Bali travel insurance

Unfortunately my flight to Bali was cancelled by the airline the night before I was to depart, and I couldn’t get on another flight until 3 days later. This put me out of pocket for the accommodation that I had booked, totalling around $1,500 for those 3 nights. After I arrived back from my trip, I lodged a claim with Allianz who reimbursed me for those prepaid expenses (less a $300 excess). The claims process was super straightforward. I filled out an online form, uploaded my documentation like tax invoices and the cancellation email. Within 4 days, Allianz had approved my claim and I received the funds a week later. It was the best outcome from a bad situation.

— Jessica Prasida, publisher

Why do I need travel insurance in Bali?

• It can cover you for emergency medical treatment.
• It can cover medical expenses caused by injuries and accidents, unless it's from an excluded activity.
• It can pay for transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance, as well as medical evacuations back to Australia.
• If you're renting a car in Bali, make sure you have car rental excess cover.
• Pickpocketing can occur in Bali. Travel insurance can cover you for lost or stolen valuables. This could include rings, necklaces, phones and watches.
• Bali is home to active volcanoes. Travel insurance can cover travel disruptions caused by natural disasters.
• Terrorism is a risk in Bali. A few insurers provide cover for medical and hospital expenses caused by an act of terrorism, including the cost of bringing you back home.

Looking for the best travel insurance for Bali? Check out our award winners in 2023

You're satisfying customers

Tick travel insurance has ranked first place for customer satisfaction in 2023.

This survey was conducted by Dynata, where 95% of respondents said they would recommend Tick to a friend, and it scored the highest in the 'value for money' category.

About why Tick won

Want the bells and whistles?

Southern Cross Travel Insurance has taken the top position in the 'Travel insurance - Comprehensive' category for the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It's got to do with its wide COVID-19 coverage and how it handles cancellations due to unexpected events.

Adding to that, its average pricing was pretty affordable compared to other brands who offer less coverage for a higher price.

About why SCTI won

Show me the money!

Fast Cover is the winner of the 2023 Finder Awards for the 'Travel insurance - Value' category. How? We compared the average prices of 28 international travel insurance policies, and Fast Cover came out on top.

But what does 'value' mean? It means we looked at more than just price. Fast Cover doesn't include everything on its policies, but it offers good value.

About why Fast Cover won

The best for your backyard

InsureandGo has taken the top place for the 'Travel insurance - Domestic' category in the 2023 Finder Awards.

Why? We analysed 23 domestic policies and found that InsureandGo were generous with their benefit limits for things like cancellation and rental car excess insurance.

About why InsureandGo won

This one's for the seniors

Southern Cross Travel Insurance is the winner of the 'Travel insurance - Seniors' category in the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It has higher age limits and generous benefits.

We also appreciated SCTI's easy-to-read product disclosure statement. This means that customers can easily understand their policies, and travel with confidence.

About why SCTI won

Insurance Innovation Finalist

Fast Cover Travel Insurance's COVID-19 Benefits & Refund Policy earned it a place among the finalists in the Insurance Innovation category of this year's Finder Innovation Awards.

It goes further than many other insurers, covering COVID medical expenses and evacuation, up to $5,000 for COVID-related cancellations and additional expenses.

Best travel insurance

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Bali travel insurance: Common exclusions

Every travel insurance policy has things you won't be covered for. Common exclusions include:

• If you purchase cover after the incident has occurred. For example, if you take cover out after you've been injured and need medical attention.
• Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have any major medical conditions, make sure you let your insurer know before taking out a policy. Otherwise you won't be covered for claims related to that condition.
• You travel despite government travel advice. For example, if you travel to areas that have a warning from Smartraveller, such as the provinces of Papua (Papua), Papua Highlands (Papua Pegunungan), Central Papua (Papua Tengah) and South Papua (Papua Selatan), travel insurance may not cover you.
• Incidents that occur while you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For example, if you go out drinking in Seminyak, get injured and need medical attention, travel insurance won't cover you.
• Driving vehicles without a licence. Like Australia, you won't be covered for medical costs or personal liability expenses if you drive without a licence in Bali.

What add-ons should I look for?

• If you have plans to zoom around Bali on a scooter or motorbike, make sure to have the right license, and the right policy.
• Bali is a surfers' paradise. Protect yourself from accidents while on your board, and from whatever is underneath your board.
• Taking a dive into deeper waters? Some policies can cover you if you're diving between 10-30m below the surface, but you'll need extra cover if you're going deeper.

Did you know?

Natural disasters such as flooding, bushfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides can occur in Bali.

Will I be covered for COVID-19?

Travel insurance can cover you for COVID-19 in Bali. A policy can cover you for the following:

• Rearrangement costs if you catch the virus and need to change your plans. Lots of comprehensive travel insurance policies let you claim up to $5,000 towards these expenses.
• Medical costs due to COVID-19. This can include hospital expenses and RATs if you catch COVID-19 while overseas (but you won't be covered for mandatory PCRs).
• Expenses if you need to isolate. For example, if you catch COVID while you're overseas and need to push back your flight and stay in your accommodation longer.

