Travel insurance (or holiday insurance) is important if you want to make sure you’ll be able to afford medical care when you’re abroad. Many travellers in Southeast Asia hold a perception that as basic medical care is relatively cheap, there's little need for travel insurance. While it is true that basic healthcare in Southeast Asia can be cheap, the emphasis should be on the word basic -- not cheap. We've seen the inside of Cambodian hospitals and believe us, you want to spend as little time as possible in one. True, Thailand, VietNam and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Malaysia, have a higher standard of medical care, but bear in mind this care is often in private hospitals. Anything more than a few nights in hospital gets expensive fast and the medical bills associated with longer stays can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars -- and higher. In buying travel insurance, you're not only securing something that will assist should you find yourself in need, you're also buying some peace of mind -- both for you, while you travel, but also for your family and friends back home. Why take out travel insurance? Getting medical care on holiday could cost you thousands of dollars. Other insurance – like credit card accident cover and private health insurance – doesn’t cover most travel emergencies. Without insurance, you may have to cover emergency expenses on your own. Travel insurance that covers getting you home and medical expenses is essential. Who we recommend We believe World Nomads policies are designed with independent travellers in mind and that the coverage they offer is a good deal for the price. Being an entirely web-based undertaking, it's easy to buy insurance, make a claim and even extend a policy online -- great news
Travel insurance (or holiday insurance) is important if you want to make sure you’ll be able to afford medical care when you’re abroad. Many travellers in Southeast Asia hold a perception that as basic medical care is relatively cheap, there’s little need for travel insurance. While it is true that basic healthcare in Southeast Asia