Followwhy i finally broke down & bought it for Cambodia
i have done my fair share of traveling but have never purchased extra insurance when going away. so many people recommend it but so far i have been lucky in my health and travel circumstances. having said that, i felt like my trip to Cambodia was a worthy one for additional insurance.
being careful during the build
i was so impressed with my Habitat for Humanity build. the whole experience was waaaay more organized than i ever expected & i’m a detailed organizational freak who can be hard to impress. given the unknown possible injuries that could occur on a house build in a foreign country, Habitat requires that you purchase insurance through them while on the build. makes total sense. i never felt like i was about to hurt myself…i wore my hard hat like a good girl! 🙂 BUT some of my build buddies definitely had a few near misses.
for the remainder of my time in Cambodia i also opted to buy additional medical & travel insurance. maybe i was being paranoid since i’d never been to Asia or a third world country but it definitely gave me peace of mind to know my options and coverage. i know i made the joke about being covered for dismemberment or death. THANK GOODNESS i’m back and able to report i’m alive & well and everything is intact on my body. BUT you never know when you may get sick or injured and need medical attention and insurance to fall back on. it seems obvious in the environment of a build site but things can happen in the simplest of scenarios.
the perils of walking around Angkor Wat
for example, the millions of steep steps at Angkor Wat are a prime place to possibly hurt yourself. these temples are absolutely stunning but they are not exactly in the best condition. talk about uneven surfaces and rickety structures just waiting for a twisted ankle to happen. OR how about taking a lengthy ride in a tuk tuk. this could also pose a danger to your health. tuk tuks are open on the sides and with the bumpy poorly paved or unpaved roads one could easily fall right out of one of those suckers. especially if you decide on a whim to take a quick nap while being driven around. HA! seriously, you better to have your wits about you when you’re passenger in a tuk tuk.
gettin’ down & trying not to fall down
THEN there’s just plain ole getting down at the local club. this is where an actual injury happened with one of my pals during our trip. between hiking the steps of Angkor Wat and then shakin’ our booties at a club she ended up tweaking her knee. although she opted not to seek a professional opinion about her knee until she returned home, she was relieved that she could go see a doctor if the pain became too unbearable. it definitely provides a good argument for why you might wish to have additional travel insurance.
since i definitely plan on future Habitat for Humanity builds in far-flung locations, among other typical travel, it really makes a lot of sense to continue on with getting additional travel insurance. AND i just discovered a company that offers an annual policy for frequent travelers with multi-trips at a reduced rate called Insure & Away. unfortunately, the insurance is only available to residents of the UK. this idea sounds super appealing. discounted, multi-trip insurance would be the perfect solution for most travel bloggers and frequent travelers in general. i’m sure my Australian friends from the build would agree to that statement too. now i need to investigate something comparable for US residents.
do you typically purchase additional travel insurance? does it depend on your travel location and length of trip?
I am super insured with my BA Amex card and by my bank, HSBC. I very rarely claimed (thank God), but when I have, it was always very well handled.
Before, I used to take special baggage insurance when I went on shopping sprees to the US (my Portuguese credit card insurance wasn’t as good).
It is a must and people shouldn’t forget it. When skiing, I actually take special insurance, just in case
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yeah…i have good coverage with my AMEX too but i still opted for more in Cambodia just because i wasn’t sure about the care i’d get there or if i needed to get home in a hurry. it all went well – thank goodness!
I have never understood why people don’t opt for the travel insurance. It’s such a small price to pay for the added piece of mind. I recomend every one of my client to purchase travel insurance. This is not for the extra commision that comes with it but for the fact that, if something happens, my clients would be much happier. I tell all my clients that my phone is always on during their trip and I will do everything I can to help them make arrangements if something happens. But I am limited to what I can do if they don’t have travel insurance.
Travel insurance isn’t just for those who have sick parents or are older in age themselves. Say your kid get injured before you leave, your covered. Also you never know when a heart attack or other health issues come up. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about loosing the money you saved up for the trip? Then there is all the issues with flying, you never know what will happen when you step foot in the airport. Again it’s such a small price to pay for the piece of mind.
i totally agree, Nathan & now i need to put it on my to-do list for my Eurotour too. i’m gonna be over there for such a long time – anything could happen!
You’re so right girl – travel insurance is SO important. I had some when I went Sailing – luckily I didn’t need it but a few of the crew did get hurt so it’s good that they had it! You never know what can happen, and you should never gamble with your health! xx
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good advice Miss Scarlett! you are wise in decisions on health & RUM 😉
xxx lola
You were a smart one there! When I went to Cambodia, very few of us made that golden choice to purchase extra travel insurance, and some in my group didn’t purchase any. Needless to say, Angkor Wat was astounding until we took a little lunch break near some trees. Monkeys became the biggest fans of our sack meals, but a pregnant one mistook my friend’s leg for a mango. The first disaster was rushing her to get rabies shots without that extra insurance boost, and the second came when she had to return to the hospital for more shots, and flew off the motorcycle she was riding en route there. Poor girl ended up with a minimally critical monkey bite and a maximally painful broken arm – all with out the graces that insurance would have granted her.
You’re a smart one my dear!
xx
MimiB
OMG that is an awful story Mimi. it kinda sounds like something that could happen to me. i better opt for the insurance from now on. THE. END.
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