Insurance and Travelling to Offbeat Destinations

Comprehensive travel insurance policies are the most common packages chosen by travellers. They offer a hassle-free, all-in-one solution that covers an extensive range of potential problems - from medical emergencies to personal liability in case of an accident.

If you're planning to go to more remote areas of the world, however, you need to be a bit more discerning when going over your comprehensive travel insurance options.

Hazardous Activity Coverage

This is the most important aspect to look at when travelling to remote areas, especially if you plan to do some hiking or trekking. Breaking your leg by falling down a flight of steps is one thing, but breaking your leg while hiking in a ravine is quite another. In the latter case, you intentionally put yourself at heightened risk by engaging in a hazardous activity – something that will force your insurer to withhold payment unless you have put in place cover before you left home.

You need to make a concrete list of any hazardous activities you plan to engage in so that you can get right add-ons to your policy.

Medevac Coverage

Paying for an ambulance is very different to paying for evacuation via a helicopter or private jet. The more remote parts of a country often don’t have the infrastructure and services to easily accommodate evacuations in case of an emergency situation. Remember our earlier example of breaking your leg by falling down a ravine? If your injuries demand emergency evacuation by a helicopter, your insurer will only reimburse the expenses if you paid for medevac cover. It is for this reason that you should never, ever tempt fate by going to a remote location without medevac coverage added in to your comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Vaccinations

It’s not exactly insurance, but it’s also a form of protection - against diseases that you would otherwise have no resistance against. Remote parts of the world all have their own diseases - from malaria and dengue to cholera and typhoid. Being pro-active and seeking out the proper vaccinations before arriving in a country will greatly reduce the chances of infection. This is also important from an insurance standpoint, as insurers will be less likely to find cause to withhold payment if you have taken all possible steps to protect yourself while travelling abroad. Do note that some insurance providers will cover the costs of vaccinations (while travelling) while others will not. This is usually reflected in the premiums you pay, so be sure to check your comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Keep these tips in mind, and it’ll be a lot easier to ensure your comprehensive travel insurance offers as much protection as possible while you're visiting more offbeat and out-of-the-way destinations.

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide comprehensive travel insurance and offer a range of policies including single-trip, multi-trip and family insurance. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.