Earlier during the pandemic, the world felt like it stopped moving, which resulted in decreased or late payments, staying at home or indoors for more extended periods of time and once the risk of Covid subsided, workplaces opened up. They required more than 100% of our attention as they went through mass layoffs and salary cutdowns.
This resulted in a lot of stress being built up among a mass of the population, which was finally released in the latter half of 2022 and early 2023. This means that more people are travelling now than ever to recoup the loss of nearly three years of their lives.
And so, I decided to look for places to visit and landed on Bali. I had heard that it was a beautiful place and cheap enough to spend a week there without blowing my entire budget. And so I did. I did the needful, bought a ticket, bought some new clothes to travel, and also got travel insurance after being forced by a friend.
And I am so grateful to him that I did. On my 5th day of visiting this beautiful place, I got incredibly sick after having some street food. My stomach was suffering, to say the least. Thankfully, I had international travel insurance; otherwise, I would have been in a terrible position.
What is travel insurance?
Travel insurance is a financial protection offered to safeguard you from risks associated with travelling. These risks can result in a significant loss, whether financial or otherwise.
It is a good idea to have insurance when travelling abroad and sometimes even domestically to mitigate those risks.
Why is it necessary for foreign travel?
There are several risks which can hamper your experience negatively, especially when travelling abroad. Losing your passport or wallet is a literal trauma fuel if you are travelling and looking to pay, just to find that you are missing your wallet.
These risks are compounded with things like cancellation of your trip, which can lead to you losing your non-refundable deposits to losing your luggage and having to buy and replace those items in a foreign country, as well as a medical emergency like in my case, to even a hostage situation on a plane or such.
Because of these risks, getting insurance when traveling abroad is necessary.
What are the benefits of travel insurance?
There are several benefits linked to having travel insurance. These benefits range from base benefits such as emergency in-patient medical treatment, maternity care, and newborn baby, as well as additional covers and benefits that can be picked up based on the needs and requirements of the insured.
The insurance I use for my travel purposes is Niva Bupa. It offers everything I need, packaged at a neat and affordable rate to keep travelling worry-free without breaking the bank on insurance premiums.
It also provides more than 40 additional coverage options, including:
- Emergency outpatient treatment
- Emergency road ambulance
- Medical evacuation
- Personal accident
- Delay in and loss of checked-in baggage
- Trip delay, interruption, cancellation
- Missed connection flight
- Loss of passport, aadhaar, voting ID, driving license
Who needs it?
Everyone, anyone travelling, is susceptible to certain risks, which can grow and cause problems without looking at a time or place to strike. So it is important to protect yourself from these unforeseen circumstances and enjoy your travel fully.
Also, in certain cases, more than 30 countries will not allow you entry if you do not have insurance, in which case it is mandatory to have travel insurance.
How to get travel insurance online?
You can visit any insurance provider, but I have used and found Niva Bupa as the best travel insurance. They were kind and helpful throughout the process, allowing me to relax in a foreign place where I was facing terrible stomach cramps and all the other stuff.
I just visited their website, clicked on travel insurance, and filled out the forms that came up. It was as simple as that: I chose a plan, and it was good to go.
Conclusion
These are some of the reasons why insurance is necessary and some of the benefits of travel insurance. Niva Bupa helped me when I needed it the most, and it provided me with financial and compassionate support when I needed it.
Even if it is not a requirement, getting travel insurance should be one of the first things people need to consider when considering going on a trip.
