Any trip to Africa depends on travel insurance being arranged. Actually, it’s included in Adventure in the wild safaris’s Terms & Conditions (clause 16) that every one of our customers has it set before they go. Many times, we are questioned as travel insurance could be seen as an unnecessary additional expense. Read on to see why we think it is necessary.

This website intends to assist you in knowing what to avoid and what to watch out for with possible policies. But, as only you understand your unique situation and what policy will fit you best, please investigate your alternatives carefully for yourself.

Though without responsibility, all information is provided in good faith. Every traveller is unique, and your requirements could change; hence, please be sure you investigate the possibilities and buy the policy that best fits you.

When to get travel insurance

Once you have scheduled your trip, it is advisable to get a policy. Though we simply require the policy to be active before you depart, this guarantees you are instantly covered for cancellation. Some policies, please note, say you must get insurance within a specified time frame of booking. Therefore, it is always advisable to review your particular policy to prevent your coverage from being invalidated.

Repatriation and medical coverage

Undoubtedly, the most crucial component of travel insurance is medical protection and repatriation. Most of our customers, of course, travel without incident, but it is much better to be cautious than sorry. Our journeys take you to isolated areas of Africa, therefore if there is an accident, you must have enough cover to transport you to the closest major hospital for your treatment and for medical repatriation to your own nation as well.

We recommend a per person minimum of £75,000 to cover medical care and a minimum of £180,000 to cover repatriation following accident or illness. Though in truth, nearly all British insurance provide cover much in excess of these numbers. We really advise you to make sure you are fully covered for both by your insurer. Naturally, after you return to your home nation, full coverage for medical treatment is obviously necessary as well; travel insurance, however, will not often cover this privately.

Whether you are outward or homeward going, your coverage should cover loss of any expensive belongings, personal liability, legal bills, cancellations overseas, and any delays at your place of departure.

Things to consider while getting insurance

Pre-existing conditions
Your coverage should cover any pre-existing conditions; please see an insurance broker if required.

Cancellations

Though we recommend you verify and especially consider the worth of the trip covered as standard, most travel insurance will cover this completely. Many plans will cover a trip costing up to £5,000–6,500 per individual. You may have to get extra policy to insure the whole value of your safari if your foreign flights and safari cost more than that.

Where can I compare coverage and how much does travel insurance cost?

The price of travel insurance depends on your individual situation and whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions. Legally, we cannot recommend which products are appropriate for our clients; but, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a great starting point as it provides details on the need of travel insurance and what to seek for.

Many well-known companies including M&S Bank, Barclays and the Post Office provide global travel insurance.

Among expert tour operators, Campbell Irvine is a tiny travel insurance firm highly regarded. Should you wish to get a quote from them, please click here.

Insurers covering people of any nation

All travelers once had to be insured by a business located in their native country. But nowadays a small number of insurance providers cover travelers anywhere in the world they reside. For certain customers, these businesses provide far better value coverage than those offered in their own nation. Insurers we have encountered include:

Journeyman Services, a long-standing travel insurance provider offering AXA underwritten plans to travellers of all nationalities and all home country.
Worldwide Global Travel Insurance, which also provides a policy to individuals based anywhere in the globe, travelling to anyplace in the world.

Commonly asked questions

My coverage says I must cover any medical expenses and recover the charges when I return home. Is that acceptable?

This “pay and claim” method has certain drawbacks. The most clear is that, should you have a major accident, medical evacuation and hospital costs can easily reach tens of thousands of pounds. Self-funding repatriation would be quite challenging given hundreds of thousands. And if an injury is incapacitating, even actioning payment would be somewhat difficult for you. We therefore advise choosing a policy under which any expenses incurred on your behalf are paid directly by the insurance provider.

Is my safari covered by my health insurance?

Often, this inquiry is particularly pertinent for Americans.
Though uncommon, US health insurance premiums may cover customers for their abroad travel. Though we cannot speak on these plans, we recommend that customers think about extra insurance to guard against the possibility of loss or cancellation and get in touch with their current insurers for health coverage. Should you lack an insurance covering any of the aforementioned occurrences, you run the danger of incurring significant expenses. Repatriation home, for instance, might be quite expensive. We cannot be held accountable for any of these expenses.

My credit card has travel insurance; is that sufficient?

Usually not! You must make sure you are happy with the degree of coverage provided. Contact your credit card issuer to confirm what is and what is not covered. A decent insurance policy, therefore, gets you home in an emergency and offers at least $100,000 medical coverage while you are in Africa. Much of the credit card insurance falls short of the amounts stated above and does not offer sufficient coverage (see MEDICAL COVER AND REPATRIATION).

Is medical coverage offered by national social insurance programs or national healthcare systems in my country of residency valid in Africa?

When abroad, national healthcare systems like the NHS and national social insurance programs like Medicare are unlikely to offer you medical coverage. For more information, please contact the appropriate authority.

I have private health insurance; is that sufficient?

Your private health insurance plan is unlikely to offer sufficient coverage for you in Africa. Talk to your health insurance provider about what is and isn’t covered.

Does Adventure in the wild safaris sell travel insurance?

Adventure in the wild safaris doesn’t offer insurance, no.

Why does Adventure in the wild safaris need my travel insurance information?

Should an emergency arise, Adventure in the wild safaris and our vendors will require access to your travel insurance company’s name, policy number, and 24-hour emergency/claims number. This data can then be given to emergency services to enable you to obtain the required care fast.

Having paid in full, must I still get travel insurance?

Booking with Adventure in the wild safaris is contingent on your arranging professional travel insurance to cover your whole vacation. Sadly, some customers have had to cancel before trip because of unanticipated events and, lacking travel insurance, they could not recover their reservation fees. Furthermore, there have been instances of our customers getting sick in Africa and needing care. Should something like this occur to you, we cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is for us to have your travel insurance information at available so that we may help you as promptly and effectively as possible.

I have discovered a policy. Could someone at Adventure in the wild safaris go over it with me?

Sadly, no; legal concerns prevent us from examining any insurance coverage. They will know more about the policies they sell, hence contacting the insurance provider and going over it with them is preferable.

What should I do if I don’t want insurance?

Booking travel with Adventure in the wild safaris requires arranging insurance; should you not obtain a travel insurance coverage, we retain the right to cancel your vacation in accordance with our Terms & Conditions.

Finally!
As usual, be sure to read the tiny print of any policy! Regrettably, we have documented instances when customers believed they were completely covered but had purchased a subpar policy.