Is Bali Safe for Travellers Right Now?
Updated: 3 days ago
Bali is safe in the way nervous travellers worry about and risky in the way they rarely think of. Australia's government rates Indonesia at 'exercise a high degree of caution', the second of four levels, and what actually hurts visitors is mostly ordinary: a scooter crash, a bag snatched from a passing moped, a spiked or methanol-laced drink, a padded fare. Get those right and an ordinary holiday stays ordinary.
Ride carefully, drink sealed, and save 112
Australia rates Indonesia "exercise a high degree of caution", level 2 of 4.
Motorbike and moped crashes have seriously injured and killed Australians in Bali; you need an IDP or Indonesian licence for the vehicle you ride.
Methanol can kill in a single shot, so drink only branded, sealed drinks.
Bag and phone snatching from motorbikes happens; carry your bag on the side away from the road.
Emergency numbers: police 110 or 112, ambulance 118, medical 119, fire 113.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Safe Actually Means Here
Search this question and you get two useless answers: horror stories, or a shrug that says everything is fine. The official advice sits in between. Australia asks travellers to exercise a high degree of caution across Indonesia, and the risks it spells out for Bali are mostly ordinary ones: an unfamiliar scooter on a dark road, a phone left facing the street, a bad drink, a driver who never turned the meter on. Those are the kind you can plan away.
Read more: Money in Bali, from Cash and Cards to ATMs
What to Keep an Eye On
The scooter is the real danger, so ride only if you are experienced and properly licensed.
Carry bags on the side away from the road to beat the moped snatch-and-grab.
Use a metered taxi or an app, never an unofficial driver quoting a round-number fare.
Watch your drink, and treat suspiciously cheap cocktails and local arak with real caution.
Buy insurance that covers medical evacuation, because serious care can mean a flight to Singapore.
Cover shoulders and knees at temples and follow the signs at ceremonies.
How to Stay Safe Without Overthinking It
Start with the road. Australian travel advice says Australians have been seriously injured and killed in motorcycle and moped accidents, particularly in Bali, and that after an accident a foreigner will often be assumed to be at fault. If you are not already a confident rider, use apps and drivers instead. If you do ride, carry an International Driving Permit or Indonesian licence that covers the vehicle as well as your home licence, wear a helmet, stay off unlit roads after dark, and check your insurance covers motorbikes.
Most crime against visitors is theft: bags snatched from passing motorbikes, phones lifted from tables, valuables taken at bars or villa doors, and Smartraveller notes it can sometimes turn violent. Carry your bag on the side away from the road and keep your phone off the table that faces the street. In bars, keep a hand near your drink, since drink spiking has been reported in Bali, and treat cheap spirits with real caution. Smartraveller's warning is blunt:
Methanol is highly toxic. As little as one shot can be fatal.
Its advice is to drink only branded, sealed drinks and to get urgent medical help if you think you have been poisoned.
The rest is money and manners. Settle a fare before you get in any unofficial car, draw cash from ATMs bolted to actual banks, and count your change. At temples, cover up and follow the signs, and stand back when a ceremony is underway. Bali is a deeply religious place, and the ordinary respect you would show anyone is what keeps every encounter easy.
Which Emergency Numbers Work in Bali?
These are the numbers listed by Smartraveller, checked on 24 October 2026. Save them, along with your accommodation address and your insurer's emergency line, before you need them.
Service | Number | When to call |
Police | 110 or 112 | Theft, assault or any emergency |
Ambulance and rescue | 118 | Accidents and rescue |
Medical emergencies | 119 | Urgent medical help |
Fire | 113 | Fire services |
Australian Consulate-General, Bali | +62 361 2000 100 | Consular help for Australians |
See also: Plan Your Trip to Bali
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bali safe for solo female travellers?
Broadly yes, and plenty travel solo here without trouble. The usual habits apply: skip isolated areas after dark, keep an eye on your drink, and stick to registered taxis or apps rather than unofficial drivers.
Can you drink the tap water in Bali?
No. Stick to bottled or filtered water, avoid ice from places you do not trust, and use bottled water even for brushing your teeth to save your stomach.
Are Bali scams dangerous?
Almost all are about money, not safety: padded taxi fares, short-changing money changers, pushy touts. Use apps, insist on meters, and draw cash from bank ATMs and you sidestep nearly all of them.
Do I need vaccinations for Bali?
Check with a travel clinic before you go. Routine vaccinations are usually advised, and some travellers add hepatitis A and typhoid depending on where and how they are travelling.
What is the emergency number in Bali?
Call 110 or 112 for the police, 118 for an ambulance, 119 for medical emergencies and 113 for fire, as listed by Smartraveller. Save your accommodation address and your insurer's emergency line offline too.
Most Safety Is Decided Before You Fly
Most of your safety is decided by a few bookings made before you arrive. Stay somewhere well connected rather than remote, arrange reliable transport instead of flagging down whoever is passing, and travel with insurance that actually covers medical care and evacuation.
Where To Stay?
A busy, well connected area is a safety choice in itself. Compare Bali hotels and villas and base yourself somewhere that has reliable transport.
Things To Do
Book through established operators, not street touts. Browse trusted Bali tours and activities so your whole plan is set well before you arrive.
Rent A Car
Skip the scooter risk on roads you do not know. Compare car hire across Bali, check the licence rules, and arrange safer transport ahead of time.
Sources: Smartraveller (Australian Government) (advice level, road safety, methanol, theft and emergency numbers, checked 24 October 2026) | UK FCDO Travel Advice.
Last verified: 24 October 2026
