Here at FINNS Search and Rescue, we’re proud to be able to provide rescue services to the people of Bali and the surrounding areas and to visitors on a Bali trip who may need our assistance if they get stuck while exploring coastal areas, find themselves in a medical emergency or in other special circumstances.
However, if you want your travel plans to go as smoothly as possible, it’s best to ensure that you have travel insurance cover. Your Bali travel insurance shouldn’t just cover overseas medical expenses and trip cancellation; it should also have an inclusion for search and rescue services.
So, let’s walk through what’s involved in travel insurance for Bali and what you can do for your next Bali trip.
TL;DR?
- We strongly recommend that you read through all terms and conditions of a travel insurance policy carefully. You want to ensure that it will provide cover in any circumstances.
- Your domestic insurer (such as Medicare in Australia, the NHS in the UK, or a private insurer) will not normally cover you overseas. You must have travel insurance for Bali for that reason.
- It’s best to have a policy that provides medical cover, search and rescue callout, cover for adventure sports and activities, deals with the loss of personal belongings or trip cancellation, and ensures you have no other personal liability.
The Importance Of Bali Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip
We cannot stress enough that the majority of trips to Bali are pleasant and enjoyable with no need to claim on insurance. But Southern Cross Travel estimates that nearly 10% of its international travel insurance customers have to make some sort of claim!
And that’s because no amount of planning and careful preparation can protect you against unforeseen circumstances.
While insurance cover often feels like an unnecessary expense, particularly when you don’t end up filing a claim, the first time you really need it, you realise how cost-effective and useful it really is.
- Anyone can get ill or injured in Bali at any time, just as they would at home. Travel insurance is there to ensure that you don’t get a bill for the emergency medical assistance, medical expenses, search and rescue services for your adventure activities, third-party claims for accidents while motorcycle riding, etc.
- Anyone can lose or have their travel documents, luggage or personal effects stolen. Travel insurance means that if this happens, you can get help with replacing these items and the costs are covered (up to the specific policy limits, of course).
- This means that if you want peace of mind on your holidays, you want travel insurance. And we recommend that you take out your policy as soon as you confirm your travel plans. That way the trip cancellation clause ensures you are protected against any unforeseen circumstances that might require you to postpone or cancel your travel.
The Most Important Aspect Of Travel Insurance For Bali: Overseas Medical Expenses Coverage
The biggest potential unforeseen expense on a holiday is overseas medical expenses, such as hospital expenses, medical bills, emergency assistance, etc.
Bali is a developing nation, but its public and private hospitals can be very good, particularly for common injuries, etc.
However, it can get expensive to use them, fast. This is particularly true for foreigners who do not qualify for the local insurance scheme.
Rabies vaccinations and treatment can set you back $2,000 or more. Dengue fever treatment that requires hospitalisation could run $10,000. And we see regular GoFundMe appeals for amounts in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for bike accidents.
So, make sure you have a travel insurance policy that is going to provide every aspect of emergency assistance that you might need.
In addition, you should be aware that most travel insurance does not cover pre-existing medical conditions. That means you must disclose these conditions to the insurer prior to taking out insurance, and you may have to pay increased premiums if you want them to be covered.
Failure to declare such conditions can invalidate the entire travel insurance policy even if you make a claim for an unrelated issue.
One thing we look for when taking out travel insurance for Bali is access to an emergency medical assistance team. These are people who work for the insurer and are available 24/7 to ensure that if you have a problem, they can help.
They deal with everything from getting you admitted to a hospital to translating instructions, etc. This can save you an absolute ton of stress and hassle when something is going wrong.
Why You Need Search And Rescue Coverage For Bali
We strongly recommend that if you come to Bali, your travel insurance has a provision for Search and Rescue (SAR) services.
This will mean that in the event you are injured and cannot easily be moved to a hospital because of the terrain, or if you are lost hiking, or swept out to sea, that you can access specialised SAR services easily and without any cost to you.
We should note that many standard policies lack this coverage and that’s a shame as it can prove to be life-saving in certain circumstances. We recommend that you agree a special premium and clause for this coverage and that you check that any sub limits are fair and representative of real costs.
This is one of the overseas medical expenses that can end up costing far more than some travel documents if you need it. So make sure that you’re insured for the eventuality.
When Things Go Wrong Before And During Travel
It’s nobody’s fault, but things go wrong before and during travel all of the time. You get sick, or someone passes away, and you have to go to the funeral; a volcano erupts, and the ash clouds prevent planes from landing in Bali, and so on…
If you have the right travel insurance for Bali, you’ll find that you can have coverage for all of these things. However, you must make certain that the coverage you need is listed in your policy before you commit to it.
In the event of flight delays, you may find your insurer will provide additional accommodation, meals, transport to and from the airport, etc. if you are delayed for a certain number of hours.
