Good news!!
Indonesia is set to reopen its doors to international tourists on the 11th September 2020.
Under strict protocol, Indonesia will allow tourists to enter via the resort island of Bali as part of their 3 phase recovery plan.
Phase two will start on the 31st July when domestic travel will be reopened. Then pending low transmission results, phase three will take affect soon after.
International tourists will be required to enter via Bali with a visa given on arrival if you can prove a negative test to COVID-19. The guidelines to enter are as follows:
- Return a negative PCR test
- Fly into Bali ONLY. Obtain a ‘rapid test’ to travel domestically. The rapid test is obtained at the airport with test results emailed to you in about 30 mins.
Flights from Bali to other Indonesian points of interest for surfers will be limited but World Surfaris can assist here. We are well equipped with our Balinese based office available 24/7 if needed.
This is welcome news for surf tour operators all over Indonesia. Who despite surfing pumping waves all to themselves since March, are ready to start accepting international guests as soon as possible. The hope this will bring to area’s like The Mentawais in particular, will all but secure the future of several operators. With many operators having to postpone travel until 2021, having about 3 months of the season left to salvage the year is a breath of fresh air. Michael Hill from Lakey Peak Haven and World Surfaris Bali Office Manager said, “Sure, its been great surfing empty waves for several months but business has taken a hit. It’s great that we can accept Europeans and US surfers from the 11th of September but we really need the Aussies to return before the stress and anxiety levels start to fade”.
Michael is onto something. The fact that some one million Australians visit Indonesia every year is costing Indonesia an estimated $1.5 billion. For Aussie surfers, Indonesia is the pinnacle of international surf tourism and for it to return would be amazing for operators and the surfing community in general.
VIDEO: The Last Man in the Mentawais – Kandui Resort