Is it Safe to Travel to Bali? [March 2021 Update]

Are you wondering if it’s safe to travel to Bali right now? Is the worst over for coronavirus? Are precautions being taken? Read this post for the latest info.

Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is starting to roll out across the world, it’s natural to start thinking about travelling again. Who isn’t sick of the sight of their own four walls and the neighborhood they live in by now?

And you’re wondering if it’s safe to travel to Bali, or if it will be safe in the coming months, right?

We lived in Bali for 8 months last year as the pandemic swept across the world and finally left in September when it became clear that nothing was going back to normal any time soon.

We are updating this post frequently so we can help you decide if you should be thinking about travelling to Bali in 2021.

In addition, you’ll find lots of info about all the “normal” dangers of visiting Bali below.

So keep reading to find out…

Is it Safe to Travel to Bali?

Coronavirus Update March 24, 2021

Currently, admission into Indonesia is very limited and only foreigners with specific visas are allowed to come. There are official restrictions on movement, store openings etc, in place in certain areas, called “red zones”. The vaccination program has begun and vaccines are being administered to people in high-risk occupations first. The general population should start receiving vaccines next month.

The latest news on reopening to general tourists says that Bali will most likely open to vaccinated travellers first. There are plans to designation “safe” green zones that have very low infection rates for tourists. When this will all take place is still a little unclear but current best guesses are for some time this summer.

However, be aware that things change frequently in Bali with regards to tourism, so check the latest restrictions before making any plans.

Should You Visit Bali in 2021?

So should you plan a trip to Bali for later this year?

The latest news from Indonesia and Bali is that borders may open to vaccinated tourists in late summer 2021.

So if you want to start planning a vacation to Bali, you might want to target fall or winter for your trip. By then, you should probably have gotten a vaccine and much of the Balinese population will also be vaccinated. People working in travel and tourism will be given priority for vaccines, so those who you interact with will likely be inoculated.

The great thing about planning a trip now, instead of waiting until later in the year, is that airlines and hotels are offering great deals and very generous refund policies, so your trip will be more affordable than usual.

How to Stay Healthy While Travelling to Bali

How to stay healthy on the plane

If you do decide to travel, there are a few things you can do to decrease your chance of getting sick when you travel, either from coronavirus or other viruses and bacterias that get passed from person to person.

• Wash your hands. A lot. Make sure you wash your hands frequently and carry hand sanitizer for those moments when good old fashioned soap and water aren’t available
• Wear a mask. Masks help protect you from contracting and spreading viruses. Plus, when I wear a mask, it reminds me not to touch my face, keeping whatever icky things my hands might pick up away from my eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Be a little obsessive. If you want, you can wear gloves and use sanitizer to wipe down your seat, tray table, and entertainment system thoroughly as soon as you board. When we flew from Bali back to Canada in September, two people on our plane were wearing full-on haz-mat suits. That may be pushing things a little too far!

Watch Naomi Campbell’s guide on how to keep healthy on the plane to see how the stars do it!

How to stay healthy in Bali

One of the great things about Bali is that most restaurants and public gathering places are open-air. That leaves you less chance of being in an enclosed space with someone who is ill.

To keep your risks to a minimum, wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face. Also avoid sitting in crowded restaurants or hanging out in crowds.

And if you do happen to sit down next to someone who is coughing or seems sick, go sit somewhere else. Even if they only have the common cold, you still don’t want to catch it and ruin your trip.

Finally, make sure you stay hydrated, rested, and healthy.

It’s easy to get lots of vitamins in the form of fresh smoothies and juices in Bali. Make sure you’re getting lots of sleep each night and exercising each day.

If you’re planning on practicing yoga, you should bring your own travel yoga mat. Studios are getting better at disinfecting between students but you’ll be best off with your own equipment.

Routine Hazards in Bali

Snatch Theft

Theft is not a huge problem in Bali, but it does occur, especially in the busiest tourist areas, like Ubud and Kuta.

The most common thefts in Bali are drive-by snatch thefts done by men on motorbikes. Motorbike thieves target pedestrians and tourist on motorbikes.

Safety tips

The key is to avoid becoming an easy target for snatch thieves. Don’t hold your phone loosely in one hand while you’re walking around and avoid holding your camera out in one hand while you’re driving in busy areas.

If I have to check my map on my phone while I’m walking around in busy areas, I usually step into a shop doorway or at the very least, stay away from the roadside.

Keep your valuables in clothing with zipper pockets or in a hotel safe.

If you carry a bag or a purse, don’t dangle it off your shoulder or arm. A secure travel purse is great investment because you can totally use it at home and be safe there too.

