Which company provides the best travel insurance for Asia? If you are a backpacker looking to travel around Asia, then getting the best travel insurance deal possible is essential.
There are hundreds of different companies looking to give you the best possible deal available, so how do you settle on which one is the best for your trip?
- Consider the Excess
The excess is the amount of money that you will have to pay in order to make the claim. Sometimes cheaper insurers will offer policies with high or multiple excess values, these should be avoided. Many backpackers who travel across Asia to countries like Thailand and Cambodia don’t carry expensive valuables. While you will probably be carrying items, you want to be covered and want to be insured for any potential health related expenses, it is probably worth paying that little bit extra to make it worthwhile.
For example, if you get your apartment broken into and your phone stolen, you could be charged between £75-100 excess for a £250 pay-out. With a high excess, the policy may sometimes not be worth having.
- Make Sure You Are Covered for Different Countries
Insurance company policies can be confusing. There is a lot of things to read. If you ever thought, going through the Terms and Conditions for using iTunes was a struggle, then an insurance policy is on a whole other level.
If you are going backpacking through multiple countries in Asia then you want to make sure your cover will extend to each one. Make sure you check that the policy you pay for includes Multi-Trip Travel Insurance. Then check that you will be covered for each individual country you go to.
If you trip is going to be more than a few months, a helpful tip is to look out for international travel insurance providers that specifically serve expatriates. These insurance companies have policies designed for longer trips and are not created with the sole intention of serving holiday makers.
- Never Buy Travel Insurance from a Tour Guide, Travel Agent or Airline
If you are planning a trip to Asia, you will get tons of offers from companies offering you insurance deals. Never, ever, under any circumstances accept these policies. They are always more expensive and filled with ‘hidden horrors’ designed to part you from your money.
- Be Careful with Comparison Sites
We have all used an insurance comparison site at some point, and why shouldn’t we? They are quick, simple and easy. All the things we have traditionally become to believe shouldn’t be associated with buying insurance.
In reality, comparison websites are not that helpful when it comes to finding a more personalised insurance policy. If you’re going for a weekend in Paris then finding the cheapest policy through Go Compare is probably a relatively safe bet, but this isn’t quiet the same when it comes to a 5 month trek across Asia.
These policies will often be full of additional charges and expenses for longer trips. You will have to slowly scan each policy to see if it meets your personal requirements, and lets face it, nobody has time for that! Instead of working backwards, look on forums or use Google to help find insurance companies tailored to your type of trip.
Many companies will also have retail stores in the high street, places like Asda will have people willing to sit down and talk through the various policies with you.
- Double Check Exclusions: Age Limits and Medical Exceptions
The cheaper and lower end insurance policies available to backpackers will almost certainly be filled with exemptions that could make your whole policy useless. Make sure that you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions that could impact your insurance.
