips CST # 2022206-40 SCANTOURS INC. USA Toll free US & Canada: 1-800-223-7226 Local Phone: 310-636-4656 Fax: 310-390-0493 Comments? Suggestions? E-mail us at info@scantours.com 2005 Scantours Inc. All rights reserved. HOME USEFUL LINKS