African Safaris Safer with Trip Cancellation Coverage
February 13, 2010 by Dan Miller
Filed under Travel Insurance
An African safari is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Safaris, however, are dependent on many factors, and your safari operators often require you to be prepared for changes in the schedule of the safari, with appropriate travel cancellation insurance.
However, international travel health insurance is also required in addition to trip cancellation insurance for African safaris. Safari operators may extend coverage when a trip is booked, but it is important to check that their coverage is adequate and costs are reasonable.
Generally, trip cancellation insurance offers other benefits such as baggage safety against loss or theft, in addition to safari cancellation and rescheduling. Baggage safety remains a major problem at African airports.
While most African safaris are held on time, it is not rare for the weather to necessitate change in the safari schedule. Other reasons for the cancellation or postponement of a safari include the lack of the optimum number of participants on the safari, and baggage delay. Trip cancellation insurance can be extremely handy in such a situation.
In case of medical insurance, ensure coverage for all major medical problems, as well as emergency evacuation and repatriation benefits. Usually, travel cancellation insurance can be bundled together with travel medical insurance. Shop around for plans until you receive a suitable trip cancellation and medical insurance plan that works for an African safari.
Trip cancellation insurance usually covers those costs related to travel that are not refunded. These may include hotel reservations, airfare, and other tickets purchased. There must be reasonable proof that there was loss of money related to travel, which can include cancellation receipts and reservation slips.
In the case of the medical evacuation insurance clause in an African safari, one of the things to remember is that many of the areas of the safari are not reachable by phone. This might render impossible pre-approval or contacting the plan administrator to organize the evacuation. You must check with your trip cancellation insurance and travel medical insurance company how you plan to still ensure your claim is honored.
To get the best deals, you must purchase your travel cancellation insurance no later than a week from buying your tickets. Carefully check the plan you have chosen, it might feature the one-week purchase limit as a prerequisite for coverage, or as a prerequisite for extra benefits.
Dan Miller often writes about travel insurance.