Category Travel

Bali’s Government decided last year that they would launch an exciting feature sometime in 2024 called a Tourism Levy that would need to be paid by international visitors every time they enter Bali.

The Government has now set Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2024) as the day this tourism tax will take effect. All international visitors, even if they arrive as domestic passengers from other parts of the country, need to pay this fee.

You can access the Bali Government’s page for this fee information here.

The fee is separate from other fees visitors may have to pay to enter Indonesia, such as Visa, VOA, or eVOA. The Bali government collects this tourism levy intended to “preserve local culture.”

It is not clear where arriving passengers are to show the payment confirmation. Will the Government hire hundreds of employees to manage the various seaports and the airport to ensure that the payment has been made? How can they determine who is Indonesian, exempt from this fee, and who is a foreigner? Will they have a document check on everyone entering the island to ensure that the fee is paid by all who are required?

Also, some foreigners with long-term visas are excluded from this fee, but it appears that they need to apply for exemptions 30 days before arrival in Bali.

Usually, these various tourism levies and fees are baked into airfares, but exempting Indonesians from this form of fee collection would be challenging.

Love Bali invites you to join in supporting the tourism industry, with a focus on protecting the culture and natural environment of Bali.

As a form of support that aims to protect the customs, traditions, arts and culture, and local wisdom of the Balinese people. Bali will impose levy for the international tourist.

Efforts and innovations will continue to be made for maintenance the culture and the natural environment in Bali. There will also continue to be an improvement in the quality of services.

If Bali’s Government really aimed to protect the customs and traditions, they would stop the overdevelopment of hotels and other short-term accommodations aimed at visitors that are putting a tremendous toll on the island’s infrastructure and nature.

Bali Government’s Tourism Levy Information:

Recent Bali & Indonesia  Coverage:

Indonesia Prepares To Return Visa Free Entry Option For 20 Countries + ASEAN From Early 2024

Indonesia Leaks Passport Information Of 9 Million Foreigners

Indonesia Extends VOA & e-VOA For Nationals Of 93 Countries

Indonesia Ends Visa-Free Entry From 159 Countries

Australians Complain About Extremely Long Immigration Lines At Bali Airport

Indonesia’s Lawmakers Passed Law Banning Sex Outside Of Marriage & Cohabitation

Entering Indonesia Through Bali In May 2022

Conclusion

Tourism is vital for Bali’s economy, and the Government wanted to pilot away from it during the pandemic to farming and agriculture (a novel idea).

The small fee won’t deter any tourist from entering the island, but why make it so complicated? Have it included in air and sea fares and be done with it.

Now, tourists need to remember to pay another fee, and there could be yet another set of queue lines when entering Bali to check that the Tourism Levy has been paid or to check your nationality. Or are they going to install automated gates for airport and seaport exits?

I didn’t return to Bali in 2023 (I was there most recently in 2022), but I plan to visit the island likely in March.

On Thursday, Romania’s Prime Minister announced that they had reached an agreement with Austria, which had been blocking Romania and Bulgaria from joining Schengen, that there would be a partial agreement in place from March 2024.

Passport and ID checks by border guards are removed from air and sea travel between Schengen member states and Bulgaria and Romania, but they will remain in place for overland border crossings for now (apparently, these are being negotiated as well).

Download (PDF, 2.03MB)

EU member states must join the Schengen agreement except Ireland, which has a common travel area with the UK.

There are also four countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, that are not part of the EU but have joined the Schengen. Then, the three microstates of Monaco, Vatican, and San Marino are effectively part of Schengen, as there are no border checks for travel to/from them.

Then there is the outlier of Andorra, sandwiched between Spain and France, which is not part of the EU or Schengen, which may cause headaches for third nationals to visit this mini-state.

Conclusion

This is a welcomed Schengen update from the EU, and now we have Cyprus, which is yet to join the agreement, and eventually, they will.

It makes travel easier between these countries, especially with airlines that don’t check IDs, as you scan your boarding pass at the gate and are good to go.

If you travel by land, you usually don’t notice when you cross from one country to another, although there might be a sign somewhere.

On Thursday, Romania’s Prime Minister announced that they had reached an agreement with Austria, which had been blocking Romania and Bulgaria from joining Schengen, that there would be a partial agreement in place from March 2024.

