Travel Insurance is mandatory for all the clients who are going to participate in any of our adventure activities. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, medical expenses, emergency air ambulance/helicopter rescue services and personal liability.
Before your departure to the trip, our tour leader will need to see your insurance policy. However, we would already have asked a copy of your insurance policy during your booking with us. Please ensure you have your policy number and emergency telephone number for your insurance company. If this is unavailable please ensure you provide us with the necessary information required by your Insurance Company in case of an emergency.
Having good travel insurance will not only guarantee you peace of mind while you travel with us but also provide you with complete cover for anything things that may go wrong.
A travel-insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problems is an excellent idea for travel in Nepal. There are a wide variety of policies available. Some policies exclude ‘dangerous activities’, which may include riding a motorbike and trekking (and definitely bungee jumping and rafting).
Choose a policy that covers medical and emergency repatriation, including helicopter evacuation for trekkers and general medical evacuation to Bangkok or Delhi, which alone can cost a cool US$40,000.
You may prefer a policy that pays doctors or hospitals directly rather than you having to pay on the spot and claim later. In Nepal, most medical treatment must be paid for at the point of delivery. If your insurance company does not provide upfront payment, be sure to obtain a receipt so you can reclaim later. Some policies ask you to call back (reverse charges) to a centre in your home country where an immediate assessment of your problem is made.
If you are going to Nepal, you should buy some travel insurance. But before you select a policy, make sure you have a think about these things first:
• The cost of your trip or holiday – Unfortunately things can happen outside of your control, meaning you have to cancel your holiday; if that’s the case, it is good to know that you can cover costs
• Consider the activities that you’ll be doing while you’re away. We cover over 50 adventure activities automatically but we can offer you extra cover for more daring activities – just give us a call on the number above
• The total cost of your baggage – After all, no one just nips to Nepal!
If you don’t have insurance when trekking in Nepal then not only is your life in real danger but it will end up costing you your health and your bank account. The obvious afflictions when trekking are things like a sprained ankle or even a broken bone. I’ve seen plenty of these when trekking. The not so obvious are afflictions like altitude sickness, food poisoning, hypothermia, appendix ruptures, skin infections and respiratory infections. If any of the above happens to you at 4,900 feet up a mountain then there’s a strong chance you won’t want to be spending days or weeks trekking back to Kathmandu to a hospital. You’ll need a helicopter to get you down. A helicopter evacuation in Nepal costs a minimum of USD $5,000. That’s not including any hospital treatment. Good hospitals in Nepal are rare. The rare good hospitals make a lot of money from trekkers in need of medical care. They charge a lot! Without travel insurance covering you then the bills can be astronomical. How often do people get sick trekking? I’ve never been on a trek where I haven’t seen at least one person turning back due to sickness or injury. In all but one trek I’ve seen helicopter evacuations. The most common ailment I see is altitude sickness. I’ve seen plenty of people be sensible and turn back early. I’ve seen the mistakes of others who continue on until they start to vomit and pass out. At this stage nothing saves them other than an emergency helicopter evacuation to a compression chamber at this stage. I’ve seen plenty of sprained ankles and two broken ones. Anyone with a broken bone in their leg needs a helicopter. The guy with the sprained ankle tried to wait a week so he could walk out. But in the end the altitude and isolation was too much so he called a helicopter. The list goes on. Yes, taking safety precautions helps a lot in reducing the need for medical care when trekking. But the best precaution is insuring you have good travel insurance.
Basically, yes. What you really need to do is check the small print of your policy and make sure you are covered for A) adventure activities B) over a certain altitude. Many travel insurance companies do not cover people over 4,000 meters! Considering popular treks like the Everest Base camp and The Annapurna Circuit all have passes over 5,000 meters this is something you have to make sure! The best thing you can do is call up your insurance company and ask if you are covered for trekking in Nepal up to and just over the altitude you will be trekking to. The great thing with my travel insurance with World Nomads is that they have add on’s which allow me to trek up to various heights e.g., 4,000 meters, 5,000 meter and even 6,000 meters.
What your travel insurance policy should cover
Emergency medical cover
The main purpose of travel insurance is to cover you for the potentially high cost of medical treatment and repatriation if you are injured or fall ill abroad. This should include:
• emergency medical treatment costs, including hospital charges and ambulance fees
• returning you home following medical treatment abroad if you cannot use your original ticket
• reasonable additional transport and/or accommodation expenses for a close relative or friend to stay with you or travel from the UK to escort you if required
• temporary emergency dental treatment for the relief of immediate pain
• 24 hours assistance help lines to offer support and advice about appropriate treatment
It is important to answer any questions from your insurer about your medical history fully and honestly. Withholding details of your medical history may mean you are not fully covered.
Cover to meet your needs
In addition to ensuring you have appropriate medical cover, when choosing a policy; travelers should take some time to think about the following when buying insurance:
How often you travel
If you are planning more than one holiday in a year, consider buying an annual multi-trip policy. Single trip policies are usually more cost effective for older travelers and those with medical conditions. If you already have travel insurance as part of a bank account or credit card, check the policy terms for any age or trip limits there may be.
The length of your trip(s)
Some annual policies may include limits for the number of days of each individual trip, or a maximum number of days’ travel over the course of the year. If you are going away for a longer period, a gap year or backpacker policy may be more suitable.
