Most of us do pre-safari thinking along the lines of where we might see wild dogs rather than what would happen if we fell ill. But one of the benefits of being properly prepared is that, once the dull-but-important arrangements are made, we can forget about them. Here, photographer David duChemin reminds us why it is worth preparing for those unexpected mishaps, leaving you free to concentrate on the adventure ahead…
In 2011, an unexpected fall almost killed me. A humanitarian photographer at the time, I had always been warned about the dangerous places, like Democratic Republic of the Congo or Haiti. But no one ever warned me about Tuscany, which is where I shattered both my feet and cracked my pelvis. The thing about accidents is you never see them coming.
Fast forward to now. This August I came home from six weeks in the bush in Zambia and Zimbabwe. I had a tight turn-around — just four days before I had to be on a flight to Canada’s Yukon to photograph grizzly bears on a remote river. The access was helicopter only and I was so excited for the adventure.
Instead of being on that flight, however, I found myself in a hospital 20 minutes from home having an emergency appendectomy. The bears would have to wait, and as disappointed as I was, I kept thinking about the timing: a week before and I might have been in Hwange National Park; a week later I’d have been even more remote, in northern Canada, dealing with a ruptured appendix.
Experienced travellers do a lot of planning. You should see my packing lists! But there are some things you can’t anticipate. In hindsight, the tumble I took in Italy could have been avoided. It was not my best idea ever. But no amount of caution can prevent an appendix — or a heart — from going rogue.
My timing was remarkably lucky on this occasion, but my saving grace in Italy was the medical evacuation coverage that got me quickly home to Canada on a medical jet, with not a penny out of pocket (medical evacuation can easily cost $75,000 or more). I use MedJet — Global Rescue is another — and will go nowhere without insurance. Both of these options offer medical evacuation and transport-home services, subject to their terms, as well as providing guidance in an emergency. If you’re lucky you’ll never need it, but that’s a chance I won’t take again.
No one wants to think about this stuff, and one modest annual membership fee means I don’t have to, leaving me free to enjoy the adventure ahead.
David duChemin is a Canadian photographer and author whose work explores the natural world, creativity and the human spirit. A former humanitarian photographer, he has worked across seven continents and written numerous books on photographic craft and vision. Check him out here https://davidduchemin.com/
Around the campfire
We know insurance isn’t the most enticing part of planning a safari, but it may be one of the more useful conversations to have. Do you arrange specialist medical evacuation or repatriation cover, or have you always assumed it is included in your travel insurance? Perhaps simply knowing that help is in place allows you to relax once you’re away. We’d be interested to hear which practical precautions give you peace of mind, and then allow you to forget all about them once your journey begins. Reply to this email and tell us.
Explore further…
Travel insurance, medical evacuation and a membership designed to transport you home are not necessarily the same thing. Policies vary considerably, so it is worth checking what yours would actually provide: who decides where you are treated, whether repatriation is included, what happens if you are somewhere remote, and whether your planned activities or any existing medical conditions affect the cover. The UK government offers a useful guide to choosing appropriate travel insurance. You can also read about the services David mentions through Medjet and Global Rescue. Travel Africa has no commercial relationship with either company, by the way.
