Bali Travel Insurance Guide: What to Look For Before Your Holiday
Travel insurance is probably not the part of your Bali holiday you’re excited about organising.
You’re much more likely to be thinking about where you’re staying, which beach clubs you’re going to visit and whether you should spend more time in Uluwatu, Ubud or somewhere by the beach.
But it’s one part of a Bali trip I wouldn’t overlook.
Most holidays here go exactly as planned. But illness, cancelled flights, lost luggage, scooter accidents and unexpected hospital visits do happen — and overseas medical treatment can become expensive very quickly.
I personally travel with Allianz, but there isn’t one travel insurance policy that will suit everyone. Your best option will depend on where you’re travelling from, who you’re travelling with, what you’re planning to do in Bali and the level of protection you want.
Short on time? Download our comparison spreadsheet to research your shortlisted insurers and complete the insurance checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything and take our Travel Insurance Quiz to get you started.
If you’re travelling to Bali from Australia, the United Kingdom or the United States, these are some of the travel insurance brands I think are worth comparing.
Before Choosing Travel Insurance for Bali
Don’t choose travel insurance purely because one policy is cheaper than another.
For a Bali holiday, I’d specifically look at:
- overseas medical and hospital expenses
- emergency evacuation and repatriation
- trip cancellation
- delays and missed connections
- lost, stolen or delayed luggage
- cover for phones, cameras and other valuables
- pre-existing medical conditions
- activities you’re planning to do
- scooter or motorcycle cover
- alcohol-related exclusions
- the excess you’ll need to pay if you claim
Travelling From Australia
Australians make up a huge part of Bali’s holiday market, so there are plenty of travel insurance choices. You can take our Insurance Quiz here or Download our comparison spreadsheet to research your shortlisted insurers and complete the insurance checklist to ensure you don’t miss anything.
These are three brands I’d have on my comparison list.
Allianz Travel Insurance
Best suited to: Australians wanting a well-established, traditional travel insurance option
This is the insurer I personally use.
Allianz offers Basic, Comprehensive and Multi-Trip international travel insurance for Australian travellers, with different levels of cover depending on the policy.
Its Comprehensive policy can include overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses, unexpected trip cancellation and luggage and personal-effects cover, subject to the policy’s limits, exclusions and conditions.
Allianz also has Australian-based emergency assistance available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
One thing Bali travellers need to know
Scooters are not automatically covered under Allianz’s standard Basic, Comprehensive or Multi-Trip policies.
Eligible travellers can add an Adventure Pack to certain policies, but licensing, helmet and other conditions apply.
If you’re planning to ride a scooter in Bali, this is something I’d check before you buy rather than assuming you’re covered.
→ Explore Allianz Travel Insurance
Cover-More
Best suited to: Australian families and holidaymakers wanting several levels of cover
Cover-More is another major Australian travel insurance brand worth comparing for Bali.
It has dedicated Bali and Indonesia travel insurance products and currently offers different levels of international cover, including Basic and Comprehensive options.
Depending on the policy chosen, benefits can include overseas medical expenses, luggage and travel-delay cover, subject to limits and exclusions.
You can also choose between single-trip cover for one holiday and annual multi-trip insurance if Bali isn’t your only overseas trip this year.
For families in particular, I’d compare the medical limits, cancellation benefits and individual-item limits for phones, laptops and other valuables rather than looking only at the headline policy price.
→ Explore Cover-More Bali Travel Insurance
InsureandGo Australia
Best suited to: Travellers wanting another comprehensive Australian option to compare
InsureandGo is another travel-insurance provider I’d put on the comparison list.
Its Australian operation offers single-trip, cruise and annual multi-trip policies and promotes features including overseas medical expenses, 24-hour emergency assistance and cover for a range of sports and leisure activities, depending on the policy.
It’s particularly worth checking if you’re planning an active Bali holiday because the activities included can vary substantially between insurers.
→ Explore InsureandGo Australia
Travelling From the UK
Your travel insurance needs to be purchased for your own country of residence, so UK travellers shouldn’t simply follow an Australian recommendation because they’re travelling to the same destination.
Two brands I’d compare are:
InsureandGo UK
Best suited to: UK holidaymakers wanting a mainstream travel-insurance provider
InsureandGo has been operating in travel insurance for more than 25 years and says it has covered more than 27 million travellers.
Its UK policies can provide emergency medical cover and access to a 24-hour medical emergency helpline, with different coverage levels and optional extras depending on the policy chosen.
It also offers cover for a large number of sports and activities, which can be particularly relevant in Bali if you’re planning surfing, diving, rafting or other adventure activities.
Again, check your exact activity against the policy wording rather than assuming it is included.
Staysure
Best suited to: UK travellers, particularly mature travellers and people comparing cover for medical conditions
Staysure is another established UK travel-insurance name and has positioned itself particularly strongly among travellers aged over 50 and people travelling with existing medical conditions.
If you’re travelling to Bali with a medical condition, I’d always disclose it properly and compare the terms of the policy rather than simply buying standard insurance and assuming you’ll be covered.
Travelling From the USA
American travellers have a slightly different selection of travel-protection brands, and one company I’d particularly look at is Faye.
Faye
Best suited to: US travellers wanting a modern, app-focused travel protection experience
Faye is one of the newer travel-protection companies in the US and has built its product around a much more digital experience than many traditional insurers.
It offers whole-trip travel protection and 24/7 support, with policies underwritten by US insurance carriers.
It’s an interesting option for Bali travellers who want the convenience of managing much of their travel protection digitally rather than dealing with a more traditional insurance process.
