Photo © Getty Images / Yoshinari Hashimoto / EyeEm

Travel insurance when visiting Hawaii

Stunning scenery, top surf spots, mountainous rainforests, and a laid back lifestyle. Say Aloha to Hawaii!

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If you’re planning to say farewell to gloomy skies and travel to Hawaii, be prepared for one of the world’s most incredible adventure destinations. Whether you plan to hike the rugged Kalalau Trail on Kauai or snorkel the Blue Room (also known as Waikapalae), Hawaii will restore that sun-deprived British complexion to a healthy tan in no time.

Waikiki
A beach in Waikiki. Photo credit: Getty Images / Yoshinari Hashimoto / EyeEm

What’s Covered?

Whenever you plan a holiday, you hope everything goes smoothly, but that isn’t always the case. The right travel insurance can come in handy when a hiccup, or something more serious, interrupts your holiday. If you’re thinking of buying travel insurance to cover yourself and your loved ones, you should make sure you read the Policy Wording carefully to understand what’s included.

World Nomads offers two plans – our Standard or our Explorer policy – and the benefits differ so read the detail carefully before deciding. For British travellers with their sights set on Hawaii, our policies include cover for:

  • Emergency overseas medical and dental: One of the main reasons travellers buy insurance is for medical cover. Travelling to a country such as the US, where health costs can quickly become exorbitant, can be a compelling reason to get insurance.
  • Emergency medical evacuation: if you are injured and require emergency transport to the nearest hospital via ambulance or helicopter, then the transportation costs may be covered. You will need to check with our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team first.
  • Extended stays: you may extend your travel insurance policy past the expiration date if you’re planning to stay longer in Hawaii. This will need to be done prior to the current expiration date of your policy and can be extended up to 12 months from the start date of your policy.

All our Standard and Explorer plans will offer cover for emergency overseas dental and medical assistance, emergency overseas medical assistance, medically necessary evacuation, and repatriation if you get sick or die from COVID-19 while travelling overseas. The difference may be the excess or the maximum payable limit.

World Nomads travel medical insurance can cover expenses such as:

  • Hospitalisation
  • Out-patient treatment (no hospital admission)
  • Prescribed medicines
  • Transport to get you home for ongoing treatment if it’s medically necessary.
  • Cover for some Coronavirus-related events: to find out what cover applies to you, read our What’s Covered for Coronavirus article, which has all of the details, including benefit limits and exclusions.

Here are some of the highlights of our coverage, depending on the plan you’ve selected:

  • Activities: World Nomads has cover for more than 150 activities. For those considered higher risk you may be asked to upgrade your cover or pay an additional premium. When participating in an activity, always act sensibly, use safety equipment, and undergo the required training.
  • Lost or delayed baggage: You saw your bags get tagged and loaded onto the conveyor at Heathrow, but when you landed in Hawaii you found yourself watching an empty luggage carousel. World Nomads travel insurance can help with delayed or lost luggage. The first step is always to report it immediately to the airline carrier and get everything in writing, making sure you keep all receipts and copies.
Na Pali coast
Na Pali coast. Photo credit: Getty Images / Marc Szczesny-Pumarada

Cover for more than 150 adventure and sports activities on both World Nomads plans

While there are many activities available on the Standard Plan, those feeling adventurous can upgrade to the Explorer Plan, which offers higher benefits and cover for a broader range of activities and sports.

Hawaii can be exciting and fun, particularly for those seeking an adventurous getaway but it’s important to be sensible about the level of risk and the type of activity and sports coverage you may need.

For example, the crystal-clear waters of Lana’i, where some of the world’s best scuba diving can be found, are a must-see for scuba fans. When thinking about your dive plan, it’s important that you are getting the right level of activity cover, so you’ll need to know the depth you’re diving, and the qualification you have achieved. You may be required to dive only under constant supervision, so talk to us if in doubt.

What to look out for when travelling around Hawaii

One of the reasons that Hawaii is so exciting is its unique landscape and changing climate. It can be hot with rugged, sometimes explosive, terrain. Volcanoes, tropical thunderstorms, and even cyclones and tsunamis are known to happen in Hawaii. This can affect the type of cover you choose.