Again, all the details of such coverage will be in the policy that you are offered.
One thing we really like to have included is coverage for the loss of or damage to travel documents. Having replacements paid for and other expenses offset along the way can make life much easier.
Adventurous Folks Need Extra Cover
Bali is an amazing place if you love adventure sports and activities. You can get into hiking in the jungle or up volcanoes, dive offshore in shipwrecks and around reefs, take up bungee jumping, surf some of the most challenging and exciting breaks in the world, and so much more.
However, travel insurance doesn’t normally cover this kind of activity. So, if you want your overseas medical expenses met if you have an accident while enjoying these activities, you will need to take out additional cover.
This means you want a policy that states very clearly that your specific activity is covered, what you must do to qualify for a payout and how much that payout will be.
The most dangerous activity in Bali, by far, is motorcycle riding, and after Bali Belly, it’s the number one reason to claim on your travel insurance for Bali.
So, if you intend to ride, make sure that you are fully covered to do so. You will also need to wear a helmet, have a current license with a motorcycle endorsement and an International Driver’s Permit. If you don’t, your insurance will be invalid.
It’s also important to check if the engine capacity of your preferred bike is covered. If it’s not, you’ll need to choose a smaller engine.
Rental Vehicle Excess Explained
Many travel insurance policies have a rental car or rental vehicle excess clause. This can be handy if you want to rent a car in Bali.
That’s because while car rental companies do provide cover of their own, it tends to have an unreasonably large excess associated with it.
If your travel insurance covers rental vehicle excess, then whatever amount you have to pay on the car insurance is covered by your travel insurance instead.
We’d strongly recommend that if you do rent a car, you photograph any areas of damage and have them agreed by the rental company before you drive away. You must also adhere to all legal requirements for driving in Bali; for example, if you don’t have a driving license, your insurance is worthless.
Quad Bikes
We should point out that ATVs and Quad Bikes are among the most dangerous adventure sports in Bali.
If you want to enjoy this activity, you must have travel insurance for your medical expenses and for personal liability. If you accidentally injure someone else or damage their property, you could find yourself facing a very large compensation bill if you’re not covered.
Covering Your Possessions And Other Travel Insurance Benefits
Luggage cover and cover for your personal effects is vital. If your bags are delayed from reaching Bali, or they are lost or stolen, you will be able to carry on your holiday without a massive financial outlay.
However, if you want the best coverage in these circumstances. Make sure to individually insure expensive items such as jewellery, laptops, cameras and the like.
Always review the sub limits on the policy around insurance for personal effects; you may need your initial purchase receipts to be able to make a claim too.
Another possible benefit of travel insurance is personal liability coverage. That means if somebody wants to make a claim against you in any circumstance, the insurance cover should deal with your legal expenses and potentially even any award made against you.
How To Stay In The Know During Your Travel For Extra Safety
Bali is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ash clouds and other natural events. While it is unlikely that these events will ruin your time in this dream destination, it’s fair to say that they can impact your accommodation expenses and transportation costs.
That means the best general advice (rather than safety tips regarding what to do in these circumstances) is to have travel insurance that covers any costs you incur if these issues or any other natural disasters take place.
We also strongly recommend that you follow travel alerts during your time in Bali and that you get your government advice from SmartTraveller every day, too.
It’s important to note that sites like SmartTraveller can be a bit over the top at times and you’re not beholden to them for every single thing you do, but it’s useful to know if any unforeseen natural disaster can be foreseen and what might arise from such an issue.
Our team also wanted to share some of their favourite safety tips for Bali with you that could save you from having to claim on your travel insurance in the first place:
- If you must ride on a scooter or motorbike, then use a helmet at all times. Your travel insurance is not valid if you don’t.
- If you must drive a motorbike or scooter, then have a motorbike endorsement on your license and a current IDP (International Driver’s Permit); if you don’t, your travel insurance is not valid.
- Motorcycle riding is the number one cause of travel insurance claims in Bali, right after Bali Belly. We recommend not riding at all.
- Always choose a reputable tour operator for adventurous activities. Cutting costs can mean cutting corners on safety.
- Make sure to wash your hands before you eat and never drink anything other than bottled water. This will keep Bali Belly away (hopefully).
- Stay hydrated. Bali is hot. It’s humid. Heatstroke is always a possibility. Keep hydrated and out of hospital.
- Use a DEET insect repellent. This is the best way to avoid Dengue Fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
Simple Tips For Choosing The Right Insurance Cover For Your Bali Trip
As we do not sell or offer insurance cover, we can’t help you choose the right travel insurance cover for your needs.
Travel insurance needs to be customised to the individual and their circumstances, where one person may need increased medical treatment coverage, another might need rental vehicle excess, and another might want to be covered for scuba diving.
