Sun, sea and thieving monkeys

The Aussie traveller who claimed a monkey stole his wallet was subject to a thorough investigation before receiving a payout. On the subject of furry friends, another traveller wanted compensation after alleging that her pets were jetlagged after a long haul journey.
Meanwhile, other holidaymakers have tried to cash in on their insurance policies by claiming a failed romance in France led to a broken heart, a music festival caused hearing loss and acid rain deteriorated a hire car's paint job.

Strange claims that insurance companies honoured included a tourist whose possessions were stolen by gypsies after they rescued a child mid-air, another who lost their gold-capped dentures, and one partygoer whose heel fell off their Jimmy Choo shoe.

In a world without travel insurance not many of us would travel to the US. According to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, suffering a broken bone could leave you paying between £20,000 and £30,000 to have it treated. And an air ambulance home from USA's east coast would set you back £35-£45,000 according to FirstAssist.