The Importance of Travel Insurance

Travel insurance, while certainly a 'grudge purchase', is crucial given the number of potential mishaps that can befall any traveller at any time, anywhere and unfortunately often do.

Take me for example. Who knew that one sunny day on an Austrian ski slope 15 years ago, I would ski into a 'donga' at about 200km an hour? Not me that's for sure, and let me tell you that until you've torn a knee ligament, you have little conception of pain.

Of course, as a young, care free and completely naive traveller, travel insurance was the least of my priorities when I booked my air fare and accommodation for what was supposed to be a 'trip of a life time'.

So when I found myself sitting in excruciating pain in a crowded non-English speaking doctor's waiting room in a quant Austrian village somewhere with few shillings to my name and no travel insurance to speak of, you can imagine how I felt.

Lucky for me a friend's credit card covered the hefty fee for the doctor, cast and crutches, which my parents back in South Africa dutifully reimbursed, introducing me to a concept called 'debt' for the first (and certainly not the last) time in my life.

I'll skip the part where I (against my doctor's recommendation) managed to complete my European journey, hobbling on one good leg across the frozen landscape, putting up with many hours of pain, a not-very-understanding friend and thought of a knee operation awaiting me back in SA.

Again, thanks to my parents generosity, I received expensive corrective surgery back home, and put myself even further in debt. I think by now you've got the point that a small, relatively inexpensive travel insurance policy could have alleviated much of my stress and worry.

But travel insurance is not just limited to irresponsible skiers and scooter accident victims in Greece, but to a host of other areas. Take for example that up market country inn you are enjoying in the south of France.

When you accidentally knock over and smash a 'priceless' vase and put your hiking stick through a 17th century painting, who do you think will have to pay for that? Here's a hint, if you do not have comprehensive travel insurance, you will!

For as little as R300 or thereabouts you can take out a travel insurance policy that will cover you medically and for a host of other mishaps to the value, in some cases, of up to R25 million.

Something to think about, isn't it?