I planned this article before I left for my trip to Thailand. What great timing! After a long flight I arrived to my hotel only to find that there was no one to check myself and others in. Others booked from an online booking engine and had no insurance. Within an hour I was asleep in a room across the street knowing that I could file a claim to have the cost covered.

Travel insurance has to be, without a doubt, one of my biggest challenges as a Travel Professional. No matter how extravagant or low-budget your trip may be, there are many things totally outside of your control that could change your dream vacation into a nightmare faster than you can say “Hurricane Dorian.” For many years I, like many other travelers, was one who believed that once I had committed to a trip, I was going to go on it…NO MATTER WHAT! It just didn’t seem necessary to add another $79, $129, or $249 (whatever the premium) to the cost of my trip for something as un-romantic as travel insurance. There are so many situations that can affect you and even my travel plans! My eyes have definitely been opened to the need for a good travel policy.

There are many situations that I have been told about from fellow travel advisors such as one travel advisor friend who recently experienced a 7-day European River Cruise on the Danube from Nuremburg, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. As she and her friends drank their way down the Danube, one elderly gentleman had to be taken off the boat by an ambulance and had to have open-heart surgery at a German hospital. Two days later, a woman who had recently had a knee-replacement bent over to pick up her slippers and completely dislocated the new knee. The boat had to pull over in Bratislava to evacuate her to a medical clinic for treatment. On the way home, her flight from Budapest to Vienna was delayed for mechanical reasons and the family sitting next to her missed the tight connection to their Transatlantic flight home to Chicago and were forced to stay an extra night at an expensive Vienna Airport Hotel, including having to purchase dinner and breakfast for themselves and their three whining kids. Any of these three situations would be extremely stressful, and could be financially devastating if you don’t have adequate travel insurance. And I bet all three people told their travel agent, “Nothing is going to keep us from going on that trip…NOTHING!”

You may not be elderly, you’re healthy, and you’ve already confirmed with your boss 3 times that you can have the time off. Nothing is going to keep you from going on your vacation and nothing is going to go wrong while you are there….right?

Consider these possibilities:

• One of your parents falls and their injuries are severe enough that they now need you to be their caregiver.
• One of your adult children falls ill or needs surgery and has nobody to watch the grandchildren…they need Grandma!
• Your flights to Miami are delayed or cancelled due to the fast approaching Hurricane and you miss the Caribbean cruise you have been planning all year. The ship has the nerve to sail without you!
• Two days before your Italy tour, your largest client at work announces that they will be cancelling the contract if you aren’t in their offices by 9:00 AM three days from now.
• The volcano in Iceland erupts again, spewing ash into the sky and all Transatlantic flights are cancelled for three days. You are stuck in Paris for an extra few days where the average hotel room costs $400 per night and you miss an important sales call back at work that costs your company a huge contract.

And the list goes on…

Isn’t protecting your dream vacation worth the minimal cost of travel insurance? Your peace of mind and financial well-being are well worth the investment to your Travel Consultant. What about you?

Raya Heritage

Philosophy

Inspired by the artistry and craftsmanship of the Lanna Kingdom, which flourished from the 13th to 18th centuries across northern Thailand as well as northern Laos, Myanmar’s Shan State and Yunnan, China, Raya Heritage blends the simple charm and character of the region’s past with discreet, personalized service in a relaxed, riverside setting.

Committed to operating in balance with nature and the surrounding community by supporting the sustainability of local resources and engendering respect for local arts and culture, Raya Heritage also gives back to the community via financial support to a variety of charitable foundations in Thailand.

Design

Raya Heritage comprises 33 spacious suites set in lush gardens overlooking the tranquil Ping River in low-impact, three-story structures designed by noted Thai architect Boonlert Hemvijitraphan.

Terracotta tiles, hipped roof gables, vintage hardwood columns and beams, and mulberry-paper screens evoke traditional northern Thai design while high ceilings and a color palette of whites and creams give the interiors a light contemporary twist. The suites’ generous outdoor verandas facing the river hark back to a time when villagers gathered on their front porches in the evening, chatting together and sharing the day’s stories.

The resort’s design incorporates beautifully curated, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, artifacts and accessories, sourced from and often created by local craftspeople using traditional techniques.

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Hand-carved teak-frame mirrors, locally-crafted ceramic tiles, handwoven, hand-dyed textiles and handmade lacquer ware underscore a style of luxury based on simple, natural beauty and northern Thailand’s unique cultural heritage.

Natural fabrics such as cotton, hemp and linen hail from weaving cooperatives in villages that are among the last anywhere in Thailand to employ age-old methods of spinning and weaving. Only rich, natural dyes – such as authentic indigo sourced from the leaves of local Indigofera tinctoria – were used to color the cloth.

Giving Back

Our commitment to giving back to our community stems from the belief that a business is only successful when employees and society benefit alongside shareholders. For this reason, our owning company, The Premier Group of Companies, has founded and actively supports a number of charitable organizations that benefit less advantaged members of society. These include the Yuvabhadhana Foundation which offers scholarships for children from poor families across Thailand, Pan Kan, which resells donated second-hand items to support children’s education and Food 4 Good, which offers funding towards nutritious meals for children in disadvantaged circumstances. Explore this page to learn more about our charities and foundations.

Sustainability

Raya Heritage’s design team worked closely with local weavers, potters, woodcarvers and other artisans in small towns and village communities around the north of Thailand for two years prior to opening, and their work is showcased throughout the resort with sustainability as a key element of the overall design. The concept behind Raya Heritage stems from Lanna culture’s simple, elegant approach to life and art, and the social value placed on living in balance with nature and the surrounding community.

The old ways of doing things, the way people in the past approached artistic endeavors underscores the resort’s appreciation for culture and artisanship. This concept also carries over to Raya Heritage’s dining concept as well with virtually all ingredients sourced from local, sustainable farms.