Bali has been called a second home to many foreign travelers for many years, and since the covid-19 outbreak, the word has been impacted in such a big way. The people of Bali have been suffering.

The island of Bali has relied heavily on tourism for over 20 years, and overnight the world locked down all International borders.  Each country had to survive the only way they knew how.

Many Balinese locals lost their jobs, as all hotels closed, and to support their families they went back to the traditional ways of making money which was tapping back into the biggest export business Bali has to offer: seaweed farming and working on the rice fields, which as you can imagine have very low wages. Many people had to leave Bali and return to their family villages due to no work.

Bali Shutdown

Throughout Covid, the streets of Bali have been somewhat of a ghost town, of which the most affected has been the Kuta – Legian region.

What were once-bustling street markets crowded with Bali’s knickknack souvenir shops, the famous Poppy’s Lanes are now boarded off with what looked like no hope of returning to what it once was.

With all beaches closed throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, all the food and beverage venues were forced to close. The local Indonesian men and women whose businesses were selling bracelets, sarongs, paintings, and watches had no other way to make a living and are still walking around hoping to see tourists return. Although going through hard times, the Balinese people all still have smiles on their faces, as the positive humble people they are, which is why we can all agree this is what makes Bali such a special place.

 

The Bali Lockdown is Over!

Bali’s Covid-19 lockdown officially ended in late September, which has been great for the hospitality industry. Over the past 2 months, we’ve been seeing big venues such as Finn’s Beach Club, Potato Head, Café Del Mar, La Brisa, and more begin to re-open. The silver lining is that the lockdown created a window of opportunity for renovations, so each place has made a big effort to re-open with something new to show the public in hopes they regain visitors.

Finns Beach Club

More food venues, bars,  clubs, and malls are opening throughout Seminyak, and beaches have finally reopened! We are starting to see life return to the beaches of Legian on weekends with Double Six and Froggy’s Beach back open to drinkers and those looking to chill on the beach. Also, the famous La Plancha has re-opened which brings back those bean-bags-on-the-beach summer vibes we all love!

Cafe Del Mare

 

Bali re-opens international borders!

The Balinese have done everything in their power to abide by the local government instructions in order to usher in Bali tourism’s return including 90% vaccination rates. Other Covid -19 precautions include: wearing a face mask in public at all times (unless sitting and eating at a restaurant), temperature checks, and sanitizing at each venues entry.

The Indonesian government has actively been working with other country governments to re-open Bali. Officially, since October 14th, 2021, Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is now open to the countries listed below:

  • Udi Arabia
  • UAE
  • New Zealand
  • Kuwait, Bahrain
  • Qatar
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Liechtenstein
  • Italy
  • France
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Hungary
  • Norway

You will need the following to enter Bali:

Unfortunately, there are no tourist visa’s available yet. The plan is to open borders worldwide in January of 2022, but no official date just yet.

  • To enter the country you will need to apply for a Business Visa B211A, 211 A visa, or limited stay visas C312-17.  Visa on Arrival is still suspended.
  • The Business visa B211A is valid for up to 6 months, you will have to extend it after 60 days, and every month thereafter, the cost will range between $400-600 USD.
  • To enter Indonesia you are required to be fully vaccinated (2 shots) including children over 12 and provide documentation of proof of vaccination
  • You must obtain a negative covid PCR test 72 hours before arrival into Indonesia is mandatory
  • International health insurance with minimum coverage of USD 100,000, including but not limited to COVID-19 related treatment and hospitalization in Indonesia.
  • 5-day quarantine in Bali (4 nights – 5 days) –List of Quarantine Hotels in Bali – Indonesia Travel
  • You are required to cover these costs, and you can find quarantine packages available which include food and PCR tests.
  • Hotel reservations and payment.

Travel buzz is returning to Bali, and there is a wave of hope and positivity in the air as the borders have partially re-opened. Bali is Ready for tourists, so let’s bring on the good times!

Traveling International post-Covid-19 will require different protocols as we live through ‘the new normal’, to return or visit our beautiful island of Bali.  Countless breathtaking scenes and countless experiences await! The extra Endeavor to get into the country is well worth it. Happy Travels!