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Bali & Lombok — Staying safe

The sea, villa pools and boats, the roads, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, floods and the air in Bali and Lombok: the official advice now, what is different for children and what to do if something goes wrong. Checked against official sources in October 2026.

Sea, pools and boats

Rip currents and flags

Swim only between the red-and-yellow flags where lifeguards are watching, never at a red flag, and if a rip pulls you out, float and raise an arm.

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Bali's surf beaches, from Canggu through Seminyak, Legian and Kuta to Uluwatu, have strong rip currents and sudden big waves. In May 2026 Badung regency had 160 Balawista lifeguards, 105 in its Kuta unit and 55 in its South Kuta unit, with most of their stations between Kuta and Seminyak and around Uluwatu (The Bali Sun, May 2026). Sanur and Nusa Dua also have lifeguard posts, and flags are up on parts of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. Many other beaches have no flags and no lifeguards. On 7 June 2026 two local boys aged 13 and 8 were swept away at Kuta Beach, and Basarnas ended the search on 13 June without finding them (Kompas and IDN Times, June 2026). On 24 June 2026 a woman was swept away about 15 m from the shore at Keramas, in Gianyar, during a BMKG high-wave warning.

Children

Children are swept away at the water's edge, not only out of their depth. The two boys at Kuta were fetching a football from the sea at about 17:30 or 18:05, by different reports, and the search that night was held back by poor visibility. Keep children out of the water from late afternoon to dusk, when the light fails. Lifeguards focus their patrols on the afternoon and evening, but do not count on one being on duty at dusk. On the beach, keep under-fives within arm's reach with an adult in the water beside them, and watch older children from the water's edge (Royal Life Saving Australia). Badung's lifeguards ask parents to watch children closely in the school holidays, when the beaches are crowded. If a child is in trouble, alert the lifeguards at once rather than counting on reaching the child yourself.

How to stay safe

Choose a beach with a lifeguard tower and swim only between the red-and-yellow flags. A red flag means swimming is prohibited (the head of Badung's lifeguards, July 2026). Flags move as conditions change, so ask the lifeguards where it is safe that day and follow their whistles and instructions. No flag does not mean safe: at a beach without lifeguards, ask a surf school or the beach staff first. Waves and tidal surges grow around full and new moon, and July and August are the big-wave season, so check BMKG's marine forecast before you go. Signs of a rip are deeper or darker water, fewer breaking waves, sandy water stretching out beyond the surf, and seaweed or debris moving out to sea, though a rip does not always show them all (Surf Life Saving NSW). Never swim alone or after dark, and tell someone before you go in.

If it happens

If a rip pulls you out, do not swim straight back against it: that is how swimmers tire (NOAA). Relax and float to save your energy, and raise an arm at once so the lifeguards can see you. You may get out by swimming parallel to the beach, towards the breaking waves; if that is not working, go back to floating and signalling until you are rescued or back on shore (Surf Life Saving NSW). If someone else is in trouble, alert the nearest lifeguard and call Basarnas, the search and rescue agency, on 115, or 119 for an ambulance. Reach out with something, or throw something that floats, rather than go in yourself: in August 2025 a father drowned at Seminyak going in after one of his children, who reached the shore. Anyone pulled out unconscious or given rescue breaths, or who keeps coughing, struggles to breathe or turns drowsy afterwards, needs a hospital emergency department.

Sources: Basarnas: search and rescue · Surf Life Saving NSW: rips · The Bali Sun, July 2026 · The Bali Sun, May 2026 · Kompas, June 2026 · NOAA: rip currents

Pools and small children

Villa pools are often unfenced, so keep children under five within arm's reach whenever they are near the water, and agree who is watching.

