Travel Insurance For Trips To Tanzania – Forbes Advisor

Visitors to Tanzania will find an endless number of unique and fulfilling ways to spend their days. Travel insurance can be a smart bet before heading off to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or go on a safari in Serengeti National Park.

The best travel insurance policies for a trip to Tanzania package together several valuable benefits that can compensate you if things go wrong before or after you leave. This includes coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, travel medical insurance and medical evacuation.

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Types of Travel Insurance for Trips to Tanzania

The average cost of a Tanzania trip is nearly $12,000, based on data from Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider. Due to both the expensive nature of these trips and how far out reservations must be booked, it’s wise to consider protecting your trip investment with travel insurance.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses—such as prepaid safari, hotel stays and airfare—when a trip is canceled for a reason beyond your control that’s covered by the policy.

Trip cancellation insurance typically covers:

• Death, illness or injury to you, a close relative or travel companion.
• Severe weather.
• A serious family emergency.
• A sudden job layoff.
• A travel supplier that goes out of business.
• A national transportation strike.
• Unplanned jury duty.

‘Cancel for Any Reason’ Travel Insurance

Travel insurance companies sometimes offer “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance, which reimburses you if you cancel for any reason. You typically have to cancel at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled departure.

One drawback is that CFAR coverage makes travel insurance considerably more expensive. You will pay roughly 50% more for a policy that includes this option.

A CFAR upgrade generally reimburses you for 50% or 75% of your lost trip costs if you cancel a trip. You usually must buy a CFAR upgrade within 14 days of making your first trip deposit.

Trip Interruption Insurance

Trip interruption insurance reimburse money lost, such as non-refundable deposits, if you interrupt your trip, as long as the reason is covered by the policy.

For example, if you become ill or injured during your trip and fly home, trip interruption insurance reimburses the costs for activities you miss because you ended the trip early. It can also pay for a last-minute flight home.

Trip interruption insurance generally reimburses between 100% and 150% of the insured trip cost. Coverage is usually capped between $6,000 and $9,000.

Trip interruption insurance won’t cover any reason for stopping a trip, but “interruption for any reason” coverage lets you file a claim regardless of the issue.

‘Interruption for Any Reason’ Travel Insurance

“Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) travel insurance lets you file a trip interruption claim for any reason, not just for the reasons listed in the policy for trip interruption insurance. IFAR coverage won’t apply until you’re a specified time into your trip, usually at least 48 hours.

IFAR coverage is typically purchased as an add-on to a traditional travel insurance plan. This coverage usually reimburses you for up to 75% of prepaid travel expenses when you make a claim. Expect this coverage to add between 3% and 10% to the total cost of a travel insurance policy.

You must insure 100% of your prepaid and non-refundable trip costs to buy IFAR coverage. You generally have to buy IFAR coverage within 15 to 20 days of your first trip payment or deposit.

Trip Delay Insurance

A trip to Tanzania may require connections and layovers, which heighten the chance of flight delays. Trip delay insurance pays for expenses you have to rack up when your trip is delayed for a reason covered by the policy. For example, these costs can include hotel stays and meals.

Most trip delay policies kick in after a specific length of time, such as six or 12 hours after your originally scheduled time of departure. Trip delay insurance also typically has a per day and total maximum benefit limit per person.

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance is crucial when you’re traveling internationally—your U.S.-based health insurance may not cover you outside the country.

You could get sick or become injured during a climbing adventure or an African safari. If this happens, you’ll want to have travel medical insurance coverage with adequate limits to ensure you get reimbursed for care. Travel medical insurance compensates you for lab work, doctor and hospital bills, X-rays and medicine, up to the policy’s limits.

If you plan to take part in adventure sports, such as hot air hang gliding, you’ll also want to make sure your policy provides coverage for those activities. Adventure sports are usually excluded from coverage, but you can find policies that offer an upgrade to waive the exclusion.

Medical Evacuation Travel Insurance

Medical evacuation travel insurance is prudent for trips to Tanzania, especially if you have plans to go off the beaten path.

If you’re hiking up the side of a mountain or in the middle of the African desert and you become sick or injured, you’ll be glad you have emergency medical evacuation coverage that can pay for a plane or helicopter ride to the nearest adequately equipped hospital or clinic.

You’ll also want to make sure you have high limits for this coverage. Travel insurance plans from major companies may have up to $1 million in coverage for emergency medical evacuation and related expenses.

Baggage Insurance

Baggage insurance can reimburse you the depreciated value of lost, damaged or stolen bags and personal items during a trip. Note that you usually must first file a claim with the airline before you make a baggage insurance claim. Also, baggage insurance excludes some items from coverage, and may also have limits for expensive items, such as cameras and jewelry.

If your luggage is delayed, baggage delay insurance can help pay for necessities you buy to tide you over until your bags arrive. Baggage delay benefits kick in after a specified waiting period listed in your policy, such as six or 12 hours.

Live Assistance Services

Financial protection is not the only benefit you can get with a travel insurance plan, says Daniel Durazo, spokesperson for Allianz travel insurance. Another major benefit is access to live assistance services wherever you are in the world, at any time of day or night.

Before buying a travel insurance policy, check with the company about its services that might help you in an emergency.

These 24/7 travel assistance services can include:

• Arranging medical evacuation or repatriation
• Emergency cash transfer
• Emergency message relay
• Emergency translations
• Legal assistance
• Medical referrals
• Passport replacement
• Prescription replacement
• Payment guarantees for medical facilities abroad

“This can really provide peace of mind, especially when traveling in an unfamiliar place,” he says.