Most Common Insurance Claims By Bali Tourists Revealed 

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There are a few essentials that tourists must remember when planning a trip to Bali: booking flights, arranging the eVisa on Arrival, and checking that the passports are all up-to-date at the start.

One of the most important non-negotiables is organizing travel and international health insurance before the trip, and new insights from insurance companies show why it is more important than ever. 

Every year, thousands of tourists have to make claims on their travel and insurance policies during their trips to Bali. Travel and international health insurance policies cover everything from lost luggage to cancelled flights, from stolen wallets to emergency health care, and in the worst of cases, even medical repatriation. 

With Australian tourists remaining the most frequent international arrivals to Bali province, it always makes for interesting reading to discover what travel trends emerge from this demographic. Popular travel insurance provider, Southern Cross Travel Insurance, have been sharing details of the most unusual claims made by Australian tourists in Bali over the last year. 

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Speaking to reporters, Jess Strong, the Chief Customer Officer for Southern Cross Travel Insurance, revealed, “The demand from Australians for Bali breaks over the summer has been on the rise since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

She added, “Since the 2022/23 summer holidays, we’ve seen a 43 percent increase in the number of Australian policies bought for trips to Bali.” And noted, “Interest in traveling to the beautiful island has continued to grow during the summer of 2024/25.”

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Data shows that claims from Australian tourist in Bali now account for 16% of all of Southern Cross Travel Insurance payouts, with a 50% year-over-year rise. This figure alone should be sufficient in hammering home how vital insurance is for tourists traveling to the island. 

One of the more unusual claims seen by the insurance provider is for monkey bites. The Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary is one of the most popular attractions in Bali, and there are a number of other popular areas to see the wild primates too, at Uluwatu Temple and Alas Kedaton Monkey Forest.

While the monkeys at Ubud Monkey Forest Sanctuary are routinely vaccinated against rabies, in the event of a bite, scratch, or contact with saliva the public should take no risks.

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In November 2024, a 10-year-old girl was bitten by a monkey at Ubud Monkey Forest. She had to undergo a series of post-exposure rabies vaccinations, which cost AUD 950. Rabies is not only present in monkeys in Bali but also in dogs and bats.

Over the last year, more than ten people in the province have died of rabies, and tourists are advised to seek urgent medical treatment and observe the correct protocols in the event of contact with a potential rabies-positive animal.

With anti-rabies threats so costly, and absolutely essential in the case of potential exposure, travel and health insurance becomes even more important. 

It is not only the rare but deadly incidences where tourists must rely on travel and health insurance, but in the common too. Claims related to gastrointestinal illnesses, such as traveler’s flu, have also been increasing in the last 12 months. Just as one provider, Southern Cross Travel Insurance alone saw a 79% increase in the number of claims related to gastrointestinal illness in Bali in the last year. 

Strange told reporters “At the more serious end, SCTI has supported Australians in Bali through 91 emergency cases across 2024. The most complex involved a young person experiencing seizures, who required an air ambulance home at a cost of around $232,000.”

Tourists organizing their travel and medical insurance prior to their trip to Bali must be mindful to ensure that the policy they choose is fully comprehensive and that they understand the policy wording down to the letter.

In all too many cases, tourists have had claims denied and not been able to access treatment or support due to small oversights on their part.

For example, some policies become null and void if the claimant was under the influence of alcohol, or if they were engaging in activities or conditions specified as not covered in the policy.

For instance, many providers will not payout for scooter collisions where the driver was not wearing a helmet or has the incorrect license. In other cases, claims have been denied when extreme activities such as surfing, ATV driving, or rafting have not been covered by the policy.