Best Travel Insurance for African Safari

For peace and tranquility during your trip to Africa, the best travel insurance coverage should be a vital agenda in your trip planning.

Whether you’re planning to visit Africa for a wildlife safari, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or Gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

Travel insurance is a requirement for all legal companies which really care for their client’s safety while on safari.

Is it necessary to have travel insurance before traveling to Africa?

The fact is “YES” not only for visiting Africa but to any part of the world.

Your insurance cover will be your travel shield in times of disasters, illness, lost baggage, injuries, repatriation, missed flight connections, and even trip cancellation.

You should know that traveling to Africa either for safari or trekking is an investment for your dream holiday, so having the best insurance coverage should be your priority during planning.

Travel insurance companies vary in terms of services and global coverage.

If you’re visiting countries like Tanzania or Kenya, you should focus on companies that provide cover to these countries.

Your priority should be for insurance companies that offer beyond $100,000 in case of medical attention which requires repatriation services.

Blessing Safaris is not an insurance company, we do not sell or affiliate with any provider.

We are limited to discussing any of the terms provided by the third parties, as the clients you should consult the insurance company to discuss their policy.

Although we cannot recommend any specific policy or provider, our sole purpose is to provide you with the best information.

We shed light for you to be able to decide on which policy or provider you should rely on for your Africa trip.

We have been serving many clients for years, and we have come across some companies over the years.

We believe this article will shed light on your understanding of what you should consider before buying insurance to cover your Africa trip.

We’ll also suggest a few websites for you to compare these insurance policies before you make the final decision.

Whatever is shared here in this article is given in good faith, but without liability.

We understand personal differences, and your needs vary from others.

Do your homework and pick the policy that fits your needs.

When is the best time to take travel insurance for an Africa trip?

The best time to have your policy is soon after confirming your trip with the tour operator.

This will help you cover any cancellations which may arise.

It’s worth checking with the insurance provider to assure yourself what is covered and when before making the purchase.

It’s our advice to have your policy in place before starting to travel to Africa for your safari.

5 Things to consider before buying an insurance policy?

1. Medical cover and repatriation

The critical element to consider when looking for travel insurance is medical coverage and repatriation.

Most of Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya safari are trouble-free trips but it is far better to be safe than sorry.

Some trips to Africa including climbing Kilimanjaro may involve some risks like altitude sickness which may require immediate evacuation by helicopter.

If your trip is covered you feel so secure. You can either be posted to a nearby major hospital within the country or sent back to your home country.

Is ideal to choose an insurance policy that is greater than $100, 000 for medical treatments and repatriation either because of serious injury, illness, or accidents that are unforeseen.

You should discuss in detail with your insurer for your Africa to know if you’re sufficiently covered for both.

If you visit Tanzania or Kenya, tour companies like Blessing Safaris, on behalf of their clients, pay for the helicopter or flying doctor’s rescues within the country.

These evacuation companies provide first aid and help to deliver you to nearby hospitals for advanced medical services.

In -return your insurer covers the cost of the service offered by flying doctors.

Now you understand how critical insurance coverage is for your safety in any part of Africa while on a wildlife safari or Kilimanjaro trekking

2. Lost baggage ( valuables) and legal expense

The best policy should include cover for the legal expenses which you may incur while abroad.

But also your insurer should provide cover for lost baggage or valuable items.

Things happen while on travel to Africa, it is very common to hear clients missing their cameras, bags, or even phones while on travel to Africa and other places of the world.

It feels safe to know that you’re covered no matter what will happen while on travel.

3. Your travel cancellation

Many policies provide cover for trip cancellation to Africa, though they offer a limited amount of refunds.

You should check with the insurer to know exactly how much they are able to cover without purchasing additional cover.

For experience, many of the policies cover from $3,000 to $7,000 per person.

Do your research and understand which cover will provide the full cover of your safari cost when visiting Africa.

4. Pre-existing medical condition

In case you have any pre-existing illness you should seek advice from the policy provider.

It’s better to understand if your policy provides cover for any pre-existing illness before traveling to Africa for your trip.

Clear any confusion before getting caught by surprise that you’re not covered.

What are the best sites to compare the travel insurance cost?

The fact is every travel insurance has its own policy and varies from one insurer to the other.

You get what you paid for still makes sense, your preference is what determines the cost you should incur for your cover before traveling abroad.

As we stated before, we are limited to offering direct recommendations to our visitors on which policies to rely on, nor specific travel insurance companies.

Our sole purpose is to help you establish the ground of knowledge based on companies we have come across over the years in operating Safari in Africa.

Many of these websites or directories belong to third parties, Blessing Safaris will not take any responsibility for the information provided.

The Foreign and Commonwealth office
Travel insurance specialists like Aviva, LV, and Insure and Go
World nomads, Campbell Irvine and Saga

A Case Study for Mount Kilimanjaro Insurance Cover in Tanzania

Mount Kilimanjaro is the free-standing mountain in the world and one of the seven summits, standing at 5,895m.

