With its endless soft sandy beaches, wild nightlife, exotic cuisine and more cultural quirks than you can shake a stick at, it’s no wonder more than 800,000 Australians are drawn there each year!
Now we don’t like to think of holidays as risk taking ventures, but the truth is, new environments, unfamiliar territory, foreign languages and exotic foods can throw any traveller for a loop.
Despite its idyllic veneer Bali can be tough to navigate when you’re in trouble. Bali belly, moped accidents or muggings can turn a picture perfect holiday into a snapshot of pure chaos.
Don’t let your trip end in financial ruin - make sure you pack travel insurance along for the ride.
Compare travel insurance for Bali
Whether you're a budget conscious backpacker, a surf mad junkie, or heading on a relaxing family beach break, it pays to compare travel insurance policies to find the right cover for your trip.
A policy will cover you for unexpected accident or illness, lost luggage or theft, unforseen trip cancellation and much more.
When comparing Bali policies, it's important to consider benefits, as well as costs…
Top tip! Picking 'Bali' as your destination, rather than 'Indonesia' might save you a few buckeroos!
How much does travel insurance for Bali cost?
The cost of travel insurance can vary enormously! Say you’re 30 (ish) years old and you’re going to Bali for a one-week holiday. Depending on your preferred level of cover, you can expect to pay anywhere from $32 to $250. To give you an idea, we’ve outlined the costs of several policies below;
Basic policies- $20 – $50. If you’re looking for real low cost cover itrek’s Wanderer Cover ($17.24) is the cheapest basic policy on our site. This policy includes unlimited medical, $1 million personal liability and $5, 000 unexpected travel expenses only. The excess you must pay towards a claim is $250.
Mid-level policies- $30 – $60. Kango Cover’s Rock Wallaby Cover policy offers decent cover at just $27.31. This includes $5 million medical, $10,000 cancellation, $2 million personal liability and $3,000 luggage. The excess is $150.
Comprehensive policies- $60(ish) – $250. Zoom's Standard policy at $36.73 offers generous cover with a low excess of $200. Their policy includes unlimited medical, unlimited cancellation, $2.5 million personal liability, $5,000 luggage, $2,000 luggage delay expenses, $2,500 hospital cash allowance, $2,000 for travel documents and $30,000 unexpected travel expenses.
*All prices accurate at time of writing May 2017.
What will my policy cover?
If your blissful Bali trip takes a downward turn for any of the following reasons, comprehensive cover will keep you in ship shape.
- Medical: Food poisoning, drink spiking, malaria, dengue fever and moped accidents are all high on the risk scale in Bali. Overseas medical costs can be huge! Luckily, your policy will cover the exorbitant expense of overseas medical cover.
- Cancellation fees and lost deposits: Indonesia is prone to a range of natural disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. Volcanic ash has caused significant issues for travellers to Bali in recent years, with the eruption of Mount Raung in 2015 leaving thousands of tourists stranded due to flight cancellation. Some insurers, such as Insureandgo, will not cover for cancellation as a result of volcanic ash so be sure to check for this in your policy fine print. Otherwise, travel insurance will usually cover unforeseen cancellations for events such as natural disasters, as well as accidents, hijackings, severe sickness or injury.
- Luggage and personal effects: Petty crime, such as opportunistic theft, is common in Indonesia. Your travel insurance will reimburse you for lost, stolen or damaged luggage. Comprehensive cover also includes cover for theft of cash and travel documents too.
- Personal liability: If you injure someone or are held accountable for damaged property in Bali the consequences could be disastrous, particularly when you are unfamiliar with local laws and regulations. In such an event, your policy will cover your liability costs to a degree.
- Additional extras: Each policy varies but look out for top notch extras such as cover for rental vehicle excess, permanent disability, loss of income, cover for kennels and catteries (if you’re delayed home to your fluffy friends) and more.
What will my policy not cover?
- Riding risky: It’s a tried and true tourist tradition to hire mopeds or scooters in Bali, despite most having never attempted to do so! Balinese roads are hairy to say the least. The stats say it all; each day at least three people die in crashes in Bali and 150 accident victims require medical treatment. Be warned that your insurer will not cover you if you are found riding without a current Australian license (valid in the country you are in) or a helmet.
