– Part 1 –
A boat is female, you refer to her with “she”. She is elegant, charming, tender and caring… Well, the past 2 years have been very surprising! Ilike has been extremely impatient, moody and even childish! She has become a restless beast!
The reason is obvious: she doesn’t want to be locked up in a harbour. She wants to sail. She wants to please her guests. She wants to explore…
But the times they are changing: we are so happy that we can finally “let the beast go”! Indonesian government has announced that Balinese borders are open for tourism again, and the rest of Indonesia will gradually follow. I won’t make this blog too long, just want to make clear what is possible now and what is expected.
- Visa: In earlier times, most nationalities would arrive in Indonesia and get a free “visa on arrival”(VOA). At this moment, this VOA is suspended. There are rumours that shortly (by Mar 15th?), VOA would be reintroduced. We keep you posted. And if not, no worries: we can assist you obtaining your e-visa. Contact us for more info.
- Quarantine: you can only enter Indonesia if you’re fully vaccinated. Upon arrival a PCR test will be taken, and until now, you need to fulfil a 5-day quarantine upon arrival. On the 5th day, a 2nd PCR test will be taken, and once this result is negative, you’re free to travel around in Indonesia. For people who received their booster vaccination, the quarantine is reduced to 2 days.
Good news: Ilike is 1 of the few liveaboards that is licensed as a quarantine facility. We pick you up at the airport, and you can fulfil the most wonderful quarantine in the world: while diving and enjoying life on board of Ilike!
Same rumours (actually we got this from an interview with a high ranked Indonesian official) claim that quarantine might be lifted from March 15th onwards for travellers that have received their “booster vaccination”. - Flights: in order to obtain a tourist visa, your flight should arrive directly in Bali or Manado. A transit in Jakarta is not allowed. Currently there are daily flights with Singapore Airlines, and more airlines are planning operation to Bali (Qatar Airlines, Turkish Airlines, KLM, …)
Things are changing fast now in Indonesia. Limitations and strict rules are lifted on a daily basis. We have adapted our schedule, and made the next few months compatible to the current rules. Looking further in the future, we count that Indonesia will also open the other borders, and we can pick up normal schedule, including Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Triton Bay and many other hidden gems!
We unleash the beast! Ilike is 100% ready to receive her beloved guest. Soon, she will be the charming princess of the Indonesian waters again! Ready to please you, to surprise you, to amaze you!
That’s it for today folks! Keep an eye in the blue… In the next few days, more blogs will follow, providing you with updates about safety procedures on board, Covid booking procedures and conditions, and of course news from Ilike with updated pictures.