Bali Set to Reopen in July but Can You (And Should You) Travel?

At a COVID-19 task force press conference in Indonesia, Minister for National Development Planning, Suharso Monoarfa mentioned that the Bali could reopen as early as July as the number of cases reported on the island has remained relatively low - this is months ahead of the initial October projection. 

Bali is Indonesia's most popular holiday destination and in 2019, the Island of Gods welcomed over 16.1 million foreign tourists. Local businesses in Bali have been adversely affected due to the COVID-19 situation and it is also one of the most affected regions (economically) in Indonesia. There are a total 420 reported COVID-19 cases on the island as of 28 May 2020 and plans are now put in place to reopen the island in July.

Singapore is currently in talks to set up 'travel bubbles' with selected countries to enable essential travel - discussions are at vary stages with some at more advanced levels. While 'green lane arrangements' are being put in place with selected countries, mass travel (i.e. leisure travel) is still out of the question. Singapore will be exiting the Circuit Breaker and heading into Phase One of reopening on 02 June 2020. While the initial plan was to hold that position for a minimum of four weeks, it has been announced yesterday that Phase Two could potentially be brought forward (it will be decided mid-June, depending on the rate of community transmission).

There have been plenty of great travel deals to take advantage of - most of them require a prepayment with a validity stretching over the next 18 months - but now might not be the right time to lock in those commitments without first getting a clearer picture on travel restrictions. According to Singapore Airlines, the flight experience after COVID-19 will change so everything that we know about flying internationally will most likely not stay the same. Additionally, you should also note that certain expenses may not be covered by your travel insurance in this climate so it is definitely worthwhile to remain rational through this all before jumping in on what seems like a great deal.