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Many rented villas have a pool that opens straight off the bedrooms or living area, with no fence, gate or alarm. Australia's pool-fencing laws, which have greatly reduced child drownings there, do not apply in Indonesia (Royal Life Saving Australia). On 16 January 2025 a 3-year-old Australian girl drowned in the pool of a private villa in North Kerobokan. Her family were getting ready to check out, and both parents were at the villa. In late October 2024 a 14-month-old Australian toddler drowned at a rental villa in North Kuta (Badung police, via The Bali Sun, January 2025).

Children

Royal Life Saving Australia's guide is to keep children aged 0 to 4 within arm's reach, with an adult in the water with them, to watch 5 to 10 year olds closely from the water's edge, and to check on 11 to 14 year olds often. Armbands and inflatables do not replace an adult watching. A small child who goes out of sight near a pool is an emergency: look in the pool first.

How to stay safe

Before you book, ask whether the pool has a fence, a self-closing gate, a cover or an alarm. These are things to ask about, not features you can count on. Lock or block doors that open onto the pool. Agree which adult is watching the children at each moment, and take most care at busy times such as arrival, packing and check-out: the girl who died in January 2025 drowned as her family were getting ready to leave. Royal Life Saving Australia also advises refreshing your CPR skills and packing a first-aid kit before you travel, because in resorts and remote places CPR from someone on the spot saves lives.

If it happens

Get the child out of the water and shout for help. If they are not breathing normally, start CPR while someone calls 119 for an ambulance or asks the villa staff to call one. Go to the nearest hospital with a 24-hour emergency department. A child who was pulled out unconscious or needed rescue breaths should be seen there, and so should one who keeps coughing, struggles to breathe, vomits or turns drowsy or confused in the hours afterwards.

Sources: Smartraveller: Indonesia · The Bali Sun (Royal Life Saving Australia), January 2025

Nusa Penida's cliffs and beaches

Never swim or even paddle at Kelingking, Diamond Beach or Angel's Billabong, and stay on the marked path down the Kelingking cliff.

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Swimming is banned all year at Kelingking, Diamond Beach and Angel's Billabong. They can look calm, but they get sudden high waves and strong undercurrents, and the water gets deep very quickly. Lifeguards are on duty at Kelingking. A man of 24 was swept away at Diamond Beach on 27 May 2025, and a foreign tourist drowned there in early August 2025. On 15 October 2025 a French tourist of 32 drowned at Kelingking after going in with a group despite warnings from lifeguards (Nusa Penida police, via The Bali Sun). On 13 September 2026 a British tourist on a family trip drowned while swimming at Crystal Bay, a beach often suggested for swimming (Nusa Penida police, September 2026).

The Kelingking path

The path down to Kelingking beach is steep, rocky and often crowded, with few handrails, and the descent can take up to two hours. On 12 September 2026 an Australian woman of 29 died after leaving the path to look for her own way to the cliff edge and falling about 80 m. Police said she fell a second time while lifeguards were arranging help. High waves ruled out a rescue by sea, so rescuers carried her up the steps, which took about an hour and a half. In July 2024 two Chinese tourists aged 17 and 19 were seriously injured in falls on the same cliffs (Klungkung police and Basarnas, via The Star and The Jakarta Post, September 2026).

Children

The Kelingking descent is steep, uneven and long, and is not a walk for small children. Keep children behind the barriers at the clifftop viewpoints. Keep them out of the water at the three no-swim beaches entirely: the ban covers even a paddle in the shallows. Even the beaches where tour groups swim are not patrolled like a flagged beach, as the Crystal Bay drowning showed, so ask the lifeguards or local people about the sea on the day, and keep children in the shallows within arm's reach.

How to stay safe

Respect every no-swim sign and every lifeguard instruction, even when the sea looks flat. Watch for high waves or sets breaking up the beach. On the cliff path, stay on the marked route, wear sturdy shoes, carry water and go slowly. Rain makes the steps slippery. When the path is jammed, wait in a safe spot rather than squeezing past, and never leave the path to reach an edge for a photo. Consider going with a local guide, and check that your travel insurance covers hiking.

