When Indonesia announced last week that it was reopening Bali to international tourists, it had one big caveat - you would need to do five days of quarantine when you arrive. At first glance, it seemed a bit ridiculous. After all, why would you go for a week's holiday to the island if you would need to spend most of it in a hotel?

But, upon further investigation, the proposal is not quite as bad as it seems. For starters, you're not confined to your room like traditional quarantine. You actually have free rein within a large section of a resort. And, to keep you entertained during your stay, there are plenty of activities.

To make this work, the Indonesian authorities have chosen just five accommodation options in Bali that are part of the quarantine program - or the "warm up vacation", as the country's tourism marketers have dubbed it. Three of the resorts are in the upmarket Nusa Dua area, one is in nearby Jimbaran, while the other is in the highlands of Ubud. (There are no options in popular areas like Seminyak and Kuta, but it probably doesn't matter because you can't leave anyway.)

You're able to choose which hotel you would like to stay in (provided there's availability), but that's pretty much where your options stop. Each hotel offers a "warm up vacation package" that you need to buy, with the only alternatives being slightly different prices for the various room sizes available.

The cheapest package is at the Royal Tulip in Jimbaran, which is $1350 for two people. For this, you get four nights of accommodation, three meals a day, laundry, and transport from the airport, plus your PCR tests and insurance are included. On top of that, you'll also have access to yoga sessions, Balinese cultural activities, cocktail classes at the pool bar, and games like water volleyball and table tennis.

The most expensive option is at the Viceroy in Ubud, which costs $5600 for two people. This four-night package comes with most of the same inclusions, such as meals, laundry, an airport transfer, PCR tests, and insurance. The main difference is that you'll be staying in a two-bedroom villa with a private pool (and you can upgrade to a package for four or five people, which may suit families).

For tourists who wouldn't spend much time away from a resort anyway, or for people who are going to Bali for an extended period, this is certainly a luxurious way to do quarantine. But the requirements won't work for everyone, and I do wonder how successful the program will be - and how long it'll be until there are changes.

Firstly, there's the cost, which will dissuade a fair proportion of the usual Bali visitors, who see cheap Bintangs and satay chicken as a big appeal of the Island of the Gods. By the time you've paid for your flights and the quarantine package, you could've had four nights at a similar resort in North Queensland, without the hassle of COVID tests and the risks associated with a positive result.

And then there's also the large proportion of people who travel to be immersed in a different culture. Yes, there is more to Bali than pools and cocktail bars and that's why many people visit. Not being able to walk the streets, chat to locals, or do excursions to temples for most of your holiday is going to put off a lot of potential travellers.

The other issue that may dampen enthusiasm for a Bali holiday is that there are now many other easier options available to Australian travellers. Last week, Thailand restarted its "Test & Go" program, which doesn't require any quarantine, although you need to do tests on day one and five and stay in approved accommodation on those days. The Philippines reopened its border this week and will now only require vaccinated international tourists to have a negative PCR test before departure. Fiji also relaxed its rules this week and will accept a rapid antigen test before departure, not just a PCR test. And Vietnam has announced it plans to offer quarantine-free travel for tourists within the next month or two.

In the short term, whether Bali's new entry requirements are worth it or not is a bit of a moot point, because there are currently no direct flights from Australia. Jetstar is due to begin flying there again from the start of March, while Qantas and Virgin Australia are planning to restart flights from later in March. It'll be interesting to see how popular those flights are and how many people are willing to indulge the Indonesian idea of a vacation within a vacation.

Certainly, compared to some of the arduous quarantine requirements we've seen during the pandemic (and that still exist in some countries), five days by the pool is pure luxury. But the world is moving on, trying to put coronavirus restrictions behind us, and tourism agencies are going to need to keep pace if they want to stay competitive.

You can see more on Michael Turtle's Time Travel Turtle website.