Passport and ID checks by border guards are removed from air and sea travel between Schengen member states and Bulgaria and Romania, but they will remain in place for overland border crossings for now (apparently, these are being negotiated as well).

Download (PDF, 2.03MB)

EU member states must join the Schengen agreement except Ireland, which has a common travel area with the UK.

There are also four countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, that are not part of the EU but have joined the Schengen. Then, the three microstates of Monaco, Vatican, and San Marino are effectively part of Schengen, as there are no border checks for travel to/from them.

Then there is the outlier of Andorra, sandwiched between Spain and France, which is not part of the EU or Schengen, which may cause headaches for third nationals to visit this mini-state.

Conclusion

This is a welcomed Schengen update from the EU, and now we have Cyprus, which is yet to join the agreement, and eventually, they will.

It makes travel easier between these countries, especially with airlines that don’t check IDs, as you scan your boarding pass at the gate and are good to go.

If you travel by land, you usually don’t notice when you cross from one country to another, although there might be a sign somewhere.

Argentina had a presidential election recently and chose a wild card to lead the country that promised to abolish the central bank and move from pesos to dollars (impossible), among other things.

The exchange rate system in Argentina has been quite complicated for tourists, with official and blue dollar rates + foreign credit card rates added fairly recently, which I most recently wrote about after my trip to Buenos Aires and Medoza this past April (read more here).

For most of the past 20 years, there has been a black market rate for dollars in Argentina that meant that you could save 30% to 50% of the displayed prices by not using your credit card or withdrawing cash from the ATM but instead bringing in crisp $100 bills and exchanging the cash in one of the many “cuevas” in the city.

This had changed for my most recent trip earlier this year when

you could get quite close to the Blue Rate by paying using a foreign-issued credit card.

You can check the current foreign card ARS – USD exchange rate by scanning the QR code above.

It is reasonably straightforward for prices displayed in Argentinean pesos. You either exchange cash at one of the cuveas (1,000 pesos per USD) or pay using a foreign-issued credit card (900 pesos per USD).

Many of the hotels, however, have always displayed their prices in USD and then converted the rate to ARS using the official rate. Then, if you pay using a foreign-issued credit card, you are exempt from paying the VAT.

When the “official” rate was 50% off the Blue Dollar rate, you could save anywhere from 40% to 50% of the displayed rates when paying using a credit card, as the ARS to USD conversion was done using the official rate and you either paid using a foreign credit card and got close to the Blue Rate or $100 notes to ARS and used those to pay for stays (+ paid the VAT).

Now, this has all changed. The official rate was devalued by 50%, and it is now within 20% of the Blue Dollar rate.

You only save 10% if settling the stay using a foreign card, and you don’t need to pay the VAT.

The official rate hovers around 800 pesos to USD, the foreign credit card rate is 900 to USD, and the Blue Rate is 1,000 to USD.

Blue Dollar in 2023:

Dollar Blues In Argentina 2023 Version – Remember To Bring Crisp $100 Notes

Blue Dollar in 2022:

Dollar Blues In Argentina (Bring $100 Notes & Don’t Use Cards)

Our Earlier Argentina Blue Dollar Coverage:

Conclusion

There was a brief period in the 2010s when the Blue Rate temporarily disappeared, but it came roaring back a few years later.

Obviously, these hotels that are priced for foreign guests considered this exchange rate when setting the prices, and I would expect us to pay a bit more, but not 100%, as this exchange rate change would suggest (the Blue Dollar discount disappearing).

I remember when I was in Argentina for the first time, and the exchange rate from USD to ARS was 1:3, and now it is 1:1,000. It must be challenging for the Argentineans to live in a very high inflationary environment.

It would be easier for all of us if this Blue Dollar would go away, and we wouldn’t need to travel to the country with a stack of crisp $100 bills, but old habits die hard.

I am planning to return to Buenos Aires probably this coming May. Let’s see how the situation is then.

Malaysia has made several moves to its immigration policies in the past couple of months, allowing Indians and Chinese to enter without requiring visas and implementing electronic gates for select nationals that Sebastian recently covered (read more here).