If it happens

Tell the lifeguards or police on site at once, and call Basarnas, the search and rescue agency, on 115 (WhatsApp +62 812 2200 0115). Expect help to take time: when the sea is too rough for boats, rescuers have to carry casualties up the cliff. The island's hospital, RSUD Gema Santi Nusa Penida, and the Nusa Medica clinics open day and night are on the emergency page, with their numbers.

Sources: Basarnas: search and rescue · The Star, September 2026 · The Bali Sun, October 2025 · The Bali Sun, August 2025 · The Bali Sun, May 2025

Boats and ferries

Check BMKG's marine forecast, put off small-boat crossings when high waves are forecast, and wear a life jacket for the whole crossing, with your own for small children.

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GOV.UK's advice, updated in September 2026, says that safety standards vary between boat operators, and that vessels can be crowded and overloaded and are often poorly maintained. Fast boats to Nusa Penida, Lembongan, the Gilis and Lombok cross the Badung and Lombok straits, where sea conditions change quickly. Boarding and landing through the surf, at Sanur and on Nusa Penida, is a risky moment. In March 2026 a boat from Gili Trawangan to Padang Bai sank and 117 people were rescued, and in August 2026 a ferry from Bali to Lombok caught fire: 172 were rescued and a crew member died (Smartraveller). On 2 May 2026 a Norwegian man of 34 was killed by a passing boat while spearfishing at Tanjung Pakaang, off Nusa Lembongan, a busy snorkelling area (Nusa Penida police, via The Bali Sun, May 2026).

Accidents in 2025

On 21 March 2025 a tour boat heading to Nusa Penida capsized in big waves, and an Australian woman of 39 died (AFP and AP). On 2 July 2025 a ferry carrying 65 people sank in the Bali Strait on the Ketapang to Gilimanuk crossing between Java and Bali. When Basarnas ended the search on 21 July, 30 people had been rescued and 19 found dead, and the rest were still missing (Al Jazeera and Metro TV). On 5 August 2025 a fast boat from Nusa Penida capsized in the entrance channel of Sanur harbour with 80 people aboard, 73 of them foreign passengers: 77 survived, and two passengers and a crew member died (Kompas; Smartraveller).

Children

GOV.UK warns that life jackets suitable for children are not always available, so you may need to bring your own; if there are none that fit your children, use another operator (Smartraveller). Put their life jackets on before the boat leaves, keep them seated and with you, and take most care with them while boarding and landing through the surf.

How to stay safe

Check BMKG's marine forecast at maritim.bmkg.go.id before you travel. Its high-wave warnings say when the sea becomes high-risk for each type of vessel: for small fishing boats, winds over 15 knots and waves over 1.25 m, and for ferries, winds over 21 knots and waves over 2.5 m. They have no category for tourist fast boats, so treat any warning for the Badung or Lombok Strait as a reason to put off a small-boat crossing. Before you board, look for life jackets, and lifeboats or rafts, and wear your life jacket for the whole crossing (Smartraveller). Avoid boats that look overloaded, and trips after dark unless the vessel is properly equipped (GOV.UK). When snorkelling, stay close to your guide boat, keep out of boat lanes and choose quieter sites and times. Divers should check the operator's credentials and insurance, oxygen on board and access to a hyperbaric chamber (GOV.UK).

If it happens

If a boat gets into trouble, check that everyone's life jacket is on and fastened, and follow the crew's instructions. Report an emergency at sea to Basarnas, the search and rescue agency, on 115 (WhatsApp +62 812 2200 0115). As after any rescue from the water, anyone who was unconscious or needed rescue breaths, or who keeps coughing, struggles to breathe or turns drowsy in the hours afterwards, should be checked in a hospital emergency department.

Sources: GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · BMKG: marine forecasts · Kompas, August 2025 · Metro TV, July 2025 · The Bali Sun, May 2026 · Smartraveller: Indonesia

On the road

Roads and scooters

Ride a scooter only with your home motorcycle licence, an International Driving Permit and a fastened helmet; if you are not an experienced rider, use a car with a driver.

