Surprising activities your travel insurance may cover: ostrich riding, paintball and mud buggying

The thirst for adrenaline and adventure is growing in Australian travellers, according to InsureandGo, as more and more tourists use their overseas holiday time to experience sports and activities they wouldn’t have the chance - nor perhaps the inclination - to try at home.

Although it’s generally assumed by travellers that risky activities don’t fall under the cover of standard travel insurance policies, some travel insurers have chosen to provide cover for certain adventure activities, like paintball, quad biking and parasailing.

Considering that Southern Cross Travel Insurance recently found that 21% of injuries suffered by Aussie travellers were the result of extreme sports, this is good news for thrill seekers.

“We want travellers to try different adventure activities when they are overseas and have the best possible experience,” said Jonathan Etkind, Commercial Manager of InsureandGo.

“However, it’s also important that Australians understand the risks involved in partaking in activities and always read the PDS to ensure their activity is covered and ensure there are good safety standards and attending professional instructors or equivalent,” he added.

For example, many travel insurance policies don’t cover any kind of competitive sport, including racing. So while Aussie travellers may be surprised to find that riding an ostrich in Vietnam would be covered under certain policies, they may also find that racing said ostrich would not.

The list of activities travellers could be medically covered for, provided they chose the appropriate travel insurance policy, included such classics as bungee jumping, abseiling and safari. For those adventurers bored to tears by regular extreme sports, the list also included options such as battle re-enactment, mud buggying, and yes, ostrich riding.

Although Aussies can enjoy cover for a range of activities they may not have expected, knowing the conditions outlined in the PDS is increasingly important for adventure travellers, as InsureandGo acknowledged that certain behaviours may void cover, even for activities explicitly covered by a travel insurance policy.

For example, travelling on a scooter five metres below the surface of the water as you experience Breathing Observation Bubble Diving may be covered by some policies. However, being under the influence of alcohol is on many travel insurance policies’ list of general exclusions, and would mean cover was immediately voided.

Looking for a travel insurance policy to cover your next zany adventure? Check out our travel insurance comparison table to find one to suit your budget.