Essential travel insurance tips
As featured in:
Travelling to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos? Here are the top three tips to protect you and your belongings.
Diarrhea can take down even the most seasoned of travellers, so if a local dish leaves you feeling ill, the Emergency Assistance team can help find the nearest doctor. And, with World Nomads travel insurance, you can make a claim for reimbursement for these medical expenses, even if you’re still travelling.
Travel insurance is designed for even the smallest medical emergency, and the Emergency Assistance team can support you 24/7, even if you’re held up in a squat toilet. If it’s really serious, they can arrange for an emergency evacuation to the nearest hospital, and guarantee payments if necessary, so you have one less worry. The danger with food poisoning is you can lose more fluids than you can keep down. Dehydration can be deadly, so even though you may have a trusty stash of medicine, don’t rely on your own instincts or the Internet for medical advice.
Motorbike/scooter accidents are common throughout Southeast Asia. It’s easy to rent a bike, so, it’s not surprising that we see everything from exhaust pipe burns to injuries caused by horrific crashes, which can sometimes be fatal.
If you’re going to ride a bike anywhere in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, it’s essential that you know what your travel insurance covers, what it doesn’t cover, and how to get help if you need it. Bring your driver’s license from home (paired with an international driver's permit for the class of vehicle you're intending to rent). Additionally, you have to comply with local laws, and buy the correct plan or adventure sport upgrade (if applicable) for World Nomads to cover you to ride a motorbike or scooter in the class you're licensed to ride.
Theft is very common across Asia. It's a good idea to leave valuables at home, and, if you take out your camera, smartphone or money in public, be aware of your surroundings, and keep an eye out for passing motorcyclists. Before you travel to Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos, store a copy of your gear receipts or other proof of ownership, as you’ll need to provide this with any claim if your gear is stolen. Contact your bank before departure to let them know how long you will be overseas in case of suspicious transactions, especially after you return home.
World Nomads travel insurance plans will have some coverage for theft or if a carrier has lost your checked in luggage. However, with any insurance plan, limits, conditions and exclusions may apply, for example, if you have simply misplaced your gear or if your tech gets damaged. Generally, you need to be able to show that you took reasonable care to look after your gear. That means not leaving your gear behind or your camera in your checked-in baggage. You should carry your electronics and valuables with you at all times, and lock your gear up in a secure location when you can’t take it with you. If your stuff is stolen, you will need a police report, or some other kind of report from an authorized representative (e.g a property irregularity report from the airline or bus company if your bags were checked in), to validate your claim.
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, of if you have questions about your coverage, just ask us.
Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation.
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Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
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Covers the theft, damage or delay of your bags, tech and sports gear.
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I was walking along the pavement and I was robbed by men on a motorbike. The pillion passenger snatched the bag I was carrying. I was in shock and did not give chase as the motorbike was too fast. The street was not empty, with some pedestrians and food sellers. I made a police report at a local police station.”
Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Telephone +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.) or +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)
Contact the teamBefore your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.