Travel Insurance

If you believe in fairy-tales then go ahead and skip this page. However, if you realize that traveling without insurance is like playing Russian roulette, I would say you have three options:

• Opt out of traveling and stay home…forever;

• Put your head in the sand and suffer the consequences, if any;

• Mitigate your risk.

I get it, you didn’t frugally save all that money for your trip of a lifetime just to spend it on something as boring as travel insurance. Nothing is gonna happen, right?! Until it does.

What could happen?

To be honest, on my first 1-year travel stint to South East Asia I also didn’t want to spend on insurance. So I didn’t. Fortunately the worst thing that happened was a stolen iPad. Oops, $800 down the drain. For that kind of money I could have covered all my risk for a whole year and still have an iPad.

What if I had a medical emergency? A traffic accident, dengue fever, serious food poisoning? You do realize that health care in South East Asia is of extremely poor quality and in large areas even completely non-existent?

For any serious injury or ailment I most probably would have needed medical transport to Bangkok or Singapore, a costly affair. Once there, a hospital bed costs at least $500 per night and all of this has to be paid for upfront if you lack proper insurance. Better have your wealthy relatives on speed dial!

The treatment itself will add even more costs. What if you need to be evacuated from your trek in the jungle or mountains? How about costs for repatriation back home? Those costs will easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Why take the risk when you don’t have to?

Carlos’ story

During that first trip that’s exactly what happened to one of my travel companions. Carlos suffered a multiple and very complicated leg fracture from a motorbike accident in the North of Thailand. It wasn’t even his fault, but the other driver took off, never to be heard from again.

The Chiang Mai hospital couldn’t do much more than stabilize him, and he was transported by air to Bangkok for further treatment. Soon after, he was repatriated back home to Brasil. The special airlifts were expensive and the money to be paid upfront had to be wired by his family.

Carlos’ leg took a full year to recover, which was bad enough. It took him more than three years to pay off his debt. Now, he never leaves home without travel insurance.

This is not me being pessimistic. In fact, I am very optimistic. I immediately bought travel insurance online from World Nomads for the remainder of my trip and have been using them for 10+ years now. Whenever I indulge in adventurous activities, all I have to worry about is the thrill itself. No worries about paying off medical bills for years should anything go wrong.

Of course no bad things have happened to me since, but you know what? Bad fortune has got nothing on me!

Why I use Travel Insurance from World Nomads

What is covered?

Let’s get real. It’s impossible to cover everything. There are always going to be exclusions like in any policy. World Nomads aims to be very clear in their communication about coverage and avoids fine print. However, you should always read terms and conditions thoroughly. Read here about ‘what’s covered’ with World Nomads. For any questions you might have, they also have an excellent contact center.

So, other than misplaced thrift, there is absolutely no good reason why you should travel without proper travel insurance.

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Still think Travel Insurance is not a priority?

Don’t take my word for it. Read all about the horror stories and how World Nomads was able to help here.

Things to know about travel insurance from WorldNomads.com

1. Trusted reliable underwriters
   WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24 hour emergency assistance and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most.

2. Value for money with the cover you need
   WorldNomads.com provides cover for what’s important for travelers from 140 countries. By focusing on what you need and leaving out what you don’t, World Nomads prices are some of the most competitive online.

3. Flexibility when you need it most
   Had a change of plans? You can buy more cover or claim online while you are still away. You can even buy a World Nomads policy if you’re already traveling.

4. Cover for a range of adventure activities
   From skiing & snowboarding in New Zealand to whitewater rafting in Colorado, WorldNomads.com covers a range of adventure activities, giving you peace of mind to get the most from your travels.

5. World Nomads keeps you traveling safely
   All WorldNomads.com members have access to up-to-date travel safety alerts, as well as travel safety advice and tips online through the World Nomads Travel Safety Hub.

6. More than just great value travel insurance
   All WorldNomads.com members can learn the local lingo through a series of iPod & iPhone Language Guides and can stay in touch with family and friends with an online travel journal.

7. Commitment to exceptional customer service
   We want to make sure you get the most from WorldNomads.com. You can find out more about why travel insurance is important for your trip. If you have any questions about your travel insurance or travel safety in general, please contact WorldNomads.com directly.