→ Explore Faye Travel Protection
A Quick Comparison
| Travelling from | Providers I’d compare |
|---|---|
| Australia | Allianz, Cover-More, InsureandGo |
| United Kingdom | InsureandGo, Staysure |
| United States | Faye |
| Family holiday | Compare Allianz, Cover-More and your country’s equivalent |
| Active Bali holiday | Look particularly carefully at activity inclusions |
| Planning to ride a scooter | Read the motorcycle/scooter conditions before buying |
There isn’t a universal “best travel insurance for Bali.”
A policy that’s perfect for a two-week family holiday from Melbourne may be completely unsuitable for a couple travelling from London or Los Angeles.
Use these providers as a starting point and compare the actual policy benefits, exclusions and price for your own trip.
The Bali Scooter Problem
This deserves its own section because renting a scooter in Bali is incredibly easy.
Being insured while riding one is another matter entirely.
Don’t assume that because:
you have travel insurance + you can rent a scooter = you’re insured.
It doesn’t work like that.
Insurers can have requirements around:
- the type of motorcycle licence you hold
- whether that licence is recognised in Indonesia
- engine size
- wearing an approved helmet
- whether you’re the rider or passenger
- alcohol or drug use
- whether motorcycle cover needs to be purchased separately
For example, Allianz Australia states that motorcycles, motorised scooters and mopeds aren’t included in its standard travel policies. Eligible customers can add an Adventure Pack, but licensing and helmet requirements still apply.
If you plan on riding a scooter, read this section of your insurance policy very carefully before getting on one.
Bali Belly and Medical Treatment
Traveller’s diarrhoea — universally known here as Bali Belly — is one of the more common reasons tourists end up needing medical treatment during a Bali holiday.
Most cases are unpleasant rather than serious, but dehydration and more severe gastrointestinal infections can sometimes require medical care.
When comparing insurance, check whether your policy covers eligible:
- doctor visits
- prescribed medication
- emergency treatment
- hospitalisation
- diagnostic tests
- ambulance transport
- medical evacuation if required
Keep invoices, medical reports, prescriptions and receipts whenever you receive treatment because your insurer may require them when assessing a claim.
What About Volcanoes and Cancelled Flights?
Bali sits in a volcanic region, and eruptions in Indonesia can occasionally disrupt aviation.
Travel insurance may provide benefits for certain cancellations, delays or additional expenses — but timing matters.
Insurance generally protects you against eligible unforeseen events. Once an event becomes known or widely reported, a policy purchased afterwards may not cover claims arising from it.
This is one reason I prefer buying travel insurance reasonably soon after booking a trip rather than leaving it until I’m heading to the airport.
Allianz, for example, says cancellation cover on applicable Australian policies starts from the date the policy is issued.
Travelling With Kids
If you’re bringing children to Bali, I’d pay particular attention to medical coverage.
Kids get sick. They fall over. They pick up stomach bugs.
And sometimes the quickest and least stressful option when you’re overseas is simply getting them assessed properly.
When comparing family policies, check:
- whether dependent children are included
- applicable age limits
- emergency medical cover
- cancellation benefits if a child becomes sick before departure
- luggage limits
- coverage for activities your children will be doing
Don’t assume every insurer defines a “family” the same way.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
This is an area where you absolutely don’t want to guess. If you have an existing medical condition, check whether it:
- is automatically covered
- needs to be declared
- requires medical assessment
- incurs an additional premium
- is excluded entirely
If you aren’t sure whether something needs to be disclosed, ask the insurer.
I’d much rather spend ten minutes clarifying something before my holiday than discover after a hospital visit that I misunderstood the policy.
Alcohol and Travel Insurance
Bali is a holiday destination, and for plenty of people that includes cocktails by the pool or drinks over dinner. That doesn’t mean having one drink automatically invalidates an insurance policy. But policies commonly contain exclusions where alcohol or drugs have contributed to an incident.
For example, Allianz Australia states that a claim can be excluded where alcohol or drugs have impaired a traveller’s physical or mental function or judgement and contributed to the claim.
This becomes particularly important around scooters, swimming and adventure activities.
Read your own policy wording.
My Bali Travel Insurance Checklist
Before buying a policy, I would check:
✓ Overseas medical and hospital expenses
✓ Emergency evacuation and repatriation
✓ Cancellation cover
✓ Travel delays and missed connections
✓ Lost or stolen luggage
✓ Individual limits for phones, cameras and laptops
✓ Your excess
✓ Pre-existing medical conditions
✓ Every adventure activity you’re planning
✓ Scooter or motorcycle conditions
✓ Alcohol exclusions
✓ Coverage for dependent children
✓ Emergency-assistance availability
✓ What evidence you’ll need if you make a claim
And then read the full policy wording.
Yes, it’s boring.
But it’s far less boring than arguing with an insurer from a hospital bed because you assumed something was covered.
So, Which Travel Insurance Would I Choose for Bali?
I personally use Allianz, but I wouldn’t tell every Bali traveller to automatically buy the same policy I use.
Instead, I’d start with the established providers available in your country and compare the actual cover for your trip.
For Australian travellers, I’d look at Allianz, Cover-More and InsureandGo.
For travellers from the UK, I’d compare options including InsureandGo and Staysure.
And for travellers from the USA, Faye is one of the newer travel-protection brands worth investigating.
The important thing isn’t the logo on your insurance certificate.
It’s understanding exactly what you’re covered for before you need to use it.
Planning your Bali holiday? Save this guide and check your travel insurance before you fly.
This article is general information only and isn’t personal financial advice. Insurance products, benefits, exclusions and eligibility can change. Always read the current policy wording and other relevant product documentation before purchasing.
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