Travel insurance is one of those things that you hope you’ll never need, but desperately want if you ever have any problems. You can read about some of the major health risks in my Indonesia Travel Checklist. But here’s a few of the other reasons you should get Indonesia travel insurance and the kind of cover you’ll need. They’re the kind of things I encounter all too often with the people I help through my travel consultancy.

The Essential Cover You Need

1. Personal Emergencies and Natural Disasters

There are a lot of amazing volcanoes in Indonesia. They make for great hikes. But they have a habit of erupting, which is a problem for planes. Volcanic activity cause the closure of Malang, Surabaya and Bali airports last year causing disruption to thousands of travellers (including a few of my guests). You need Indonesia travel insurance that covers you for these unexpected disasters.

Your Bali travel insurance should reimburse you for cancelled flights, cost of accommodation due to delays and other similar expenses. It should also cover unexpected change of plan (like reimbursing flight costs if a member of your family falls ill).

2. Lost and Stolen Baggage

Loosing luggage is a real pain in the ass. There’s nothing worse than arriving in a new country after a long flight only to find that you’re luggage never arrived. It’s an all too common problem, especially if you’ve had to transfer planes (always pack a change of clothes in your carry on luggage). Good travel insurance will cover this. The other thing your Indonesia travel insurance should cover you for is stolen baggage…

3. Hospital and Dental Visits

There are a lot of reasons you can end up in hospital on your holiday (my husband recently ended up in one after jumping into a swimming pool. Don’t ask…). Looking at the scraped legs of tourists in Indonesia, the most common reason is a motorbike accident (your Indonesia travel insurance will only cover you if you have a driving license and insurance). Other things to watch out for include the ever-present risk of dengue and malaria.

4. Extreme Sports Cover

A lot of travel insurance companies don’t cover you for extreme sports. It makes sense. There’s an extra chance of accidents with extreme sports, diving and other forms of recreation. Yet these are exactly the kinds of activities that a lot of people plan to do while on holiday. If this sounds like you then you’ll need an Indonesia travel insurance that keeps you covered.

5. Medical Evacuations

This is what travel insurance was invented for! It’s when the shit hits the fan and you need support. Nobody Very few people can afford the six-figure cost of a medical evacuation. Yet when it’s life and death, you know you want that cover. If you’re getting Bali travel insurance you need something that will cover you for this eventuality.

(Just in Case) Residents Cover

If you’re planning to visit Indonesia for a long period of time, or you are already a resident in the country, make sure to read the clauses in your travel insurance. Some packages only offer cover when you are starting from your country of residence… To put it another way, some travel insurance won’t cover you if you’re already travelling.

Choosing the Right Indonesia Travel Insurance

Choosing the right travel insurance isn’t tough. There are a lot of good travel insurance companies that offer comprehensive cover. You’ll want to spend some time researching what’s available online. Read reviews about the service and, most importantly, the small print so you know exactly what’s covered in your package.

If you’d like a recommendation, World Nomads are a good choice. They have partnerships with Rough Guides and Lonely Planet. Click the link to arrange your Bali travel insurance with World Nomads.

World Nomads: The Cover

World Nomads covers all of the points that I raised above. This includes cover for natural disasters, personal emergencies, lost or stolen baggage, hospital and dental visits, extreme sports and medical evacuations. For more information about the exact cover that’s offered I’d recommend reading the small print.

You can get your own travel cover from World Nomads.