Has luxury travel returned to Asia? 5 countries reopening their borders to vaccinated travellers, from Malaysia and Thailand, to Vietnam and Cambodia ... even Bali’s relaxed restrictions
- Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are welcoming fully vaccinated travellers, while the Indonesian island of Bali has launched a quarantine-free travel scheme
- Malaysia is preparing to remove all travel restrictions and open to fully vaccinated travellers from April 1; visitors can look forward to staying at the Amanoi and Song Saa in the region
While many European cities have resumed a business-as-usual approach to travel, much of Asia has kept its doors closed – but recent months have seen a changing tide.
Beautiful beach resorts and luxe city sanctuaries have begun opening their doors once more across Southeast Asia.
While travelling freely across the region still proves challenging for many, with inbound flight bans remaining in place for several countries, those who find themselves with time to spare may be ready to invest in a lengthier luxury holiday.
1. Bali, Indonesia
Tourists are required to obtain a negative PCR test result before flying, and must stay on Bali for a minimum of four days. With the soon-to-open Buahan – an intimate Banyan Tree resort nestled within the jungle north of Ubud – adding to the impressive roster of luxury offerings on the island, this shouldn’t be a difficult requirement for visitors to fulfil.
2. Thailand
Thailand’s Test & Go travel scheme initially launched last year, but was halted in December due to rising cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The scheme relaunched in February, allowing all vaccinated travellers to enter the kingdom without lengthy quarantine periods.
Unvaccinated travellers are still eligible to enter, but must complete a 10-day quarantine period in a designated quarantine hotel, which counts Conrad and The Landmark in Bangkok and Banyan Tree in Phuket among its roster.
All travellers must have valid medical insurance that covers Covid-19 and produce a negative PCR test conducted within three days of their departure.
3. Malaysia
