1. Safety in Southeast Asia
Traveling to Southeast Asia is generally very safe. However, you should always follow basic precautionary safety measures.
If you are going to drive, be very careful as driving in Southeast Asia is very different. Very few drivers follow traffic laws. If you are going to ride a motorcycle, wear a helmet. You’ll see many foreigners and locals not wearing a helmet, please, put it on.
Lookout for scams, something quite common. I recommend reading on the internet about scams in the country you are going to visit. My advice is that if someone comes to offer you a service, always say no. If you want something, you will find it at licensed places.
Always keep an eye on your belongings. There have been cases of theft and robberies in Southeast Asia. A very common form of theft is locals driving by you and snatching valuable items such as cellphones, cameras, purses, etc. Thus it is very important to always keep valuables stored safely. At night, be sure to lock you home’s doors. If you are going to stay at a hostel, always leave valuables in a locker.
In your embassy’s website you can view a country’s safety details.
Necessary vaccines for Southeast Asia
If you are planning on visiting Southeast Asia and you’ve visited a country where yellow fever is very prevalent that year, it is necessary to bring the yellow fever vaccination certificate. You can view which countries are classified as “areas of risk” for yellow fever by clicking on this link. This disease isn’t present in Southeast Asia.
Other than the requirement mentioned above, there aren’t any mandatory vaccines to travel to Southeast Asia. The CDC does recommend a Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines. Refer to a health professionals if you have questions or concerns about vaccination prior to traveling.
Certain countries in Southeast Asia are classified as “a risk” of contracting malaria. To prevent malaria, it is important to use bug spray. Preventive medication for malaria can also be taken. Even so, the risk of contracting malaria does not disappear completely.
2. Is having travel insurance mandatory to travel to Southeast Asia?
No, purchasing travel insurance for Southeast Asia is not mandatory. However, just because something isn’t mandatory doesn’t mean it’s not highly recommended or necessary. We all have health insurance in our home country, it is equally as important being covered abroad as well. Purchasing travel insurance is an investment in your health and safety, two things that we should not spare any expense on.
As I mentioned prior, you never know what can happen to you. It is better to be safe than sorry. The same way you can have an accident walking around your neighborhood, you can have it during your trip. The difference is that abroad we are much more helpless and vulnerable and, uninsured if you don’t purchase travel insurance. If you have need medical attention and you do not have travel insurance, you will have to bear all the costs. Hopefully the figure on the bill won’t be too high. But if something more serious happens to you, it will have at least 3 figures, although it can perfectly have 4 or even 5, if something very serious happens to you.
Traveling to Southeast Asia with travel insurance is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended. And trust me, the best thing about purchasing travel insurance for Southeast Asia is, not having to use it, I say this from experience.
3. Best travel insurance for Southeast Asia?
I hope that by now you understand why you need travel insurance for Southeast Asia. Well, now you are probably wondering: “which travel insurance should I purchase?”.
After having traveled to Asia with different travel insurances and based on my experience, I always recommend the best and most comprehensive travel insurance. I am talking about the Heymondo travel insurance. I’ve traveled for 4 months in Southeast Asia and my experience with this company have all been great.
Apart from having great experiences with this company, I think it is the best travel insurance for Southeast Asia after to other companies on the market. Heymondo offers the best value-for-money.
In order to compare these travel insurance policies, I got a quote from each travel insurance for a 2-week trip to the Asia. I have compared the most affordable travel insurance policy for each company. This is the result:
| Heymondo | World Nomads | Safety Wing | |
| PRICE | $42.83 | $78.02 | $22.50 ($250 deductible) |
| Emergency Accident & Sickness Medical Expense | $250,000 (includes dental) | $100,000 | $250,000 ($100,000 for 65 years and above) |
| Theft and Damage to Luggage | $1,200 | $1,000 | Up to $3,000 |
| Repatriation of Remains | $100,000 | $300,000 | N/A |
| Trip Delay | $300 | $500 | Up to $100 a day after a 12-hour delay period requiring an unplanned overnight stay. |
| Baggage Delay | $200 | $1,000 (outward journey only) | YES |
| Emergency Evacuation | $500,000 | $300,000 | $100,000 |
| Accidental Death & Dismemberment | $5,000 | $5,000 | $25,000 |
| Includes COVID-19 related medical issues | YES | Not completely | YES |
As you can see in the table above, Heymondo travel insurance is the second most affordable travel insurance; however, Heymondo offers the best value-for-money. The most affordable travel insurance is Safety Wings but it has a $250 deductible. Heymondo offers a more comprehensive coverage without a deductible. In addition, despite being the second cheapest travel insurance, it has equal or better coverage than other insurances.