If you don’t look like a target, chances are the thieves will pass you by.

Traffic

The most common pitfall for tourists in Bali is the traffic.

Driving a scooter in Bali is going to be, by far, the most dangerous thing you do. Traffic is crazy on many parts of the island (no, it’s not the serene paradise you’ve seen on Instagram) and drivers are often unlicensed and always unpredictable.

If you’re not totally secure driving a scooter, Bali is not the place to learn. Not long after riding our bicycles onto Bali, after 20 months cycling around the world, we got into a very close call. We never felt safe on the roads there.

Safety tips

Don’t drive a scooter in Bali, especially the crowded areas, unless you are totally confident, licensed, and wearing a helmet.

As a pedestrian in Bali, you also need to watch out. Just keep your eyes and ears open for scooters driving against traffic, scooters turning corners, scooters riding up onto the sidewalk, taxi drivers who don’t feel like stopping, etc, and you should be OK.

Drugs

Buying and doing drugs in Bali is just not safe, OK? The drug laws in Indonesia are super-harsh and just not worth trifling with. You will get offered illicit substances as you’re walking down the street.

The only safe (and smart) answer is a smile and a polite “No, thanks.” Scams and stings on tourists buying drugs are also common in Bali. And then, you never know what’s in said drugs that you buy.

Safety tips

Just say “no” to drugs in Bali. Stay present instead and enjoy your time that way.

Monkeys

Monkeys? Really? Are they a threat to your safety in Bali? Well yes, they can be. If you go into Ubud’s Monkey Forest don’t be fooled. The monkeys look cute but they are conniving little guys and smarter than you’d expect.

Safety tips

Try not to take anything with you that doesn’t fit snugly inside pockets when going to the Monkey Forest. This includes backpacks, food, shiny objects like your phone, and water bottles. If a monkey decides it wants what you have, it will come and take it.

Do not encourage the monkeys to come to you, to take food from you, or to climb on you. If they bite, you’ll be spending part of you holiday time in Bali at the medical clinic deciding whether you need rabies shots or not. As someone who has been to the clinic in Bali a lot, I can assure you that it’s not the ideal holiday activity!

Diseases in Bali

Between Stephen and I, we have had 5 cases of dengue fever in Bali. Or maybe a couple of those were Zika. We’re still not 100% sure.

The first time we got dengue, it was definitely dengue. It shut us both down at the same time, for a week. We could barely drag ourselves out of bed. Stephen felt like his bones were being crushed by Gregor Clegane. I felt overwhelming nauseous 24-hours a day. The experience was horrible.

Dengue fever is common in Bali, especially in areas where tourists congregate, like Ubud. It is spread by mosquitos which bite one dengue-infected tourist after another, passing the fun on from one to the next.

Zika is also in Bali, so if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive or if your partner is pregnant or trying to conceive, you should think carefully about going to Bali. For other travellers, Zika is less dangerous than dengue, and you might not even notice if you get it.

Safety tips

You can prevent dengue (and zika) by ALWAYS wearing Deet– or Picardin– based mosquito repellent. It only takes one mosquito bite to become infected, so apply liberally and frequently. I prefer lotion repellent because I hate breathing in all those chemicals that float around with a spray.

If you start feeling like you have the flu, get to the nearest medical clinic.

Dengue just feels fluey when it starts out. If you ignore your symptoms and carry on as normal, dengue can be fatal. Unfortunately, the only treatment for dengue is to rest and drink as much electrolyte and water as you can. You’ll start feeling human again in a few, very long, very awful, days.

Volcanoes & Earthquakes

Volcanic Eruptions in Bali

Bali’s iconic Mount Agung isn’t just a pretty mountain — it’s also a deadly eruption waiting to happen. Since 2017, Agung has been rumbling and erupting on a regular basis.

In late May 2019, two major eruptions grounded planes and sent Bali residents scurrying away from the area. These aren’t the first eruptions in 2019 and Agung is currently a very active volcano!

The night we arrived for our first 2018 trip to Bali, Agung erupted just a few hours after we got off the plane, closing the airports overnight and causing havoc with people’s travel plans. A few days later, from our guest house on Nusa Penida, we watched Agung spew masses of black clouds and ash into the sky.

It was thrilling and scary. But, so far, the eruptions have been mild and caused little damage.

Of course, there is a risk of a major eruption at any time — it could happen tomorrow or not for 100 years. Nobody can predict it.

Safety tips

Stay away from the Agung exclusion zone, even if it seems “safe” at the time you’re there. Volcanoes don’t give a written warning before they erupt.

There’s not much more you can do!