So, with that in mind, we’ve got some tips that might help you manage your ongoing risks as you explore Bali and to choose the right travel insurance for your trip:
- Think finances first – your financial situation matters. There are plenty of budget-friendly policies out there to choose from. However, we’ve found that many of these policies are severely lacking in certain areas and/or have a very high excess that must be paid before you can claim or they require you to claim online when you’re in the middle of an issue, which can be super stressful. You get what you pay for in most cases, including with travel insurance.
- Then, consider how long you want to stay and what you will do in Bali – Bali can be an island paradise, but medical care costs can still mount up, volcanic eruptions can cause travel delays, lost luggage can ruin a holiday, flight delays happen to everyone, and so on. When you know how long you will stay and what you’re going to do, you can take our coverage that matches your needs.
- Read the small print before you sign and watch out for –
- Eligibility criteria – some policies will have clauses regarding the purpose of your trip (holidays are very different from trips taken in a professional capacity); they may require you to be normally resident of a particular country or fall within a certain age bracket.
- Sub limits – many policies have a bunch of sub limits in certain sections; they can drastically affect payments for specific circumstances. Check them carefully and make sure you’re not looking at a $50 payout for your $3,000 camera, for example.
- Anything you don’t understand – it’s OK; these policies are drafted by lawyers, and they’re hard to read. But if you don’t understand something, make the insurer or their agent explain exactly what it means. Never sign up for something you don’t understand.
- Single vs Multi-Trip Coverage – some policies allow you to travel to multiple destinations over a long period of time, others last only for the length of your trip and only cover time in Bali. Be sure of what you are signing up to.
The more you think about what you need and the more you check the policy to see it matches those needs, the better your travel insurance will be when you need it.
Insurers That Offer Travel Insurance For Bali
FINNS Search and Rescue is not in the travel insurance business, nor are we an authorised representative of any insurer. That means we do not make guarantees or recommendations regarding which policy is the best for anyone.
You are strongly advised to check the small print carefully before you sign up to a policy. The fine details are important.
However, if you’re looking for insurers that cover Bali from Australia, these are reputable insurers – Allianz, Cover-More, Fast Cover, Medibank and Travel Insurance Direct.
What To Do Before You Travel To Bali
You can make certain that you have everything ready for the trip of a lifetime by doing some basic stuff before you leave:
- Take out travel insurance after you’ve done your research and compared the different policies and how they might apply to you
- And after you’ve declared all your pre-existing medical conditions and any planned activities (particularly adventure activities) you have in mind
- Agreed to any additional premium that your activities incur or for improved coverage for medical bills, etc.
- Download, install and test your insurer’s app and, in addition, write down and save their number in your phone. You don’t want to be unable to contact the insurer in the event of a medical emergency.
- On the day that you leave, check the Australian government’s SmartTraveller portal and make sure you’re up to date with what’s going on in Bali.
- Make sure that your passport is in good condition and has at least 6 months of validity from your entry date to Indonesia. Also make sure that you have met all the visa requirements for Bali.
- Put together and pack a First-Aid kit, your travel insurance documents, and any medicines that you use (along with doctor’s prescriptions for all of them – Indonesia has very strict regulations regarding medications).
- Go through your policy and work out how to claim if any unexpected events occur. You may have award-winning insurance, but it’s no use to you if you can’t make a claim when something goes wrong.
While you’re on the island, it’s a good idea to always have the policy number and emergency medical assistance team’s contact number on hand. If something goes wrong, these two pieces of information will make it infinitely easier for you to get help, fast.
Final Thoughts On Travel Insurance Bali And SAR Coverage
International travel is a wonderful thing and careful planning can help to reduce the risks associated with travelling. However, there’s nothing in this life that is entirely risk-free, and that’s why your next trip should include travel insurance plans.
Overseas emergency medical cover is absolutely vital in today’s world. While Facebook groups may speak of “cheap hospital expenses” in Bali, the reality is that foreigners pay a premium for health services on the island and while a quick check-up for Bali Belly may not break the bank, not many of us have $200,000 lying around for the costs of being patched up after a road traffic accident.
Travel insurance’s main job is to cover medical expenses, but you also purchase travel insurance for additional cover such as Search and Rescue coverage, for hotels and travel changes in the event of natural disasters or a severe bout of Bali Belly, to make certain that if someone dings your rental car that you’re not paying a massive excess and so on…
We always recommend that if you visit Bali that you take out a decent travel insurance policy and that you have the right overseas medical cover and pay any additional premiums for coverage that you need specifically for your holiday.
Buying the right insurance means that you can get on with enjoying your holiday knowing that if you need emergency assistance, you’ve got it throughout your trip duration. Hospital bills don’t have to ruin your holiday as long as you have the medical coverage you need.