Another reason why I recommend Heymondo travel insurance is because you do not have to pay anything out of pocket. If something happens to you and you use your travel insurance policy, you will not have to pay anything in advance since the insurance pays directly to the health center. Later I’ll explain how it works.
Lastly, something that makes Heymondo stand out from the rest is that it has 24-hour medical-care chat via WhatsApp. If something that is not serious happens to you, you can talk to a doctor (they also have pediatricians in case you are traveling with children) by Whatsapp through a number that they provide you. It’s great if you suddenly have any symptoms and want to make an appointment.
In addition, it has an app where you can call the insurance company, which means you won’t have to make a standard call, which can cause problems and costs money.
4. How much does travel insurance for Southeast Asia cost?
Heymondo travel insurance offers 3 types of policies: Heymondo Top and Heymondo Premium and Heymondo Medical. Each type of insurance has a different cost and coverage.
These would be the prices and coverage of a 2-week travel insurance for Southeast Asia from Heymondo.
– Heymondo Top: $76.63 (emergency medical coverage: $250,000 USD)
– Heymondo Premium: $97.96 (emergency medical coverage: $500,000 USD)
– Heymondo Medical: $73.57 (emergency medical coverage: $500,000 USD)
If you are looking for an affordable travel insurance policy, I recommend purchasing “Heymondo Top” insurance, as it is the most affordable plan relative to the coverage.
If you are going to engage in adventure sports or want coverage for your tech equipment, you can add this coverage to both Heymondo Top and Premium; however, if you are going on a cruise, you must purchase Heymondo Premium insurance policy as it’s the only policy that offer such add-on.
Heymondo travel insurance discounts
For being a reader of this blog, you can take advantage of a 5% discount on your next Heymondo travel insurance policy. Click on this link and a new window will pop up with the discount applied.
5. Purchasing a Heymondo travel insurance for Southeast Asia
Click on this link and a new window will pop up with a 5% discount applied. Once you arrive at the Heymondo website, follow the steps below.
1. Click on “Start Quote. The first step is to choose the type of travel insurance you need: insurance for a single trip or a multiple-trip travel insurance. If you are traveling for less than 3 months in Southeast Asia, click on “single trip” and then on the green arrow.
2. You’ll be taken to a new window where you’ll be prompted to insert your country of residence and your destination.
4. Insert the number of travelers you wish to purchase coverage and your email address. Then click on the green arrow.
5. You’ll be taken to a window displaying all 3 types of Heymondo travel insurance policies and their rates. You can scroll down and open the tabs to review the different coverage options. Choose the plan that suit you and click “buy”. The following page will ask for personal and payment information, fill every space, accept the terms and conditions and click on “confirm purchase”
How to file a claim if somethings happens to you in Southeast Asia?
If you are traveling through Southeast Asia and you need medical attentions, start by contacting Heymondo travel insurance as soon as possible. You’ll be able to find the companies phone number in the confirmation email that will be sent after your purchase.
Have your policy number in hand while talking to a customer service representative. They’ll ask you to tell them what has happened to you and your exact location. You’ll be referred to the closest health facility. Once you get to the hospital, you won’t be asked for payment because the insurance company takes care of payment and paperwork. It’s important to have a copy of your passport in case the hospital requests identification. You can have a picture of your passport on your phone as well.
My experience with Heymondo travel insurance
As I mentioned before, during my 4-month trip through Southeast Asia, I used Heymondo travel insurance on 2 separate occasions.
The first time was in Bali. I had bad diarrhea several days in a row. I called the insurance, told them what was wrong and they sent me to a clinic very close to my hotel. When I arrived, they asked me for a copy of my passport and took care of me right away. The clinic looked very clean and modern, and the workers spoke very good English.
I had to take a stool test (sorry the information haha). That same night they sent me the results. I had bacteria… I went back to the doctor to pick up my meds which I had to take for 10 days to get better. Oh, and all this without paying a dime.
I always recommend calling the insurance company before going to a health center if your condition isn’t serious. In this way, you will not have to pay any money up front and also the insurance will always send you to a quality health center.
The second time I had to use my Heymondo travel insurance for Southeast Asia was in Myanmar. This time I had food poisoning. For several reasons, I went directly to a hospital that was next to my hotel. They sent me several medications and it was gone the next day. This time, I had to send several documents to the insurance to get my money back.
Don’t forget to purchase your travel insurance for Southeast Asia with a 5% discount through this link.
I hope that this post about the best travel insurance for Southeast Asia has been very useful when planning your trip. If you have any questions, leave a comment down below or contact me by email. Until next time, travelers!
