In 2017, my friends and I decided to go backpacking through Asia. We had planned the trip for over a year, worked out the best route to take to see as many countries as possible, and even organized to meet up with other friends at certain locations along the way.

We were so excited! We even challenged each other not to take any more than what we could fit into a single rucksack. I had my clothes, toiletries, sleeping bag, first aid kit, protein bars, a canteen, and a waterproof camera.

Towards the end of the trip, after already experiencing the many culinary and touristic wonders of Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, we found ourselves in a small fisherman’s village in Vietnam. One of our friends was passionate about travel photography and was desperate to take photos of the local fishermen there. They would cast large vibrant green and blue nets into the water, which create the most incredible silhouettes at sunrise and sunset.

To celebrate our last night in the village, we went to a nearby food market to enjoy local cuisine and a few Saigon Reds. The fish was amazing and we were lucky enough to sample some of the other regional dishes. It was perfect!

The next morning, we were up extra early to get a boat to the nearest major town. We would get a bus from there to Hanoi, with the intention of flying onto Taipei.

But things didn’t go to plan…

On the boat, I started to feel sick… really sick. I threw up multiple times, hanging over the edge of the boat and, by the time we arrived at the town, I was feeling much worse.
Our flights were booked and we didn’t have accomodation planned in Hanoi, so we kept making our way to the airport. The journey by bus felt like a scene from a horror movie.

When we arrived at Hanoi International Airport, the airline attendant took one look at me and said that I wasn’t fit for travel. I didn’t blame her. I was pale, shaky and clutching a plastic bag like a life preserver.
I contacted my travel insurance provider, they assured me that everything would be ok and my flights would be covered, as well as the cost of accomodation for a night in Hanoi and medical assistance if I needed it.

The next day, after a good night’s rest and lots of fluids, I was able to get my flight to Taipei and meet my friends there.
Without travel insurance, it would’ve been a much stickier situation, that would have also left me out-of-pocket. I am so grateful for travel insurance and for all those times that my parents kept reminding me to get travel insurance.