Travel insurance for Tikehau Atoll, in French Polynesia, should include medical evacuation cover, and divers in particular should read the fine print. Tikehau is a small, beautiful atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, famous for its pink-sand beaches and rich marine life, and its remoteness is exactly what makes the right insurance matter here.
Remote, with care in Tahiti
There is only a small medical facility on Tikehau, so anything beyond a minor problem means evacuation to Tahiti, where the Central Hospital of French Polynesia in Papeete provides full services. Reaching Papeete from an outer atoll takes time, which is a genuine consideration in an emergency. A travel policy that covers emergency medical treatment and pays for evacuation to Tahiti, or further for a very serious case, is the practical safeguard, and as a guide, cover with at least US$50,000 for emergency medical treatment and US$100,000 for medical evacuation is a reasonable starting point.
A note for divers
Tikehau is a renowned diving destination, with the Tuheiava Pass known for manta rays and sharks. Two things matter for divers. First, the hospital in Papeete has a decompression chamber, but reaching it from the outer islands can take several hours, so decompression illness is a serious risk to plan around. Second, many standard leisure policies exclude scuba or cap the depth they cover, so confirm your policy includes recreational diving to your planned depth and covers treatment in a decompression chamber before you rely on it.
Choosing a policy
Prioritise emergency medical evacuation, a solid medical limit, and explicit cover for diving and any water activities you plan. Read the exclusions and confirm French Polynesia and remote-island travel are covered. Subscription-style cover such as SafetyWing suits long Pacific trips, while a fixed per-trip policy is simpler for a single visit. Buy the cover before you leave home, because most insurers will not cover a trip once it has already started, and carry any personal medication with you, as the island has only basic facilities.