I can only tell you the advice I hear over and over again from many members of Safari Club International, many of whom have done multiple trips to far-flung destinations like Christmas Island.
The advice is “get trip insurance”. I hear that over and over again. There are just so many things that can go wrong on these far-flung trips. Weather issues like Tsunami or hurricanes, transport issues like air carriers going out of business, issues with outfitters or lodges going belly up, and of course some kind of health issue on your end. The cost is so high that just for the sleep-at-night factor alone, it’s worth it.
But the other piece of advice I hear is to buy insurance only from companies that specialize in sporting destinations and therefore have insurance that covers the special risks that are part of this type of travel.
For example, I personally know one guy who bought coverage from a general vacation travel insurance company. A hurricane hit his Ascension Bay bonefish/tarpon/permit destination 12 days before he was set to go on a trip there. The fishing was absolutely wrecked by this event and the fish were driven out of the bay into deep water and the guides told him to reschedule. The insurance company denied his claim because neither the airline nor the lodge was closed by the damage, so to them the whole point of the trip (fishing) was not a relevant factor and not part of his coverage. He ended up with a very expensive vacation catching almost nothing and instead drinking a lot of beer with the lodge staff when he should have been fishing.
So understand absolutely what TYPES of events are covered by the insurance and what the process and deductibles are.
Grouse