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Bali police counted 8,329 road crashes in 2025, with 531 deaths, and more than half involved a single vehicle (Bali police chief, via IDN Times, January 2026). The most crashes, 2,056, were in the area of Denpasar's city police, which covers Denpasar and southern Badung, including Kuta, Nusa Dua and Uluwatu. In 2024 there were 142 crashes involving foreigners, 35% more than in 2023, and 21 foreigners died; for 2025 the police gave no figure but said the number had fallen (Bali traffic police, via Antara, November 2025). GOV.UK, in advice updated in September 2026, reports a large increase in moped and motorbike accidents in Bali. The governor's 2023 plan to stop foreigners renting motorbikes does not appear to be in force.

Licences and insurance

The Governor of Bali's Circular No. 7 of 2025 requires foreign tourists to hold an international or national licence, wear a helmet on a motorbike, not overload it and never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs. GOV.UK says a UK licence alone is not valid in Indonesia: you need a UK-issued International Driving Permit of the 1968 type. Smartraveller says Australians need an Indonesian licence or an International Driving Permit as well as their Australian licence, valid for the type of vehicle; the NRMA adds that this applies even to scooters under 50cc. Riding without a licence can bring a fine or up to four months in jail. Smartraveller warns that insurers will deny claims from riders who are unlicensed or hold the wrong class of licence, so check that your policy covers motorbike riding.

Children

Indonesian law requires an SNI-standard helmet for every rider and passenger, children included, and carrying more than one passenger on a motorbike is an offence. Riders under 17 cannot hold an Indonesian licence (traffic law UU 22/2009, article 81). Smartraveller notes that helmets sold locally may not meet Australian standards, so bring well-fitting helmets from home if your children will ride. If you need a child car seat, ask your driver or the rental company for one before you travel, or bring your own.

How to stay safe

If you are not an experienced rider, use a car with a driver or a ride-hailing car; GOV.UK suggests a private driver. In November 2025 Bali's traffic police asked foreigners who cannot ride well not to ride alone, and said rentals should come with a rider. If you do ride, fasten an SNI helmet, wear covered shoes, carry your licence, permit and the vehicle's registration paper (STNK), and do not use a phone or drink alcohol. Avoid riding in heavy rain, through floodwater or at night on unlit rural roads, and slow down on gravel and wet leaves. A rental shop that never asks for your licence, a missing or broken helmet, bald tyres or weak brakes are reasons to go elsewhere.

If it happens

Check for injuries and call 119 for an ambulance and 110 for the police; 112, the general emergency number, is still being set up across Bali's regencies. Do not move an injured rider or take off their helmet unless they are in danger where they lie or are not breathing. GOV.UK says you must wait for the police at the scene. If you fear for your safety, move to another place, leave someone with the vehicle, report the accident at a police station and cooperate fully. GOV.UK also warns that foreigners in even minor accidents may be vulnerable to extortion. Do not hand over your passport as a deposit, and do not sign anything you do not understand. Head and other serious injuries need a hospital emergency department. Tell your insurer as soon as you can.

Sources: GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · GOV.UK: driving permits · Smartraveller: Indonesia · Antara, November 2025 · IDN Times Bali, January 2026

Volcanoes, quakes and weather

Volcanoes

In October 2026 PVMBG kept Agung and Batur at Level I, the lowest, and Rinjani at Level II; check MAGMA Indonesia before any climb, and your airline when ash is reported.

