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Travel insurance is a a vital part of planning a trip to Africa for many reasons. Safaris in particular take place in rather remote locations, and you really want to make sure you are covered for emergency medical services and/or evacuation transportation. If you have an accident, chances are you will be flown out of where you are staying to reach a decent hospital. Many trips to Africa are planned far in advance, and so it makes sense to purchase additional trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
I am not an insurance expert, but here are some tips to keep in mind when planning your trip and deciding what you need to insure yourself for.
Trip Cancellation
Because planning a safari requires a decent amount of pre-planning time as well as despots in most cases -- it's important to get an insurance policy that covers trip cancellation. Who knows what may happen in 6 months - to a year before you leave? If your airline will refund part of your ticket upon cancellation, calculate the part that will not get refunded as your trip cost when figuring out your insurance coverage. If you think your job may interfere with your planned trip, then add cancellation protection for "business reasons" to your policy.
Medical Emergencies/Evacuations
Medical emergencies, if they arise while you are on safari, are likely to require some air transportation which gets costly. Keep your insurance carrier's number on hand while traveling. Should an emergency situation arise, call them first if possible. They will often have specific emergency measures and service providers in place, and will help make all the necessary arrangements for you.
If you make your own arrangements without consulting them though, all your out of pocket costs may not necessarily be covered.
Best Time to Get Travel Insurance?
It's best to purchase your travel insurance as far in advance as possible. Pre-existing medical conditions are usually not covered if you buy the insurance more than 14 days after your initial payment, and if you think you may need to cancel for business reasons, you will also need to purchase the insurance within 14 days. So it is just generally "good practice" to make that extra investment in insurance at this stage.
More Travel Insurance Tidbits to Keep in Mind
- A basic travel insurance plan will generally cost about 5% - 7% of the value of your trip
- Children under 18 are usually covered under their parent's policy at the time of purchase.
- Read the fine print and call the insurance company with questions.
- If you need to use your medical benefits, call the insurance company to make sure you are covered and what get advice on which doctor/service they expect you to use.
- Some credit cards carry travel insurance policies, but you have to use the card to pay for your trip and you MUST double check to see what they cover; they are masters of disguise, just remember nothing is free!
- Most insurance companies will re-imburse you for costs you incur during your trip, like a doctor's visit. So keep your receipts. If something gets stolen, make sure you get a local police report that lists the items clearly.
Companies that I have found easy to use, with good customer service include Allianz and Travel Guard.
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