This is the highest peak in Africa and is one of the popular destinations for many people visiting Africa.

Maybe you have a plan to visit Tanzania for the purpose of climbing Kilimanjaro.

Mountain trekking is the best thing you can do in life but comes with the highest risk of acute mountain sickness (AMS) commonly referred to as altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness can be very dangerous if you can get quick medical attention. Severe conditions could lead to breathing failure and death.

Though there are many causes of mountain sickness while climbing Kilimanjaro like route selection, lack of preparation prior to climbing, or even poor knowledge of climbing guides.

But we all agree that there is a serious risk which requires you to get the best policy which covers the high altitude above 6,000m.

Does climbing Mount Kilimanjaro require travel insurance?

The answer is “Absolutely Yes”. It’s mandatory to have travel insurance for any trekking activities.

Mount Kilimanjaro is beyond 5,000m and you should make sure that your policy provides cover up to 6,000 meters as the requirement for Mount Kilimanjaro climbing.

You should not be allowed to climb Kilimanjaro without showing proof of travel insurance coverage.

The weather is unpredictable and anyone can fall sick with no regard to experience or age.

Trip to Kilimanjaro operates in very remote parts of the world, thanks to technology.

People now can find cellular networks or use walkie-talkies to communicate with base camps for rescue and evacuation.

Does health insurance cover Kilimanjaro climbing?

The answer is “NO”. Most standard policies available do not provide cover for high-altitude trips or more adventurous vacations in Africa.

Neither cover for lost baggage nor for trip cancellation or missed flights.

You should seek the right policy that suits that type of adventure.

World Nomads Insurance for Kilimanjaro Climbing and Africa Safari

We have decided to pick World Nomads to cement our case study for Mount Kilimanjaro with no intention of endorsement or advertisements.

We are not affiliated with World Nomads in either way and will not bear any responsibility.

World Nomads is one of the few insurance policies that provide cover for Kilimanjaro climbing and wildlife safaris in Tanzania.

Beyond that, it provides cover across 140 countries.

World Nomads: Mount Kilimanjaro Travel Insurance

If you interact with the World Nomads website, you should see what they offer and if it will suit you or not.

As we mentioned before, these companies are a few of the policies we have come across while dealing with our clients for Mount Kilimanjaro

It’s designed for adventurous travelers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage, and a range of adventure sports and activities.

7 things you should know about travel insurance from ( Source: WorldNomads.com)

1. Trusted reliable underwriters

WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most.

2. Value for money with the cover you need

WorldNomads.com provides cover for what’s important for travelers from 140 countries.

By focusing on what you need and leaving out what you don’t, World Nomad’s prices are some of the most competitive online.

3. Flexibility when you need it most

Had a change of plans? You can buy more cover or claim online while you are still away.

You can even buy a World Nomads policy if you’re already traveling.

4. Cover a range of adventure activities

From skiing & snowboarding in New Zealand to whitewater rafting in Colorado,

World Nomads covers a range of adventure activities, giving you peace of mind to get the most from your travels.

5. World Nomads keeps you traveling safely

All World Nomads members have access to up-to-date travel safety alerts, as well as travel safety advice and tips online through the World Nomads Travel Safety Hub.

6. More than just great value travel insurance

All WorldNomads.com members can learn the local lingo through a series of iPod & iPhone Language Guides and can stay in touch with family and friends with an online travel journal.

7. Commitment to exceptional customer service

If you have any questions about your travel insurance or travel safety in general, please

contact WorldNomads.com directly.

Disclaimer: Blessing Safaris staff are not insurance experts, nor do we recommend or give advice for insurance policies or companies for you to purchase. We use it solely for educational purposes to increase your awareness of what you should consider before buying any travel insurance for your Africa safari.

Frequently Asked Questions for Africa Travel Insurance

Can I buy travel insurance from Blessing Safaris?

No, Blessing Safaris does not sell insurance nor provide advice or recommendations for travel companies or policies.

Why is Blessing Safaris asking for my travel insurance details?

In the event of an emergency, Blessing Safaris and our suppliers will need to have access to the name of your travel insurer, policy number, and 24-hour emergency/claims number.

We can then provide this information to emergency services so that you can receive the necessary treatment without delay

I have already paid in full, so do I still need travel insurance?

It is a condition of booking with Blessing Safaris that you organize specialist travel insurance to cover your entire trip.

We reserve the right to cancel any trip if not covered and is for the safety of our clients.

Is it possible to review the policy with the Blessing Safaris team?

We are not allowed to review insurance policies or any third-party cover because we are not insurance experts.

We are Africa safari organizers and not otherwise. It’s best that you contact the insurer and review it with them since they own the policy and will offer you much more knowledge than we do.

What if I don’t want travel insurance?

Arranging insurance is a condition of booking travel with Blessing Safaris and if you do not take out a travel insurance policy we reserve the right to cancel your holiday as per our Terms & Conditions