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PVMBG's daily reports on MAGMA Indonesia for 18 October 2026 kept Agung and Batur at Level I (Normal), the lowest of four levels; Agung was lowered to Level I in September 2021. Rinjani on Lombok was at Level II (Waspada), as it has been since 2015, with no activity or camping on its Barujari cone or within 1.5 km of its crater. Rinjani trekking was limited from 1 September 2026 because of the dry-season fire risk, and a forest fire that began on 22 September burned an estimated 1,098.75 ha. On 3 October 2026 the national park office reopened Senaru and listed five routes as open: Sembalun, Senaru, Tibanuh, Tetebatu and Aik Berik; Torean was not among them (Antara). In East Java, Ijen was at Level I and Bromo at Level II, with no entry within 1 km of its active crater and a warning of sudden steam-driven eruptions.

Ash and flights

Ash from volcanoes hundreds of kilometres away can disrupt or close airports. Ash from Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores disrupted Bali's airport from 12 to 14 November 2024, and on 13 November 115 flights were cancelled (Ngurah Rai airport, via NusaBali). On 17 June 2025 a 10 km ash column from the same volcano cancelled dozens of Bali flights (AFP). Lewotobi was at Level II with a 4 km no-go zone on 18 October 2026. Anak Krakatau was raised again to Level III on 9 October 2026, with a 5 km no-go zone. Its ash closed Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim airports on 6 and 7 September 2026: Bali's airport stayed open, but connections through Jakarta were cancelled.

Children

Batur sunrise hikes start in the dark on loose ground, so judge whether a child can manage the climb. Rinjani's 2025 rules require Indonesian hikers under 17 to go with a guide or an experienced adult and to carry a parent's written permission; ask your trekking organiser whether it applies to foreign teenagers. When ash is in the air, the volcanic health network IVHHN advises keeping children indoors if possible, stopping running and hard play, and keeping them out of piled-up ash. Many masks are made to fit adults, not children. GOV.UK says people with asthma may be at greater risk, so bring enough of their usual medicine.

How to stay safe

Before a climb, check the volcano's level and the advice in its latest MAGMA Indonesia report (in Indonesian), and go with a licensed guide. On Agung, PVMBG advises limiting time near the crater, staying away when it is cloudy or raining, not staying overnight near it and never going down into it. At Batur, do not linger or stay overnight at the active crater, and keep away from gas vents, whose gas is poisonous. Since 11 August 2025 Rinjani hikers must book through eRinjani, bring a health certificate issued within a day of the climb, sign a consent form and give insurance details. Each certified guide may take at most five hikers, and each porter at most two foreign hikers (detikBali). Carry a mask and eye protection on Rinjani in case of ash.

If it happens

If a level is raised or an evacuation is ordered, leave the no-go zone and follow local orders (GOV.UK). In ash fall, stay indoors with doors and windows closed and wear a well-fitted mask outside (GOV.UK, IVHHN). Do not drive through ash or across river crossings filled with volcanic mud: a sudden muddy rise in a river below a volcano can be a lahar. Anyone with breathing trouble, an asthma attack that does not settle or an eye injury from ash needs medical care. In an emergency on a mountain, call Basarnas, the search and rescue agency, on 115 (WhatsApp +62 812 2200 0115). Rely on PVMBG's official information, not rumours.

Sources: MAGMA Indonesia: alert levels · MAGMA Indonesia: Rinjani report · GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · Antara Mataram, October 2026 · detikBali, August 2025

Earthquakes and tsunamis

In a quake, drop, cover and hold on; if you feel one on or near the beach, move inland or to high ground at once, without waiting for a warning.

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On 15 August 2026 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Nagekeo on Flores at 04:58 Western Indonesia Time (WIB). BMKG issued a tsunami warning about two minutes later and ended it at 07:30 WIB. BMKG's head said the tsunami reached 1.61 m at Reo on Flores, and a tide gauge at Dompu on Sumbawa measured 0.17 m. BNPB reported 105 deaths, 1,678 injured and 179,037 displaced as of 26 August 2026 (Kontan). Bali's airport stayed open. On 27 January 2026 a magnitude 5.7 quake off Pacitan in Java was felt lightly in Denpasar, Kuta and Karangasem, and BMKG said it had no tsunami potential (Antara). Lombok's earthquakes of July and August 2018 killed between 460 and 567 people, depending on the source.

