While Bali’s tourism industry is now right down in the dumps, with close to zero tourists on the island due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Putu Astawa, has stated that they will not allow tourism to stay down for too long. He told the press this morning, Thursday (9/4) …

Travel Influencers who are self-isolating from coronavirus in their three-storey Balinese mansion have been criticised for ‘bragging’ about their luxury surroundings, with millions of people in their home countries jobless and locals in Bali being barely able to eat.  Lauren Bullen, 26, had wanted to fly home in accord with government instructions for Australians to …

It’s hard to believe just a few weeks ago, some visitors were complaining that Bali’s famous sand and surf spot of Kuta Beach was way too busy. Now it is deserted, with access banned as part of measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, which has killed nearly 100,000 people around the world …

An expat villa owner in Bali is giving back to the community he loves during the COVID-19 outbreak by offering free food to Bali locals who can’t afford to eat.   Gordon Andersen originally from New Zealand is the owner of Aquarius Villa (formerly Dawas Villas) in Canggu. As many accommodation providers close their doors and …

Udayana University Hospital in Jimbaran is now officially operating as a hospital specializing in handling COVID-19 patients for Bali. “With the operation of a special hospital for handling Covid-19 patients, we do not accept general patients,” Director of the Hospital, Dewa Putu Gede Purwa Samatra told The Bali Sun. At present there are 12 isolation …

A New Zealander living in Bali says her family has no choice but to “hunker down” and wait out the COVID-19 crisis on the island. Amy Montagu and her partner John de Monchy relocated to Bali with their three young sons last year. Attempts to return home in recent weeks have been thwarted by flight cancellations and …

The streets of Bali that were once bustling with tourists are now empty as Indonesia struggles during the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of Bali residents have been left jobless after the Indonesian government declared a total state of emergency banning all non-citizens from entering the country. The streets of Bali that were once bustling with tourists are now unrecognisable as …

According to Bali authorities, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the island has increased to 43.  2 people have died and 18 have recovered. The Health Ministry announced 218 new confirmed COVID-19 cases total on Monday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 2,491. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the ministry’s …

Be wise in your opinion on social media, especially regarding the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. According to a memo aquired by The Bali Sun, there will be criminal sanctions for anyone who insults President Joko Widodo and other government officials on their efforts of dealing with Covid-19 on social media platforms . This was …

Chairperson of the Bali Hotel Association, I Made Ricky Darmika Putra said that almost all hotels and restaurants in Bali are now closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Currently, almost all hotels and restaurants in Bali are temporarily closed for a minimum of one to two months,” Putra told The Bali Sun. Putra said the hotels …

According to the the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, foreign tourist arrivals have dropped 95%. The decline is mosty attributed to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, I Putu Astawa told The Bali Sun that only 500 international visitors arrive on the island per day since the travel bans began. Bali recieved …

Mangku Nyoman Kandia has been a tour guide in Bali since 1984. He says he’s lost track of the number of people he has taken on tours from around the world, but nothing has prepared him for this. “No tourist, no money,” he said simply. There are few places in the world where hospitality and …