Going as far-a-field as the Phillipnes, means being extra-attentive when it comes to travel insurance. And most people wouldn't think about leaving the country without it, recognising its importance should the unexpected occur. But what people are less aware of is the possibility that the travel insurance policy that they have purchased may not cover them for all eventualities and not all of these exemptions are freak occurrences. Some may be fairly high-risk activities, such as scuba diving or backpacking.

The Philippines is a bustling, tropical country, with a fantastically diverse array of culture, wildlife, and landscape scattered across the 7,107 islands that make up the Philippine archipelago. The vast majority of the 2 million travellers who visit the Philippines each year have incident-free trips. But, as with almost any country in the world, there are dangers individual to the Philippines that travellers need to be aware of before they go.

The countries in the tropics are both blessed and cursed by their geographical setting. The Philippines sits on the north-western edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a turbulent area of seismic activity. This means there are many active volcanoes around the country, although with current scientific equipment it is unlikely that an eruption would not be predicted in good time. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Philippines are also within the Western Pacific typhoon belt, and suffer about 19 strikes a year. It is encouraged that travellers do not visit the Philippines in the rainy season between June and November, which is also when typhoons occur. If, for whatever reason, someone was to visit in these months, they would need to ensure that their travel insurance covered them for the effects of natural disasters, or catastrophes, as they are sometimes known. Exemptions such as this are likely to affect remuneration for displacement expenses more than medical care. Also, things like backpacking may need dedicated backpackers insurance.

The other main unexpected exemption is for sports such as scuba diving. The Philippines boasts one of the world's best diving destinations, so again, make sure that the policy covers this. Some companies even offer adventurous sports policies, which specifically provide for the eventualities associated with more extreme sports. Generally, it does not cost much to take out additional cover, and this is sometimes the easiest way to make sure an existing policy provides adequate cover.