There is another requirement that applies to most foreign nationals other than Singaporeans, whose first implementation date has moved from December 1 to January 1, 2024, and it is the requirement to fill out a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MADC) within 3 days of arrival.

You can fill out the entry card here.

MDAC Requirement:

Notice on Malaysia’s Immigration Website:

Registration Form:

Sebastian’s Piece About the Auto Gates:

New: Malaysia’s Electronic Entry System For 10 Nationalities – Anyone Registered Successfully?

Conclusion

I am all for these digital arrival cards if it truly smoothens the arrival process and allows visitors to use automated gates instead of waiting for manual processing at the counters that must be the ultimate goal that several countries have already adopted or are in the process of implementing.

Sebastian has been back in Malaysia several times since the pandemic, but I have not. The arrival process in my previous visits has been mostly smooth, but I have been able to use the business class lanes.

Malaysia has made several moves to its immigration policies in the past couple of months, allowing Indians and Chinese to enter without requiring visas and implementing electronic gates for select nationals that Sebastian recently covered (read more here).

There is another requirement that applies to most foreign nationals other than Singaporeans, whose first implementation date has moved from December 1 to January 1, 2024, and it is the requirement to fill out a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MADC) within 3 days of arrival.

You can fill out the entry card here.

MDAC Requirement:

Notice on Malaysia’s Immigration Website:

Registration Form:

Sebastian’s Piece About the Auto Gates:

New: Malaysia’s Electronic Entry System For 10 Nationalities – Anyone Registered Successfully?

Conclusion

I am all for these digital arrival cards if it truly smoothens the arrival process and allows visitors to use automated gates instead of waiting for manual processing at the counters that must be the ultimate goal that several countries have already adopted or are in the process of implementing.

Sebastian has been back in Malaysia several times since the pandemic, but I have not. The arrival process in my previous visits has been mostly smooth, but I have been able to use the business class lanes.

Southern Germany has had fantastic winter weather with plenty of snow for the past few days that has caused Munich Airport to be closed or only partially operating since Saturday. There have been widespread delays and cancellations in Frankfurt.

Munich Airport is closed today until noon (December 5, 2023), and there will likely be minimal operations after it reopens, possibly for days. There are thousands of passengers whose travel has been disrupted, and many are waiting for Lufthansa’s (dummy) chatbot to process rebookings.

Munich Airport’s Announcement:

⚠️Announced freezing rain during the night: air traffic will be suspended until 12 noon on Tuesday, December 5
On Tuesday, 5.12. there will be no take-offs and landings from the start of operations at 6 a.m. until 12 noon. pic.twitter.com/R8SvSeNqJD

— Munich Airport (@MUC_Airport) December 4, 2023

EC 261/2004 Duty to Care:

The European Union Air Passenger Rights (EC 261/2004) also apply in case of irregular operations beyond the airlines’ control.

Airlines are required to provide Duty to Care (accommodation & meals) in case of long delays. However, the compensation for flight cancellations and delays does not apply here.

Passengers can opt for a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed (some flights have been postponed by 20+ hours), even if their fare is nonrefundable.

Airlines must rebook affected passengers to their final destinations at the earliest convenience, even when this means moving them to competing airlines and avoiding Munich Airport altogether in case of connecting itineraries.

Conclusion

This debacle with Munich Airport has been ongoing since late last week, and it will likely be days before the airport is fully operational and planes and crews are at their usual rotations.

If you have been affected by this, remember to keep those receipts, as the European Airlines and if your travel is from the EU/EEA area, are required to provide Duty to Care even in a situation such as this, meaning paying for accommodation and meals.

If Lufthansa or any other airline refuses to rebook you expediently for flights ex-EU/EEA and community carrier flights from elsewhere, you can always buy the replacement ticket and go after the airline later for the expenses. Just remember to document the refusal.

Good luck to everyone experiencing this lovely snowmageddon in Germany.

Munich Airport was closed on Saturday for flight operations (take-offs and landings) due to heavy snowfall in Southern Germany.

The airport has reopened for limited flight operations, and airlines have restarted their operations. Passengers should consult their itineraries to see if their ticketed flights are operating or have been rebooked.