How do I get cheap travel insurance for Bali?

• Medical only or basic policies will generally be the cheaper policies on the market.
• Use exclusive deals or promo codes to get a discount.
• Opt for a higher excess. This will make your policy cheaper but more expensive if you have to claim.
• Compare across a handful of travel insurers – they're not all the same.
• Get the most value by buying your policy early. It means you're covered for longer while paying the same price.

When I travel, I don't want to fork out a lot for travel insurance. I always get something above the bare minimum though which usually only covers medical-only expenses. Flight disruptions and delayed luggage are really common, so look for a cheap policy that covers me for these things.

Gary Ross Hunter
Finder's travel insurance senior writer

What do I do in emergencies?

For emergencies: call 112 (police), 112 (ambulance) or 112 (fire).

In a medical emergency, call for help and then contact your insurer on their emergency assistance line.

Civil unrest, security risks, threat of terrorist attack and crime are a concern in Bali, but you should still be eligible for travel insurance. It won't cover all of these situations but it can help cover medical costs, stolen belongings and much much more.

Gary Ross Hunter
Finder's travel insurance senior writer

Meet our travel expert Angus Kidman

Angus Kidman is the international editor-at-large at Finder. He's an award-winning journalist, avid travel enthusiast and passionate frequent flyer. Angus appears regularly on Sunrise, Today, The Project, Seven News and other TV and radio shows to share his expert tips.

Angus's top Bali travel insurance tips

• Planning to surf in Bali? Check that your policy covers both injuries and damage to your board - many don't.
• Take out insurance as soon as you book your trip - that maximises the value of your cover.
• Bintang beware: travel insurance likely won't cover your for inuries that occur while you're drunk.

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

We're free

Our travel insurance engine is completely free to use. You pay the same as buying directly from the insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site.

We're experts

We've researched and reviewed almost every travel insurer on the market as part of our Finder Awards and our in-house experts regularly appear on Sunrise, 7News and various news publications.

We're independent

Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and we work with lots of travel insurance brands, making it easier for you to find a good deal.

We're here to help

Since 2014, we've helped over one million people find travel insurance by explaining your options simply. We'll never ask for your number or email to see prices. We're here to help you make a decision.

FAQs about Bali

• Bali belly

  If you're adventurous with street food or forget to avoid drinking drink tap water, you run the risk of getting "Bali belly": make sure you have emergency medical expenses in your travel insurance plan.

• Is the water safe to drink?

  Water in Bali isn't safe to drink unless it's boiled so it's worth following these tips when you travel:

  • Only consume tap water if it's been boiled – for example, drinking tea or coffee.
  • Don't brush your teeth with the tap water.
  • Ask for no ice in your drinks, just in case it's not been made with boiled water.

  A drink to avoid in Bali is arak, a distilled rice spirit that can be deadly if you drink from a bad batch. Arak has killed travellers in the past so if you're planning on drinking alcohol in Bali, stick to commercially produced drinks.

• Do you need vaccinations for Bali?

  Before travelling to Bali all travellers should make sure routine vaccinations are up to date and speak to a doctor about other travel vaccinations.

  Smartraveller.gov.au and a doctor can advise the risks of any other diseases/viruses, which can include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies
  • Tetanus
  • Influenza
  • Japanese encephalitis
  • Measles
  • Malaria
  • Zika
  • Dengue fever

  
  

  While protection from malaria doesn't require a vaccination and the disease isn't prominent in Bali, some mosquitoes may still carry malaria. Nearby islands do have a higher risk of malaria, so if you're travelling beyond Bali you should take precautions.

  Speak to a doctor at least eight weeks before your departure to find out what vaccines you will need, and always protect yourself from mosquitoes.

  Remember, if you do not get the recommended vaccines and fall ill while abroad your travel insurance may not cover you, which could leave you with high medical bills.

• Which travel insurance is good for Bali?

  The cheapest policy will usually only cover you for medical expenses. However, flight disruptions and petty crime are fairly common in Bali so it may be worth getting comprehensive travel insurance. This can cover you for medical expenses, trip rearrangement costs, theft, luggage delay and more.

• Do you need travel insurance to go to Bali?

  The Australian government's smartraveller site recommends that you take out cover when travelling to Bali. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.

• Which travel insurance company has COVID cover for Bali?

  Lots of travel insurers cover COVID-related expenses now. You can find a full table of the policies that cover COVID expenses on our homepage.

• Is it safe to travel to Bali?

  The Australian government smartraveller website says to exercise a high degree of caution in Bali. You should still be able to get travel insurance for Bali but make sure you do some research before you travel. There may be certain areas of the country that are not safe.