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Rachel Lang
Dig out your Bintang singlets and book those plane tickets because Bali has ditched all quarantine requirements for Aussies.
Yes, you read that right - it is time for your long-awaited return to Potato Head.
Aussies have been able to travel to the holiday hotspot sine February 4 but they also had to quarantine for five days in their hotel on arrival, regardless of if they were fully vaccinated or not.
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Although it wasn't the grim hotel quarantine you might imagine.
Instead, just imagine sunning yourself by your private pool, sipping cocktails, and getting massages; that's what hotel quarantine was like in Bali.
However, Bali's Deputy Tourism Minister Angela Tanoesoedibjo has now revealed that the quarantine rule had now been officially scrapped.
“In line with President Joko Widodo’s directive, starting March 7 there will be no quarantine for international travellers who are fully vaccinated,” she said.
The move will be a Hail Mary for Balinese tourism providers who have struggled since the idyllic location shut up shop due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, the island drew 6.2 million foreign visitors due to its reputation for sun, surf, temples, waterfalls, and nightlife.
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That was reduced to virtually nothing as Indonesia shut itself off from the outside world.
Tight pandemic restrictions devastated the island's tourism sector, which is usually worth 54 per cent of Bali's economy.
There are still some rules that will apply for vaccinated tourists who come to their shores.
Visitors will be exempt from isolation if they can tick off certain requirements prior to entering the country.
Travellers will need to prove they have had at least two doses of a coronavirus vaccine and will need to show evidence of a negative PCR test before flying.
They'll need another test when they land in Denpasar and proof of a minimum four-day hotel booking.
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If they test positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, tourists will be required to quarantine for four days - hence the mandatory hotel booking.
They will also need $100,000 worth of travel insurance will also be required to cover any costs if they catch the virus.
In some good news, visa prices have dropped following the axing of the previous rules.
Instead of having to fork out $329 for a visitor visa, Aussies will now only have to pay $47 when they land at the airport.
Quarantine-free arrivals will be expanded across Indonesia if Covid-19 numbers continue to improve.