Munich Airport Announcement:

⚠️Update Dec 3
Flight operations resumed at 6 a.m.
There will still be restrictions. If you are flying today, please check the status of your flight with your airline before traveling to the airport: https://t.co/lrlSMQBLYe pic.twitter.com/M766D2xlLc

— Munich Airport (@MUC_Airport) December 3, 2023

EC 261/2004 Duty to Care:

The European Union Air Passenger Rights (EC 261/2004) also apply in case of irregular operations beyond the airlines’ control.

Airlines are required to provide Duty to Care (accommodation & meals) in case of long delays. The compensation for flight cancellations and delays, however, does not apply here.

Passengers can opt for a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed (some flights have been merely postponed by 20+ hours), even if their fare is nonrefundable.

Airlines must rebook affected passengers to their final destinations at the earliest convenience, even when this means moving them to competing airlines and avoiding Munich Airport altogether in case of connecting itineraries.

Conclusion

It is always unexpected when there is snowfall in some parts of Europe during winter, although the weather challenges in Southern Germany have been significant this weekend.

A touch of snow in London roughly at the same time last year brought the area airports to a standstill, and a fight I was on was delayed by a day.

Munich Airport was closed on Saturday for flight operations (take-offs and landings) due to heavy snowfall in Southern Germany.

The airport has reopened for limited flight operations, and airlines have restarted their operations. Passengers should consult their itineraries to see if their ticketed flights are operating or have been rebooked.

Munich Airport Announcement:

⚠️Update Dec 3
Flight operations resumed at 6 a.m.
There will still be restrictions. If you are flying today, please check the status of your flight with your airline before traveling to the airport: https://t.co/lrlSMQBLYe pic.twitter.com/M766D2xlLc

— Munich Airport (@MUC_Airport) December 3, 2023

EC 261/2004 Duty to Care:

The European Union Air Passenger Rights (EC 261/2004) also apply in case of irregular operations beyond the airlines’ control.

Airlines are required to provide Duty to Care (accommodation & meals) in case of long delays. The compensation for flight cancellations and delays, however, does not apply here.

Passengers can opt for a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed (some flights have been merely postponed by 20+ hours), even if their fare is nonrefundable.

Airlines must rebook affected passengers to their final destinations at the earliest convenience, even when this means moving them to competing airlines and avoiding Munich Airport altogether in case of connecting itineraries.

Conclusion

It is always unexpected when there is snowfall in some parts of Europe during winter, although the weather challenges in Southern Germany have been significant this weekend.

A touch of snow in London roughly at the same time last year brought the area airports to a standstill, and a fight I was on was delayed by a day.

Southern Germany has been enjoying winter weather, including heavy snowfall, which has now closed the Munich Airport for traffic until 6 AM on Sunday (December 3, 2023).

Airlines advise passengers not to arrive at the airport but to check their rebooking status and seek hotel accommodation.

You can access Lufthansa’s page for announcements here.

Note that this affects all airlines operating at Munich Airport, but predominantly Lufthansa, as it is its second hub.

Lufthansa’s Announcement:

Munich Airport closed for arrivals and departures

Due to heavy snowfalls, flight operations @Airport_MUC are cancelled up until tomorrow morning 6:00 am. Lufthansa kindly asks all guests not to travel to the airport and inform themselves online on lufthansa.com or on the Lufthansa App about their flight status. Limited flight operations are also to be expected tomorrow.

Due to the airport closure in Munich, many other airports in Germany, including @Airport_FRA are affected with limited flight operations. Lufthansa kindly asks all guests to inform themselves online or on the Lufthansa App about their flight status.

Thank you to all our guests for their understanding in this exceptional weather situation.

Passengers are covered by the EC 261/2004 in case of flight delays and cancellations.

If Lufthansa or any other airline has canceled your flights due to a situation at Munich Airport, you can opt for a refund even if the ticket is non-refundable.

The airlines are required to provide Duty to Care, which means accommodation and meals. You probably need to handle this by yourself and later seek reimbursement from the airline. Remember to keep those hotel and meal receipts.

This likely won’t be entirely resolved by 6 AM on Sunday when airplanes and crews are out of their usual rotations.

Conclusion

It is lovely that Southern Germany gets to enjoy some snowfall, but this has come with some consequences.

Let’s hope the airport will reopen for traffic by Sunday morning so that passengers can be taken care of.