Last week, my friend Samantha went on a backpacking trip to Singapore. She was so amazed at the different food she saw being sold on the streets of Singapore and she didn’t hesitate to try all of them. The next day, she woke up with an upset stomach. She probably had too much food from the night before. She failed to bring any medication and she didn’t trust the medicine tablet that the housekeeper of her inn gave her. She decided she wanted to go to the hospital to get proper medical attention. After drinking the medicines given to her and after resting, she was able to recover from her tummy problems. When she asked for the hospital bills, she was shocked at the expensive rate of her simple problem. She couldn’t do anything about it since the charges were legit. It was a good thing that before she left Australia for her trip, she quickly signed up for an international travel insurance with Good2Go as situations like what she had is covered on her international travel insurance policy.
When I saw her go online in Facebook, she told me what happened and immediately told me that in case I should plan to go on an international trip, I should get one of those international travel insurance plans for safety and security reasons.
Honestly, up to this date, I have never thought about getting a travel insurance. I’ve travelled out of the country thrice and I’ve been to different domestic travel destinations here and did crazy stuff while on those trips too (something that my parents wouldn’t approve if they knew about it) but it never occurred to me to get one. In fact, I even scratched out that part where I need to pay for travel insurance when I book my plane fares online. That’s how confident I am that nothing wrong will happen to me.
But I know this isn’t the best way to deal with situations like this. I probably got lucky that nothing happened to me on my past trips. However, what if I, too, end up having the same fate like my friend Samantha. I know that it was just an isolated case. But what if? What if…
the cables snapped on this parachute ride in Siem Reap?
I got food poisoned in Bangkok’s streetfoods?
In light of what happened to my friend, I am slowly reading information regarding both international and domestic travel insurance benefits. I am also trying to see my options on where I can immediately find the cheapeast travel insurance in case the need arises. For one, I didn’t know that an international travel insurance provides you with benefits on travel delay, lost luggages, rental vehicle excess, dental expenses and other international medical services and more. I thought it was just limited to insurance when accidents happen.
Now that I am more knowledgeable with how useful a domestic or international travel insurance is, I’ll definitely read more in order to gain more information and understand how travel insurance works and determine the legit ones from not.
How about you? Are you aware of the importance of getting a travel insurance?
Note: This post is inspired by Good2Go travel insurance benefits.
naks! yeah, I realized the importance of getting a travel insurance aside frm my personal insurance tht’s free at work. kaya I quickly signed up ksama nung sa airfare last april.
yeah, i realized how important it it is too that’s why I might have to add more to my travel budget in case i go out of the country to keep me covered gael đ
I haven’t found the need for a travel insurance yet, but I also think it’s very important. Who knows, right?
you’re right on that Aleah. at these times, we really need to think ahead to be on the safe side đ
I’m with you on this Doi. Though, I haven’t had the chance to use any of my travel insurance yet. It is better to be prepared than be surprised!
yeah. as they say “prevention is better than cure” tama ba? lol.
travel insurance is mandatory for some countries if you apply visa. They actually hold your visa until you have insurance to show forth.
i generally avoid insurance though whenever I can.
hmm…this is a first for me. thank for the info @love 2 type! đ and just like you, i do avoid insurances whenever i can. hehehe
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I always check the insurance option whenever I book my flights, but my recent trip to Kota Kinabalu last month made me buy a separate travel insurance because I was scared I’ll fall off Mt. Kinabalu haha! I looked at different options, then finally got World Nomads. They cover adventure activities, and it was the main thing that convinced me to choose it over the others that I checked out. It’s about a few dollars’ addition to the budget, but it’s better be safe than sorry. I am currently waiting for my reimbursement claims, because I got bitten badly by sandflies and I didn’t know I am actually allergic to it, so my skin developed a reaction similar to chickenpox (yikes!). At maitim ang scars nya :(( I went to a clinic in KK and he gave me pills to take and a gel to apply on the spots.
That allergic reaction to the sandflies was scary Jonna. It’s a good thing you got yourself covered with insurance. If I was in your shoes, I’d get a travel insurance too especially if I’m doing one extreme adventure, which was climbing Mt. Kinabalu in your case. Am glad nothing serious happened to you on your trip. Stay safe on your travels! đ