Breakthrough in Denpasar: Bali reopens to foreign tourism on 14 October

Bali is opening to foreign tourism this year after all. From 14 October the international airport of Denpasar will accept arrivals from a selected number of countries. A breakthrough for the sector.

The tourism sector has waited many months for this

The tropical sun destination of Bali has been aiming to reopen for many months. Despite corona-free corridors, optimism , and August as a new target, it simply did not work out.

The delta variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit Bali hard, the tourism sector in particular. Even so, there was hope that September would bring some room to move. That has now become October.

Foreign tourism: not everyone will simply be able to enter Indonesia

Indonesian politician Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, minister of Maritime Affairs, announces that they will stay ‘selective’, according to CNN. Not everyone will simply be able to enter Indonesia.

Residents of South Korea, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand may enter Indonesia at the moment , under extremely strict conditions only, and not for tourism.

• Tourists from those countries are expected to be welcome first soon, from 14 October. The ‘country list’ may be extended further if the situation allows.
• Dutch travellers cannot enter Indonesia at all at the moment without an Indonesian temporary residence permit. The question is whether the Netherlands will make any extended country list.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long labelled Indonesia a very high-risk area: essential travel only.

From rice terraces to towering infinity pools and wondrous waterfalls

Bali captures the imagination. A word like Instagrammable can be stuck on almost anything there. The rice fields of Tegalalang look wondrously beautiful, for instance.

And we have not even mentioned the equally wondrous waterfalls.

• The Tibumana waterfall belongs on your list, once Bali is no longer ‘orange’.
• The same goes for the Pengibul waterfall, an ‘outdoor shower’ with natural pools.
• And while you are in the area, go and see the handsome Tegenungan waterfall.

And finally: visit this pool above the Indian Ocean once Bali opens up.