It’s Australia’s favourite overseas haunt, but travellers to Indonesia have been issued a recent warning to be careful if they jet off to the popular tourist destination.
On Friday, the federal government’s Smartraveller website said it had reviewed its advice for Indonesia and continued to advise visitors to “exercise a high degree of caution”.
“Australians have drowned in coastal areas, due to rough seas and strong rip currents at popular tourist beaches including in Bali,” the website said.
“Many beaches are unpatrolled.”
Travellers were also warned to make sure their passports were in pristine condition, with water damage, minor tears, or rips to the page being considered to breach damage standards in the past.
If travelling to the hotspot-within-a-hotspot that is Bali, people are urged to read up on the Bali Provincial Government’s list of “do’s and don’ts”.
“Offensive behaviour that fails to respect local culture, religion, places of worship, and traditional ceremonies can lead to criminal penalties and/or deportation,” Smartraveller said.
Cases of methanol poisoning and drink spiking have received a high public profile in south-east Asian countries in recent months, and Indonesia is no exception.
People are urged to be alert to the potential risks, and never to leave food or drinks unattended.
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“Cases of methanol poisoning in drinks have previously been reported in Indonesia, including in Bali and Lombok,” Smartraveller said.