Earthquakes & Tsunamis in Bali

Indonesia is a volcanic archipelago, so there are earthquakes ALL THE TIME in Bali. Most of these are not strong enough for humans to feel, but some of them are and it can be very scary when they happen.

Last year was a hard one for Indonesia.

First, the island of Lombok was rocked by a series of major earthquakes. Hundreds of people died and tens of thousands were left homeless after the quake. We were on Bali at the time and the eruptions shook our solidly built hotel like it was a kiddie toy. (Read about that later in this post).

Then, a couple of months later, an earthquake and resulting tsunami wiped out entire towns on the island of Sulawesi. A few days later, a 6.0 earthquake hit Java and shook Bali as well.

The series of earthquakes has been devastating for Indonesia — physically, psychologically, and economically. Even if the worst earthquakes are over for now, the impact will be felt for years to come.

Keep reading to find out what it was like during the earthquakes, how to prepare for an earthquake while you’re in Bali, and how to keep yourself safe during an earthquake.

How to Stay Safe in an Earthquake in Bali

If you do decide to travel to Bali – or anywhere with frequent earthquakes – you should be prepared for an earthquake to happen at any time.

Here are a few tips to help you stay safe in Bali:

1. Always have a grab-and-go bag packed. At a minimum, it should contain: your passport and wallet, extra cash, a big bottle of water, warm clothes, your phone charger, a charged power bank if you have one, and something to eat.
2. Look for safe spaces. When you enter a building, notice where your nearest escape route is. Look around for any heavy furniture or archways where you could shelter if an earthquake strikes. Decide ahead of time what you will do, so you can act decisively instead of panicking.
3. Be aware of your surroundings. In many countries, you are supposed to stay inside if an earthquake strikes. It seems counterintuitive, but in a typical earthquake, your chances of being hit by falling windows, plaster, or palm fronds are greater than the chance of an entire building collapsing.In Bali, staying inside is not necessarily the right move.Most buildings there are poorly built and not made to withstand earthquakes. Because of that, people usually run outside when there is a quake.Unless you’re in an extremely solid building, be prepared to get outside quickly. You’ll need to get away from trees and buildings as quickly as possible and stand in a cleared space. Be aware of trees, powerlines, and other hazards.
4. Don’t forget about tsunamis. If you’re at the beach, have an escape plan ready. In low-lying beach communities like Sanur there are tsunami escape route signs posted. Be aware of them and use them at the first tsunami warning. Don’t wait for other people to act first.In areas like Uluwatu, where the beaches are at the bottom of a cliff, be aware of the nearest stairs off the beach and use them immediately if there’s a tsunami warning.Your best source for updates after an earthquake, including the possibility of a tsunami is the Twitter feed of BMKG Indonesia.Look for the words “TIDAK berpotensi tsunami” or “TDK berpotensi tsunami” which translates as “NO potential of a tsunami.” If it just says “berpotensi tsunami”, get to high ground immediately.

When’s the Next Earthquake?

After the series of earthquakes and hundreds of aftershocks that have hit Indonesia, it seems logical to stay away from the area.

If several quakes have happened, surely more are on the way, right?

Well, not necessarily…

The truth is, no one can tell you for sure whether it’s safe to go to Bali right now. Earthquakes are unpredictable – they literally cannot be predicted – and they don’t follow any discernible pattern.

Just because there were several large earthquakes in Indonesia recently, it doesn’t mean there are more to come. Just because those earthquakes were only minor trembles in Bali, doesn’t mean Bali is necessarily safe.

The truth is, we just don’t know what’s going to happen next in Indonesia.

So, is it safe to go to Bali right now or not?

The answer is that it’s no more or less safe than it was when you first decided to go. It’s no more or less safe than when you booked your ticket or than when your friends raved about their “holiday in paradise”.

The truth is, if you’re scared of earthquakes, then you should stay away from the entire Ring of Fire — including Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, western Canada, California, and western South America — at all times.

Earthquakes in this region are frequent and hit without warning.

Of course, we never recommend that you let fear of the unknown make your decisions for you.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Were the Bali Earthquakes Scary?

We were in Bali for two months, which means we felt the three big Lombok earthquakes and many of the aftershocks.

Wake up and Shake Up

During the first big quake, a 6.4 magnitude on July 29, we were asleep in our hotel room in Ubud when the shutters started to rattle.

Stephen woke up first, thinking that our neighbours were just being excessively noisy. When he realized that the bed was shaking and our ceiling fan was swaying, he yanked me out of bed in a panic. By the time I fully woke up, the quake was over.

That afternoon, the building started to shake again, and we ran outside with the hotels employees.

Catch a Wave

A few days later, on August 5th, the devastating 6.9 quake struck.

