Use current advice for the places you will visit
Australia currently advises a high degree of caution in Indonesia overall. Read the advice for every destination on a wider Indonesian itinerary; a Bali hotel booking does not describe conditions in other provinces.
Save the address of each accommodation, insurer’s assistance number and emergency contacts offline. Give a trusted person your broad itinerary and agree how to make contact if plans change. Follow local closures and official instructions during an incident.
Choose transport you can identify
Use an identifiable licensed taxi, app booking or arranged driver. For an app ride, match the vehicle and driver to the booking before getting in. For a transfer, keep the provider’s written meeting instructions and contact number.
Record the total price, whether it is per vehicle or per person, the destination address and any waiting, parking or toll arrangements. With children or substantial luggage, confirm a suitable vehicle and specific restraints before accepting the booking.
Hiring a scooter is a separate licensing, insurance and riding decision. Do not let a rental offer or a short journey substitute for the correct licence and experience.
Reduce theft and payment problems
Keep your bag away from the roadside and valuables out of sight. Carry a payment backup separately, and avoid putting your phone, passport and every card in the same bag.
Use an authorised money changer. Confirm the net rupiah amount after charges, count it yourself while the transaction remains in sight and retain the receipt. For a card or ATM transaction, read the displayed currency and conversion terms before agreeing.
Keep booking confirmations and payment records. If someone asks you to change a payment destination, verify it through contact details obtained independently from the original booking.
Plan evenings and protect your drink
Arrange the journey home before going out. Choose an entrance and pickup point you can find after dark, and keep enough phone charge or another way to contact transport.
Keep food and drinks in your own care rather than leaving them with a stranger or a new acquaintance. Smartraveller warns about drink spiking and methanol poisoning; a familiar brand label is not a guarantee of the contents. Seek urgent medical attention if poisoning is suspected.
Solo travellers should be able to control their own transport and contact their accommodation. If a situation feels uncomfortable, move to a staffed public place and seek assistance.
Treat water and road conditions as part of the plan
Strong currents and poorly equipped boats are recognised risks. Follow beach flags and closures, and choose activities around the least confident swimmer or least mobile person in your group.
Before a boat or water activity, establish where it departs, the actual operator, suitable safety equipment, weather arrangements and how you would obtain help. A paid ticket does not remove the option to delay or decline a trip.
Allow flexibility when heavy rain disrupts an outing. Avoid walking, swimming or driving through floodwater. Move activities rather than treating an unsafe crossing or road journey as essential to a holiday schedule.
If something goes wrong
Contact local emergency services for an immediate threat or injury. For theft or another crime, preserve relevant booking details, transaction records and photographs where doing so is safe, and obtain police reporting instructions.
Contact your insurer promptly because its claim process may require a police report. Australian consular staff can provide information and support in serious cases, including details of local lawyers, but they do not investigate crimes or pay expenses.