Going Abroad? This Is Why Travel Insurance Is A Must!

If you’re planning a holiday abroad, you may be taking on a big risk if you don’t purchase travel insurance. Learn once and for all why travel insurance is a must for every globetrotter’s big adventures.

When you have woes on the road, travel insurance can help alleviate all kinds of vacation pains.

This holiday, you’ve decided to do something different—something exciting! You’re not just going on vacation, you’re staying at an ecolodge. …In the middle of the jungle. …Where anything can happen. Do excitement and adventure await you? Of course! But so do the realties of international travel, and the risks of making once in a lifetime memories.

Luckily, you have Anywhere’s expert staff of travel consultants to help explain why travel insurance is a must, and how travel insurance works. Of all the things you pack for your trip abroad, peace of mind is the one thing you don’t want to leave behind.

Your sustainable adventure begins...

So, you read our previous article and/or watched “Don’t Be A Tourist with Zorinah Juan,” and decided that going on your own sustainable adventure in Costa Rica (or one of the other exciting destinations Anywhere offers) is a must. You just know that living is staying at an ecolodge in the middle of a tropical forest. It is your mission, nay, your life’s duty to check this off of your bucket list. After visiting Anywhere.com, the anticipation builds as you wait for the blessed day your adventure begins. But wait! Before you pack your bags, there’s one very important thing you need to do after you officially book your trip, and that’s purchase travel insurance.

Why travel insurance is important

Injuries can happen, even on holiday. With travel insurance, they don't have to ruin your vacation.

Pristine. Beautiful. Awe-inspiring. These are all words which can be used to describe the settings of ecolodges. Messy. Wet. Unpredictable. These are also words which can be used to describe the jungles which house ecolodges. From climbing out of a hot spring, to riding a horse across the Costa Rican landscape, all it takes is one little accident to unravel your entire vacation. Broken wrist or sprained ankle? Good luck going on that zip line adventure you planned!

Are these things likely to happen to you during you holiday? *Knock on wood.* Probably not, but you also don’t expect to need surgery or have a bone reset every year. Yet, you still appreciate your health insurance. Well, travel insurance operates on the same principle. Pablo Brenes, manager of Anywhere Costa Rica, very clearly explained why travel insurance is a must when going on an international trip, “Definitely buy travel insurance! Getting sick or having an accident is something that can happen; but with travel insurance, you will be covering a part of [your] vacation no one wants to take into account.”

In a perfect world, nothing will go wrong during your holiday; when you partner with Anywhere’s team of professional travel consultants, that risk is mitigated even further. However, even Anywhere can’t predict all of life’s unexpected events (although sometimes, we come very close). That's why travel insurance is a must, and the last remaining piece of your vacation puzzle.

How travel insurance works

During a medical emergency, no one is adding up the cost of saving your life.

Cesar Nizama, manager of Anywhere Peru says, “…come with a travel insurance that will cover all of your expenses, in case of illness or an accident during your trip. As part of our service, we will do our best to secure the necessary refunds, [if that is possible]. It has already happened, and our main target is always to preserve the life of our clients.”

If you find yourself in dire straits *again, knock on wood,* neither you nor the people assisting you are going to be adding up the cost of making you well. All anyone is (and should be) focusing on is making sure you are okay. You deserve the best possible care, and if that requires a search and rescue in the mountains (yet another reason to stay on trails, or stick with experienced guides) or a medical evacuation and repatriation, you won’t have to worry about incurring debt equivalent to a mortgage. Reviews.com did extensive research on international travel insurance plans, and companies such as IMG’s iTravelInsured LX plan include:

• • $10,000 USD for search and rescue.
• • $50,000 USD for non-emergency evacuation.
• • Trip coverage up to 365 days in length.
    • Adventure activities are covered and do not require a special rider.

This plan is great if you’re going on an action-packed holiday, but what if you are planning a leisurely beach vacation, and misfortune befalls you before you even set foot on a plane?…

Why get travel insurance

Get hurt BEFORE your trip? Travel insurance can still prove helpful.

