Travel Insurance for Bali: What You Need Before You Go

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When I left London I ended up in Lombok, the island next to Bali. I settled there and learned to surf, which I wrote about in the life lessons surfing taught me. I also broke a rib riding a big wave off an Indonesian island, and went paragliding in Indonesia.

Indonesia gave me some of the best years of my life. It also taught me that the island life comes with its own risks. Here is what your travel insurance for Bali needs to cover.

Do you need travel insurance for Bali?

You should not go without it. Good private hospitals exist in Bali, but they expect payment, and serious cases can mean a transfer to another island or another country. A scooter crash or a week in hospital with dengue can cost more than your whole trip. Check the latest UK travel advice for Indonesia before you go, whatever your nationality.

The risks your policy needs to cover

Scooter crashes

Many visitors rent a scooter, and it is where a lot of insurance problems start. Helmet and licence rules decide whether you are covered. I explain them in does travel insurance cover scooters.

Reef cuts and surf injuries

Many of Bali’s breaks are over shallow reef. Cuts get infected fast in the heat. Read my guide to travel insurance for surfers for what to check.

Bali belly

Stomach bugs are common. Most pass in a day or two. If you have a high fever, blood in your stool or cannot keep fluids down, see a doctor.

Dengue fever

Dengue spreads through mosquito bites. The NHS dengue guide explains the symptoms, which often feel like flu. Use repellent day and night.

Animal bites and scratches

Rabies is present in Indonesia, and the monkeys at temples are bold. The NHS rabies page explains what to do after a bite or scratch. Get help the same day. Ask your travel clinic about vaccines before you go, and check the CDC advice for Indonesia.

Volcano hikes, diving and adventure

Sunrise on a volcano, diving off the Gili Islands and paragliding are all part of the trip. Check your policy’s altitude limit, diving depth and rules for guided activities.

How Genki Traveler fits a Bali trip

I use Genki for my own cover. Under the current Genki Traveler insurance conditions:

• Driving a scooter or motorbike is covered if you wear a helmet. You are covered without a licence on small scooters up to 125cc and 110 km/h. On bigger bikes you need a valid licence where the law requires one.
• Surfing is covered, except big wave surfing, tow in surfing and surfing in extreme weather.
• Diving is covered down to 30 metres if you are certified for that dive, or accompanied by a dive professional allowed to guide you.
• Hiking and trekking are covered up to 4,000 metres. Mount Rinjani on Lombok and the volcanoes on Bali are all lower than that.
• Paragliding is covered with a licensed instructor, certified equipment and the local safety rules.
• Hospital stays are managed by their 24 hour emergency assistance team, who pay the hospital directly.
• If you are already in Indonesia with no previous cover when you sign up, only emergencies are covered for the first 14 days.

It covers unexpected illness and injury, not routine checkups or vaccines. If it fits your trip, you can check the price for your age on Genki.

Staying longer?

Bali is full of people who came for two weeks and stayed for two years. If that is you, read travel health insurance vs international health insurance and my post on the Bali digital nomad visa.

Enjoy the island

Bali and Lombok are magical. Sort your cover before you land, so a scooter scrape or a fever stays a story and not a debt. And if you are planning a longer trip around Asia, read my guide to gap year travel insurance.

Photo by Niklas Weiss on Unsplash.