Holidays abroad don't always go without a hitch. Every year UK travel insurance companies receive thousands of claims for compensation from unlucky holidaymakers. The most common claims tend to be for lost baggage, cancellation or medical expense.

But being ambushed by monkeys, blazing brides and escaping hairpieces are examples of the more bizarre claims received by some of the UK's largest travel insurers.

Here are the 10 oddest travel insurance claims:

1. Monkey Business
Malaysian monkeys caused romantic getaway mayhem when a couple returned to their chalet to find their underwear, clothing and belongings strewn across the resort and neighbouring rainforest. Fortunately the travel insurer paid the claim for the clothes-less couple.

2. Toupee overboard
One unlucky pensioner enjoying a cruise found his toupee overboard after a strong gust of wind lifted it off his head and blew it in to the sea. His travel insurance reimbursed him for the cost of his hairpiece.

3. Don't get stung
A careless holidaymaker paid a painful price when he dropped his wallet down a drain in Natanya. The Briton's claim wasn't for his cash or credit cards though - it was for hospital treatment after he reached down the drain to rescue his wallet, and was stung by a scorpion. Luckily, his travel insurance covered the cost of the treatment.

4. The unhappy campers
An unfortunate family had a shock when they were on a camping trip in a remote field in Wales, following a parachutist from a nearby airbase missing his target and landing on their camping equipment, destroying it. The family weren't covered for accidental damage, so unfortunately their insurer did not reimburse them.

5. Swimming smile
Whilst on a cruise, one sickly pensioner lost his false teeth over the side of the ship when throwing up into the choppy seas of the Bay of Biscay. The misplaced dentures were thankfully covered in his travel insurance policy under lost baggage, so his claim was paid.

6. Holy smoke
A British couple's idyllic wedding soon took a turn for the worse when the bride's dress was caught alight by a brick of coal that fell from the BBQ. The smart-thinking groom quickly picked up his new blazing bride, ran down the beach and threw her into the ocean. Fortunately the couple had taken out wedding cover before tying the knot, so they could claim on their travel insurance policy for their ruined wedding outfits.

7. Bad hair day
Whilst on holiday in Spain, a resourceful father had to rush his distressed daughter to the local hairdresser after she frazzled her hair on the oven in their apartment. The results were far from satisfying, leaving the poor girl running from the salon in tears. Her dad did try and claim on their travel insurance, but unfortunately was not reimbursed as they weren't covered for accidental damage.

8. Bikini distraction
A man on holiday in Greece broke his nose by walking into a glass-panelled bus shelter, after getting distracted by two Greek goddesses in bikinis. His travel claim for hospital bills was successful.

9. Life's a beach
Frustrated parents were shocked to find that their playing children had buried their £600 camcorder in the sand on a beach in Cornwall. Thankfully the insurer saw the funny side and refunded the cost.

10. Lotions and potions
The search was on for a wrinkle-free burglar in France after a woman had her cosmetics bag stolen, then later admitted she had transferred medical-strength haemorrhoid cream in to an empty moisturiser tub. Her claim for make-up, lotions and perfume was paid.