- Unattended items: Keep a strong hold over all your belongings as leaving your stuff unsupervised will not be covered for.
- Being intoxicated: Whether your drink of choice is a Bingtang or Bali Breeze, all claims related directly to alcohol and drugs will not be paid. Have fun in moderation…Schoolies beware!
- Terrorism and travel warnings: Since the Kuta bombings of 2002, government bodies have warned tourists to 'exercise a high degree of caution' in Bali. While the chances of getting caught up in an act of terrorism are small, it’s still a good idea to keep up to date with travel advisories on sites like smarttraveller.gov.au. Generally travelling against DO NOT TRAVEL warnings from the Australian Government will jeopardize your cover.
- High risk activities: Adventure activities are plentiful in Bali. From rock climbing to scuba diving, adrenaline junkies are spoilt for choice. But watch out, as participating in particularly risky activities such as climbing (where ropes are needed), cliff jumping or sky diving may not be covered by your policy. Be sure to scan your policy’s small print to check out which of your preferred heart pounding activities are covered.
- Pre-existing conditions: Medical conditions that exist before you travel are generally not covered, but it pays to check. You can sometimes pay a bit extra to get some conditions covered. Check your policy wording to see what conditions are covered automatically, and which ones require a medical assessment first.
- Unreported items: You need to report theft or loss to the relevant authority ASAP (and your travel insurance provider) within 24 hours.
How to save on travel insurance in Bali
- Choose your destination wisely – You might be able to save yourself a few buckaroos by finding an insurer that classes Bali in its own price bracket, rather than grouped under Asia.
- Consider how often you travel - If you travel a few times per year, you could save by purchasing an annual multi-trip policy rather than purchasing a policy each time you take off.
- Combine policies - If travelling with your family or a companion, a joint policy is often cheaper than purchasing separately.
- Increase your excess - Most insurers allow you to lower your premium by opting to pay higher excess in the instance that you need to make a claim.
- Shop around - You'll be amazed at how much travel insurance quotes can vary. Offers by travel agents or airlines usually have commissions added on. In fact, you can save up to 50% by shopping around, so it pays to buy your travel insurance direct. Doing your comparison online will allow you to compare loads of quotes in seconds. Yippee
Safety speed dial
Found yourself in a pickle? Should you encounter a Bali blunder the following emergency contacts are good to have on hand.
| Government Tourist Information Centre Jl.Bana Sari No.7 Legian Kuta Denpasar Bali Phone: 754 092 |
Australian Embassy Jakarta Jalan H R Rasuna Said Kav C 15-16 Jakarta Selatan 12940 INDONESIA Phone: +62 21 2550 5555 consular.jakarta@dfat.gov.au |
| Bali Police Headquarters Jalan WR Supratman Denpasar Bali Phone: 0361 227 711 |
Australian Consulate General Bali Jalan Tantular 32 Renon Denpasar Bali 80234 Phone: +62 361 241 118 |
9 fast facts about Bali
- Capital: Depesar
- Currency: Indonesian Rupiah
- Language: There are 580 different dialects spoken in Indonesia!!
- Culture: Bali is home to religious sites such as the cliffside Uluwatu Temple
- Nightlife: Kuta is a tourist favourite known for its lively bars, while resort towns like Seminyak, Sanur and Nusa Dua offer more laid back, family-friendly alternatives
- Nature: The Volcano Agung is considered the most sacred site on the island
- Food & drink: Bali is home to the world’s most expensive coffee –a unique blend named ‘Kopi Luwak’ which is made from the droppings of the civet cat! Would you pay $50 a cup?
- Beaches – The wild waves of Uluwatu, Pandang Pandang and Impossible beaches attract the surf mad crowd, while tourists who favour the beaten track take to Bali’s unique black sand volcano beaches
- Visa: Aussies can buy a 30 day visa on arrival
Ready to find your perfect Bali travel insurance policy?
Stuff going wrong on holiday shouldn’t be your foremost concern when planning your trip. After all you’ve got an exciting itinerary to navigate! But like it or lump it, without safeguarding your travels, all the fun stuff could be nullified in the flash of an eye.
Compare Bali travel insurance policies to save time, worry and loads of money. You’ll be on your way to a relaxed, worry-free holiday quicker than you can say “terima kasih” (thank you)!
