A tourist has revealed the one essential thing every holidaymaker needs to do before heading to Bali this summer after his vacation almost ended in disaster.
New Zealand television audio engineer Hamish Crocker and his partner Tiffany recently headed to the Indonesian island for a relaxing getaway.
But it wasn’t all scenic mountain sunset tours, beaches and Bintang beers by the pool for the Auckland couple.
Mr Crocker returned home bearing additional souvenirs after a hospital visit became an unexpected inclusion on the itinerary.
He was left bloodied and bruised after falling down an uncovered drainage sewer hole on the pavement while on a walk.
Mr Crocker had to be rescued from the hole and was rushed to hospital with three broken ribs and a nasty gash on his leg.
Hamish Crocker ended up in a Bali hospital after a holiday mishap
The Kiwi tourist had to be rescued after falling down this drainage hole
He’s grateful they had travel insurance, which meant they weren’t left with a hefty hospital bill.
He has since issued a public service announcement reiterating the need for travel insurance, documented with photos of his gruesome injuries and hospital visit.
‘Last week I posted a lovely collage of pics from Bali, but behind all that, I had days before literally fallen down a hole, and ate absolute s*** (probably) and ended up being pulled out of a drainage sewer,’ Mr Crocker said.
’26 stitches, 3 broken ribs, and not exactly how the trip intended to go.
‘Anyway thanks to travel insurance, and the brilliance of Tiffany, I’m fine and recovering back in NZ without a huge hospital bill over me that I very much can’t afford.’
‘Please if you’re going travelling this summer, get travel insurance, it’s so easy and so cheap, you never know when you’ll walk around a corner and fall in a hole. The literal kind.’
New Zealand tourists Hamish and Tiffany are grateful they got travel insurance
Hamish Crocker suffered three broken robs. Pictured is the X-ray
Mr Crocker managed to fit in more sightseeing after the mishap with photos from a mountain sunset tour showing his bandaged leg.
Many recalled the dangers of uncovered holes in Bali within the comments.
‘Yikes! I remember the dodgy footpaths well,’ one woman wrote.
Another wrote: ‘Just came back from 8 weeks in Bali and saw so many of these holes around the footpaths of Ubud…crazy!’
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Others reiterated the importance of travel insurance.
‘Hope you’re feeling better! I had a snowboarding accident in Canada and can’t push travel insurance enough. Saved my ass,’ one commented.
Many Australians visit Bali without purchasing travel insurance. Consequently, when they get injured, they are forced to start GoFundMe campaigns in an attempt to raise funds for their hospital bills.
The Australian government says travel insurance is just as important as a passport when heading overseas particularly if you end up needing medical assistance.
Tourists should also be aware most Bali hospitals will require upfront payment before any treatment, so getting travel insurance cover is a must.
‘Without it, you or your family could suffer financially if things go wrong. No matter who you are, where you’re going and what you’re doing, get insurance,’ Smart Traveller states.
Travel insurance meant that Hamish Crocker didn’t end up with a hefty hospital bill
Hamish required 26 stitches for the nasty gash down his leg (pictured) from the fall
‘Thanks to travel insurance, and the brilliance of Tiffany, I’m fine and recovering back in NZ,’ Hamish Crocker (pictured on his Bali holiday) wrote
‘Healthcare overseas can be very expensive. Most countries won’t give you free care, or subsidise the cost of your care. You, or your insurer, must usually pay full price.’
Most basic policies cover emergency treatment, general medical assistance, patient transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance, medical evacuations back to Australia and injuries and accidents, unless it’s from an excluded activity.
Personal injury claims by Australian visitors to Bali have been steadily rising , according to Todd Nelson, managing director of Cover-More travel insurers.
‘As travel approaches pre-Covid levels, there has been an increase in the total number of claims and the number of claims from travellers to Bali in particular,’ Mr Nelson told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Nelson said Bali’s proximity to Australia, along with its relatively low cost and ‘relaxed lifestyle’, made it an extremely popular choice for holidaymakers.
But this laidback attitude is also the reason some are getting seriously injured.
‘We’re most concerned about the number of Aussies who travel to Bali and jump on a moped or motorcycle without the correct licence, right level of cover, and most concerning of all, without a helmet,’ he said.
Online travel reviews of Bali are inundated with tourists’ warnings about holes on footpaths and pavements.
‘Many of the main roads and smaller roads have gaps in the pavement. These cannot be avoided by walking in the road as there is too much traffic so you will need to step over over them. I fell down a small hole last night as it was dark and got badly grazed,’ one states.
Hamish (pictured on his recent Bali holiday) is now recovering back home
