As has been mentioned in other posts, the 30% deposit is not refundable. After final payment is made, the refund policy is strict.
Everyone should purchase travel insurance for a trip of this magnitude. Travel insurance will cover:
- Trip cancellation If you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason, the trip insurance will cover that. (e.g. death in the family, hospitalization). What reasons are covered depends on the actual policy you purchase. It generally covers illness and death of a traveler or family member. Some policies cover the trip if your employer revokes your previously approved leave.
- Trip interruption In travel insurance terms, a trip interruption is any situation that causes a traveler to unexpectedly have to end their trip and return home. Trip interruption coverage is coverage that reimburses a traveler for their unused pre-paid trip costs when their trip has to be abandoned for a covered reason
- Medical evacuation It is very expensive to be evacuated from a remote spot
- Medical treatment You don’t want to rely on US insurance when out of the country
Where to get it
There are multiple sources for trip insurance. Deb recommends Squaremouth.com, which is an aggregator of many companies, with a cafeteria plan. My initial quick search showed insurance for a $5800 trip to Kenya starting at $330. (I used $4500 for the trip and guessed at $1300 for airfare)