Natural catastrophes can mean your booked accommodation is no longer suitable or you need to move to safety. If this happens to you our Explorer Plan may cover some costs for alternative accommodation.

Water sports are a major drawcard in Hawaii. Kayaking out into the bay to get a different perspective of the Napali Coast with its jagged and jutting natural formations is a great adventure. But one of the most common kayaking accidents is capsizing, with many kayakers hitting their head. It might be a good idea to consider either Standard or Explorer cover to help with expenses related to the accident, such as transport to a medical facility or other medical costs such as medical evacuation if it’s a serious accident.

Honalulu
Canoes and diamond head crater in background. Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo credit: Getty Images / M Swiet Productions

What’s not covered?

When taking out insurance, understanding what’s not covered is just as important as what is covered. Some things we won’t not cover include:

  • If you participate in adventure sports but are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • Taking unnecessary risks will also result in no coverage for any accidents that may happen.
  • You must also follow all safety requirements, such as wearing a helmet or wearing full safety harness. When driving a motorised vehicle, you must be appropriately qualified with a UK driver’s licence. If you’re not, any accidents while operating the motorised vehicle won’t be covered.
  • Pre-existing medical conditions as explained in your Policy Wording.
  • Any expenses which World Nomads or the Emergency Assistance Team determine are not medically necessary.
  • Change of mind, disinclination, or reluctance to travel.

This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Wording in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you need to use it. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Travel insurance tip 1: to have cover for an adventure sport or activity, you may need to add it to your policy or select a plan with more coverage when you buy and pay the extra premium. Remember, you can’t upgrade your coverage after you buy, so it’s important to get this right on the first go.

Travel insurance tip 2: always make sure you’ve done your research on all the countries you’re planning to visit as there may be UK government-imposed travel bans or restrictions in place. If you decide to travel to a country where the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel or all but essential travel, your World Nomads policy will not provide cover for the reasons outlined in the warning. The FCDO may advise against all but essential travel to some countries and territories due to coronavirus (COVID-19) risks. You can look up foreign travel advice here, and read the FCDO’s COVID-19 travel advice by clicking here.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Cancellation

Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.

  • Explorer Plan: £5,000
  • Standard Plan: £3,000
Trip Protection
  • Unexpectedly hospitalised?
  • Travel buddy unfit to travel?
  • Been made redundant?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Abroad Medical Expenses

Take the pain out of medical costs while traveling abroad.

  • Explorer Plan: £10 million
  • Standard Plan: £5 million
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Need meds quick?
  • Accidentally injured?
  • Suddenly sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Transport

Expenses included in Emergency Medical limits.

Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Banged up abroad?
  • Need a hospital urgently?
  • Medivac home?

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Cover your lost, stolen or damaged gear and tech.

  • Explorer Plan: £3,000
  • Standard Plan: £1,500
Protect your gear
  • Passport or tech stolen?
  • Airline lost your gear?
  • Bags delayed?

Help starts here.

  • Emergency Medical Expenses
  • Baggage & Personal Belongings
  • Cancellation
  • Trip Curtailment
  • Personal Accident
  • Loss of Passport or travel documents
  • Personal Liability
  • Legal Expenses (Personal Liability)
This is a general summary for United Kingdom residents only. Restrictions, exclusions and limitations will apply. Benefit limits may vary depending on the plan chosen. Check the plan documents for full details.
Pre-existing medical conditions

You are not eligible to buy a policy if you travel against medical advice, travel with the intention of receiving medical treatment, or have a terminal illness. World Nomads policies cannot cover claims due to Pre-Existing Medical Conditions (PEMC), regardless of whether the condition is serious or not. You can still purchase a World Nomads policy, but the PEMC exclusion cannot be removed, and you will be responsible for any related costs.

For information on travel insurance providers that offer cover on PEMC, visit Money Helper or call 0800 138 7777.

24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance

If you need medical assistance or emergency medical evacuation our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.

Wherever you are, we’re here 24/7 to help you in any emergency.

Are you in need of Emergency Medical Assistance right now?

For policies purchased on or after 27 June 2024
+44 (0) 144 444 2021 (Call via an operator reverse charges. Not toll free.)

For policies purchased before 27 June 2024:
Phone: +44 (0) 203 093 1750 (Call via an operator reverse charges. Not toll free.)

Contact the team