Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance - Don't travel without it!

Clients often view travel insurance as an extra cost that can be avoided. At Urth Expedition, however, we insist that all travelers are fully insured for their trip.

Organizing travel insurance is vital for any trip to Africa. It’s part of Urth Expedition’s Terms & Conditions that all our clients have in place before they depart. We’re often asked why, as travel insurance can be viewed as an avoidable extra cost.

We’d like to stress that we do not sell travel insurance, nor do we profit from our advice – we just want to see our clients covered as well as we believe they ought to be.
Although we cannot recommend any specific policy or provider, on this page, we aim to help you identify what to look out for and what to avoid with potential policies. We’ve also suggested a few websites where you can research policies and provided the names of a few companies we’ve come across over the years. However, please thoroughly research all the options, as only you know your circumstances and what policy will suit you best.
This information is given in good faith but without liability. Every traveler is different, and your needs may vary – again, please research the options thoroughly and purchase the right policy for you.

When to take out travel insurance

It’s best to take out a policy once you have booked your trip. This means that you’re immediately covered for cancellation, although we only insist on the policy being in place before you travel. Please be aware that some policies state you must purchase insurance within a certain booking period, so it’s always worth checking your specific policy to avoid invalidating your coverage.

Medical cover and repatriation

Without a doubt, the most important element of travel insurance is medical coverage and repatriation. Of course, the majority of our clients have a trouble-free trip, but it is far better to be safe than sorry. Our trips take you to remote parts of Africa, and it’s vital that, if there is an accident, you have adequate cover to evacuate to the nearest major hospital for your care and for medical repatriation to your home country too.

We advise a per-person minimum of $100,000 to cover medical treatment and a minimum of $250,000 to cover repatriation due to accident or illness. In reality, almost all policies offer cover far in excess of these figures. We strongly recommend that you ask your insurer to ensure that you are covered sufficiently for both. Of course, full coverage for medical treatment, once you have returned to your home country, is essential too, but travel insurance won’t usually cover it privately.

COVID-19 cover

It is vital that your travel insurance also covers you for COVID-19. This should include medical cover in case you become unwell with COVID-19 while traveling. But also cover for possible travel disruption/cancellation caused by reasons such as, but not limited to:
Anyone in your party becoming infected prior to departure.
Failing a pre-departure COVID PCR test.
Government travel advisories or bans.
Quarantine requirements either at home or at your destination.
Lockdowns either at home or at your destination.

What to think about when taking out insurance
Extreme sports, walking safaris, remote areas, water sports, etc. If you’re planning to take part in sports or other adventurous activities during your trip, we recommend that your policy covers you for any injuries sustained as a result of these activities.

Loss of valuables, personal liability, legal expenses.Your policy should include cover for loss of any valuable items, as well as personal liability, legal expenses, cancellations abroad, and any delays at your point of departure, whether you are outward or homeward bound.

Pre-existing illnesses.. If necessary, please seek advice from an insurance broker to ensure that your policy covers any pre-existing illnesses.

Cancellation...Most travel insurance will cover this thoroughly, but we advise you to check and, most importantly, to look out for the value of the trip covered as standard. Many policies will cover a trip costing up to $5,000–6,500 per person. If your safari and international flights cost more than that, you might need to purchase additional coverage in order to ensure the full value of your safari.

How much does travel insurance cost, and where can I compare

policies?

The cost of travel insurance varies based on your personal circumstances and if you have any

pre-existing health conditions. We cannot legally advise clients on which policies are best, nor can we recommend any specific travel insurance companies or policies. However, to get an idea of where to begin your research, please take a look at the following companies that we’ve come across:
Please note that we cannot take any responsibility for the information provided on a third-party website.

It used to be the case that all travelers had to be insured by a company based in their home country. But today, there’s a handful of insurance companies that cover travelers no matter where they live. For some clients, these companies offer much better value policies than those in their home country.

Insurers we have come across include:

World Nomads Alliance Travel Insurance

Cigna Travel Wanderwell Travel Insurance

Some frequently asked questions
My policy states that I have to pay any medical costs myself and reclaim the costs once I’ve returned home. Is that okay?
There are a few issues with this ‘pay and claim’ approach. The most obvious is that if you were to have a serious accident, medical evacuation, and hospital bills could run into tens of thousands of dollars. Repatriation would cost hundreds of thousands, which would be very difficult to self-fund. And if an accident is incapacitating, even actioning payment would be very challenging for you. So we suggest opting for a policy where the insurance company pays directly for any costs on your behalf.

Does my health insurance cover my safari? (This question is often most relevant to travelers from the USA.)
US health insurance premiums sometimes cover clients' overseas trips, but this is rare. We cannot comment on these policies, but we advise clients to contact their existing insurers for health coverage and to consider additional insurance to protect against the risk of loss or cancellation. Please note if you do not have the policy to cover any of the events mentioned above, you risk incurring considerable costs. Repatriation home, for example, can cost a huge amount of money. We cannot be held responsible for any of these costs.

My credit card includes travel insurance – is that enough?

Not usually! It is essential to check that you’re satisfied with the coverage included. Please get in touch with your credit card company to verify what is and isn’t covered. Remember, a good insurance policy involves getting you home in an emergency and provides a minimum of $100,000 medical cover while in Africa. A lot of credit card insurance does not provide adequate coverage and falls short of the figures mentioned above (see MEDICAL COVER AND REPATRIATION).

Is medical coverage provided by national social insurance programs or national healthcare systems in my country of residence valid in Africa?
National social insurance programs, such as Medicare, and national healthcare systems, like the NHS, are unlikely to provide you with medical coverage when overseas. Please get in touch with the relevant authority for further information.

I have private health insurance – is that enough?

It is unlikely that your private health insurance policy will provide you with adequate coverage while in Africa. Please speak to your health insurance company about what is and isn’t covered.

Can I buy travel insurance from Urth Expedition?

No, Urth Expedition does not sell insurance.

Why is Urth Expedition asking for my travel insurance details?

In the event of an emergency, Urth Expedition and our suppliers will need access to your travel insurer's name, policy number, and 24-hour emergency/claims number. We can then provide this information to emergency services so you can receive the necessary treatment immediately.

What if I don’t want insurance?

Arranging insurance is a condition of booking travel with Urth Expedition, and if you do not take out a travel insurance policy, we reserve the right to cancel your holiday as per our Terms & Conditions.

And lastly!
As is always the case, make sure you read the fine print of any policy! Unfortunately, we have known cases where clients had thought they were fully covered but had bought a policy that was not as good as it should be.

What is AMREF Flying Doctor’s insurance?

All our guests are automatically enrolled in this program. AMREF Flying Doctors provide air evacuation services in medical emergencies. This covers emergency transport from your safari to a full-service hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. All our guests are automatically enrolled in the program at no extra cost. However, this does not replace traditional travel insurance.