Tsunami signs and warnings

The natural warnings are a strong or long earthquake, the sea suddenly draining away or rising fast, and a loud roar from the ocean (NOAA). BMKG treats shaking that lasts more than 20 seconds as the danger sign and advises going to ground at least 20 m above sea level. A local tsunami can arrive within minutes (GOV.UK), sooner than an official warning, so leave at once. Where there is a siren, it is the official call to evacuate (BPBD Badung). Official warnings come from BMKG through its apps, its website and @infoBMKG.

Children

Practise drop, cover and hold on with children: under a sturdy table, away from glass. On the beach, keep children close so you can leave at once. Agree in advance where the family will meet if you are apart. BPBD Badung's tsunami procedure for Kuta tells hotel guests to follow staff instructions.

How to stay safe

Install BMKG's official InfoBMKG or WRS-BMKG app and check real warnings at inatews.bmkg.go.id; BMKG warns about hoaxes and asks people to rely only on its own channels. When you check in near the coast, in Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Jimbaran or the Gilis for example, ask about the tsunami evacuation route and which upper floors are used as shelter. Kuta's plan (BPBD Badung, 2013) has a red zone to leave and a yellow zone where guests go to upper floors. In June 2023 BPBD Bali said only 9 of the 41 tsunami sirens Bali needs were installed, so do not wait for a siren. Keep your embassy's contact details with you.

If it happens

During the shaking, drop, cover and hold on, and do not run outside past falling glass and masonry; expect aftershocks (NOAA). If you are on or near the beach and feel a quake, move quickly inland or to high ground, and after strong or long shaking leave the red zone without waiting for a warning (BPBD Badung). If you cannot get inland, go to an upper floor of a solid building. Never go down to the shore to watch the sea, and stay away from the coast until officials give the all-clear, because the first wave may not be the last or the largest (NOAA). Afterwards keep away from cracked buildings and fallen power lines, use the phone only for emergencies, and call 110 or 112 for help, or Basarnas on 115 for rescue.

Sources: BMKG: Flores quake, August 2026 · BMKG: the 20-20-20 rule · BPBD Badung: Kuta evacuation · GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · NOAA: during a tsunami

Floods and landslides

In the rainy season, downpours can flood streets in Denpasar, Kuta and Legian within hours, so never walk, ride or drive through floodwater.

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GOV.UK says the rainy season usually runs from October to March. BMKG's forecast of September 2026 says most of Indonesia will enter the 2026 to 2027 rainy season from November 2026, later than normal because of a very strong El Niño, with the peak from December to February (InfoPublik).

Where it floods

Bali's rivers rise very fast after heavy rain, and drains clogged with rubbish overflow, so streets, basements and riverside buildings can flood within hours. On 10 September 2025 more than 150 mm of rain in a day caused Bali's worst floods in a decade: BNPB counted 18 dead and 6,309 households affected, with Denpasar worst hit and Jembrana, Gianyar, Badung and Karangasem also affected (Kompas). On 14 December 2025 a foreign woman riding a motorbike was swept away by floodwater in Tibubeneng, near Canggu, and died (detikBali). On 23 and 24 February 2026 floods in Legian and Kuta led to about 30 foreign tourists being evacuated, some by rubber boat (AFP). On hill roads (Kintamani, Tegallalang, Bedugul, Karangasem) soaked slopes slide and big trees fall: in January 2026 alone BPBD Bali recorded 106 landslides and 214 fallen trees across the island (Antara).

Children

Keep children out of floodwater, drains and swollen rivers entirely. Water hides open drains and holes, and children are swept off their feet in shallower water than adults. Plan indoor days when BMKG issues heavy-rain warnings. Leptospirosis and other infections linked to floods are covered on the health page.