So you decide to be a renegade and ignore all advice. José Parrondo, Manager of Anywhere Cuba says “Once you arrive in Cuba, you can get medical insurance for around $4 per day; this will cover you for any inconvenience or illness you may have during your travel. [Also] it is highly recommended to avoid drinking tap water during your stay to prevent any digestive problems.”

“Well if I can just buy local health insurance and take basic precautions, then I don’t need travel insurance,” you quip.

Want to know why travel insurance is a must in this instance? Because, buying local health insurance exclusively seems clever until you break your leg before your mountain bike tour in Guatemala. Worse, what if you lose your job before a non-refundable luxury holiday in Belize? In "How (and Why) to Buy Travel Insurance," The New York Times notes that with travel insurance, you can still recoup up to 75 percent of your booking fees—if you purchase the proper plan or rider.

Very unforeseen circumstances...

If you have to cancel your vacation, you're already going to be stressed enough...

A ‘Cancel-for-Any-Reason’ plan may cost more, but it offers a level of coverage most people don’t think about. The risk of booking an international holiday is that you have to do it several months in advance. Anything can happen during the time in-between. U.S. News gave a perfect example of the need to invoke your ‘cancel for any reason clause’ in their travel feature "Should You Buy Travel Insurance?"—the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In their article, Phil Sylvester, chief content and communications officer of World Nomads, stated:

…if you are planning a trip to a Zika-affected area such as Brazil for the Olympic Games, you won't be covered, because unlike an unforeseen natural event, Zika has already been declared a public health emergency and pregnant and expecting women have been cautioned against visiting affected areas. If that is a concern, ensure you've selected a comprehensive policy with a "cancel for any reason" clause…

A ‘Trip Cancellation’ clause also covers things that aren’t your fault, but still fall outside of the realm of “act of nature, political evacuation, etc.” Your children getting ill or your travelling companion losing their job is unfortunate—but for a major cruise line, business is business. Lucky for you, you followed the advice of Anywhere’s Travel Consultants. Now you can keep adding to your travel fund until it's time to book a new vacation. This is one of the top reasons why travel insurance is a must.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Not ready to go home? Might we suggest an ecolodge in Ecuador?

…as they say in New Orleans, Louisiana’s French-Creole “Cajun” language. Translated as “Let the good times roll,” this is especially tempting whilst on holiday. Seeing the world is just too good. During your stay in Costa Rica, you learn about an amazing ecolodge in Ecuador. You contact your Anywhere travel consultant, and secure a suite at Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge. This ecolodge just happens to be located in Santa Cruz, Ecuador— the largest town on the main island of the Galápagos Archipelago.

Uh-oh! Your travel insurance is set to run out; you were only scheduled to be abroad for six days.

Companies such as World Nomads understand what it’s like to give into wanderlust, that’s why they offer you the option of extending your coverage whilst you’re abroad. Why is this special? According to This Is Money, most insurance companies are subject to the necessities of bureaucracy and protecting themselves from insurance fraud, they cannot offer you coverage once you’ve already left for your trip. With the option of a travel extension, you can enjoy your stay and your peace of mind longer.

Bon Voyage!

Buy yourself some peace of mind when you go on your next holiday, and enjoy the vacation you deserve.

One more helpful hint courtesy of Reviews.com? Make sure that your travel insurance will be billed as your primary insurance and not your secondary insurance. You don’t want to extend the time it takes to get a claim paid. More importantly, you don't want to risk adding to the annual or lifetime limit of your traditional primary insurance plan.

Get travel insurance here!

A perfect itinerary doesn’t protect you from life’s unforeseen circumstances; that’s why travel insurance is a must for your holiday abroad. Although there’s no one size fits all plan, whether you’re travelling as a family, solo, an adventurer, or going on an extended holiday, there’s a plan for you! The real reason why travel insurance is a must? It lets you focus on what's important—having a great time.