Where you are going
Some annual policies only cover short haul destinations within Europe and possibly parts of North Africa. The cost of medical claims in these countries is typically cheaper which would be reflected in the premium. For those travelling further afield, make sure you buy a worldwide policy or a single trip policy for the specific destination. Most travel insurance policies will not cover you if you travel to a country where the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against all or all but essential travel, so make sure you check the relevant country travel advice pages for updates when booking your trip and buying insurance.
The type of holiday you plan to take
If you will be taking part in certain sports or leisure activities you may need to top-up your cover or buy a specialist policy. Winter sports and extreme sports such as bungee jumping or skydiving are not typically included in standard policies. Cruises may be excluded from some policies due to the difficulty in getting travelers to hospital for treatment. If you are going on a cruise, make sure you have appropriate cover for this.
What possessions you are taking
Check if your household contents insurance policy already covers loss of items you take away from your home. You may already have travel insurance as part of a bank account/credit card; if so these may also already provide some cover for your possessions. Check the travel insurance policy limits and excesses are appropriate for the value of possessions you are taking on holiday. If you are taking a number of high-value possessions, specialist mobile phone/gadget insurance may be more suitable as they typically provide higher cover limits.
All insurance policies say that you must take care of your belongings at all times. If you don’t, the policy may not pay out. Take as much care of your property as if it were uninsured.
You should report any loss to the Police within 24 hours. Proof of notification will be required when you make your claim.
How many people you are travelling with
If you are travelling with others a family or group policy may be suitable. When buying insurance on behalf of others, it is important that you have access to any relevant medical details that you may be asked about. Be aware that some policies will apply an excess for each person when making a claim, so check the policy terms.
The cost of cancellation
If booking an expensive holiday in advance, you may want to ensure that you can recover the costs if you are unable to travel. Check that any cancellation cover limits meet the full cost of your holiday and look for any excesses. If your trip is cancelled or significantly delayed, you may be entitled to compensation from the airline or a refund from the travel provider. Insurance can allow you to claim unused travel and accommodation costs that you are unable to recover elsewhere. When travelling at short notice, on a low cost holiday or with a flexible ticket, you may decide that you do not need cancellation cover at all.
However, it is still important to have emergency medical cover. If your trip is dependent upon the health of a non-travelling relative, you may need to answer questions about their medical history and pay to top up the cover.
Extras
Some policies will also include or offer the following cover for you to consider:
Personal liability
Provides cover if you accidentally cause an injury to someone or damage their property and choose to sue you.
Personal accident cover – disability and death
Some travel insurance policies can cover a personal accident payment made for permanent disability or death.
Lost baggage on flights
Do not rely on compensation from an airline if it loses your luggage. By law, airlines only have to pay a specified minimum value per kilo of lost luggage. This is unlikely to cover the full value of your possessions.
Legal expenses cover
Legal expenses cover helps you to pursue compensation or damages following personal injury while you’re abroad – is important in countries without a legal aid system.
Shop around for the best deal, but never buy a policy based on price alone – the cheapest policy may not cover all of your needs.
Recommended Travel Insurance Companies for your kind Knowledge
FOR AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
1. Travel Insurance Direct
http://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/ | www.tid.com.au
Ph- +61 2 9234 3123
Email- claims@tid.com.au | help@tid.com.au
2. Cover Travel Insurance
http://www.1cover.com.au/ |travel@1cover.com.au
Within Australia: 1300 192 021 |From overseas: (+) 61 2 9235 0222
3. International SOS
http://www.internationalsos.com/en/
4. Cover More Travel Insurance
http://www.covermore.com.au/
5. FOR USA & CANADA
1. World Nomad- (Keep Travelling Safely)
http://www.worldnomads.com/
2. Mondial Assistance
www.mondial-assistance.ca
3. TIC Travel Insurance Coordinators Ltd.
Website: www.travelinsurance.ca
4. Travel Guard
http://www.travelguard.com/
1.866.648.8422 (Canada) | 1.800.826.1300 (USA)
6. FOR UNITED KINGDOM
1. British Mountaineering Council- BMC INSURANCE
http://www.thebmc.co.uk/
PH- 44(0) 161 445 6111
2. First Assist Services Limited England
Telephone 01455 251155
Fax +44 (0)1455 254001
http://firstassist.co.uk
7. FOR EUROPE
1. Europ Assistance
http://www.europ-assistance.com
+33 (0) 1 58 34 23 00
2. IHI Bupa
http://www.ihi.com/
Call at- +45 33 15 33 00 or email at- emergency@ihi.com
8. FOR POLAND
1. SIGNAL IDUNA UBEZPIECZENIA
http://www.signal-iduna.pl/
+48 22 50565 08
9. FOR SINGAPORE & MALASIA
1. World Nomad- (Keep Travelling Safely)
http://www.worldnomads.com/
2. MSIG – MSIG ASSIST
www.msig.com.my
PH- 603 2053 5898
NOTE: Above suggested insurance companies are just for recommendation for your kind knowledge which is recommended by our previous travelers. You could review their update insurance policy by contacting them directly and if you buy the insurance with them, you are responsible to check the policy and coverage by yourself, we do not take any responsibility on any of their policies and the coverage.