How to stay safe

In the rainy season, follow BMKG's warnings in the InfoBMKG app or at bmkg.go.id, and those of BPBD Bali. Avoid riverside and basement rooms, and avoid riding over the hills during or just after heavy rain. Do not shelter under big trees or beside road cuttings in a storm. The currents in rivers and in the pools below waterfalls are hard to predict: in April 2026 a 23-year-old visitor was swept away at Tembok Barak waterfall in Buleleng (Liputan6). Never swim in them after heavy rain. Allow spare time for airport trips, because heavy rain also diverts and delays flights, and keep phones charged, since floods cut power. Warning signs are hours of very heavy rain, rivers rising fast or turning brown, water coming up through drains, cracks or new springs on slopes, and stones or mud falling on hill roads.

If it happens

Move to a higher floor or higher ground before the water rises. Never walk, ride or drive into floodwater, and never go around a barrier, because the road beneath may have collapsed: 15 cm of fast-moving water can knock an adult over, and 30 cm can carry away most cars (NOAA). If you are trapped, call 110 or 112, or Basarnas, the search and rescue agency, on 115. After a landslide or a fallen tree, stay back from the slope, because more may come down: BPBD Gianyar reported repeated slides on the Ceking to Kintamani road in January 2026.

Sources: GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · NOAA: floods · InfoPublik (BMKG), September 2026 · Kompas, September 2025 · Antara Bali, February 2026 · Liputan6, April 2026

Air and smoke

Smoke, haze from fires elsewhere in Indonesia and volcanic ash can make Bali's air unhealthy for hours or days, so check a live reading and keep children indoors when it is poor.

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Bali's air is usually moderate to good, but readings change by the hour. In October 2026 IQAir's Denpasar page drew on four community sensors; Indonesia's official readings are published as ISPU at ispu.kemenlh.go.id, on its own scale, where 101 and above is already unhealthy (tidak sehat). GOV.UK says wildfire haze can affect air quality throughout Indonesia. On the morning of 19 October 2026 BMKG's satellite showed haze from forest and land fires over 20 provinces in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Maluku and Papua, and BNPB counted 5,499 hotspots in six priority provinces on 18 October, mainly on Sumatra and Kalimantan (CNN Indonesia). In August 2026 Bali's regional secretary warned of wildfire risk in Bangli and Buleleng during the long dry season (The Bali Sun).

Children

Indonesia's paediatric society, IDAI, warned in October 2026 that children are more vulnerable to smoke because their lungs and immune systems are still developing, and that fine particles (PM2.5) reach deep into the lungs and can enter the bloodstream. On poor-air days, keep their play indoors and gentle. For volcanic ash, the advice for children under Volcanoes applies. Bring enough of your child's asthma medicine and a spacer (GOV.UK).

How to stay safe

On smoky or hazy days, check a live air-quality reading and BMKG. A US AQI above 100, as IQAir shows it, is unhealthy for sensitive groups, children among them, and above 150 it is unhealthy for everyone. On those days cut outdoor exercise, keep windows closed and run air-conditioning or an air purifier where you stay (IQAir). People with asthma or heart or lung disease should carry their medicines and an action plan (GOV.UK). Do not rely on a loose cloth mask against smoke or ash; in ash fall, wear a well-fitted mask (GOV.UK). Do not burn rubbish yourself at a villa.

If it happens

Coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and stinging eyes are signs that the air is affecting someone: go indoors and close the windows. Anyone with a severe asthma attack, breathlessness that does not settle with their usual inhaler or chest pain, and any baby or young child working hard to breathe, needs a hospital emergency department at once; call 119 for an ambulance. For medical details, see the health page.

Sources: GOV.UK: Indonesia safety · IVHHN: volcanic ash and health · IQAir: Denpasar · Suara Surabaya (IDAI), October 2026 · CNN Indonesia, October 2026

General information for visitors, checked against the sources each topic names in October 2026. For an emergency, call 112 where it is answered (Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, Klungkung and central Lombok); elsewhere, 119 for an ambulance and 110 for the police. Emergency numbers and hospitals