As our room started to sway, we grabbed a big bottle of water and hid in our small bathroom.

Despite the solid stone construction of our hotel, it felt as if we were standing on a SUP board with waves gently rolling beneath us. The sensation, which lasted for almost a minute, was bizarre and more than a little terrifying.

Even though we’ve lived in earthquake regions most of our lives (Vancouver and L.A. both get hit frequently), this was the biggest, longest, and scariest quake we have ever experienced.

Just as our hearts had stopped racing, an aftershock hit, sending us into fight-or-flight mode once again. It took a few days for us to completely calm down.

While the residents of Lombok were mourning the hundreds dead and trying to piece their lives back together, things went back to business as usual on Bali. We joined hundreds of other tourists in restaurants, beaches, and tourist attractions. The earthquakes had very little effect on most people’s holidays.

Shake, Rattle & Roll

On August 19, we were waiting for our friends on a beach in Uluwatu, on the southern shores of Bali, when they messaged us to ask if we’d felt the earthquake.

We hadn’t, but we quickly got online to find that another 6.4 had struck. Being on the beach, we immediately checked for a tsunami warning. We were ready to flee but luckily there was no tsunami.

Later that night, just after we’d fallen asleep, I dreamed I was in a rocking boat. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was the bed that was rocking and the whole room was shaking.

I woke Stephen up, but by the time we had found the light switch and put on some clothes, the shaking had stopped. The news reports came in quickly, showing another 7.0 had hit Lombok.

We felt three aftershocks that night as we lay anxiously in bed.

These experiences left us feeling small, vulnerable, and extremely on edge.

Though the earthquakes had no discernible impact on the day-to-day lives of the tourists and locals we encountered in Bali, I still have to admit, I’m pretty glad we’re back in Europe now!

I hope this post has helped you understand the safety precautions you should take before travelling to Bali after the Lombok earthquakes. If you have any specific questions that we haven’t answered here, please ask below and we’ll answer as soon as possible.

How You Can Help Indonesian Earthquake Victims

While you’re worrying about your holiday, we’d also like to ask you to think about the earthquake victims in Indonesia.

Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed which has left thousands of people sleeping under tarps. They don’t even have access to basics necessities, like fresh vegetables, rice, or tools to start digging out the rubble of their houses.

Please consider donating a portion of your holiday money to helping them get back on their feet.

We recommend Pituq Community Foundation, who run not only the best restaurant on Gili Trawangan, but also run a great, community-led charity.

They are working to help provide care for the people who lives have been devastated by these earthquakes.

There are more excellent suggestions for helping Indonesian earthquake victims here.

While the earthquakes will die down and news outlets will move on to the next big story, these people will be without homes for months or even years. If you can afford a trip to Bali, you can afford to spend a little to help these people in deep need. Please do.

Donate now

Heed the Travel Advisories

As with any travel, you should always check the travel advisories your country issues before you go anywhere. If you travel to a destination with a travel advisory in place, you may find that it invalidates your travel insurance.

Here are the official sites for Canadian, UK, Australian, and American travel advisories. So far, no countries are advising against travel to Bali or Indonesia because of COVID-19.

It is recommended that you keep clear of the exclusion zone around Mount Agung, although the last eruption was 8 months ago.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

The most important part of your disaster preparation, no matter where you’re travelling, is travel insurance.

While some insurance companies don’t pay out in the event of natural disasters, other freak accidents can happen any time.

While it is pretty safe to travel to Bali, I can’t count the number of travellers I’ve seen in Bali with bandages around legs, ankles, arms and shoulders — a byproduct of newbies hopping on motorcycles and surf boards.

Minor accidents happen all the time, and once in a while, those accidents can become major.

If you have to go to the hospital or go home early because of accident or injury, travel insurance can pay your extra expenses.

And if you don’t think it can happen to you…

Stephen and I have both had near-death experiences in the last year through no fault of our own.

I got malaria in Laos and ended up in the hospital. Stephen scraped his elbow falling off a bike. It became so infected he had to have emergency surgery! We were so glad to have insurance that paid for thousands of dollars of medical costs.

If you don’t have insurance yet, check out World Nomads.

They provide trip cancellation, emergency medical, and coverage for more than 150 adventure activities. More importantly, they are trusted by almost all of the travel bloggers and pro travellers we know!

More Bali Travel Tips

Use these Bali posts to help plan your transformational trip!

♥  Happy transformational travels, Jane & Stephen

It’s easy to help us keep this blog going! The insurance links in this post are our personal affiliate links. If you buy insurance using our link, we’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Of course, we would never recommend anything we didn’t 100% believe in! Huge thanks in advance! –S&J