May 30: Big savings on travel insurance if you depart from Hong Kong (maybe). Joyce and I both purchased a year's membership to Hostelling International for $100 apiece at the Hong Kong office in Shek Kip Mei. The membership gets us discounts on Lonely Planet guides and a %20 discount on Blue Cross (Asia Pacific) travel insurance plans (only available when you purchase in person from the Blue Cross office in Millennium City in Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
The “Super Diamond Worldwide and China” insurance costs $1,840HK normally for 95 days of coverage. With our IYHA membership, we pay $1,477HK apiece (it’s still expensive, but compared to alternative travel insurance, it’s the cheapest by far – that we could find - less than $200US for 95 days).
If we weren’t concerned about insuring our digital cameras, Blue Cross offers a less exclusive plan (about half price) that only covers $5,000HK instead of $20,000. After we bought the plan, I continued reading the small print in our paperwork. Any single item or set is redeemable for only $3,000 HK in the case of theft or accident.
Buyer’s remorse begins with this clarification.
What are your thoughts on travel insurance? Is there a better bargain for traveling in Asia?
After securing our insurance, we visit Joyce’s grandmother to watch Cantonese Soap Operas and eat lunch at a nearby diner. She shares her congee with me and Joyce, and I try coffee with lemon (very acidic).
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